Hay algo en cada evangelio sobre una aparición de Jesús a sus discípulos después del domingo por la mañana cuando encontraron el sepulcro vacío. Por ejemplo, ver Mateo 28:16-20; Marcos 16:14-19; Lucas 24:13-33; Juan 20:19-31...y... Juan 21.

En Lucas, hay una historia de dos discípulos caminando desde Jerusalén al pueblo de Emaús, una caminata de unas siete millas. Poco después de salir de la ciudad se les acerca otro viajero que se ha fijado en sus rostros preocupados y en su seria conversación y les pregunta qué es lo que les preocupa. Caminando juntos, le preguntan al desconocido: "¿No habéis oído hablar de los problemas de Jerusalén, cómo el profeta de Galilea, que esperábamos que fuera el que salvara a Israel, fue entregado para ser crucificado? Y es extraño decir que cuando algunas de las mujeres fueron al tercer día a ungir su cuerpo, vieron ángeles que les dijeron que no estaba allí, sino que había resucitado de entre los muertos".

Al oír esto, el viajero los reprende por no creer, y dice: "¿No ven que Cristo tuvo que sufrir estas cosas y entrar en su gloria?" El desconocido entonces le dice a los dos discípulos muchas cosas acerca de Jesús, de los libros de Moisés, y los profetas, en el Antiguo Testamento. Los dos discípulos escuchan con asombro, pero no reconocen al extraño. Al final llegan a Emaús. El desconocido parece querer continuar cuando los dos se detienen, pero le ruegan que se detenga también, porque se está haciendo tarde y quieren escuchar más. Así que todos se sientan a compartir la cena, y cuando el extraño toma la barra de pan y la rompe y les da pedazos, sus ojos se abren y lo reconocen, y Él desaparece.

Uno puede imaginarse el asombro que les invadió a ambos cuando se dieron cuenta de que era Jesús. Sabían que estaba crucificado, y aún así había caminado y hablado con ellos durante varias horas. ¡Las mujeres tenían razón! ¡Los ángeles tenían razón! ¡Estaba vivo!

La Nueva Iglesia cree que hay significados internos en todas las historias de la Palabra del Señor, las sagradas escrituras, y que este significado interno, dentro de las historias literales sobre Abraham, Isaac y Jacob, Josué, Samuel, David y el resto, y todos los dichos de los profetas desde Isaías hasta Malaquías, y los cuatro evangelios... este significado es lo que hace que la Palabra sea santa.

Entonces, ¿qué podemos ver aquí en esta historia? Bueno, ese significado interno en "Moisés y los profetas" es la historia de la vida de Jesús en el mundo, desde su nacimiento en Belén a través de todos sus años de crecimiento hasta su "muerte" y luego su resurrección. Porque Jesús lo sabía, y ciertamente había leído las Escrituras y las entendía internamente, sabía desde hace mucho tiempo cómo se iba a cerrar su vida terrenal, y que era necesario que se cerrara como había sido "escrito", para salvar a la raza humana. Así que les contó a los dos discípulos esa historia mientras caminaban hacia Emaús.

Más sobre ese paseo... En la Palabra, cualquier mención de caminar se refiere a cómo vivimos nuestras vidas día a día. En muchas historias de la Palabra, se dice que alguien caminó con Dios. Se dice que debemos caminar en sus caminos y que debemos caminar por el camino recto y estrecho.

También en esta historia se nos dice que este fue un viaje de sesenta estadios (en el griego original). Sesenta (u otros múltiplos de "seis") representa el trabajo de toda una vida de rechazar las tentaciones que vienen de nuestro egoísmo innato. Apocalipsis Explicado 648. Así que, este viaje a Emaús significa el viaje de nuestra vida - como una persona que está tratando de seguir las enseñanzas del Señor y convertirse en un ángel.

El destino era Emaús. En la Palabra cualquier ciudad representa una doctrina, un conjunto organizado de verdades que hemos puesto en orden para poder vivir de acuerdo a ellas... nuestras reglas de vida. Ver Arcana Coelestia 402. No son necesariamente buenas, como en el caso de Jerusalén o Belén, pero también pueden ser malas doctrinas, por ejemplo, Sodoma o Babilonia. Mi diccionario me dice que el nombre Emaús significa "aguas termales". Otro significado universal en la Palabra es que el agua significa verdad en sus usos benéficos, pero también puede significar verdad convertida en falsedad por los que están en el infierno, en un sentido opuesto. Ver, por ejemplo, Arcana Coelestia 790. Piensa en los pozos que Abraham cavó, o las aguas que Jesús prometió a la mujer de Samaria mientras hablaban junto al pozo de Jacob, o el río de agua pura que fluye de debajo del trono en la Nueva Jerusalén en el libro del Apocalipsis. En su sentido inverso, donde el agua es destructiva, piense en el diluvio que destruyó a todos excepto a Noé y su familia, o el Mar Rojo que tuvo que ser separado para que los hijos de Israel pudieran cruzar. Los manantiales representados por Emaús eran verdades sagradas que surgían de la Palabra para que las usáramos. Y estas son fuentes calientes, y el calor significa amor. Así que ese es nuestro destino, donde la verdad y el amor juntos fluyen para que los usemos, en un flujo continuo del Señor.

Esta pequeña anécdota sobre los discípulos que se encontraron con el Señor en el camino a Emaús no es sólo una historia sobre la resurrección de Jesús con un cuerpo espiritual. También es una historia de cómo deberíamos vivir nuestras vidas. Podemos estar viajando hacia el cielo, escuchando al Señor, caminando en el camino con él, y al final Él partirá el pan y cenará con nosotros.

6752. 'And she called his name Moses' means the essential nature of the state then. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2714, 3006, 3421, 6674, at this point the essential nature of a state because when someone's name is mentioned, that particular name used then means the state, 1946, 2643, 3422, 4298. This essential nature of a state that is meant is the nature of the state of the law of God as it was in the beginning with the Lord, and the nature of the state of God's truth as it is in the beginning with a person who is being regenerated. There are two people primarily who represent the Lord with respect to the Word, namely Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Lord with respect to the historical books, Elijah with respect to the Prophets. In addition to those two there is Elisha, and lastly John the Baptist, who is therefore the one who is meant by 'the Elijah who is to come', Matthew 17:10-13; Luke 1:17. But before one can show that Moses represents the law of God, one must say what the law of God is. In a broad sense God's law means the whole Word; in a narrower sense it means the historical section of the Word; in a restricted sense it means what was written through Moses; and in a very restricted sense it means the Ten Commandments written upon Mount Sinai on tablets of stone. Moses represents the law in the narrower sense as well as in the restricted sense and also in the very restricted.

[2] In a broad sense the Law is the whole Word, both the historical section and the prophetical part. This is clear in John,

We have heard from the Law that the Christ (the Messiah) remains forever. John 12:34.

The fact that 'the Law' here is used to mean the prophetical part as well is self-evident, for this is a reference to what is written in Isaiah 9:6-7; in David, Psalms 110:4; and in Daniel 7:13-14. In the same gospel,

In order that the Word written in the Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause. John 15:25.

Much the same applies here, for it is a reference to what is written in David, Psalms 35:19. In Matthew,

Truly I say to you, Even until heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one small part of a letter will not pass from the Law till all things are done. Matthew 5:18.

Here 'the Law' in a broad sense stands for the whole Word.

[3] The Law in a narrower sense is the historical section of the Word. This is clear in Matthew,

All things whatever you wish people to do to you, do also to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12.

Here the Word is divided into 'the Law' and 'the Prophets'; and as the Word has been divided into the historical section and the prophetical part, it follows that 'the Law' is used to mean the historical section of the Word, and 'the Prophets' to mean the prophetical part. A similar example occurs in the same gospel,

On these two commandments hang the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:40.

And in Luke,

The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God is proclaimed. Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:13.

[4] In a restricted sense the Law is the Word that was written through Moses. This is clear in Moses,

When Moses had finished writing the words of this Law in a book, even until he had completed them, Moses commanded the Levites carrying the ark of Jehovah, saying, Take the book of this Law, and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God. Deuteronomy 31:14-26.

'The book of the Law' stands for the Books of Moses. In the same book,

If you do not take care to do all the words of this Law which are written in this book, Jehovah will send ¹ upon you every sickness and every plague that is not written in the book of this Law, until you are destroyed. Deuteronomy 28:58, 61.

The meaning is similar here. In David,

In the Law of Jehovah is his delight, and in His Law he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:2.

'The Law of Jehovah' stands for the Books of Moses, for the prophetical books had not yet been written; nor had the historical books apart from the Book of Joshua and the Book of Judges. In addition this restricted meaning of 'the Law' occurs in places containing the expression 'the Law of Moses', which are dealt with immediately below.

[5] In a very restricted sense the Law is the Ten Commandments written upon Mount Sinai on the tablets of stone, as is well known, see Joshua 8:32. This Law is also called the Testimony, Exodus 25:16, 21.

[6] Moses represents the Law in the narrower sense, which is the historical section of the Word, also the Law in the restricted sense, and in the very restricted sense too. This is clear from those places in the Word in which the name Moses is used instead of the Law, and those in which the Law is called the Law of Moses, as in Luke,

Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them. If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead. Luke 16:29, 31.

Here 'Moses and the Prophets' has the same meaning as 'the Law and the Prophets', which is the historical section and the prophetical part of the Word. From this it is evident that 'Moses' is the Law or historical section of the Word. In the same gospel,

Jesus beginning at Moses and all the prophets explained in all the scriptures the things that concerned Himself. Luke 24:27.

In the same chapter,

All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. Luke 24:44.

In John,

Philip said, We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law - Jesus. John 1:45.

In the same gospel,

In the Law Moses commanded us. John 8:5.

In Daniel,

The curse and the oath which was written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has come down onto us, because we have sinned against Him. As it is written in the Law of Moses, All this evil has come upon us. Daniel 9:11, 13.

In Joshua,

Joshua wrote on the stone of the altar a copy of the Law of Moses. Joshua 8:32.

[7] The expression 'the Law of Moses' is used because Moses represents the Lord with respect to the Law, that is, the Word, and in a narrower sense the historical section of the Word. This explains why what is the Lord's is ascribed to Moses, as in John,

Moses gave you the Law, Moses gave you circumcision. If a man (homo) receives circumcision on the sabbath, so that the Law of Moses may not be broken... John 7:19, 22-23.

In Mark,

Moses said, Honour your father and your mother. Mark 7:10.

In the same gospel,

Jesus answering said to them, What did Moses command you? They said, Moses permitted him to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away. Mark 10:3-4.

And because what is the Lord's is ascribed to Moses on account of his representation, both 'the Law of Moses' and 'the Law of the Lord' are used in Luke,

When the days of their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it has been written in the Law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb is to be called holy to the Lord) and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves and two young pigeons. Luke 2:22-24, 39.

[8] Because Moses represented the Law he was allowed to go in to the Lord on Mount Sinai, not only to receive there the tablets containing the Law but also to hear the statutes and judgements belonging to the Law, and to enjoin these commands on the people. It is also said that the people should therefore believe in Moses forever,

Jehovah said to Moses, Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak to you, and also may believe in you forever. Exodus 19:9.

The expression 'in a thick cloud' is used because 'cloud' means the letter of the Word. Here also is the reason why it says, when Moses went in to the Lord on Mount Sinai, that he went 'into the cloud', Exodus 20:21; 14:2, 18; 34:2-5. For the meaning of 'the cloud' as the literal sense of the Word, see the Preface to Genesis 18, and also 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 (end).

[9] And since Moses represented the Law or the Word, it also says that when he came down from Mount Sinai the skin on his face shone whenever he spoke, and so he would put a veil over his face, Exodus 34:28-end. 'The shining of his face' meant the inner spirit of the Law, for this dwells in the light of heaven and is therefore called the glory, 5922. While 'the veil' meant the outward form of the Law. The reason why he veiled his face whenever he spoke to the people was that the inner spirit was concealed from them, and had become so obscure to that people that they could not bear any light from it. For the meaning of 'the face' as that which is internal, see 1999, 2434, 3527, 7577, 4066, 4796-4805, 5102, 5695. Since 'Moses' represented the Lord with respect to the historical section of the Word and 'Elijah' represented the Lord with respect to the prophetical part, Moses and Elijah were therefore seen talking to the Lord at His transfiguration, Matthew 17:3. No others except those who represented the Word could have talked to the Lord when He manifested His Divinity in the world; for talking to the Lord is done through the Word. Regarding Elijah's representation of the Lord with respect to the Word, see 1762, 5247 (end).

[10] And since these two together, both Moses and Elijah, represented the whole Word, both are mentioned in Malachi where the sending of Elijah before the Lord is referred to,

Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel - the statutes and judgements. Lo, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrifying day of Jehovah comes. Malachi 4:4-6.

These words imply that one was to go before who was to announce the [Lord's] Coming, in accordance with the Word.

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