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Apocalypse Explained # 102

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102. And for My name's sake hast toiled, is the acknowledgment of the Lord and of the knowledges of truth that have respect to Him. This is evident from the signification of "the name" of Jehovah, or of the Lord, as being, in the highest sense, His Divine Human (See Arcana Coelestia 2628, 6887), and in a relative sense, all things of love and faith by which the Lord is worshiped, because these are things Divine that proceed from His Divine Human (n. 2724, 3006, 6674, 9310). This is evident also from the signification of "toiling," as being to strive with mind and zeal that these things may be known and acknowledged; for this is signified by "toiling" when it is said of those who apply themselves to the knowledges of truth and good. From this it follows that "for My name's sake hast toiled" signifies the acknowledgment of the Lord, and of the knowledges that have respect to Him. The knowledges that have respect to the Lord are all things that are of love and faith. In many passages of the Word it is said, "for the sake of Jehovah's name," "for the sake of the Lord's name," "for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ," that "the name of God should be sanctified," and the like. Those whose thoughts do not go beyond the sense of the letter suppose that the name alone is meant; but what is meant is not the name, but everything whereby the Lord is worshiped; and all of this has relation to love and faith. Therefore by "the Lord's name" in the Word all things of love and of faith by which He is worshiped are meant; here the acknowledgment of the Lord and of the knowledges of truth that have respect to Him, because this is said to those who are only zealous about knowledges.

[2] That "Jehovah's name" or the "Lord's name" does not mean the name itself, but all things of love and faith, is from the spiritual world. There the names used on the earth are not uttered; but the names of the persons who are spoken of are formed from the idea of all things known about them combined into a single word. In this way names in the spiritual world are expressed; consequently names there, like all the other things, are spiritual The names "Lord" and "Jesus Christ," even, are not uttered there as on the earth, but in place of those names a name is formed from the idea of all things known and believed respecting Him; and this idea is made up of all things of love to Him and faith in Him. This is because these in the complex are the Lord in them; for the Lord is in everyone in the goods of love and of faith that are from Him. As this is so, the quality of everyone there, in respect to love to the Lord and faith in the Lord, is immediately known if he only utters "Lord" or "Jesus Christ" by a spiritual expression or spiritual name; and for the same reason also, those who are not in any love to Him or faith in Him are unable to speak His name, that is, to form any spiritual name of Him. From this it is now clear why by the "name" of Jehovah, of the Lord, or of Jesus Christ, name is not meant in the Word, but everything of love and of faith whereby He is worshiped.

[3] Lest, therefore, the opinion that is entertained by many should prevail, that the mere name Jesus Christ, without love to Him or faith in Him, thus without the knowledges by which love and faith exist, contributes something to salvation, I will introduce some passages from the Word in which the expressions "for His name's sake" and "in His name" are used, from which those who think more deeply may see that name alone is not meant:

Jesus said, Ye shall be hated of all for My name's sake (Matthew 10:22, 24:9, 10).

Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).

As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become sons of God; even to them that believe in His name (John 1:12).

When Jesus was in Jerusalem many believed in His name (John 2:23).

He that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God (John 3:17, 18).

These are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His name (John 20:31).

Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord (Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Luke 13:35; 19:35).

Everyone that hath left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundred-fold, and eternal life (Matthew 19:29).

(What is here signified by "houses, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, and fields," which are to be left for the name of the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 10490.)

Jesus said, Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that I will do (John 14:13, 14);

"to ask in My name" is to ask from love and faith.

Many shall come in My name, saying, I am He; go ye not therefore after them (Luke 21:8; Mark 13:6);

"to come in My name" and "to say that I am He" is to proclaim falsities and to say that they are truths, and thus to lead astray. The like is signified by saying that they are the Christ, when they are not, in Matthew:

Many shall come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and shall lead many astray (Matthew 24:5, 11, 23-27);

for by "Jesus" is meant the Lord in respect to Divine good; and by "Christ" the Lord in respect to Divine truth (Arcana Coelestia 3004-3005, 3009, 5502), and by not being Christ, truth not Divine, but falsity.

[4] The "name of the Lord," in the New Testament means the like as the "name of Jehovah" in the Old, because the Lord there is Jehovah.

Thus in Isaiah:

And in that day shall ye say, Confess ye to Jehovah, call upon His name (Isaiah 12:4).

In the same:

O Jehovah, we have waited for Thee; to Thy name and to Thy memorial is the desire of our soul. By Thee will we make mention of Thy name (Isaiah 26:8, 13).

In the same:

From the rising of the sun shall My name be called upon (Isaiah 41:25).

In Malachi:

From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name is great among the nations; and in every place incense is offered unto My name; for My name is great among the nations (Malachi 1:11).

In Isaiah:

Everyone that is called by My name I have created for My glory, I have formed him (Isaiah 43:7).

In Micah:

All peoples walk in the name of their god, and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God (Micah 4:5).

In Moses:

Thou shalt not take the name of thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that hath taken His name in vain (Deuteronomy 5:11).

In the same:

Jehovah separated the tribe of Levi, that they should minister and bless in the name of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 10:8).

In the same:

They shall worship Jehovah in one place, where He shall place His name (Deuteronomy 12:5, 11, 13, 14, 18, 26; 16:2, 6, 11, 15, 16).

"Where He shall place His name" means where there shall be worship from the good of love and the truths of faith. This was done at Jerusalem; and therefore by "Jerusalem" the church in respect to doctrine and worship is signified (See in the small work on The New Jerusalem and its Doctrine 6).

[5] Since by the "name of Jehovah" or the "name of the Lord" is signified in the spiritual sense all worship from the good of love and the truths of faith, therefore in the highest sense by "name of Jehovah" is meant the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, for the reason that from His Divine Human everything of love and of faith proceeds. That by "name of Jehovah," in the highest sense, the Lord is meant, is evident in John:

Jesus said, Father, glorify Thy name. There came a voice out of heaven, saying, I have both glorified and will glorify again (John 12:28).

In Isaiah:

I will give thee for a covenant to the people, for a light of the nations. I am Jehovah, this is My name, and My glory will I not give to another (Isaiah 42:6, 8);

the coming of the Lord is here treated of.

In Jeremiah:

Behold the days come that I will raise unto David a righteous shoot, and He shall reign as King, and this is His name, by which they shall call Him, Jehovah, our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5, 6).

From this it is clear what is meant in the Lord's prayer by the words:

Hallowed be Thy name (Matthew 6:9);

namely, that the Divine Human of the Lord is to be accounted holy, and to be worshiped.

[6] As this is meant by "the name of the Lord," the meaning of the following passages can be seen.

In John:

The shepherd of the sheep calleth his own sheep by their name (John 10:3).

In Luke:

Rejoice that your names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).

And in Revelation:

Thou hast a few names in Sardis (Revelation 3:4).

He who does not know what "name" signifies in the Word cannot possibly know how these words are to be understood, in Matthew:

He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous one in the name of a righteous one shall receive a righteous one's reward; and whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold [water] in the name of a disciple only, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward (Matthew 10:41, 42).

"To receive a prophet in the name of a prophet," "a righteous one in the name of a righteous one," and "to give drink in the name of a disciple," signifies to love truth for the sake of truth, good for the sake of good, and to exercise charity from the faith of truth; for by "prophet" is signified truth, by "righteous one" is signified good, and by "disciple" good from truth; and "to give to drink of cold [water]" is to exercise charity from obedience; "in the name" of these is for the sake of what they are, thus for their sake. Who could ever understand these things unless he knew what "name" signifies?

[7] To love and to do truth for the sake of truth, and good for the sake of good, is to have affection for truth and good for their sake, and not for the sake of one's own reputation, honor, or gain. Such affection of truth and good is a truly spiritual affection; but the affection of truth and good for the sake of one's own reputation, honor, or gain, is a merely natural affection. And as those who love truth and good for the sake of truth and good, or because they are truth and good, are in the spiritual affection of truth and good, therefore it is said that they shall receive "a prophet's reward" and "a righteous one's reward;" which means that they are in the spiritual affection of truth and good, and this affection has reward in itself, because it has heaven in itself. (That the happiness of heaven is in the affection of loving and doing truth and good, without regard to reward as an end, thus for the sake of truth and good, see Arcana Coelestia 6388, 6478, 9174, 9984. That "prophet" signifies one who teaches truth, thus also, in the abstract, truth that is taught, see n. 2534, 7269. That a "righteous one" signifies the good of love to the Lord, n. 2235, 9857. That "disciple" signifies good from truth, which is the good of charity, n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397. That "to give drink" is to instruct in the goods and truths of faith, and thus to exercise charity, n. Arcana Coelestia 3069, 3772, 4017, 4018, 8562, 9412; and that "name" signifies the quality of a thing, n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 3237; hence "the name of Jehovah," or "the name of the Lord," signifies every quality by which He is worshiped, n. Arcana Coelestia 2724[1-3], 3006, 6674, 9310).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

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Apocalypse Explained # 205

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205. He that hath the key of David, signifies who has power by means of Divine truth. This is evident from the signification of "key," as being the power of opening and shutting, here heaven and hell, for it follows, "He that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth;" therefore "key" means here the power of saving (as above, n. 86), since to open heaven and to shut hell is to save. It is evident also from the representation of "David," as being the Lord in respect to Divine truth. By "David" in the Word the Lord is meant, because by "kings" in the Word the Lord in respect to Divine truth is represented, and by "priests" there the Lord in respect to Divine good. The Lord is represented especially by king David, because David had much care of the matters of the church, and also wrote the Psalms. (That "kings" in the Word signify Divine truth, and "priests" Divine good, see above, n. 31; moreover, that all names of persons and places in the Word signify spiritual things, which are the things pertaining to the church and to heaven, see above, n. 19, 50, 102.)

It is said, "He that hath the key of David," because David (as was just said) represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and the Lord has all power in the heavens and on earth from Divine good through Divine truth; for in general good without truth has no power, neither has truth without good any power, for good acts through truth. From this it is that Divine good and Divine truth proceed united from the Lord, and so far as they are conjointly received by the angels, so far the angels are powers. This then, is why it is said "the key of David." (That all power is in truths from good, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 228-233, where the Power of the Angels of Heaven is treated of; also n. 539.)

[2] That by "David" in the Word the Lord is meant is clearly evident from certain passages where he is mentioned in the prophets. As in Ezekiel:

They shall be to Me for a people, and I will be to them for a God, and My servant David king over them, that they may all have one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the land, they and their sons and their son's sons even to eternity; and David My servant shall be prince to them to eternity (Ezekiel 37:23-25).

In Hosea:

The sons of Israel shall return, and shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king; and with fear shall they come to Jehovah and to His goodness in the extremity of days (Hosea 3:5).

It is said "They shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king," because "Jehovah" in the Word means the Lord in respect to Divine good, which is the Divine Esse, and "David a king" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth, which is the Divine Existere. (That "Jehovah" in the Word means the Lord in respect to Divine good, see Arcana Coelestia 732, 2586, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4253, 4402, 7010, 9167, 9315)

[3] In Zechariah:

Jehovah shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David, and the glory of the inhabitant of Jerusalem, may not exalt itself above Judah. In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitant of Jerusalem, and the house of David shall be as God, and as the angel of Jehovah before them. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace. In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:7-8, 10; 13:1).

Here the Lord's coming is treated of, and the salvation at that time of those who are of His spiritual kingdom. "Tents of Judah" mean the celestial kingdom; and the "house of David and the inhabitant of Jerusalem," the spiritual kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is constituted of those in heaven and on earth who are in Divine truth, and the celestial kingdom of those who are in Divine good (See just above, n. 204. From this it can be seen what these words mean, namely, that these two kingdoms shall act as one, and that one shall not exalt itself above the other. (Of these two kingdoms, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). That "Judah" signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love and the Lord's celestial kingdom may be seen above (n. 119). And that "Jerusalem" signifies the Lord's spiritual kingdom, see in the Arcana Coelestia 402, 3654, 9166. The same is therefore signified by "the house of David;" consequently it is here said, "the house of David shall be as God, and as the angel of Jehovah;" "God" also means the Lord in respect to Divine truth (See Arcana Coelestia 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167); and the like is meant by the "angel of Jehovah" (See above, n. 130, 200).

[4] "David" and his "house" have a like signification also in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a prince and a lawgiver to the nations 1 (Isaiah 55:3-4).

These things are said of the Lord, who is here "David." In David:

In the heavens Thou shalt establish Thy truth; I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation; and the heavens shall confess Thy wonder, O Jehovah; Thy truth also in the congregation of the saints (Psalms 89:2-5).

These things also were said of the Lord, and not of David; for it is said, "I have sworn to David My servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation;" this is not applicable to David, whose seed and throne were not established to eternity, and yet Jehovah swore, and an oath from Jehovah is irrevocable confirmation from the Divine (See Arcana Coelestia 2842[1-10]). The "seed of David" in the spiritual sense, means those who are in the truths from good from the Lord, and in an abstract sense, truths themselves that are from good (See Arcana Coelestia, n (Arcana Coelestia 3373, 3380, 10249, 10445); and "throne" means the Lord's spiritual kingdom (See Arcana Coelestia 5313, 5922, 6397, 8625). David is called "My servant" (as also above in Ezekiel 37:23-25), because "servant" in the Word is used of every person and every thing that serves and ministers (See Arcana Coelestia 3441, 7143, 8241), and Divine truth proceeding serves and ministers to Divine good from which it proceeds. That it is the Lord in respect to Divine truth, or Divine truth proceeding from the Lord that is meant by "David," is evident, for it is said, "In the heavens Thou shalt establish Thy truth, and the heavens shall confess Thy truth in the congregation of the saints." That those also are called "saints" who are in Divine truths, see just above n. 204.

[5] In the same:

I will not profane My covenant, and what is pronounced by My lips will I not change. Once have I sworn by My holiness; I will not lie unto David. His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established as the moon to eternity, a faithful witness in the clouds (Psalms 89:34-37).

That these things are said of the Lord is evident in the whole Psalm, for it treats of His coming, and afterwards of the repudiation of Him by the Jewish nation. That the Lord is here treated of, and that He is here meant by "David" is plain from these words in the same Psalm:

I have found David, My servant; with the oil of My holiness have I anointed him. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall call Me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. I also will make him the firstborn, high above the kings of the earth. I will set his throne as the days of the heavens (Psalms 89:20, 25-27, 29).

The Lord is meant also by "David," by "the anointed," and by "king," in other passages in the Psalms, as can be clearly seen by those who understand the Word spiritually, but obscurely by those who understand it only naturally. As in these words in David:

Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy saints shall shout for joy for Thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of Thine anointed. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed; upon himself shall his crown flourish (Psalms 132:9-10, 17-18);

here also the Lord is meant by "David" and by "the anointed;" for the Lord is treated of in this Psalm, as is clear from what goes before, where it is said:

He swore unto Jehovah, I will not give sleep to mine eyes until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the mighty One of Jacob. Lo, we have heard of it at Ephrathah [Bethlehem]. We will come into His habitations, we will worship at His footstool (Psalms 132:2, 4-7).

[6] That David might represent the Lord in respect to Divine truth, the Lord was willing to be born of the house of David, and also to be called "the Son of David," "his Root and Offspring," also "the Root of Jesse." But when the Lord put off the human from the mother, and put on the Human from the Father, which is the Divine Human, He was no longer David's son. This is meant by the Lord's words to the Pharisees:

Jesus said to the Pharisees, How does it seem to you respecting Christ? whose Son is He? They said unto Him, David's. He said unto them, How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at My right hand, until I place thine enemies as a stool of thy feet? If David then calleth Him Lord, how is He his Son (Matthew 22:42-45; Luke 20:41-44).

That the Lord glorified His Human, that is, put off the human from the mother, and put on a Human from the Father, which is the Divine Human, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-295, 298-310. For this reason He was not David's son, as He was not the son of Mary, whom therefore He did not call His mother, but "woman" (Matthew 12:46-49; Mark 3:31 to the end; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:4; 19:25, 26). The like is meant by "the key of Peter," as by "the key of David," namely, that the Lord has all power, and that He has this power through His Divine truth, as will be seen in the article that now follows.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. The Latin has "nations," the Hebrew "peoples," as found also in Arcana Coelestia 1259, 4197.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.