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 10
1
Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
2
He spoke to the man clothed in linen, and said, Go in between the whirling [wheels], even under the cherub, and fill both your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. He went in as I watched.
3
Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
4
The glory of Yahweh mounted up from the cherub, [and stood] over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Yahweh's glory.
5
The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
6
It came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim, that he went in, and stood beside a wheel.
7
The cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took [of it], and put it into the hands of him who was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
8
There appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings.
9
I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like a beryl stone.
10
As for their appearance, the four of them had one likeness, like a wheel within a wheel.
11
When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it; they didn't turn as they went.
12
Their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes all around, [even] the wheels that the four of them had.
13
As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, the whirling [wheels].
14
Every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third face the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15
The cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.
16
When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also didn't turn from beside them.
17
When they stood, these stood; and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
18
The glory of Yahweh went forth from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.
19
The cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth, and the wheels beside them: and they stood at the door of the east gate of Yahweh's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
20
This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim.
21
Every one had four faces, and Every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
22
As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward.
