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.

1069. (Verse 12) And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings. That this signifies the power of the truths of the Word, is evident from the signification of horns, as denoting the power of truth (concerning which see n. 316, 567, 776, 1041); there were ten horns, because ten signifies many persons and also many things, also all persons and all things, as may be seen above (n. 675). Hence by ten horns, when said of the truths of the Word, is signified all power. And from the signification of ten kings, as denoting the truths of the Word and thence of the church, of which we have spoken frequently above.

In these three verses, and also in verses 16 and 17, what is signified by the ten horns of the beast is explained, that is, those Divine truths, which the Babylonish nation has profaned, the chief of which are, that the Lord has power over heaven and over earth, and that the Word alone is holy and Divine. For these two truths make the Lord's church itself on earth; the church being a church from the worship of the Lord and the reading of the Word. For the Lord reforms men and the Word teaches how they are to live, that they may be reformed by the Lord. If, therefore, these two truths are not acknowledged and received, the church itself must perish; for upon these two truths the church is founded.

Hence it is that it came to pass, of the Lord's Divine Providence, that some churches separated themselves from the Babylonish [church]; these acknowledge the Lord's Divine power over heaven and earth to be equal to the power of God the Father, and also attribute Divine sanctity to the Word alone. This was provided by the Lord, lest the Christian Church in Europe should fall utterly. That these things are signified by the ten horns which are ten kings will be seen from what follows.

Continuation concerning the Word:-

[2] Because the Word is Divine truth, and this proceeds from the Lord's Divine Esse as light from the sun, it follows that the Lord is the Word, because He is Divine truth. The reason why the Lord is the Word, because He is Divine truth, and that this proceeds from His Divine Esse, which is Divine love is, that the Divine love was in Him while in the world, as the soul in the body. And because from Divine love proceeds Divine truth like light from the sun, as was said, therefore the Lord's Human in the Word was Divine truth proceeding from the Divine love which was in Him.

That the Divine itself, which is called Jehovah, and the Father, which is Divine love, was in the Lord from conception, is evident in the evangelists Matthew and Luke. In Matthew from these words:

When Mary the mother of Jesus was espoused to Joseph, "before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit." And the angel said to Joseph in a dream, "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy spouse, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit." This came to pass that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord through the prophet; Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son. And Joseph "knew her not, till she had brought forth her first-born son, and he called his name Jesus" (1:18-25).

And in Luke in these words:

The angel said unto Mary, "Behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. But Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? The angel said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; wherefore also, the holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:30-55).

Because He was conceived of Jehovah, therefore in the Word He is so often called the Son of God, and Jehovah is called His Father. And Jehovah as to His Being (Esse) is Divine love; and as to His Manifestation (Existere) He is Divine good united with Divine truth.

[3] From these things it may be seen what is meant by the

Word which was with God, and which was God; and also which was the light which enlighteneth every man (John 1:1-10),

namely, that it was Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; thus, the Lord as to His Existere. That the Lord as to His Existere was Divine truth, and that this was His Divine Human, because this existed from His Divine Esse, as the body from the soul, is openly testified in these words in John:

"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father" (ver. 14 of the same chapter).

The Word is the Divine truth, which also is glory. Flesh is the Divine Human. The only begotten of the Father is the existent or proceeding from the Divine Esse in Him.