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Arcana Coelestia #3441

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3441. For the sake of Abraham my servant. That this signifies from the Lord’s Divine Human is evident from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord’s Divine, and also the Divine Human (n. 2833, 2836, 3251); and from the signification of “my servant,” when predicated of the Lord, as being the Divine Human; not that the Divine Human is a servant, because this also is Jehovah (n. 1736, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035), but because the Lord by this serves the human race; for by this man is saved, inasmuch as unless the Lord had united the Human to the Divine, so that man might be enabled with his mind to look upon and adore the Human of the Lord and thus have access to the Divine, he could not possibly have been saved. The conjunction of man with the Divine itself which is called the “Father” is through the Divine Human which is called the “Son”; thus through the Lord, by whom the spiritual man understands the Human, but the celestial man the Divine Itself. Hence it is evident why the Divine Human is called a “servant,” namely, because it serves the Divine, in order that man may have access thereto, and because it serves mankind for their salvation.

[2] This then is what is signified by “Abraham my servant” as also in David:

Remember his marvelous works that He hath done, his wonders and the judgments of His mouth, O ye seed of Abraham His servant, ye sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. He sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He hath chosen. He remembered the word of His holiness with Abraham His servant (Psalms 105:5-6, 26, (Psalms 105:26)42); where by “Abraham his servant” is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human. In like manner also the Lord as to the Divine Human is meant in the supreme sense by “Israel his servant,” by “Jacob his servant,” and by “David his servant”; by Israel his servant, in Isaiah:

Thou Israel my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend; thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the wings thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant, I have chosen thee (Isaiah 41:8-9); where “Israel my servant” in the supreme sense is the Lord in respect to the internal things of the spiritual church; and “Jacob” as to the external things of this church. Again:

He said unto me, Thou art My servant Israel, in whom I will be glorified. It is a light thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel; and I have given thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:3, 6); where “Israel, in whom I will be glorified,” manifestly represents the Lord’s Divine Human. That he is called “servant” from serving is manifest, for it is said, “that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel.”

[3] That the Lord as to his Divine Human is meant also by “Jacob my servant” is evident in the following passage from Isaiah:

I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, for Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My chosen (Isaiah 45:3-4); where by “Jacob My servant, and Israel My chosen” is meant the Lord, “Jacob My servant” having respect to the external things of the church, and “Israel My chosen” to the internal things of the church.

[4] The same is also signified by “David my servant” in Ezekiel:

I will gather the sons of Israel from every side. My servant David shall be king over them; there shall be to them all one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the land which I have given unto Jacob My servant, and they shall dwell therein, they and their sons and their sons’ sons even forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever (Ezekiel 37:21, 24-25).

“David My servant” plainly denotes the Lord’s Divine Human (n. 1888), and this from Divine truth, which is signified by “king,” and here by “David” (n. 1728, 2015, 3009). That truth itself also is relatively a servant, may be seen above (n. 3409); and because it is so, the Lord Himself calls Himself one that serveth” or “ministereth,” in Mark:

Whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be servant of all. For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (Mark 10:43-45; Matthew 20:26-28).

And in Luke:

Which is the greater, he that reclineth at meat, or he that ministereth? Is not he that reclineth at meat? But I am in the midst of you as he that ministereth (Luke 22:27).

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

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Arcana Coelestia #3023

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3023. I will make thee swear by Jehovah the God of heaven and the God of the earth. That this signifies a most holy pledging to the Divine which is in the highest and in that which is therefrom, is evident from the signification of “causing to swear,” as being to pledge by oath; for to cause to swear is nothing else than to pledge; and this is most holy when it is by Jehovah the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that is, to the Divine which is above and which is beneath, or what is the same, to the Divine which is in the highest and in that which is therefrom. “Jehovah the God of heaven,” being said of the Lord, denotes Jehovah Himself who is called the Father, from whom He was conceived, thus who was His Divine Essence; for the conception itself gave the veriest essence from which He was. “Jehovah the God of the earth” in this case means Jehovah who is called the Son, thus His Human essence; this came forth from the Divine essence when the Lord made it also Divine. Thus by “Jehovah the God of heaven” is signified the Divine that is in the highest; and by “Jehovah the God of the earth” is signified the Divine that is in that which is therefrom. But the Lord is called “Jehovah the God of heaven” from His Divine that is in the heavens; and He is called the “God of the earth” from His Divine that is on earth. The Divine in the heavens is also that which is with man in his internals; but the Divine on earth is that which is in his externals; for the internals of man are his heaven, because by them he is conjoined with the angels; but his externals are his earth, for by them he is conjoined with men (n. 82, 913, 1411, 1733). When a man is regenerate, the internals flow into the externals, and the externals are from the internals. Hence also it may be known what the internals of the church are, and what its externals.

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

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Arcana Coelestia #1736

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1736. That the Lord is Jehovah, who is here called “God Most High,” is plainly evident from the Word.

In Isaiah:

Jehovah Zebaoth is His name, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth is He called (Isaiah 54:5); where it is plain that the Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel, who is the Lord alone, is “Jehovah Zebaoth” and “the God of the whole earth.” Again:

Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy God (Isaiah 48:17).

Again:

I do help thee, saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41:14).

The expressions “the Holy One of Israel,” and “the God of Israel” occur many times. That the Lord is the Holy One of Israel and the God of Israel is clearly evident in that:

They saw the God of Israel, and there was under His feet as it were a work of sapphire stone, and as it were the substance of heaven for clearness (Exodus 24:10).

[2] No other was acknowledged and called Jehovah by the Jewish Church, for it worshiped the one God Jehovah, and this was the more fully the case for the reason-which was unknown to most of them-that all the rites of that church represented the Lord, and all the things of the Word in the internal sense were significative of Him.

In Isaiah:

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord Jehovih will wipe away the tear from off all faces. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is Jehovah, we have waited for Him; let us exult and be glad in his salvation (Isaiah 25:8-9);

treating of the coming of the Lord.

[3] In the same:

Behold the Lord Jehovih will come in strength, and His arm shall rule for Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, He shall gather the little lambs in His arm, He shall carry them in His bosom, He shall lead the sucklings (Isaiah 40:10-11).

Here the Lord is plainly spoken of, who is “the Lord Jehovih.” That He “shall come in strength,” and “His arm rule for Him,” signifies that He would conquer the hells by His own power; to “feed His flock, gather the little lambs in His arm, carry them in His bosom, and lead the sucklings,” are predicated of His love or mercy.

[4] Again:

Thus said Jehovah that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth and made it, He established it, He created it not an emptiness, He formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah, and there is none else. Am not I Jehovah, and there is no God else besides Me? a just God, and a Saviour, there is none besides Me. Look unto Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else (Isaiah 45:18, 21-22).

Here the Lord is manifestly spoken of as being alone Jehovah and God. That to “create the heavens and form the earth” is to regenerate, thus that the Creator of heaven and earth is the Regenerator, may be seen above at n. 16, 88, 472, and elsewhere; and therefore the Lord is often called the Creator, Former, and Maker.

[5] Again:

Thou art our Father, for Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us. Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer, Thy name is from everlasting (Isaiah 63:16).

Here the Lord is plainly meant, who alone is the “Redeemer.”

In Moses:

Take heed of His face, and hear His voice, provoke Him not, for He will not bear your transgression, for My name is in the midst of Him (Exodus 23:21). That “name” means essence, see above (n. 144, 145); and “in the midst” means the inmost (n. 1074).

[6] In Isaiah:

Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6),

plainly said of the Lord.

In Jeremiah:

Behold the days come that I will raise unto David a righteous offshoot, and He shall reign a King, and shall act intelligently, and shall do judgment and justice in the earth; in His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell in confidence; and this is His name whereby they shall call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5-6),

plainly meaning the Lord.

In Zechariah:

Jehovah shall be King over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His name one (Zech. 14:9),

plainly speaking of the Lord. The “name” denotes the essence.

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