2159. That 'servant' means the Lord's human before it was made Divine becomes clear from many places in the Prophets. The reason, which has been given frequently already, is this: The Lord's human, before He cast it off and made it Divine, was nothing else than a servant. His human came from the mother and was for that reason imperfect. From her it possessed a hereditary element which He overcame and utterly cast aside by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations. He did so even to the point when nothing was left of the imperfect and hereditary element received from the mother, indeed until at length nothing whatever from the mother remained. He cast off that which came from the mother so completely that He was no longer her son, as He also Himself declares in Mark,

They said to Jesus, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside, asking for You. And He answered them. saying, Who is My mother, or My brothers? And looking around on those who were sitting around Him He said, Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and My mother. Mark 3:32-35; Matthew 12:46-50; Luke 8:20-21.

[2] Once He had cast off this human He put on the Divine Human, by virtue of which He called Himself the Son of Man, as may be seen many times in the New Testament Word, and also the Son of God. By 'the Son of Man' He meant truth itself and by 'the Son of God' good itself which belonged to His Human Essence once this had been made Divine. The former state was that of the Lord's humiliation but the latter that of His glorification, which has been dealt with already in 1999.

[3] In the former state, namely the state of humiliation, when He still had the imperfect human with Him, He worshipped Jehovah as one other than Himself, and was indeed like a servant, for the imperfect human is by comparison nothing else. In the Word also therefore that human is referred to as 'a servant', as in Isaiah,

I will protect this city to save it for My own sake and for the sake of David My servant. Isaiah 37:35.

This refers to the Assyrians in whose camp an angel slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand. 'David' stands for the Lord who, because He is yet to come, is, as regards the human, called 'a servant'. That 'David' in the Word stands for the Lord, see 1888.

[4] In the same prophet,

Behold, My servant on whom I will lean, My chosen [in whom] My soul is well pleased. I have put My spirit upon him; he will bring forth judgement to the nations. Isaiah 42:1.

This is a plain reference to the Lord, of whom, when He was in the human, the expressions 'servant' and 'chosen one' are used. In the same prophet,

Who is blind but My servant, and deaf as My angel ¹ whom I will send? Who is blind as the perfect one, and blind as the servant or Jehovah? Isaiah 42:19.

This too is a reference to the Lord, of whom in a similar way, when He was in the human, the expressions 'servant' and 'angel' are used.

[5] In the same prophet,

You are My witnesses, said Jehovah, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Isaiah 43:10.

In the same prophet,

[Then] said Jehovah who formed me from the womb, to be a servant to Him, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel might be gathered to Him - He said, It is a light thing that you should be a servant to Me to raise up the tribes of Jacob. I have given you as a light of the nations, to be My salvation right to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:5-6.

This too is a plain reference to the Lord and to His human before it was made 'a light of the nations' and 'a salvation to the ends of the earth'. In the same prophet,

Who among you fears Jehovah, hearkens to the voice of His servant who walks in darkness and has no brightness? Let him trust in the name of Jehovah and lean on his God. Isaiah 50:10.

'Servant' again stands for the Lord's human. His teaching of the way of truth, while He was in that Human, is meant by 'the voice of Jehovah's servant'.

[6] In the same prophet,

Jehovah goes before you, and the God of Israel gathers you up. Behold, My servant will deal wisely; he will be raised up and exalted and lifted up very high. Isaiah 52:12-13.

'Servant' is clearly used in reference to the Lord when He was in the human, because it is said of Him that He will be raised up, exalted, and lifted up. In the same prophet,

He had no form and no honour. We saw him, but there was no beauty in him. He was despised, a man of sorrows, acquainted with sickness. Jehovah was willing to bruise him and make him imperfect. If he makes his soul guilt he will see his seed he will prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah will prosper by his hand. He will see [the fruit of] the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge will the righteous one My servant make many righteous; and He has borne their iniquities. Isaiah 53:2-3, 10-11.

Here reference is openly made, as in the whole of this chapter, to the Lord's state of humiliation. The fact that in that state He was in the imperfect human is also declared, namely in the statements that He was 'a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief', 'was made imperfect', and experienced 'the travail of his soul', besides many other statements, in which state He is referred to as 'a servant'.

Footnotes:

212. Behold, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet, signifies the state of such after death, that they will be out of heaven, and are not to be admitted. This is evident from the connection with what precedes and follows. This verse treats of those who say that they are in truths when yet they are in falsities, because in no charity. Of such it is said in the Word that they will come to the door and knock, but will not be admitted; "to come to the door and knock," is "to worship at the feet;" it is said, "at thy feet," because heaven in the whole complex resembles a man; the highest or third heaven answers to the head, the middle or second heaven to the body, and the lowest or first heaven to the feet; therefore, to stand at the feet and worship, is to be out of heaven and to wish to be admitted, but not to be able. (That heaven in one complex resembles a man, see Heaven and Hell 59-67 seq.; that there are three heavens, n. 29-40; and that the highest heaven forms the head, the middle the body, and the lowest the feet, n. 65.) From this it is clear why those who are out of heaven are said to stand "at the feet." They cannot be admitted for the reason that the whole heaven is formed according to the affections of good and truth, and is divided into societies according to all the differences of those affections; therefore, those who are not in charity are not in any affection in which heaven is, for charity or love towards the neighbor is affection; consequently those who are not in charity have no place in heaven, but are out of it; and such of them as have been in evils and falsities are conjoined according to their loves or affections, to those who are in internals, ¹ and thither they are cast down.

[2] That such a lot awaits those who are in faith alone and in no charity, was foretold by the Lord in many passages. Thus in Matthew:

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire; therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in the heavens. Many shall say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name, and by Thy name cast out demons, and in Thy name done many powers? And then will I confess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me all ye workers of iniquity. Every one that heareth My words and doeth them, I will liken to a prudent man, who built his house upon a rock. And everyone that heareth My words and doeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand (Matthew 7:19-27).

Here those who are in faith from charity, and those who are in faith and in no charity are described; those who are in faith from charity, by "the tree bearing good fruit," and by "the house that was built upon a rock;" "fruits" moreover signify in the Word the works of charity and a "rock" faith from charity; but those who are in faith separate from charity are meant by "the tree that bringeth forth no good fruit," and by those "building a house upon the sand," "evil fruit" moreover signifies in the Word evil works, and "sand" faith separate from charity. Of such it is said that they will say, "Lord, Lord, open to us," but that the reply will be, "I never knew you; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity."

[3] In like manner in Luke:

Strive to enter in through the narrow gate; for many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink before Thee, and Thou didst teach in our streets. But He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:24-27).

Here again those are treated of who are in faith and not in charity, of whom it is said that they "will stand without, knocking at the door," but that they will not be admitted; "to eat and to drink before the Lord, and to be taught in the streets" signifies to listen to the Word and preachings from the Word, and to know the matters of faith; but as such are in no charity, it is said to them, "I know you not whence ye are, depart from Me;" for the Lord knows all from love and not from faith separate.

[4] The same is meant by:

The five foolish virgins, who had not oil in their lamps, concerning whom also it is said that they came, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; but He answered, Verily I say unto you, I know you not (Matthew 25:1-12).

"Virgins" signify in the Word those who are of the church; "lamps" the things that belong to faith, and "oil" the good of love; therefore by "the five foolish virgins, who had no oil in their lamps," are signified they who are in faith and not in love. The like is signified also by:

The goats on the left hand to whom it was said that He hungered and thirsted and they gave Him not to eat and to drink; that He was a stranger and they took Him not in; that He was naked and they clothed Him not; that He was sick and in prison and they visited Him not (Matthew 25:41-43);

"the sheep at the right hand" here signify those who are in charity; "the goats" those who are in faith and in no charity. (That the latter are signified by "goats," see Arcana Coelestia 4769; and the former by "sheep," n. 4169, 4809.)

Footnotes: