173. "'These things says He who is holy, who is true.'" This symbolically means the Lord in relation to Divine truth.

Clearly it means the Lord. He who is holy, who is true, is the Lord in relation to Divine truth, because the Lord is called holy owing to His Divine truth, and called just or righteous owing to His Divine goodness. It is in consequence of this that His emanating Divinity - which is Divine truth - is called the Holy Spirit; and here the Holy Spirit is He who is holy, who is true.

[2] Holiness is often mentioned in the Word, and it is everywhere predicated of truth; and because all truth that is true in itself originates from goodness and from the Lord, it is that truth that is called holy. In contrast, the goodness from which truth originates is called just or righteous. It is owing to this that angels governed by truths of wisdom, called spiritual angels, are termed holy, while angels governed by the goodness of love, called celestial angels, are termed just or righteous. The same is the case with people in the church.

It is because of this also that prophets and apostles are called saints, or holy, for prophets and apostles symbolize the church's doctrinal truths.

It is because of this, too, that the Word is called holy, for the Word is Divine truth. That is why the Law in the ark in the Tabernacle was called the most holy place and also the sanctuary.

That, too, is why Jerusalem is called holy, for Jerusalem symbolizes a church which possesses Divine truths.

For the same reason the altar, the Tabernacle, and the garments of Aaron and his sons were called holy after they were anointed with oil; for oil symbolizes the goodness of love, and this sanctifies or makes a thing holy, and everything made holy relates to truth.

[3] From the following passages it is apparent that the Lord alone is holy, because He is Divine truth itself:

Who shall not... O Lord..., glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. (Revelation 15:4)

...your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall He be called. (Isaiah 54:5)

Thus said Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One... (Isaiah 49:7)

As for our Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 47:4)

Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel... (Isaiah 43:14)

...in that day... they will depend on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)

And also elsewhere, as Isaiah 1:4; 5:19; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11-12; 41:16; 45:11, 15; 48:17; 55:5; 60:9, Jeremiah 50:29, Daniel 4:13, 23, Psalms 78:41.

Since the Lord is holiness itself, therefore the angel said to Mary,

...the holy thing that will be born of you shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

And regarding Himself the Lord said,

(Father,) sanctify them with the truth. Your word is truth... ...for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified with truth. (John 17:17, 19)

[4] It is apparent from this that the truth that comes from the Lord is holiness itself, because He alone is holy - concerning which the Lord says the following:

When... the Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide you into all truth. ...He will not speak on His own... ...He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15)

The Counselor, the Holy Spirit..., He will teach you all things... (John 14:26)

To be shown that the Holy Spirit is the life in the Lord's wisdom, thus Divine truth, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord 51.

It can be seen from this that He who is holy, who is true, is the Lord in relation to Divine truth.

That holiness is predicated of truth, and justice or righteousness of goodness, is apparent from passages in the Word where the two are mentioned, as in the following:

He who is just, let him be just still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. (Revelation 22:11)

Just and true are Your ways, O King of saints! (Revelation 15:3)

...to serve Him, in holiness and righteousness. (Luke 1:75)

...Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man... (Mark 6:20)

...the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:8)

816. 19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" This symbolizes a single angel sent from heaven to John and speaking with him about the Lord's New Church, saying that it was granted people on earth to know that those have eternal life who accept the teachings that are the teachings of that church.

That it was a single angel sent from heaven to John who spoke with him can be seen from the following verse, which says that John fell at his feet to worship him, and that the angel replied that he was his fellow servant; therefore that not he but God should be worshiped.

The first speech that John heard came from heaven itself and was uttered by many angels speaking in unison from the Lord, as is clearly apparent from the preceding verses 5, 6, and 7, where we are told that the voice came from the throne, and that it sounded like the voice of a great multitude, and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Let us be glad and rejoice." That was said in the plural, but this now in the singular, thus by a single angel sent to John.

[2] But let me say how the case is when angels speak with a person. They never speak with him from heaven, but any voice heard coming from there comes from the Lord through heaven. However, when angels are granted to speak with a person, they send someone from their society who is close to the person and speak with the person through him. The one sent is the instrument of many. And that is what the one was who now spoke with John. This took place in order that it might be proclaimed on earth that the whole of heaven acknowledges the Lord alone as God of heaven, that He alone is to be worshiped, and that the Lord was about to establish a new church on earth, as it had been in the heavens. For the Lord first establishes a church in the heavens, and then through the heavens on the earth. This is the hidden message contained in these words.

[3] Now for the exposition. "Write" symbolically means to commit something to posterity for its remembrance (nos. 39, 63, 639), in this case to enable it to know these things. This is the meaning of the command to write. "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!" means, symbolically, that those people have eternal life who accept the teachings that are the teachings of the New Church. Those people are called blessed who have eternal life (no. 639). The marriage of the Lamb symbolizes a new church having a conjunction with the Lord, as in no. 812 above. The people who are called mean all who accept (no. 744). All, indeed, are called, but those who do not accept, reject the call.

[4] The conjunction is called the Lamb's marriage supper because it takes place when the church is in its final state, which is called its evening, and suppers take place in the evening. The first state of a new church is in contrast called morning. It is in its evening state that a person is called to the church, and when the people called are present, its morning state commences.

That the final state of the church is called evening and night, and its first state dawn and morning, may be seen in no. 151 above.

Now because the final period of the Jewish Church, thus its evening, occurred when the Lord went to Jerusalem to suffer, therefore the Lord supped with the disciples then and instituted the Eucharist, which is why it is called Holy Supper. It, too, is a means of the Lord's conjunction with a person of the church, or wedding, if after repentance the person turns to Him directly. Otherwise it occasions His presence and not conjunction.

It can be seen from this what a dinner and dining symbolize elsewhere in the Word.