83. The idea that a Son born from eternity came down and took upon Himself human form collapses as totally erroneous and is exploded on considering the passages from the Word in which Jehovah Himself says that He is the Saviour and Redeemer, as the following:

Am I not Jehovah, and there is no God beside Me? There is no righteous God and Saviour beside Me, Isaiah 45:21-22.

I am Jehovah, and there is no Saviour beside Me, Isaiah 43:11.

I am Jehovah your God, and you are not to acknowledge any God beside Me, and there is no Saviour beside Me, Hosea 13:4.

That all flesh may know that I am Jehovah your Saviour and your Redeemer, Isaiah 49:26; 60:16.

As for our Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth is His name, Isaiah 47:4.

Their Redeemer, the mighty Jehovah Zebaoth is His name, Jeremiah 50:34.

Jehovah, my rock and my Redeemer, Psalms 19:14.

Thus spoke Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah your God, Isaiah 48:17; 43:14; 49:7.

Thus spoke Jehovah, your Redeemer; I am Jehovah who makes all things, and I alone by Myself, Isaiah 44:24.

Thus spoke Jehovah, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth; I am the First and the Last, and there is no God beside me, Isaiah 44:6.

You are Jehovah our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name, Isaiah 63:16.

I will take pity with eternal mercy, thus spoke your Redeemer Jehovah, Isaiah 54:8. You had redeemed me, Jehovah of truth, Psalms 31:5.

Let Israel hope in Jehovah, for there is mercy with Jehovah, with Him is very much redemption. He shall redeem Israel from all his sins, Psalms 130:7-8.

Jehovah Zebaoth ¹ is His name, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He shall be called the God of all the earth, Isaiah 54:5.

From these and very many more passages anyone who has eyes, and a mind opened by using his eyes, can see that God, who is one, came down and was made man in order to effect redemption. Can anyone fail to see this as clear as in morning light, so long as he pays attention to those very sayings of God which have been quoted? Those, however, who are plunged in the shades of night as the result of convincing themselves that a second God was born from eternity, and that it was He who came down and redeemed us, close their eyes to those Divine sayings, and ponder with their eyes shut how to pervert them and make them square with their false ideas.

Bilješke:

643. Having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. This symbolizes the Divine wisdom emanating from the Lord's Divine love, and the Divine truth in the Word.

That a crown on the head symbolizes wisdom may be seen in nos. 189, 252 above, and a golden crown wisdom springing from love in no. 235. And because the crown was seen on the head of the Son of Man, or the Lord, the golden crown symbolizes the Divine wisdom emanating from His Divine love.

A sickle symbolizes the Divine truth in the Word because a harvest symbolizes the state of the church in respect to Divine truth - here its last state - and therefore to harvest, which is what a sickle is used for, here means, symbolically, to put an end to the state of the church and to execute judgment. Moreover, because these actions are accomplished by means of the Word's Divine truth, therefore this is what is symbolically meant by a sickle, and by a sharp sickle its being accomplished perfectly and flawlessly.

A sickle has the same symbolic meaning as swords, but a sickle is specified when the subject has to do with harvesting, while a sword is specified when the subject has to do with war.

That swords symbolize Divine truth combating falsities, and the converse, may be seen in nos. 52, 108, 117 above.