The Bible

 

Genesis 1:19

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19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #1118

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1118. Verse 7. How much she hath glorified herself and lived luxuriously, signifies how much of glory and consequent pleasure they have acquired for themselves from their dominion over heaven and over the world. This is evident from the signification of "glorifying herself," as being to acquire glory, also from the signification of "living luxuriously," as being to take pleasure; that it means from their dominion over heaven and over the world is evident, for this is the source of their glory and pleasure.

(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith and respecting the Lord)

[2] It is because the idea of God as Man is implanted in everyone that many peoples and nations have worshiped gods who either were men or appeared to them as men, as Greece, Italy, and certain kingdoms under their rule worshipped Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Apollo, Mercury, Juno, Minerva, Diana, Venus and her boy, and others, and ascribed to them the government of the universe. They distributed divinity among so many persons, because from intuition they saw God as Man, and therefore viewed all the attributes, properties, and qualities of God as persons, and thence also the virtues, affections, inclinations, and knowledges as persons. It was also from intuition that the inhabitants of the countries round about Canaan, as well as those of the regions within it, worshiped Baalim, Ashtaroth, Beelzebub, Chemosh, Milcom, Molech, and others, some of whom had lived as men.

[3] Again, it is from intuition that in Christian Gentilism at this day there are those who worship saints as gods, bending the knee before their idols, kissing them, baring the head before them in the ways where they are set up, and worshiping at their graves; and even doing the same to the Pope, whose shoes and even his footsteps they press with their lips, and would salute him as a god if religion allowed it. These and other practices are from an intuition, that is, a desire to worship a visible god, and not an airy something which is nothing but smoke to them. But the idea of God as Man that flows in from heaven is so perverted with many that either a man of the world or an idol is worshiped in place of God, comparatively as the bright light of the sun is turned into colors not beautiful, and its summer heat into foul stenches, according to the objects upon which they fall. But it is for reasons stated above that the idea of God becomes an idea of a little cloud, or of a mist, or of the inmost of nature, ideas that exist among Christians, but rarely among other nations who enjoy any light of reason, as the Africans and some others.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3008

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3008. The first point - that Christ is the same as Messiah, Anointed, and King - is evident from the following places in the Word: In John,

Andrew found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah, which when interpreted is the Christ. John 1:41.

In the same gospel,

Many from the crowd as they heard this utterance said, This is truly the prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But others said, Surely the Christ is not therefore going to come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Christ is going to come from the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the town where David was? John 7:40-42.

'The Christ' plainly stands for the Messiah whom they awaited. In the same gospel,

Do the rulers indeed acknowledge that this is indeed the Christ? Yet we know where this man is from, whereas when the Christ comes no one knows where He is from. John 7:25-27.

'The Christ' stands for the Messiah. No one knew where He was from because He was unacknowledged. In the same gospel,

The Jews gathered round Jesus and said to Him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you and you do not believe. John 10:24-25.

Here also 'the Christ' stands for the Messiah whom they awaited. In the same gospel,

The crowd answered, We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains for ever. John 12:34.

'The Christ' stands for 'the Messiah'. In the same gospel,

Martha said, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world. John 11:27.

That is, Martha believed that He was the Messiah. In Luke,

There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He had received an answer from the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. Luke 2:25-26.

This stands for the Messiah or Jehovah's Anointed. In the same gospel,

Jesus said to the disciples, But whom do you say that I am? Peter answered and said, God's Christ. Luke 9:20; Mark 8:29.

And there are other instances besides these, such as Matthew 26:63-64; John 6:68-69; Mark 14:61-62.

[2] Since the names Christ and Messiah are one and the same - Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew meaning the Anointed - it is therefore evident that Christ is one and the same as the Anointed. It is also one and the same as King, for kings were generally called the anointed, as is evident from many places in the Historical sections of the Word, as well as the Prophetical, as in David,

The kings of the earth have set themselves, and the princes have taken counsel together against Jehovah and against His Anointed. Psalms 2:2.

In the same author,

Now I know that Jehovah saves His Anointed. He will answer Him from His holy heaven with the mighty acts of His saving right hand. Psalms 20:6.

In the same author,

Jehovah is their strength, and the saving strength of His Anointed. Psalms 28:8.

In Samuel,

Jehovah will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His Anointed. 1 Samuel 2:10.

In these and many other places elsewhere 'the anointed' stands for the king. The word used in the original language is Messiah. In all these prophetical utterances the subject in the internal sense is the Lord, who is the King, as is also evident from the New Testament, as in Matthew,

The governor asked Jesus, Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him, You say so. Matthew 27:11.

In Luke,

Pilate asked Jesus, saying, Are you the King of the Jews? He answering him said, You say so. Luke 23:3; Mark 15:2.

In John,

They cried, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. John 12:13.

In the same gospel,

Nathanael said, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! John 1:49.

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