Explanation of Luke 24
By Rev. John Clowes M.A.
Verse 1. That the Lord's resurrection early in the morning involves in it the arising of a new Church, both in general and in particular, yea also in singular, thus that He rises again daily, yea every moment, in the minds of the regenerate.
Verses 2-4. On which occasion they who are in the affection of good and truth experience the removal of all false principles, so that Divine good and Divine truth are made manifest.
Verses 5-7. By which they are led into holy adoration, and are admonished that the Lord's Humanity was made Divine, when the hereditary principle received from the mother was separated by temptation combats.
Verses 8-12. They therefore communicate this truth to those, who had before been instructed concerning it, but as yet they cannot receive it.
Verse 12. Nevertheless they who are more principled in the doctrine of faith are led to make enquiry about it, and seeing that in the Lord all truth was made Divine Good, they are excited to adoration.
Verses 13-17. They too, who are in the doctrine of charity and faith united, reason together on the subject, and by their reasonings bring the Lord near to and present with them, though they do not know it.
Verses 17-27. By which nearness and presence they are finally instructed, that the Divine principle of the Lord led the Human principle into the most grievous temptations, and this even to the last of ability, that He might expel thence every thing that was merely human, until nothing remained but what was Divine.
Verse 27. And that all this was in agreement with what the Word teaches, since there is nothing written in theWord, which does not respect the Lord Himself, his kingdom and Church.
Verses 28-32. They therefore who are in the doctrine of charity and faith united are thus excited to cleave to the Lord with more earnest affection, by virtue of which affection they obtain conjunction with him, and by that conjunction are instructed in the good and truth of faith, by which the Lord makes himself manifest.
Verses 32-36. On which occasion, recollecting the warmth of heavenly love which has been inspired by the Lord's presence, they testify the doctrine of the Lord's glorification to those, who had before received the doctrine of good and truth.
Verses 36-44. So that these latter also are made sensible of the Lord's presence, which is attended with alarm and perplexity, until they are instructed, that the Lord made the very corporeal principle in Himself Divine, both as to its sensual and recipient principles.
Verse 44. And that this was in agreement with the Word throughout, since the things contained in the internal sense are all written of Him, for hence is the sanctity of the Word.
Verses 45-47. Their understandings thus become enlightened by the light of Divine Truth, which teaches, that the Lord by temptation-combats subdued the hells, and glorified His Humanity, and that all obtain remission of sins, who do the work of repentance and believe in Him.
Verses 48-49. They are therefore ordained to testify these things, as soon as the light of Divine Truth in their minds becomes conjoined with the love of Divine Good.
Verses 50-53. For which purpose they receive Divine benediction, and by that benediction are convinced of the glorification of the Lord's Humanity, through its oneness with Divinity, and that this glorified Humanity is the only proper object of worship, because it is the only source of all good and truth in the Church.
Apocalypse Explained #97
97. He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, signifies from whom is life to all in the new heaven and in the new church. This is evident from the signification of "walking" as being to live, and in reference to the Lord, Life itself (of which more will be said in what follows); and from the signification of "seven golden lampstands," as being all in the new heaven and in the new church (See above, n. 62). From this it is clear that the Lord was seen "in the midst of the lampstands," because "midst" signifies inmost; "lampstands" signify heaven and the church, and "walking" signifies life; and to be "in the midst" signifies, in reference to the Lord, to be in all that are round about Him. By this, therefore, it was represented that all the life of faith and of love in heaven and in the church is from Him (See above, n. 84). (That "midst" denotes the inmost and the center from which, see Arcana Coelestia 1074, 2940, 2973, 7777. That the Lord is the common center from whom is all direction and determination in heaven, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 123-124. That the extension of the light of heaven, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, from which angels have intelligence and wisdom, is effected also from the midst into those who are round about, see the same, n. 43, 50, 189.) That "walking" signifies living, and in reference to the Lord, Life itself, is from appearances in the spiritual world, where all walk according to their life, the evil in no other ways than those that lead to hell, but the good in no other ways than those that lead to heaven; consequently all spirits are known there from the ways wherein they are walking. Moreover, ways actually appear there; but to the evil, the ways towards hell only, and to the good, the ways towards heaven only; and thus everyone is brought to his own society. From this it is that "walking" signifies living. (Of these ways, and walking therein, in the spiritual world, see what is shown in the work on Heaven and Hell 195, 479, 534, 590; and in the small work on The Last Judgment 48.) That in the Word "ways" signify truths or falsities, and "walking" signifies living, may be seen from many passages therein; I will cite only a few here by way of confirmation.
In Isaiah:
We have sinned against Jehovah; they would not walk in His ways, neither have they heard His law (Isaiah 42:24).
In Moses:
If ye shall keep the commandments, by loving Jehovah your God, by walking in all His ways (Deuteronomy 11:22).
In the same:
Thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, by loving Jehovah thy God, and walking in His ways all the days (Deuteronomy 19:9; 26:17).
In the same:
I will set My tabernacle in the midst of them, 1 and I will walk in the midst of you, and I will be to you for a God (Leviticus 26:11, 12).
In the same:
Jehovah thy God walketh in the midst of your 2 camp, and therefore shall your 2 camp be holy (Deuteronomy 23:14).
In Isaiah:
Remember, O Jehovah, how I have walked before Thee in truth (Isaiah 38:3).
In the same:
He entereth into peace, walking in uprightness (Isaiah 57:2).
In Malachi:
He walked with Me in peace and in uprightness (Malachi 2:6).
In David:
Thou hast delivered my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living (Psalms 56:13).
In John:
Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).
In the same:
Yet a little while is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not; and he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light believe on the light (John 12:35, 36).
In Mark:
The Pharisees and Scribes ask Him, Why walk not Thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders? (Mark 7:5).
In Moses:
If ye walk contrary to Me, and will not hearken to My voices, I will also walk contrary to you (Leviticus 26:21, 26:23-24, 26:27).
In Isaiah:
This people that walk in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow, upon them hath the light shined (Isaiah 9:2).
In Micah:
All the peoples walk in the name of their god, and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God (Micah 4:5).
In Isaiah:
Who among you feareth Jehovah? He that walketh in darkness, who hath no brightness (Isaiah 50:10);
besides many other passages (as in Jeremiah 26:4; Ezekiel 5:6; 20:13, 20:16; Zechariah 10:12; Micah 4:5; Luke 1:6). From these passages it can be seen that "walking," in the spiritual sense, signifies living; and as it signifies living, so in reference to the Lord, as in this passage, it signifies Life itself, for the Lord is Life itself, and the rest are recipients of life from Him (See above, n. 82, 84).
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew has "you."
2. In both instances of "your," the Hebrew has "thy," as also found in Arcana Coelestia 10039.
