12
Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα βλέπειν τὴν φωνὴν ἥτις ἐλάλει μετ’ ἐμοῦ· καὶ ἐπιστρέψας εἶδον ἑπτὰ λυχνίας χρυσᾶς,
Revelation 1:12
Apocalypse Explained #43
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).
