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.

9199. And an orphan. That this signifies those who are in truth and not yet in good, and nevertheless long for good, is evident from the signification of “an orphan,” as being those who are in truth and long for good. The reason why these are signified by “orphans,” is that sons bereaved of father and mother, thus they who are deprived of interior good and truth, are “orphans;” for by “father” in the Word is signified interior good, and by “mother” truth conjoined with this good (see n. 5581); and by “sons” are signified the truths thence derived. (That “sons” denote truths may be seen above, n. 489, 491, 553, 1147, 2813, 3373, 6583.) That sons are here meant by “orphans,” and not daughters, is plain from the following verse, where it is said, “and your sons shall be orphans.” That “orphan sons” denote those who long for good, is “because the Lord is then in the place of a father to them; as in David:

A father of the orphans, and a judge of the widows, is God in the habitation of His holiness (Psalms 68:5).

[2] That “orphans” denote those who have been instructed in the truths of faith of the church from the Word, and thereby are afterward led to good, is plain also from the Lord’s words in John:

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, ¹ that he may abide with you to eternity, the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, for it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he abideth with you, and is among you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come unto you. These things have I spoken unto you while abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, he shall teach you all things (John 14:16-18, 25-26).

[3] That those are “orphans” who are in truths and long for good can be seen here from every detail; for by “the Paraclete” is meant the Divine truth, which the Lord was while in the world, and which proceeded from the Lord after He had glorified His Human and had gone out of the world. Therefore He says that “He will send the Paraclete,” and that “He Himself will come.” “Sending the Paraclete” denotes enlightening and instructing in the truths of faith; and “coming to them” denotes leading into good. Therefore He says, “I will not leave you orphans.” It has been stated that by “the Paraclete” is meant the Divine truth which the Lord was while in the world, and which proceeded from Him after He had glorified His Human and had gone out of the world. That this is so, the Lord several times plainly taught. But those who distinguish the Divine into Persons, and not into Essences united in one, do not apprehend this; for the Word is explained and apprehended by a man according to the ideas previously received by him. So also where the Lord says that “He is in the Father and the Father in Him; that the Father and He are one; and that all things that are His are the Father’s and all things of the Father are His” (John 10:30; 14:1-11, 20; 16:15; 17:10).

[4] But to proceed with the further explanation of the things stated above. That by “the Paraclete” is meant the Divine truth, is plain from the very words of the Lord, for he is called “the Spirit of truth,” and it is also said, “the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, shall teach you all things.” That the Lord was the Divine truth while in the world, is plain also from the words of the Lord in the above passage, for He says that “He will send another Paraclete (that is, in His place), even the Spirit of truth;” and of Himself He says that they know Him, because He abideth with them, and is among them. And also:

I tell you the truth, if I go not away, the Paraclete will not come unto you; but if I go away, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).

And in another passage:

This spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believed in Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:39).

And again He says that “He is the way, and the truth” (John 14:6); and also that “He is the Word, and that God is the Word, and that the Word became flesh” (John 1:1-3, 14); where “the Word” denotes the Divine truth. (That the Lord while in the world was the Divine truth, see n. 3195, 4687, 4727, 6716, 6864, 7499, 8127, 8724.)

[5] And that the Divine truth proceeds from the Lord since He glorified His Human, and went away out of the world, is plain also from the Lord’s words, “When I go away, I will send the Spirit of truth unto you” (“to send” denotes to go forth and to proceed, n. 2397, 4710); and also, “When he is come, he shall teach you all the truth; for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak. He shall glorify Me; for he shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you” (John 16:13-14 That when the Lord went away out of the world He became the Divine good even as to the Human, may be seen above (n. 3704, 3712, 3737, 3969, 4577, 5704, 6864, 7014, 7499, 8241, 8724, 8760, 9167); and that then, from the Divine good, which He Himself is, proceeds the Divine truth, even as from the sun proceeds the light of the universe (n. 3636, 3643, 3969, 5704, 7083, 8127). To these references may be added those cited above (n. 9194).

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