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John 1:16

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16 For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace.

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #10053

Studere hoc loco

  
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10053. 'It is a burnt offering to Jehovah' means the glorification of the Lord's Human. This is clear from the representation of 'a burnt offering' as the glorification of the Lord's Human. The Jewish nation had sacrifices and burnt offerings; the sacrifices served to mean purification from evils and falsities and the implantation of truth, but burnt offerings served to mean the joining of truth to good, thus complete regeneration. In the highest sense however, in which the Lord is the subject, sacrifices meant the ejection of evils and falsities from His Human derived from the mother and the implantation of Divine Truth from the Divine Good that was within Him, while the burnt offerings meant the uniting of Divine Truth to Divine Good. This uniting is what should be understood by glorification. For when He was in the world the Lord made His Human Divine Truth, and also, by uniting this in stages to the Divine Good that was within Him and was the Essential Being (Esse) of His life, He also made His Human Divine Good, thus one with Jehovah. The Essential Being of His life was that which as it exists with others is called the soul from the father; and it was Divine Good itself or Divine Love. But regarding these matters, see what has been shown in the places referred to in 9194, 9315(end), 9528(end). As regards the Lord's expulsion of everything human derived from the mother, till at length He was not her son, see 9315 (end); and as regards 'the Son of Man', which the Lord calls Himself, that He is not Mary's son but Divine Truth, 9807.

[2] Glorification, where the Lord is the subject, means uniting His Human to Divinity itself that was within Him, thus to Jehovah His Father; and by uniting them He also made His Human Divine Good. This is clear from places in the Word which use the terms 'glory' and 'glorification' in reference to Jehovah or the Lord, as in Isaiah,

The glory of Jehovah will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 40:5.

In the same prophet,

I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, to open the blind eyes, to bring the bound out of prison. I am Jehovah, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another. Isaiah 42:6-8.

And in the same prophet,

Jehovah will arise over You, and His glory will be seen over You. Nations will walk to Your light. Isaiah 60:2-3.

In these places the Lord is the subject, 'the glory of Jehovah' being used to mean the Lord in respect of Divine Truth; for Jehovah's glory is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, 9429. That Divine Truth does not come from any other source is the Lord's teaching in John,

You have never heard the Father's voice nor seen His shape. John 5:37.

And since He is the Lord He is Jehovah Himself, for He says, 'I am Jehovah, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another'.

[3] For this reason also the Lord is called 'the King of glory' in David,

Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors 1 , and the King of glory will come in. Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle. Psalms 24:7-10.

Here the Lord is called 'the King of glory' by virtue of Divine Truth, with which He fought against, overcame, and subdued the hells. This was accomplished by His Human when He was in the world, see 9715, 9809, 10019. This is why He is called 'Jehovah strong and mighty in battle', and also a mighty one or 'hero' in Isaiah,

To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; His name is God, Hero, Father of Eternity. Isaiah 9:6.

[4] The Lord Himself teaches that Jehovah's glory is the Lord in respect of Divine Truth emanating from His Divine Good, which is Jehovah or the Father, in John,

The Word became flesh, and we saw His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father. John 1:14.

Here, where it is self-evident that the Lord is meant by the Word which became flesh, 'the Word' is Divine Truth, and so too is 'glory'. In Matthew,

The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father. Matthew 16:27.

And in Luke,

Jesus said to the disciples, Ought not the Christ to have suffered this and to enter into His glory? Luke 24:26.

'Entering into His glory' means being united to Divine Good which was within Him, thus to Jehovah or His Father. For Jehovah the Father is God's Essential Being (Esse), and God in His Essential Being is Divine Love, thus also Divine Good; and the uniting of the Human to that Good is meant by 'entering into His glory'.

[5] From this it is evident what 'being glorified' means in the following places:

In John,

The Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39.

And in the same gospel,

These things Jesus' disciples did not know, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered ... . Jesus said, The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. And He said, Father, glorify Your name. [Then] a voice came from heaven, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. John 12:16, 23, 27-28.

And in the same gospel,

After Judas went out Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. And God will glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him at once. John 13:31-32.

From these places it is evident that glorification is the uniting of the Lord's Human to Divinity itself which was within Him and is called Jehovah the Father, for it is said that 'God will glorify Him in Himself'. It is also evident from those places that the uniting was fully accomplished by the passion of the Cross, which was the last of His temptations. For the Lord glorified His Human by means of conflicts with hell, which are temptations, see the places referred to in 9528, 9937.

[6] The Lord Himself teaches that when He has been glorified Divine Truth emanates from Him, in John,

The Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39.

And in the same gospel,

The Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, whom I will send to you will not speak from Himself. He will glorify Me, for He will receive from what is Mine and declare it to you; all things whatever that the Father has are Mine. John 16:13-15, 28.

'The Spirit of truth' is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, 9818. The uniting of the Human to the Divine within Him is also described here by the declaration that all things the Father has are His, and elsewhere by the declarations that the Father and He are one and that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father, John 10:30; 14:10-11; see 3704. Thus the glorification or uniting was reciprocal, which too is the Lord's teaching in John,

Father, glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You. John 17:1.

'Father' is the Divinity itself that was within Him, and 'Son' is the Divine Human.

'The Father' is Divine Good which is within the Lord, see 3704, 7499.

Jehovah in the Word is the Lord, 2921, 6303, 8865.

The Lord is Divinity itself, or Jehovah, in a Human form, see the places referred to in 9315.

V:

1. literally, doors of the world

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

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #4809

Studere hoc loco

  
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4809. When the Son of Man comes in His glory means when Divine Truth will be visible in its own light, as happens to everyone when he dies; for at that time he comes into the light of heaven, in which light he is able to perceive what is true and good, and from this the nature of it. 'The Son of Man' in the internal sense of the Word is the Lord as regards Divine Truth, and so it is Divine Truth which comes from the Lord; 'glory' is intelligence and wisdom that flow from this, which is seen as light, and by angels as brilliant light. This brilliant light that holds within it wisdom and intelligence flowing from Divine Truth that comes from the Lord is that which in the Word is called 'the glory'. As regards 'the Son of Man' in the internal sense meaning Divine Truth, see 2159, 2803, 2813, 3704.

[2] And an the holy angels with Him means the angelic heaven. 'The holy angels' in the internal sense are truths which come from the Lord's Divine Good, for in the Word the expression 'angels' is not used to mean angels but things that are from the Lord, see 1925, 4085. Angels are recipients of the life of truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Good; and in the measure they receive it they are angels. From this it is evident that 'angels' means those truths. Because the subject here is the state of each person after death, and the judgement of each one according to what his life is, it is said that all the holy angels will be with Him, meaning that the judgement will be effected through heaven; for every influx of Divine Truth takes places through heaven. No one can receive a direct influx.

[3] Then He will sit on the throne of His glory means the judgement, for 'throne' is used to refer to the Lord's kingship, and the Lord's kingship is Divine Truth, 1728, 2015, 3009, 3670, Divine Truth being the starting-point and the standard of that judgement.

[4] And before Him all nations will be gathered means that every good and every evil of everyone will be disclosed - for 'nations' in the internal sense of the Word means forms of good, and in the contrary sense forms of evil, 1259, 1260, 1416, 2588 (end), 4574. Thus it is the showing up in Divine light - that is, in light flowing from Divine Truth - of every good and every evil that is meant by 'before Him all nations will be gathered'.

[5] And He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats means the separation of good from evil, for 'the sheep' are those in whom good is present, and 'the goats' those in whom evil is present. Strictly speaking the expression 'the sheep' is used to describe those in whom charity, and faith derived from charity, are present, 'the goats' to describe those in whom faith but no charity is present. Both these types of people are referred to here. As regards 'the sheep' meaning those in whom charity and faith derived from it are present, see 2088, 4169, and 'the goats' those in whom faith but no charity is present, 4769.

[6] And He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at the left means a separation into truths derived from good, and falsities derived from evil. Those governed by truths derived from good are also visibly present in the next life on the right, while those governed by falsities are on the left. Consequently being stationed on the right hand and on the left implies an ordering in which life is the determining factor.

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