The Bible

 

Matthew 2:1-12 : The Visit of the Wise Men

Study

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Commentary

 

Christmas Gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

By New Christian Bible Study Staff

The Adoration of the Magi, a Design for Bas Relief.

In the Christmas story, the wise men bring gifts to the Lord: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The gold is listed first, because it is the inmost - signifying good, e.g. the good that we do when we love the Lord and the neighbor.

The frankincense is next. It signifies rational truth, which is the set of true ideas that we know, not about external things like cars or cooking, but about what is really good, and what is really true.

These rational truths are built on earlier knowledges that we learn, before we have really made them our own. Those early knowledges about spiritual things - often learned in childhood - are represented by the myrrh.

In a way, these gifts are really a reciprocation. We can't actually give them to the Lord until the Lord has given them to us. We necessarily start out by learning and doing the Lord's law (myrrh). The Lord can then call up those memories to become rational truths (frankincense). Then, over time, and with effort, those truths can be transformed into good (gold). The wise men from the East had gone through this process of learning and becoming vessels that could receive truths and goods. They were able to perceive the Lord's birth, and find him, and bring gifts to him.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #307

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307. Verse 5. And one of the elders, signifies a society of heaven superior in wisdom to the rest. This is evident from the signification of "elders," as being those who are in truths from good, and abstractly truths from good (of which above, n. 270, thus those who are superior to the rest in intelligence and wisdom; for all intelligence is from good through truths, or through truths from good, and from no other source. "One of the elders" signifies a society of heaven because "an angel" in the Word does not mean one angel, but a whole society (See above, n. 90, 302); in like manner also "one of the elders." A society superior in wisdom to the rest is meant, because this elder declared that it is the Lord alone who acquired to Himself Divine wisdom in respect to the Human in order that He might know, recognize, and explore everyone, and the states of the life of all in general, and of each one in particular; which things are signified by his saying, "Weep not; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof;" for to know this, namely, that it is the Lord alone who is such, belongs to the wisdom of the angels of heaven; and the angelic societies of the third or inmost heaven know this from perception, that is, by influx from the Lord. The others also know it, yet not by perception but by the illustration of the understanding. The angels of the third or inmost heaven have perception; angels of the second and of the last heaven have illustration of the understanding; the difference is this, that perception is full confirmation by influx from the Lord, but the illustration of the understanding is spiritual sight. This those have who are in charity towards the neighbor and in faith therefrom; but the former, namely, perception, those have who are in love to the Lord (See further what perception is, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 135-140).

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