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.

9410. He sent not His hand. That this signifies that truth is not there in its power, is evident from the signification of the “hand,” as being the power that there is through truth. (That “the hand” denotes power, see n. 878, 3091, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8153, 8281, 9025, 9133; and that it is through truth, n. 3091, 3502, 6344, 6423, 8304; also that all the power of truth is from good, thus through good from the Lord, n. 6948, 8200, 9327.) From this it is evident that by “He sent not His hand unto the sons of Israel who were set apart” is signified that truth is not in its power with those who are in the external sense of the Word separate from the internal. The reason why truth is not in its power with these is that they have been separated from heaven, and therefore from the Lord; for the Word conjoins man with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, because all things of the sense of the letter of the Word correspond to the spiritual and celestial things in which are the angels, and with which there is no communication if the Word is apprehended merely according to the letter, and not at the same time according to any doctrine of the church, which is the internal of the Word.

[2] Let us take for example the words of the Lord to Peter:

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens; and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens (Matthew 16:18-19).

In like manner His words to the disciples:

Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18).

They who are in the external sense of the Word separate from the internal, thus who are separate from the true doctrine of the church, persuade themselves that such a power was given by the Lord to Peter, and also to the rest of the Lord’s disciples. Hence came that infernal heresy that it is in human power to let into heaven and to shut out from heaven whomsoever it will; when yet according to the true doctrine of the church, which is also the internal of the Word, the Lord alone has this power; and therefore those who are in the external sense of the Word and at the same time in its internal sense, apprehend that these things were said of faith and its truths which are from the Lord, and that faith from the Lord, thus the Lord Himself, has this power, and therefore by no means any man.

[3] That it is so can be seen from the representation of Peter and of the twelve disciples, and from the signification of a “rock,” and likewise from the signification of “keys.” (That Peter represented faith, see the preface to Genesis 18 and 22, also n. 30, 4738, 6000, 6073; and that the twelve disciples of the Lord, like the twelve tribes of Israel, represented all things of faith and love, n. 3488, 3858, 6397.) That a “rock” signifies the Lord in respect to faith, and thus faith which is from the Lord, may be seen above (n. 8581); and that “keys” signify power, is evident from the passages in the Word where “keys” are mentioned; as in John:

I am the first and the last; he that liveth, and was dead; but behold I am alive unto ages of ages; and I have the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:18).

These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth, and He that shutteth, and no man openeth (Revelation 3:7).

The key of the house of David will I lay upon His shoulder; that He may open and none shut, and that He may shut and none open (Isaiah 22:22).

That in these passages a “key” denotes power, is manifest; also that the power belongs to the Lord alone.

[4] From all this it can be seen of what quality are those who are in the external sense of the Word separate from the internal; namely, that they have no conjunction with heaven, thus none with the Lord, as is the case with those who explain these words of the Lord to Peter and to the disciples according to the letter, and thus arrogate to themselves the power of saving mankind, and make themselves gods of heaven and earth; and this from an insane love of self and of the world. Everyone who thinks from sound reason can see and apprehend that man cannot loose one sin, because sin is loosed solely through the formation of a new life; that is, through regeneration from the Lord. (That regeneration goes on up to the end of man’s life in the world, and afterward to eternity, see n. 8548-8553, 8635-8640, 8742-8747, 8853-8858, 8958-8968)

[5] What truth “in its power” is, shall also be briefly told. That in the Word the angels are called “powers,” and also that they are powers, is known in the church. Yet they are not powers from themselves, but from the Lord, because they are recipients of the truth Divine which is from the Lord. They have such power from the Lord that one of them can drive away, shut up in the hells, and restrain, a thousand of the diabolical crew. For the truth Divine which is from the Lord fills the heavens, and makes the heavens; and if you will believe it, all things have been made and created through it. The Word, which was in the beginning with God, and which was God, through which all things were created, and through which the world was made (John 1:1-14) is Divine truth. That this is the one only substantial thing, from which are all things, few are able to apprehend, because no other idea is at this day held about Divine truth than as of the speech of the mouth of one in authority, in accordance with which his commands are executed; but what idea ought to be held about it may be seen above (n. 9407). The omnipotence of the Divine truth which is from the Lord is described in many passages in the Word; and also in John:

There was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought, and his angels; but they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. They overcame him through the blood of the Lamb, and through the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:7-8, 11).

That “the blood of the Lamb” denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Divine Human of the Lord, see n. 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7850, 9127, 9393, 9395; and that “the word of their testimony” denotes the truth Divine which is received, is plain.

[6] They who are in the external sense of the Word separate from the internal, thus who are separated from the true doctrine of the church, apprehend this prophetic saying no otherwise than according to the letter; namely, that by “blood” is meant blood, thus the Lord’s passion; when yet it is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord that is there meant by “blood.” They who are in the true doctrine of the church are able to know that they are not saved by blood, but by hearing truth Divine, and doing it; thus that those are saved who suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord through the Divine truth. This all are able to know, to apprehend, to see, and to perceive, who are in enlightenment from the Lord; thus all who are in the good of charity and of faith, for these are they who are enlightened. This I can avouch—that when I am reading “the blood of the Lamb,” and am thinking of the blood of the Lord, the angels who are with me know no otherwise than that I am reading “the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord,” and that I am thinking about this. But let the simple remain in their doctrine, that they are saved through the Lord’s blood, provided they live in accordance with His Divine truth; for they who so live are enlightened in the other life.