Arcana Coelestia #49
49. Verse 26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and they will have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, 1 and over the beasts, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
To people in the Most Ancient Church with whom the Lord spoke face to face, the Lord appeared as Man. (Much can be told about those people, but this is not the time to do so.) For this reason they called nobody man except the Lord and whatever may have been His. They did not even call themselves man, but only the things which they perceived that they had from the Lord, such as every good stemming from love and every truth of faith. These things were said to be human because they were the Lord's.
[2] In the Prophets therefore, in the highest sense, 'man' and 'son of man' are used to mean the Lord. In the internal sense they are used to mean wisdom and intelligence, and so everyone who is regenerate, as in Jeremiah,
I looked to the earth, and behold, a void and an emptiness, and towards the heavens, and behold, they had no light. I looked, and behold there was no man; and all the birds of the air 1 had fled. Jeremiah 4:23, 25.
In Isaiah where in the internal sense 'man' means a regenerate person, the Lord Himself as the One Man is meant in the highest sense,
Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and He who formed him, It was I that made the earth and it was I that created man upon it; My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. Isaiah 45:11-13
[3] The Lord was therefore seen by the Prophets as Man, for example by Ezekiel,
Above the firmament in appearance like a sapphire stone there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness, as the appearance of a Man upon it above. Ezekiel 1:26.
And the One whom Daniel saw was called 'a Son of Man', or what amounts to the same, Man,
I looked, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like the Son of Man was coming; and He came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and kingdom; and all peoples, nations, and languages will serve Him. His dominion is the dominion of an age, which will not pass away, and His kingdom one that will not perish. Daniel 7:13-14.
[4] Moreover the Lord quite often calls Himself the Son of Man or Man, and, as is done in Daniel, foretells His entry into glory,
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and glory. Matthew 24:23, 30.
The literal sense of the Word is called 'the clouds of heaven', its internal sense 'power and glory'. The internal sense, in every single detail, focuses exclusively on the Lord and His kingdom. Consequently it is the spiritual sense which contains power and glory.
Footnotes:
1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
Matthew 11
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It happened that when Jesus had finished directing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.
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Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
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and said to him, "Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?"
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Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
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the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
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Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me."
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As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
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But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses.
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But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.
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For this is he, of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'
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Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
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From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
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For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
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If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.
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He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions
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and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you didn't dance. We mourned for you, and you didn't lament.'
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For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'
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The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."
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Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn't repent.
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"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
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But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
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You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day.
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But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you."
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At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.
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Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.
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All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.
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"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
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For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
