Vater bedeutet im Wort das Innerste, und in den Dingen, die der Ordnung des Herrn folgen, bedeutet es das Gute. Im höchsten Sinne bedeutet Vater den Herrn selbst, den Schöpfer. Bei der Zeugung natürlicher Kinder ist es der Vater, der die Seele oder das innerste Gefäß des Lebens und eine innere Vererbung bereitstellt, und die Mutter, die die gesamte Substanz bereitstellt, aus der die Seele ihren Körper bildet, sowie eine äußere Vererbung. In diesem Prozess kommt die Seele vom Herrn durch den Vater, und nicht vom Vater, da alles Leben vom Herrn kommt.

Der weise Mensch nennt den Herrn seinen Vater und die Kirche seine Mutter, weil seine inneren Lieben vom Herrn kommen, aber durch die von der Kirche gelehrten Wahrheiten Form und Aktualität erhalten. Die so hervorgebrachten Dinge sind die geistigen "Kinder" eines Menschen.

Wenn im Neuen Testament von Jesus und dem Vater die Rede ist, ist damit die äußere Manifestation mit dem Göttlichen selbst als Seele im Inneren gemeint. Weil Jesus von einer natürlichen Mutter geboren wurde, hatte Er einen natürlichen Körper und eine natürliche jüdische Vererbung. Im Laufe seines Lebens, als er von den Höllen versucht wurde, legte er langsam alles ab, was er von seiner Mutter hatte, und ersetzte es durch das, was er von sich selbst im Inneren hatte, den Vater. Indem Er das tat, machte Er sich selbst eins mit dem Vater, der Sein Innerstes war, so dass Er wirklich sagen konnte: "Ich und mein Vater sind eins".

(Reference: Enthüllte Offenbarung 170; Himmlischen Geheimnissen 1815, 3703 [4]; Die göttliche Vorsehung 330 [1,2]; Wahre Christliche Religion 103 [1,2])

2904. 'The life of Sarah was' means all the preceding times and states of the Church as regards Divine truths. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the life' here, and from the representation of 'Sarah'. 'The life' here - since it refers to the whole span of life and to the periods that constitute it, namely early childhood, youth, adult years, and old age means states, as do all periods of time in general, see 2625, 2788, 2837. And since the subject in what follows is the Church, 'the life' therefore means times and states of the Church. 'Sarah' represents Divine truth, see 1468, 1901, 2063, 2172, 2173, 2198, 2507. From this it follows that here 'the life of Sarah was' means in the internal sense all the preceding times and states of the Church as regards Divine truths. When she lived as Abraham's wife Sarah represented the Lord's Divine Truth joined to His Divine Good, as may be seen in the paragraphs just quoted. And as she represented the Lord's Divine Truth, so she also means the Church's Divine truth, for in the Church no other truth exists than that which is the Lord's. Truth that does not come from Him is not truth, as is also clear both from the Word itself and from the doctrine of faith drawn from it. It is clear from the Word itself in John,

Man cannot receive anything unless it is given him from heaven. John 3:27.

And elsewhere in John,

Without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5.

The same is also clear from the doctrine of faith, which teaches that the whole of faith, that is, all truth, comes from the Lord.

[2] The representatives and the meaningful signs in the Word are such that every single one in the highest sense has regard to the Lord; and from this springs the life itself of the Word. And because they have regard to the Lord, they also have regard to His kingdom, since the Lord is the All in His kingdom. Divine things from the Lord within His kingdom are what make it the kingdom. To the extent therefore that an angel, spirit, or man receives good and truth from the Lord, and believes that these come from Him, he is in His kingdom. But to the extent that he does not receive them, and does not believe that they come from the Lord, he is not in His kingdom. Thus Divine things from the Lord are what constitute His kingdom or heaven; and this is what is meant when it is said that the Lord is the All in His kingdom.