939. O Lord God Almighty, signifies because He is Divine good. This is evident from the signification of "omnipotence," as meaning to be, to exist, to have ability, and to live, from Himself (See n. 43, 689); and as all goods and truths are from Him because they are in Him it is said "Lord God;" for He is called "Lord" from the Divine good, and "God" from the Divine truth; and as He has omnipotence from the Divine good through the Divine truth, it is said "Lord God Almighty." (That the Lord is called "Lord" in the Word from the Divine good, see n. 685; and "God" from the Divine truth, n. 24, 220, 688)

[2] It is known that man's interior must be purified before the good that he does is good; for the Lord says:

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside may be clean also (Matthew 13:26).

Man's interior is purified only as he refrains from evils, in accordance with the commandments of the Decalogue. So long as man does not refrain from these evils and does not shun and turn away from them as sins, they constitute his interior, and are like an interposed veil or covering, and in heaven this appears like an eclipse by which the sun is obscured and light is intercepted; also like a fountain of pitch or of black water, from which nothing emanates but what is impure. That which emanates therefrom and that appears before the world as good is not good, because it is defiled by evils from within, for it is Pharisaic and hypocritical good. This good is good from man and is meritorious good. It is otherwise when evils have been removed by a life according to the commandments of the Decalogue.

[3] Now since evils must be removed before goods can become goods, the Ten Commandments were the first of the Word, being promulgated from Mount Sinai before the Word was written by Moses and the Prophets. And these do not set forth goods that must be done, but evils that must be shunned. For the same reason these commandments are the first things to be taught in the churches; for they are taught to boys and girls in order that man may begin his Christian life with them, and by no means forget them as he grows up; although he does so. The same is meant by these words in Isaiah:

What is the multitude of sacrifices to Me? Your meal-offering, your incense, your new moons, and your appointed feasts, My soul hateth. And when you multiply prayer I will not hear. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil. Then though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow; though they be red as purple they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:11-19).

"Sacrifices," "meal-offerings," "incense," "new moons," and "feasts," also "prayer," mean all things of worship. That these are wholly evil and even abominable unless the interior is purified from evils is meant by "Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings, and cease to do evil." That afterwards they are all goods is meant by the words that follow.

43. The Almighty, signifies from Himself. This is evident from this, that no one except the Lord alone has any power in the heavens; therefore the angels are powers, or are powerful, in the measure of their reception from the Lord, and they receive in the measure in which they are in Divine good united with Divine truth; for this is the Lord in Heaven. From this it is clear that the Lord alone is powerful, and no one else in heaven except from the Lord. The reason is that the Divine of the Lord is the All in all things in heaven, for this makes heaven in general, and with each one in particular. Moreover, by Him were all things created that were created, thus heaven and earth, as He Himself teaches in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt in us (John 1:1, 3-4, 14).

By "the Word" is meant the Divine truth which is in the heavens, and from which are all things there. That this is the Lord in respect to the Divine Human is evident, for it is said, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt in us." And because all the life of the angels is therefrom, likewise all the light in the heavens, it is said, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (But all these things may be seen more fully illustrated in the work on Heaven and Hell, namely, that the Divine of the Lord makes heaven, n 7-12; that this is His Divine Human, n. 78-86; that all the life of angels is therefrom, n 9; and also all light in heaven, n. 126-140; that angels have all their power from the Lord, and none at all from themselves, n 228-233.) From this it is clear that "Almighty" means to be, to live, and to have power, from Himself. That the Lord's Divine Human has being, life, and power from Itself equally with His Divine in Himself, which is called the Father, the Lord also teaches:

As the Father hath life in Himself, so gave He to the Son to have life in Himself (John 5:26);

and that no one else has life in himself Jesus declares:

Without Me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).