8904. 不可奸淫表不可败坏那些属于信与仁之教义的事物; 因而不可利用圣言来支持虚假与邪恶; 以及不可颠倒秩序的律法. 这从 “奸淫”, “淫乱” 和 “淫行” 的含义清楚可知, “奸淫”, “淫乱” 和 “行淫” 在灵义上是指玷污良善, 歪曲属于信与仁之教义的真理. “奸淫” 因表示这些事, 故也表示利用圣言来支持邪恶与虚假; 因为圣言构成最纯正的信与仁之教义本身; 当圣言被用来支持虚假与邪恶时, 那里的真理与良善就被败坏了. 如今几乎没有人知道 “奸淫” 在灵义上表示这些事, 因为如今在教会中, 几乎没有人知道何为属灵领域, 它与属世领域有何不同. 几乎没有人知道这二者之间存在一种对应关系; 事实上, 这种对应关系具有这样的性质: 这一个的形像就呈现在那一个里面, 也就是说, 属灵领域表现在属世领域中. 因此, 属灵领域就像灵魂, 属世领域则像这个灵魂的身体; 因此, 它们通过流注和由此产生的结合而构成一个单一实体; 正如也被称作属灵人的内在人与还被称作属世人的外在人在一个已重生的人里面构成一体.

现在的人对这些事一无所知, 故不可能知道 “奸淫” 除了表示非法的肉体结合外还表示什么. 由于现在的人对这些事一无所知, 所以就让我们在此阐明 “奸淫” 在灵义上表示败坏那些属于信与仁之教义的事物, 也就是玷污良善, 歪曲真理的原因. 这个原因如今是一个深藏的秘密, 即: 婚姻之爱是从被称为 “天上婚姻” 的良善与真理的婚姻那里降下来的. 存在于天上的良善与真理之间的爱是从主流入的, 并在地上变成婚姻之爱, 这一切是通过对应发生的. 这解释了为何就内义而言, “行淫” 表示对真理的歪曲, “奸淫” 表示对良善的玷污. 这也解释了为何那些未处于信之良善和真理的人不可能拥有纯正的婚姻之爱在里面, 又为何那些以奸淫为生活的乐趣之人再也无法获得信的任何事物. 我曾听天使们说, 一旦有人在地上犯了奸淫, 并以此为乐, 天堂就向他关闭, 也就是说, 他拒绝再从那里接受信或仁的任何事物. 如今在教会所在的国家, 许多人之所以轻视奸淫, 是因为教会已经走到尽头, 因此信不复存在, 因为没有了仁; 事实上, 这一个对应于那一个. 没有信的地方, 虚假就会取代真理, 邪恶则取代良善; 由此产生的后果或态度是, 奸淫不再被视为犯罪. 因为当天堂在一个人那里关闭时, 这种事或态度就会从地狱流入进来. 关于这个主题, 可参看前面的阐述和说明 (2727-2759, 4434, 4835, 4837节).

“奸淫” 在内义或灵义上表示歪曲和玷污信与仁之真理与良善, 因而也指错误利用圣言里的话来支持虚假与邪恶, 这一点从圣言中提及 “奸淫”, “行淫” 的几处经文清楚看出来. 这一点从以下经文明显可知, 如以西结书:

人子啊, 你要使耶路撒冷知道她那些可憎的事. 你因你的名声就行淫, 向路人纵情淫乱. 你拿了你的一些衣服, 为自己做成各色高地, 又在那上头行淫; 你拿我为装饰你所赐给你的金银所造的器皿, 为自己制造男性的像, 与他们行淫. 你将给我所生的儿女祭献给它们. 你的淫行岂是小事? 你也和你那肉体肥大的邻邦埃及人行淫, 加增你的淫乱, 惹我发怒. 你因贪色无厌, 又与亚述人行淫, 与他们行淫之后, 仍不满足. 并且多行淫乱直到那迦勒底的贸易之地, 你仍不以此为满足. 一个淫妇, 虽服从丈夫, 仍接纳外人. 人都是把淫资送给妓女, 你反倒把淫资赠送你所爱的人, 贿赂他们从四围来与你行淫. 所以妓女啊, 要听耶和华的话. 我要用奸淫和流人血的典章来审判你. (以西结书 16:2等)

若不知道 “行淫” 表示这些事, 以及经上所说耶路撒冷与之 “行淫” 的 “埃及人”, “亚述人” 和 “迦勒底” 表示什么, 谁能看出 “行淫” 在此表示对真理的歪曲和对良善的玷污? 谁又能明白这段经文中的一个词. 显然, 耶路撒冷不会按字面那样与这些人本身行淫; 故必须说明这些事物在内义上表示什么. “耶路撒冷” 表示败坏的教会; “它的衣服” 在此是指被歪曲的真理; 因此, “各色高地” 表示已经被承认或接受的虚假; “埃及人” 是指记忆知识, “亚述人” 是指推理, “迦勒底” 是指对真理的亵渎. “衣服” 表示真理 (参看1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6918节); “高地” 表示敬拜, “各色高地” 在此表示对虚假的敬拜 (796节); “金银所造的装饰的器皿” 是指关良善与真理的认知或知识, “器皿” 是指知识或认知 (3068, 3079节); “金” 是指良善 (113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917节); “银” 是指良善之真理 (1551, 2048, 2954, 5658节); “男性的像” 表示真理的形像和样式 (2046节); “他们所生的儿女” 表示他们所败坏的真理和良善, “儿子” 是指真理 (参看489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373节), “女儿” 是指良善 (489, 2362, 3024节). “埃及人” 是指记忆知识, 败坏通过它们得以发生 (1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588末尾, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 5702, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6750, 7296, 7779, 7926节); “亚述” 是指推理, 推理通过记忆知识败坏了信之真理, 玷污了信之良善 (119, 1186节); “多行淫乱直到那迦勒底之地” 是指甚至亵渎真理, “迦勒底” 是指对真理的亵渎 (1368节). 由此明显可知为何他被称为 “一个淫妇” 和 “妓女”.

在启示录, 同样的话论及巴比伦:

拿着七香瓶的七位天使中, 有一位来跟我讲话, 对我说, 来; 我将坐在众水上的大淫妇所要受的审判指示你. 地上的君王与她行淫, 地上的居民喝醉了她淫乱的酒. 大巴比伦, 作地上的淫乱和可憎之物的母. (启示录 17:1, 2, 5; 14:8; 18:3)

“巴比伦” 是指那些为了自己的统治权和利益而败坏教会的真理和良善, 直到亵渎的地步之人, 这一点从 “巴比伦” (1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326, 1327末尾节) 的含义明显可知. 这解释了为何巴比伦被称为 “淫妇或妓女” 和 “淫乱之母”. 对内义一无所知的人会以为与她行淫的地上君王是指世上的国王或王国. 然而, 他们不是指国王或王国, 而是指教会的信之真理, 与这些 “行淫” 是指败坏它们. 因为 “王” 表示信之真理 (参看1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148节); “地” 表示教会 (566, 662, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118末尾, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011, 8732节). “地上的居民喝醉了淫乱的酒” 表示教会里的人通过邪恶所生的虚假被带入错误和疯狂的观念中; 因为 “喝醉” 是指通过虚假的推理和对圣言的错解而被引入错误当中 (1072节); “酒” 是指邪恶所生的虚假 (6377节); 因此, “淫乱的酒” 是指由对真理的歪曲所产生的虚假; “地” 是指教会, 如刚才所示. 经上之所以说她 “坐在众水上”, 是因为 “水” 在正面意义上是指真理, 在反面意义上是指虚假 (729, 790, 8137, 8138, 8568节).

“奸淫” 和 “行淫” 表示败坏教会的良善和真理, 这一点也可从以西结书中的另一段经文很明显地看出来:

有两个女子, 是一母的女儿, 在埃及行淫; 在幼年时行淫. 阿荷拉就是撒马利亚, 阿荷利巴就是耶路撒冷. 阿荷拉在我手下行淫; 贪恋所爱的人, 就是她的邻邦亚述人, 穿着紫衣, 做总督, 领袖, 全都是可爱的少年人, 骑着马的兵. 她便在他们, 就是亚述人中的精英身上放纵淫行. 她从埃及的时候, 就没有离弃过淫乱; 因为她年轻时, 有人与她同寝. 阿荷利巴闹恋爱却比她更腐败, 她的淫乱比姐姐的淫乱更甚. 她贪恋亚述人. 阿荷利巴又加增淫行, 因她看见人像画在墙上, 就是用丹色所画迦勒底人的像; 阿荷利巴一眼看见, 就恋上了他们. 巴比伦人也来到她那里, 登上爱情的床; 以他们的淫行玷污了她. 然而她还加增她的淫行, 追念她幼年在埃及地行淫的日子. 她比他们的妾还要贪恋他们. (以西结书 23:2等)

在这段经文中, 若不知道 “埃及人”, “亚述人” 或 “亚述之子”, “迦勒底” 和 “巴比伦” 表示什么, 没有人能看出 “淫行” 表示属灵的淫行, 也就是对良善的玷污和对真理的歪曲, 这些良善和真理是教会所拥有的; 此处内义所包含的事也不会变得显而易见. 显然, 所指的不是这些民族, 而是诸如属于虚假的那类事物; 因为撒玛利亚和耶路撒冷的居民并未与他们行淫. 不过, 刚才已经说明 “埃及”, “亚述”, “迦勒底” 和 “巴比伦” 表示什么.

从以下经文也明显可知 “淫行或淫像” 和 “奸淫或淫态” 在内义上是指对良善和真理的歪曲和败坏, 因而是指对它们的玷污, 如何西阿书:

你们要与你们的母亲大大争辩, 因为她不是我的妻子, 我也不是她的丈夫. 叫她除掉脸上的淫像和胸间的淫态. 我必不怜悯她的儿女, 因为他们是从淫乱的儿女. 他们的母亲行了淫乱, 说, 我要随从我所爱的, 就是那给我饼, 水, 羊毛, 麻, 油, 酒的. 我也必毁坏她的葡萄树和无花果树, 就是她说, 这是我所爱的给我的淫资. (何西阿书 2:2, 4, 5, 12)

此处 “母亲” 在内义上表示教会 (289, 2691, 2717, 4257, 5581, 8897节); “妻子” 也是 (252, 253, 409, 749, 770节); 不过, 经上说她 “不是妻子”, 因为她沉浸于败坏的真理, 也就是沉浸于虚假; “儿女” 或 “儿子” 是指教会的真理, 在此是指虚假, 因为他们被称为 “淫乱的儿女” (489, 491, 533, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, 4257节). 至于 “饼”, “水”, “羊毛和麻”, 以及 “油和酒”, 还有 “葡萄树和无花果树” 分别表示什么, 这在它们自己的地方已经说明; 即: 它们是指爱与仁之良善; 但反面意义上是指虚假与邪恶; 因为当它们被败坏时, 良善就变成了邪恶, 真理就变成了虚假. 至于 “饼” 表示什么, 可参看前文 (276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6409节); “水” 表示什么 (739, 790, 8137, 8138, 8568节); “麻” 表示什么 (7601节); “油” 表示什么 (886, 3728, 4582节); “酒” 表示什么 (3069, 3168, 3772, 8562节); “葡萄树” 表示什么 (1069, 5113, 6376节); “无花果树” 表示什么 (4231, 5113节). “淫资” 是指他们试图视之为真理的教义中的虚假.

同一先知书:

我的民求问木头, 他们的杖给他们答复, 因为行淫的灵使他们失迷, 他们就在他们的神之下行淫. 他们在各山顶献祭, 在各山冈烧香, 所以, 你们的女儿就行淫, 你们的儿妇就犯了奸淫. 我不因你们的女儿行淫 或你们的儿妇犯奸淫惩罚她们; 因为人自己与娼妓同分, 与妓女一同献祭. 以色列啊, 你虽然行淫, 犹大却不可犯罪. (何西阿书 4:12-16)

“在他们的神之下行淫” 表示歪曲真理, 因为 “神” 在内义上表示真理, 在反面意义上表示虚假 (2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 4295, 4402, 4544, 7010, 7268, 7873, 8301, 8867节); “山和山冈” 表示各种爱, 在此表示对自我和世界的爱 (795, 796, 1691, 2722, 6435节); 所 “求问” 的 “木头” 是指与属于某种欲望的快乐有关的良善 (643节); “给答复” 的 “杖” 是指看似来自人自己的理解力的幻觉力量 (4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 7011, 7026节). 由于 “神” 在正面意义上表示真理, 在反面意义上表示虚假, 所以他们行邪淫, 随从外邦的神, 如随从巴力, 摩洛, 偶像 (利未记 20:5; 以西结书 6:9; 以及别处) 就表示歪曲真理和玷污良善.

由此可见以下经文中 “奸淫或奸夫” 和 “行淫或淫妇” 表示什么:

你们这些巫婆的儿子, 奸夫和淫妇的种子, 都要前来! 你们向谁戏笑, 向谁张口吐舌呢? 你们岂不是悖逆所生的, 虚谎之种呢? 你们在各青翠树下的神明中间欲火焚烧. (以赛亚书 57:3-5)

以赛亚书:

七十年终了以后, 耶和华必眷顾推罗, 她就仍得淫资, 面对世界与地上的众国行淫. (以赛亚书 23:17)

耶利米书:

人若休妻, 妻离他而去, 成了别人的; 但你和许多情郎行淫. 你竟用你的淫行和邪恶把这地都玷污了. 背道的以色列所行的, 你看见没有? 她上了各高山, 到了在各青翠树下, 在那里行淫. 她奸诈的妹妹犹大也去行淫, 以致她用行淫的声音玷污这地; 和石头木头行淫. (耶利米书 3:1, 2, 6, 8, 9)

同一先知书:

这是你的阄分, 因为你忘记了我, 倚靠虚假. 你那些可憎恶之事, 就是你在田野, 在小山上的奸淫, 嘶声, 淫乱的的恶行, 我都看见了. 耶路撒冷啊, 你有祸了! (耶利米书 13:25, 27)

又:

论到那些先知, 地满了行奸淫的人; 因受咒诅, 地就悲哀, 旷野的草场都枯干了. 连先知带祭司, 都假冒为善. 我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾见可怕的顽固, 他们行奸淫, 行在虚谎中; 又坚固恶人的手. 他们所说的异象, 是出于自己的心, 不是出于耶和华的口. (耶利米书 23:9-11, 14, 16)

又:

他们在以色列中行了丑事, 与同伴的妻行奸淫, 又假托我名说我未曾吩咐他们的话. (耶利米书 29:23)

从这些经文很明显地看出, “行奸淫” 表示出于自己的心, 也就是人的自我, 因而照着对自我和世界的爱所指示的来解释并歪曲圣言的真理; 因此, 这就是说谎, 也就是说虚假, 如经上明确说明的. 何西阿书:

以色列啊! 不要欢喜! 因为你在你神之下行了淫, 在各谷场上喜爱妓女的淫资. (何西阿书 9:1)

又:

耶和华对何西阿说, 你去娶淫妇为妻, 也收那从淫乱的儿女; 因为这地大行淫乱, 离弃耶和华. (何西阿书 1:2)

那鸿书:

祸哉! 这流人血的城, 都因那美貌的妓女, 行邪术的主母多有淫行, 借淫行卖列族, 用邪术卖各家族. (那鸿书 3:1, 4)

民数记:

你们的儿女必在旷野飘流四十年, 担当你们的淫行; 按你们窥探那地的天数, 一天顶一年. 你们要担当罪孽四十年. (民数记 14:33, 34)

由于对真理的歪曲和良善的玷污对应于地上的淫行, 所以奸夫淫妇受到的惩罚就是死刑 (利未记 20:10); 做祭司的人的女儿因行淫辱没了自己, 必被火烧 (利未记 21:9); 以色列的女儿不可暴露于淫乱 (利未记 19:29). 同样, 私生子不可入耶和华的会, 直到他的十代 (申命记 23:2); 娼妓所得的钱不可带入耶和华的殿, 因为这是可憎恶的 (申命记 23:18).

从这些经文能充分看出 “奸淫” 表示什么, 即: 在外在意义上, 它是指犯奸淫; 但在内在代表意义上, 它是指通过教会所拥有的那类事物来拜偶像和别神, 因而是指外在和内在的偶像崇拜行为; 不过, 在内在灵义上它是指对良善的玷污和对真理的歪曲. 这一切清楚表明为何奸淫本身如此邪恶, 令人作呕, 被称为可憎的; 也就是说, 它们这样是因为, 它们对应于虚假与邪恶的的婚姻, 也就是地狱的婚姻. 另一方面, 这一切也表明为何真正的婚姻是神圣的, 即因以下事实: 它们对应于良善与真理的婚姻, 也就是天上的婚姻. 事实上, 真正的婚姻之爱是从良善与真理的婚姻降下来的, 因而是出于天堂, 也就是经由天堂从主而来; 而奸淫之爱源于虚假与邪恶的婚姻, 因而源于地狱, 也就是源于魔鬼.

9144. 'And catches hold of thorns' means which spreads into falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'catching hold of', when said of anger that arises from an affection for evil, as spreading into and thus setting alight; and from the meaning of 'thorns' as falsities, dealt with below. But something must be stated first about what is implied in all this. The loves present with a person are the fires of his life, 9055. Evil loves - self-love and love of the world - are consuming fires; they consume the forms of good and the truths which true life comprises. Those fires compose the life of a person's will, and the light from those fires composes the life of his understanding. As long as the evil fires are kept shut up in the will, the understanding dwells in light and consequently discerns what is good and true. But when those fires spill out their light into the understanding the light previously there is dispelled and the person's discernment of what is good and true is dimmed. The situation grows worse, as self-love and love of the world, which those fires are, take hold more and more, so that eventually they smother and snuff out all truth, and good along with it.

[2] When those loves are attacked fire breaks out of the will into the understanding and produces a flame there. This flame is what is called anger. This is why a person is said to flare up, blaze up, and be inflamed, when he is angry. This flame assails the truths and forms of good present in the understanding and not only hides them but also consumes them. Furthermore, and this is an arcanum, when that evil fire bursts out of the will into the understanding part of the mind, this part is closed above and opened below, that is, closed where it looks towards heaven and opened where it looks towards hell.

[3] So it is that whenever an evil person blazes up in anger evils and falsities that produce the flame are entering in. It is like a fibre in the body. If it is pricked with the point of a needle it instantly pulls itself in and closes up, and in so doing prevents the wound from going any deeper and harming life where it exists essentially. Also, when presented in a visual shape falsity appears as something pointed. An evil person's state when he is angry is also similar to smoke which on a touch of fire bursts into flame; for falsity arising from evil and present in the understanding is like smoke, and anger is like smoke that has been set alight. They also correspond to one another. So it is that in the Word 'smoke' means falsity and 'its flame' means anger, as in David,

Smoke went up out of His nose, and fire out of His mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from Him. Psalms 18:8.

And in Isaiah,

Wickedness burns like a fire, it devours brier and thorn, and kindles the entangled boughs of the wood; and they rise in a column of smoke, ¹ through the wrath of Jehovah Zebaoth. Isaiah 9:18-19.

'Smoke' here is falsity which, when set alight, gives rise to anger. For the meaning of 'smoke' as falsity, see 1861.

[4] From all this one may now see what is meant in the internal sense by 'When fire breaks out and catches hold of thorns, and a stack of grain is consumed, or standing grain ... ', namely, If an affection for evil bursts out into anger and spreads into falsities belonging to evil cravings, and consumes the truths and forms of the good of faith ... Anyone who stops to think can see that there is some reason for this law that lies hidden on a more internal level and is not apparent. For nowhere else is a law laid down regarding fire catching hold of thorns and then consuming a stack of grain or standing grain; such an occurrence is extremely rare. But it is an everyday occurrence for the fire of wickedness and of anger to seize on and set alight the falsities of cravings and thereby to consume the Church's truths and forms of good.

[5] The fact that 'thorns' are the falsities of cravings is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

Over the land of My people the thorn, and the prickle, is coming up. Isaiah 32:13.

'The land' is the Church, 'the thorn or the prickle' falsities and the evils stemming from them. In the same prophet,

[As to] your spirit, a fire will devour you. Thus will the people be burnt into lime; [they will be like] thorns cut down which are burned in the fire. Isaiah 33:11-12.

'Thorns which are burned in the fire' stands for falsities which catch fire and consume truths and forms of good.

[6] In Ezekiel,

No more will there be for the house of Israel a pricking brier and a painful thorn. Ezekiel 28:24.

'A pricking brier' stands for falsity belonging to the cravings of self-love, 'thorn' for falsity belonging to the cravings of love of the world. In Hosea,

Their ² mother has committed whoredom. Therefore I am hedging up your way with thorns, and she will not find her paths. Hosea 2:5-6.

'Ways' and 'paths' stand for truths, and 'thorns' for falsities instead of them.

[7] In the same prophet,

The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thistle and thorn will grow up on their altars. Hosea 10:8.

'Thistle and thorn' stands for evil and falsity laying waste the forms of good and the truths of worship. In David,

They have surrounded me like bees, they quench as it were a fire of thorns. ³ Psalms 118:12.

'A fire of thorns' stands for a craving for evil. In Matthew,

By their fruits you will know them. Do people gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:16.

'Gathering grapes from thorns' stands for obtaining forms of the good of faith and of charity from the falsities of cravings, 'grapes' being those forms of good, see 1071, 5117, 6378.

[8] In Mark,

Some seed fell among thorns; but the thorns grew up and choked it, so that it did not bear fruit. Those who are sown among the thorns are the ones who hear the word; but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the cravings entering in that are centred on other things, choke the word, so that it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:7, 18-19.

Here an explanation is given of what is meant by 'being sown among thorns', and so of what is meant by 'thorns'. The same things are meant by 'sowing among thorns' and 'reaping thorns' in Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah to the man of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Jeremiah 4:3.

They have sown wheat and reaped thorns. Jeremiah 12:12-13.

[9] The falsities of cravings, meant by 'thorns', are falsities that support worldly concerns and worldly desires; for these falsities more than others catch fire and flare up because they are the product of bodily cravings that a person feels. For this reason they also close the internal man, leaving the person wholly devoid of wisdom so far as salvation of the soul and eternal life are concerned.

[10] The crown woven from thorns which was placed on the Lord's head when He was crucified, and when He was hailed as King of the Jews and He said, 'Behold the Man!', ⁴ John 19:2-3, 5, represented God's truth as it was at that time in the Jewish Church, namely truth smothered by the falsities of cravings. 'The King of the Jews', as they hailed Him then, meant God's truth. 'King' in the Word means the truth from God, see 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148; and 'the Anointed', who is the Messiah in Hebrew and the Christ in Greek, has a similar meaning, 3004, 3008, 3009, 3732(end). In the highest sense 'Judah' is used to mean the Lord in respect of Divine Good, in the internal sense the Lord in respect of the Word, and so in respect of teachings drawn from the Word, 3881. And when, after such a crown had been placed on His head, the Lord said, 'Behold the Man!', He meant, 'Behold Divine Truth as it is in the Church at the present day!' For 'Man' is Divine Truth going forth from the Lord in heaven. So it is that heaven is the Grand Man, owing both to influx and to correspondence, as has been shown at the ends of a number of chapters, see 1276, 1871, 2996, 2998, 3624-3649, 3741-3750, 7396, 8547, 8988. So it is also that the Lord's celestial Church was called Man, 478, 479, this Church being the one that the Jews represented, 6363, 6364, 8770. All this shows what was meant by 'the crown of thorns', and by being hailed 'King of the Jews', also what was meant by 'Behold the Man' as well as by the inscription over the cross, 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews', John 19:19-20. It meant the way in which Divine Truth or the Word was regarded and was treated by the Jews, among whom the Church existed. All the things that the Jews did to the Lord when He was about to be crucified were signs of the states of those belonging to the Church so far as God's truth or the Word was concerned, see 9093(end). That the Lord was the Word is clear in John,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. John 1:1, 14.

'The Word' is Divine Truth.

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