Doctrine of the Lord #51
51. Whenever the term spirit is applied to the Lord, it means in particular the life of His wisdom, which is Divine truth:
...I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go away, I will send Him to you. (John 16:7)
...when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; ...He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears He will speak. (John 16:13)
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:14-15)
I will ask the Father to give you another Counselor..., the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.... ...you will see Me. (John 14:16-19, cf. 14:26, 28)
...when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth..., He will testify of Me. (John 15:26)
...Jesus...cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.” This He said concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; ...the Holy Spirit did not yet exist, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)
(Jesus) breathed on (His disciples) and said..., “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)
[2] By the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord meant Himself, and this is apparent from the Lord’s saying that the world did not yet know the Counselor or Spirit of truth; for people did not as yet know the Lord. Moreover, when He said that He would send Him, He added, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you, “ and “you will see Me” (John 14:16-19, 26, 28). At another time, too, He said, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). And when Thomas said, “We do not know where You are going, ” Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth” (John 14:5-6).
[3] Because the Spirit of truth, or Holy Spirit, is the same as the Lord, who is truth itself, therefore we are also told, “The Holy Spirit did not yet exist, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). For after the Lord’s glorification or complete union with the Father, which was achieved by His suffering of the cross, the Lord was then Divine wisdom itself and Divine truth itself, thus the Holy Spirit.
The Lord breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit, ” because respiration in heaven is dependent wholly on the Lord. For angels breathe and their hearts beat just as in the case of people. Their respiration accords with their reception of Divine wisdom from the Lord, and the beating of their hearts or pulse accords with their reception of Divine love from the Lord. The reality of this will be seen in its own place.
[4] That the Holy Spirit is Divine truth received from the Lord is still more apparent from the following passages:
When they deliver you to the synagogues..., do not worry about...what you will say. ...the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you should say. (Luke 12:11-12, cf. 21:14, Mark 13:11, 12)
...said Jehovah, “...My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth....” (Isaiah 59:21)
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse.... He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the spirit [i.e., breath ] of His lips He shall slay the impious. Truth shall be the girdle of His loins.... (Isaiah 11:1, 4-5)
...with His mouth He commanded, and His Spirit gathered them. (Isaiah 34:16)
...those who worship (God) must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)
It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and...life. (John 6:63)
(John said,) “I...baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me...will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11, cf. Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16)
To baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire means to regenerate by means of the Divine truth that is a property of faith and the Divine goodness that is a property of love.
When (Jesus) was baptized..., the heavens were opened..., and He saw the (Holy) Spirit...descending like a dove.... (Matthew 3:16, cf. Mark 1:10, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33)
The dove represents purification and regeneration by means of Divine truth.
[5] Since the Holy Spirit, when applied to the Lord, means His Divine life, thus Himself, and in particular the life of His wisdom, which we call Divine truth, therefore the spirit spoken of by the Prophets — which is also called the Holy Spirit — means Divine truth received from the Lord. Such is the case in the following passages:
...the Spirit said to the churches.... (Revelation 2:7, 11, 29, 3:1, 3, 6, 13, 22)
...(the) seven lamps of fire burning before the throne...are the seven spirits of God. (Revelation 4:5)
...in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing..., having...seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6)
The lamps of fire and the Lord’s eyes symbolize Divine truths, and the number seven symbolizes holiness.
...said the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors....” (Revelation 14:13)
The spirit and the bride say, “Come!” (Revelation 22:17)
They made their hearts adamant, so as not to hear the law or the words which Jehovah...sent by His Spirit through the...prophets. (Zechariah 7:12)
The spirit of Elijah came over Elisha. (2 Kings 2:15)
(John went) before...in the spirit and power of Elijah.... (Luke 1:17)
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (and prophesied). (Luke 1:41-45)
Zacharias...was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.... (Luke 1:67)
...David...said by the Holy Spirit: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right....’ ” (Mark 12:36)
...the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:10)
Now because the Holy Spirit in particular means the Lord in relation to Divine wisdom, and so in relation to Divine truth, it is apparent why it is said of the Holy Spirit that it enlightens, teaches, and inspires.
Published by the General Church of the New Jerusalem, 1100 Cathedral Road, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania 19009, U.S.A. A translation of Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Domino, by Emanuel Swedenborg, 1688-1772. Translated from the Original Latin by N. Bruce Rogers. ISBN 9780945003687, Library of Congress Control Number: 2013954074.
Ezekiel 1
1
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2
In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
3
The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.
4
And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
6
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
7
And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
8
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
9
Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
11
Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
13
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
16
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17
When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
18
As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
19
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
24
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25
And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27
And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
