From Swedenborg's Works

 

The Lord #2

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2. We can see clearly that the specific Word meant here is the Word made known through Moses, the prophets, and the evangelists, since this is the actual divine truth from which angels get all their wisdom and from which we get our spiritual intelligence. In fact, angels in the heavens have the very same Word that we have in the world, though for us in the world it is earthly, while in the heavens it is spiritual. Further, since it is divine truth, the Word is also something divine that is emanating, and this is not only from the Lord but is the Lord himself.

Since it is the Lord himself, absolutely everything written in the Word is about the Lord alone. From Isaiah to Malachi every detail has to do with the Lord, either directly or in an opposite, negative sense.

No one has seen this before, but anyone who knows this and thinks of it can see it while reading, especially given the knowledge that in the Word there is not only an earthly meaning but a spiritual one as well; and that in this latter meaning the names of persons and places are used to mean something about the Lord and therefore something about heaven and the church that come from him-or something opposed to the Lord.

Since absolutely everything in the Word is about the Lord, and since the Word is the Lord because it is divine truth, we can see why it says “The Word became flesh and lived among us; and we saw his glory” [John 1:14]. We can also see why it says “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; anyone who believes in me will not remain in darkness” [John 12:36, 46]. “Light” is divine truth and therefore the Word.

For this reason, even nowadays anyone who turns to the Lord alone while reading the Word and who prays to him will find enlightenment in it.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

John 1

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1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, come and see.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9199

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9199. 'Or orphan' means those who possess truth but not as yet good, and still have a desire for good. This is clear from the meaning of 'orphan' as those who possess truth and have a desire for good. Such people are meant by 'orphans' because sons bereft of father and mother, that is, those deprived of interior goodness and truth, are orphans. For 'father' in the Word means interior good, and 'mother' truth joined to that good, 5581; but 'sons' means truths derived from them. For the meaning of 'sons' as truths, see 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2813, 3373, 6583. The fact that sons and not daughters are meant here by 'orphans' is evident from verse 24 below, where it says, And your sons will be orphans. The reason why sons who are orphans are those who desire good is that the Lord then stands in place of their father, according to the following words 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] 'Orphans' are those who have received instruction in the Church's truths of faith which come from the Word, and who are then led by means of those truths to good. This is also evident from the Lord's words in John,

I will ask the Father to give you another Paraclete, to remain with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, because He remains with you and is among you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. These things I have spoken to you, while I remain with you; but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, He will teach you all things. John 14:16-18, 24-26.

[3] Every detail of these verses makes it clear that those are 'orphans' who possess truths and have a desire for good. 'The Paraclete' is used to mean Divine Truth, which the Lord was when He was in the world and which has emanated from Him ever since He glorified His Human and went away from the world. Therefore He says that He will send the Paraclete and that He Himself will come. 'Sending the Paraclete' means enlightening and instructing them in the truths of faith, and 'coming to them' means leading them on to good. This is why He says, I will not leave you orphans. As has been stated, 'the Paraclete' is used to mean Divine Truth, which the Lord was when He was in the world and which has emanated from Him ever since He glorified His Human and went away from the world. This was something the Lord taught plainly several times; yet those who identify persons in the Godhead and not essences united into one do not grasp it. For the explanation of the Word and the understanding of it by a person depend on the ideas he already has. The same applies to places where the Lord says that He is in the Father, and the Father is in Him; that the Father and He are One; also that all that is His is the Father's, and all that is the Father's is His, John 10:30; 14:1-11, 20; 16:15; 17:11.

[4] But let these truths stated above receive further explanation.

The Paraclete is used to mean Divine Truth

This is evident from the Lord's actual words; for the Paraclete is called 'the Spirit of truth' by Him, and also He says, 'the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things'.

The Lord was Divine Truth when He was in the world

This too is evident from the Lord's words there; for He says that He will send 'another Paraclete' (that is, another in place of Himself), who will be the Spirit of truth, and - referring to Himself - that they know Him 'because He remains with you and is among you'. He also says, I tell you the truth. If I do not go away the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go away I will send Him to you, John 16:7. Another place, John 7:39, states, 'This He said concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified'. And other places again state that He is the way and the truth, John 14:6; also that He is the Word, that God is the Word, and that the Word became flesh, John 1:1-3, 14, 'the Word' being Divine Truth. For more about the Lord's being Divine Truth when He was in the world, see 3195, 4687, 4727, 6716, 6864, 7499, 8127, 8724.

[5] Divine Truth has emanated from the Lord ever since He glorified His Human and went away from the world This too is evident from the Lord's words, 'When I go away I will send the Spirit of truth to you' ('sending' means going out and emanating from, 2397, 4710), and also 'When He comes He will guide you into all truth; 1 for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears He will speak. He will glorify Me, for He will receive from what is Mine and declare it to you', John 16:7, 13-15.

When the Lord went away from the world His Human became Divine Good as well as Divine Truth, see 3704, 3712, 3737, 3969, 4577, 5704, 6864, 7014, 7499, 8241, 8724, 8760, 9167. And since then Divine Truth has emanated from Divine Good, which He Himself is, as the light of all creation emanates from the sun, 3636, 3643, 3969, 5704, 7083, 8127. The references listed above in 9194 may be added to these.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin means He will teach you in all truth but the Greek means He will guide you into all truth, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.