1. Teachings for the New Jerusalem on the Lord

The Entire Sacred Scripture Is about the Lord, and the Lord Is the Word

WE read in John,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and nothing that was made came about without him. In him there was life, and that life was the light for humankind. And the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not grasp it. And the Word became flesh and lived among us; and we saw his glory, glory like that of the only-begotten child of the Father. He was full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-3, 5, 14)

In the same Gospel,

Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)

And elsewhere in the same Gospel,

While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light. I have come into the world as a light so that anyone who believes in me will not remain in darkness. (John 12:36, 46)

We can see from this that the Lord is God from eternity and that he himself is that Lord who was born into the world. It actually says that the Word was with God and that the Word was God, as well as that nothing that was made came about without him, and then that the Word became flesh and that they saw him.

There is little understanding in the church of what it means to call the Lord “the Word.” He is called the Word because the Word means divine truth or divine wisdom and the Lord is divine truth itself or divine wisdom itself. That is why he is also called the light that is said to have come into the world.

Since divine wisdom and divine love are one with each other and have been one in the Lord from eternity, it also says “in him there was life, and that life was the light for humankind.” The life is divine love, and the light is divine wisdom.

This oneness is what is meant by saying both that “in the beginning the Word was with God” and that “the Word was God.” “With God” is in God, since wisdom is in love and love is in wisdom. This is like the statement elsewhere in John, “Glorify me, Father, together with yourself, with the glory I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:5). “With yourself” is “in yourself.” This is why it adds “and the Word was God.” It says elsewhere that the Lord is in the Father and the Father is in him [John 14:10], and that the Father and he are one [John 10:30].

Since the Word is the divine wisdom of the divine love, it follows that it is Jehovah himself and therefore the Lord, the one by whom all things were made that were made, since everything was created out of divine love by means of divine wisdom.

14. 12. The Word was with God, and God was the Word; and all things were made by Him. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; He was the true Light which lighteth every man: and the Word became flesh (John 1:1-14).

This was He who was before me, for He was prior to me. Of His fullness we have all received (John 1:15-16, 27, 30).

No one hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son of God, who is in the bosom of the Father, hath made Him manifest (John 1:18).

Whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose (John 1:27).

The Son of man which is in the heavens (John 3:13-14). Light has come into the world. He who does evils hates the light (John 3:19-20).

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom. Spoken concerning Christ (John 3:29).

He came from heaven and is therefore above all (John 3:31). Spoken concerning Christ.

The Father gave not the Spirit by measure unto Him; the Father gave all things into His hands (John 3:34-35).

Jesus says that He is equal to the Father; in various places (John 5:18-23). That He quickeneth, and that He hath life in Himself, etc. (John 5:21, 26-27).

The bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world (John 6:33). He is the bread of life (John 6:35, 50-51).

Not that any one has seen the Father, save He who is with the Father, He hath seen the Father (John 6:46).

Jesus said I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall have the light of life (John 8:12; 9:5, 39; 12:35-36, 46).

Jesus said, Before Abraham was, I am (John 8:56, 58). He came into the world that the blind might see, and that they which see might become blind (John 9:39).

Jesus said, I and the Father are one (John 10:30).

The Father and He are one (John 10:30).

He is in the Father and the Father in Him (John 14:10-11; 10:38; Philippians 1-4; 1 Corinthians 1:3).

That ye may believe that the Father is in Me and I in the Father (John 10:38; 14:10-11).

He that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me (John 13:20).

Jesus said, Believe in God, believe also in Me (John 14:1).

Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:4-6).

He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

Jesus said, He that seeth and knoweth Me, seeth and knoweth the Father (John 14:7-9).

If ye shall ask of the Father in My name, I will do it (John 14:13-14).

Jesus said, Because I live, ye shall live (John 14:19). He and the Father will make their abode with them (John 14:21, 23).

God and Christ [mentioned] together; that I and the Father will come to him (John 14:23). I and the Father are one (John 10:30).

He that hateth Me hateth My Father (John 15:23-24). All things that the Father hath are Mine (John 16:15). Jesus goes away to the Father (John 16:5-7, 16-17, 29), which is to be united to Him.

They should pray in His name, I say not that I will pray the Father for you; the Father Himself loveth you because ye have loved Me (John 16:26-28). He often says, In His name.

I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father (John 16:28-31). Jesus said, the Father had given Him power over all flesh (John 17:2).

Jesus will give to them eternal life (John 17:2) also, the Son from the Father.

God and Jesus Christ [mentioned] together, namely that they both know each other (John 17:3).

Father glorify Thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify Thee. Now therefore do Thou, O Father, glorify Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was (John 17:1, 5).

N. B. Arcanum. By "to glorify" is meant to unite the Divine Truth with the Divine Good in the Human. The Lord in the Father from eternity was the Divine Good and thence the Divine Truth, wherefore when He descended He was the Divine Truth from the Divine Good; a reciprocal union, or that of the Divine Truth with the Divine Good, was effected by the Lord in the Human while He was in the world: and it was accomplished successively, especially by redemption and by the fact that He did the will of the Father, and then fully by the last temptation, which was that of the cross, for temptation unites. Then was accomplished the reciprocal union of the Divine Truth with the Divine Good, thus the Father and Son are one, thus one Person like soul and body. All Mine are Thine and Thine are Mine, but I am glorified in them (John 17:10).

I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in the truth (John 17:19).

That they may be one in Jesus as the Father is in Him (John 17:21-23).

Thomas said, my Lord and my God (John 20:28).