From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10154

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

10154. 'And I will be their God' means the Lord's presence and His influx into truth in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'being their God' as the Lord's presence and His influx into truth - into truth because in the Old Testament Word the Lord is called God where truth is the subject, but Jehovah where good is the subject. This also goes to explain why angels are called gods, because they are recipients of Divine Truth from the Lord, and in addition why in the original language the plural word Elohim is used to denote God; for truths are many but good is one, Matthew 19:16-17.

The Lord is called God where truth is the subject but Jehovah where good is the subject, see 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167.

Angels are called gods, because they are recipients of Divine Truth from the Lord, 4295, 4402, 7268, 7873, 8192, 8302, 8867, 8941.

In the Word Jehovah means the Lord, see the places referred to in 9373; and in Isaiah He is called explicitly 'Father from eternity' and also 'God',

To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder; His name is called, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of peace. Isaiah 9:6.

And in the same prophet,

A virgin will conceive and bear [a son], and His name will be called Immanuel, that is, God with us. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23.

The meaning of the words here 'I will be their God' as the Lord's presence and His influx into truth is also evident from the fact that 'I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel' means the Lord's presence and His influx through good. For wherever good is the subject in the Word, so too is truth, on account of the heavenly marriage, which is that of goodness and truth, in every single part of the Word, see the places referred to in 9263, 9314.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8302

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

8302. 'Who is like You in holiness' means that He is the Source of everything holy. This is clear from the meaning of 'who is like You in holiness?' as the fact that nobody is so holy; but the meaning in the internal sense is that He is the Source of everything holy since He is Holiness itself. By 'that which is holy' is meant the Divine Truth emanating from the Lord. This Truth is called holy, and is meant also by the Holy Spirit, of whom it is therefore said that He is 'the Spirit of Truth', John 14:16-17; 15:26-27; 16:13, has been sent by the Lord, John 15:26-27, and will take from the Lord what He will declare, John 16:15. Since holiness is an attribute of Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord, angels - being recipients of that Truth - are therefore called 'holy', Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; so too are prophets, and in particular the Word, which is God's truth itself. The Lord as well - by virtue of the Divine Truth, which He is since He is its Source - is called 'the Holy One of Israel', 'the Holy One of Jacob', and 'the Holy One of God'.

  
/ 10837  
  

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