3085. In diesen zwei Versen wird beschrieben die Neigung des Wahren in Ansehung des Ursprungs, in Ansehung der Beschaffenheit und in Ansehung des ersten (Grades) der Einweihung.

In Ansehung des Ursprungs durch Folgendes: daß Rebecka herausgekommen sei, die geboren war Bethuel, dem Sohn der Milkah, des Weibes Nachors, des Bruders Abrahams. Daß hierdurch der ganze Ursprung jener Neigung im inneren Sinn angegeben sei, sehe man Nr. 3077, 3078. In Ansehung der Beschaffenheit durch Folgendes: „ihr Krug auf ihrer Schulter, und das Mädchen von sehr gutem Ansehen“. Daß hierdurch die Beschaffenheit beschrieben sei, sehe man Nr. 3079-3081. In Ansehung des ersten Grades der Einweihung durch Folgendes: „sie stieg hinab zum Quell und füllte ihren Krug und stieg herauf“. Dies kann man sehen Nr. 3082-3084. Aber mit diesem hat es, wie gesagt worden, die Bewandtnis, daß es nicht nur über die gewöhnliche, sondern auch die gebildetere menschliche Fassungskraft hinausgeht, denn was im inneren Sinn in diesem Kapitel und in einigen folgenden enthalten ist, ist solcher Art. Die Ursache ist, weil es kaum jemand in den Sinn kommt, daß ein fortwährender göttlicher Einfluß ist durch den inneren Menschen in den äußeren, d.h. ein Einfluß himmlischer und geistiger Dinge durch den vernünftigen in den natürlichen oder, was das gleiche, in das Natürliche, das dem Äußeren angehört, und daß durch diesen Einfluß fortwährend Wahres aus dem natürlichen Menschen hervorgerufen, erhoben und eingepflanzt wird dem Guten, das im Vernünftigen ist.

Daß dieses geschieht, ist nicht einmal bekannt, wieviel weniger der ganze Gang (Vorgang), wie er geschieht. Dieser Gang ist, weil aus dem Göttlichen, so voller Weisheit, daß er sogar nicht zum zehntausendsten Teil erforscht werden kann, nur das Allgemeinste ist es, was gesehen werden kann. Da es nun so sich verhält, so möge sich niemand wundern, daß das, was hier der innere Sinn enthält, nicht faßlich beschrieben werden kann, und was beschrieben wird, übersteigt die Fassungskraft, denn es handelt von diesem Gang und beschreibt denselben. Auch ist der innere Sinn hauptsächlich für die Engel, aus dem Grund, daß durch das Wort eine Gemeinschaft zwischen dem Himmel und dem Menschen sei, und es gehört zu ihren Wonnegenüssen, weil himmlische Speise nichts anders ist als alles das, was zur Einsicht und Weisheit gehört, und alles, was vom Herrn handelt, ist ihnen das Selige der Weisheit und Einsicht.

10. Verse 2. Who bare witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, signifies to those who in heart acknowledge Divine truth, and the Divine of the Lord in His Human. This is evident from the signification of "bearing witness," as meaning to acknowledge in heart (of which hereafter), and from the signification of "the Word," or speech of God, as meaning Divine truth (SeeArcana Coelestia 4692, 5075, 9987); and from the signification of "[the testimony of] Jesus Christ," as meaning the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine in His Human. This is signified by "the testimony of Jesus Christ," because "to testify" signifies to acknowledge in heart, and to acknowledge Jesus Christ in heart is to acknowledge the Divine in His Human; for he that acknowledges the Lord, and does not at the same time acknowledge the Divine in His Human, does not acknowledge the Lord; since His Divine is in His Human, and not out of it; for the Divine is in Its Human as the soul is in the body, consequently to think of the Lord's Human, and not at the same time of His Divine, is like thinking of a man abstractly from his soul or life, which is not thinking of a man.

[2] That the Lord's Divine is in His Human, and that together they are one person, the doctrine received throughout the Christian world teaches; which teaching is as follows: "Although Christ is God and Man, yet they are not two, but one Christ; one, but not by a change of the Divine into the Human, but the Divine took the Human to Itself. Altogether one, not by confusion of the two natures, but by unity of person; for as soul and body make one man, so God and Man are one Christ" (Athanasian Creed). From this it is manifest, moreover, that those who separate the Divine into three persons, when they think of the Lord as a second person, ought to think of both together, the Human and the Divine; for it is said that they are a single person, and that they are one, as soul and body are. Therefore those that think otherwise do not think of the Lord; and those that do not think of the Lord in that way are unable to think of the Divine that is called the Father's, for the Lord saith:

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one cometh unto the Father but through Me (John 14:6).

Since this acknowledgment is signified by the "testimony of Jesus Christ," it is said that:

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

"The spirit of prophecy" is the life and soul of doctrine (that "spirit" in the internal sense of the Word, signifies life or soul, may be seen Arcana Coelestia 5222, 9281, 9818; and that "prophecy" signifies doctrine, n. 2534, 7269); and the acknowledgment of the Lord is the very life or soul of all doctrine in the church. But of this more will be said in what follows.

[3] To "bear witness" is to acknowledge in heart, because spiritual things are treated of; and no one can bear witness respecting spiritual things except from the heart, because from no other source does he perceive that they are so. To bear witness of things that have existence in the world is to bear witness from knowledge, or from memory and thought, because the man has so seen or heard; but it is otherwise with things spiritual, for these fill the whole life and constitute it. The spirit of man, in which his life primarily resides, is nothing else than his will or his love, and his understanding and faith therefrom, and "heart" in the Word signifies the will and love, and understanding and faith therefrom. From this it is evident whence it is that by "bearing witness" in the spiritual sense, is meant to acknowledge in heart. Since by the "heart" is signified the good of love, and this alone is what acknowledges Divine truth, and the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and since that good is signified by "John," it is also said by John that he "bears witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ." So also in another place:

And he that hath seen hath borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye may believe (John 19:35);

and in another place:

This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true (John 21:24).