1. 1장. 보편적 성경은 주님을 다루고 있으며 주님은 말씀이시다.

요한복음에는 다음과 같은 말씀이 있다.

태초에 말씀이 계시니라 말씀이 하나님과 함께 계셨으니 하나님은 말씀이시라 말씀이 태초에 하나님과 함께 계셨고 만물이 그로 말미암아 지은바 되었으니 지은 것이 하나도 그가 없이는 된 것이 없느니라 그 안에 생명이 있었으니 이 생명은 사람들의 빛이라 빛이 어두움에 비취되 어두움이 깨닫지 못하더라. (요한복음 1:1-5)

말씀이 육신이 되어 우리 가운데 거하시매 우리가 그 영광을 보니 아버지의 독생자의 영광이요 은혜와 진리가 충만하더라(요한복음 1:14)

빛이 세상에 왔으니 사람들이 자기 행위가 악하므로 빛보다 어두움을 더 사랑한 것이니라(요한복음 3:19)

너희에게 아직 빛이 있을 동안에 빛을 믿으라 그리하면 빛의 아들이 되리라 나는 빛으로 세상에 왔나니 무릇 나를 믿는 자로 어두움에 거하지 않게 하려 함이로다(요한복음 12:36, 46)

이 구절들로부터 주님은 영원 전부터 하나님이신 것과 이 하나님 세상에 오신 주님과 같은 분이라는 것이 분명하다. 말씀이 하나님과 함께 계셨고 하나님은 말씀이셨으며 지은 것이 하나도 그가 없이는 된 것이 없다고 했기 때문이다. 그뿐 아니라 말씀이 육신이 되어 우리가 그를 보았다고 했기 때문이다. 주님을 왜 말씀이라고 하는지 교회 안에서는 거의 모르고 있다. 그것은 말씀이 신적 진리 또는 신적 지혜를 뜻하며 주님은 신적 진리 자체 또는 신적 지혜 자체이시기 때문이다. 이런 이유 때문에 주님을 빛이라 하고 빛이 세상 에 왔다고 한 것이다.

신적 지혜와 신적 사랑은 하나를 이루며 영원부터 주님 안에서 하나였기 때문에 말씀에 이르기를, “그 안에 생명이 있었으니 이 생명은 사람들의 빛이라” 하였다. 생명은 하나님의 사랑이요 빛은 하나님의 지혜이다. “태초에 말씀이 하나님과 함께 계셨으니 하나님은 말씀이시라”고 한 것은 바로 이 하나를 뜻한다.

하나님과 함께라는 것은 하나님 안에 라는 뜻이다. 지혜는 사랑 안에 있으며 사랑은 지혜안에 있기 때문이다. 그래서 요한복음의 다른 곳에서는 이렇게 말했다.

아버지여 창세전에 내가 아버지와 함께 가졌던 영화로써 지금도 아버지와 함께 나를 영화롭게 하옵소서(요한복음 17:5)

나는 아버지 안에 있고 아버지는 내 안에 계신 것을 네가 믿지 아니하느냐 ? 내가 너희에게 이르는 말이 스스로 하는 것이 아니라 아버지께서 내 안에 계셔 그의 일을 하시는 것이라(요한복음 14:10)

나와 아버지는 하나이니라(요한복음 10:30)

“아버지와 함께”는 아버지 안에 있는 것을 뜻한다. 그래서 “하나님 말씀”이라고 한 것이며 다른 곳에서는 주님은 아버지 안에 있고 아버지는 주님 안에 있어 주님과 아버지는 하나라고 한 것이다. 말씀은 신적 사랑에서 비롯한 신적 지혜이기 때문에 말씀은 여호와 하나님 자신이시며 지어진 모든 것을 만드신 주님이시다. 만물은 하나님의 지혜를 수단으로 하나님의 사랑으로부터 창조되었기 때문이다.

10574. 'And he said, Cause me, I beg you, to see Your glory' means discernment on the external level of Divine Truth within. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses' here as the external aspect of the Church, worship, and the Word which was not so separate from the internal as it was with that nation, dealt with in 10563, 10571; from the meaning of 'causing to see' as discerning, dealt with in 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400; and from the meaning of 'Jehovah's glory' as the internal sense of the Word, dealt with in the Preface to Genesis 18, and in 5922, 9429. From all this it is evident that 'Moses said, Cause me, I beg You, to see Your glory' means discernment of what exists internally within the external aspects of the Word, the Church, and worship.

[2] This meaning of those words may also be recognized from what has gone before in this chapter, for there the subject in the internal sense is the Israelite nation and the fact that the Church could not be established among them, because they were incapable of receiving anything internal. Reception of what constitutes the Church internally consists in receiving Divine Truth from heaven, and heavenly love thereby. Since that is the subject in the internal sense, and yet Moses was insistent that Jehovah should lead them into the land of Canaan, by which the establishment of the Church is meant, Moses now says, 'Cause me to see Your glory', by which discernment on the external level of Divine Truth within is therefore meant.

[3] By 'Jehovah's glory' is meant that which is Divine but such as Moses was incapable of discerning. This is perfectly clear from what follows in the present chapter. In those verses it says that he could not see Jehovah's face, as His glory is called there, but that after He had passed through he would see His back parts, and that he would do so from the cleft of the rock, meaning that he would discern only the external things of the Church, worship, and the Word, and not the internal ones. That 'Jehovah's glory' has this kind of meaning is evident from its being stated several times that they saw Jehovah's glory, when it was in fact a cloud positioned over Mount Sinai, or else over or within the tent, that was being called such, see Exodus 16:10; 24:16-17; 40:34-35; Numbers 16:42; and elsewhere. 'The cloud' in these places, which was called 'the glory of Jehovah', means the outward form that the Church, worship, and the Word take, or the literal sense of the Word, see Preface to Genesis 18, and 4060, 4061, 5922, 6343(end), 6752, 8106, 8781, 9430, 10551.

[4] The reason why 'Jehovah's glory' means the inner substance of the Word, the Church, and worship is that Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, as it exists in heaven, constitutes Jehovah's glory; for Divine Truth emanating from the Lord is seen there as light. The Lord's appearance within that light is what is meant in the truest sense by 'Jehovah's glory'; and by the Lord's appearance one should understand all the things there which come from the Lord, which are countless and are referred to by the general terms 'celestial' and 'spiritual'. The reason why the inner substance of the Word, the Church, and worship is meant by 'Jehovah's glory' is that it dwells in that light. The outward form however dwells in the light of the world, which is why that outward form is meant in the Word by 'the cloud'. From this it is evident that the internal sense of the Word is 'the glory'.

[5] From all this it may now become clear what is meant in the following places by 'the glory of Jehovah' and by His 'light', as in Isaiah,

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Jehovah has risen upon you. Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. But Jehovah will arise upon You, and His glory will be seen over You. Nations will walk to Your light, and kings to the brightness of Your rising. Your sun will no longer go down and Your moon will not be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be to You an everlasting light. Isaiah 60:1-3, 20.

This refers to the Lord's Coming. 'Light' here means the Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, and 'His glory' and 'the brightness of His rising' mean everything visible in that light which has regard to the Lord, and to faith in Him and love to Him. 'The darkness' and 'the thick darkness' which are 'covering the earth and the peoples' mean the dimness of faith and love, for these words are used of the Church to be established among the gentiles. From this it follows that the light and glory which will arise and be seen, and to which nations and kings will walk, means Divine Truths regarding the Lord, and regarding faith in Him and love to Him, which are derived from Him.

[6] In the same prophet,

I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, and have given ¹ You as a covenant of the people ² , a light of the nations. I am Jehovah, that is My name; My glory I will not give to another. Isaiah 42:6, 8.

This too refers to the Lord, who is called 'a light of the nations' because He is the source of all Divine Truth, and 'Jehovah's glory' because He is the object of all faith and love. In the same prophet,

Your light will break forth like the dawn; your righteousness will walk before you, the glory of Jehovah will gather you up. Isaiah 58:8.

Here the meaning is similar.

[7] In the same prophet,

Rejoice with Jerusalem, be delighted by the splendour of her ³ glory. Isaiah 66:10-11.

'Jerusalem' here as in other places means the Church, and 'the splendour of her glory' the love of truth derived from the Lord. In Zechariah,

I will be to her a wall of fire round about, and I will be for glory in the midst of her. Zechariah 2:5.

This as well refers to Jerusalem, meaning the Church. 'Glory in the midst of her' means the Lord Himself in respect of all the aspects of truth and good that constitute faith and love. Here it is self-evident that 'glory' is used to mean the things that belong intrinsically to Divine light.

[8] The same is so in John,

... the holy Jerusalem, having the glory of God, and its light was like a most precious stone. The glory of God will give it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations that are saved will walk in His light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honour into it. Its gates will not be shut by day, for there will be no night there. They will bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. Revelation 21:11, 23-26.

'The holy Jerusalem' here means the Church that is going to take the place of the one existing at the present day. The things that compose the Church - that is, those that constitute faith in the Lord and love to Him, which are derived from Him - are described by the light and glory there. Because 'glory' is used to mean the things that are a product of the light the words 'the glory of God will give it light' are used. Anyone who weighs these verses up, considers what they are really saying, and does not confine himself to the words alone can see that everything contained in this description serves to mean those kinds of things which compose the Church. But as for the meaning that each specific detail possesses, this the internal sense teaches; for nothing in the Word, not one syllable, is devoid of meaning.

[9] In Luke,

My eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for revelation to the gentiles ⁴ , and the glory of Your people Israel. Luke 2:30-32.

These words occur in Simeon's prophecy regarding the Lord after His birth. 'A light for revelation to the gentiles' means Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, and 'the glory of the people Israel' everything that has been revealed by the Lord - everything regarding Himself, and regarding faith in Him and love to Him - among those who are receptive of these things. Everything that has been so revealed by Him is called 'the glory', because it is seen in heaven and in the light there, that light being Divine Truth. By 'the children of Israel' those who believe in and love the Lord should be understood.

[10] The fact that the Lord in respect of Divine Truth is 'light' and also 'glory', which is a product of the light, is evident from the Lord's own words, in John,

They delighted in the glory of men (homo) more than in the glory of God. I have come as light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. John 12:43, 46.

And in the same gospel,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was the true light which enlightens every person coming into the world. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father. John 1:1, 9, 14.

'The Word' means Divine Truth, and so does 'light'; and 'glory' means everything regarding the Lord that presents itself within that light.

[11] These places have been quoted from the Word because 'glory' and 'light' are mentioned together in them; and they have been quoted to make people aware that 'light' means Divine Truth that comes from the Lord, thus the Lord Himself in respect of Divine Truth, and that 'glory' means everything that is a product of the light, consequently everything that springs from the Divine Truth composing the intelligence and wisdom which angels possess, and which people in the world who receive the Lord in faith and love possess. The like is meant by 'glory' in other places, as in John,

I desire that they also may be with Me where I am, in order that they may see My glory. John 17:24.

In Luke,

Ought not the Christ to have suffered this and to enter into His glory? Luke 24:26.

In Matthew,

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. Matthew 24:30.

[12] Here 'the clouds' is used to mean Divine Truth as it is in the light of the world, thus as it is among people there, and 'glory' to mean Divine Truth as it is in the light of heaven, thus as it is among angels. And since Divine Truth is meant by both 'the cloud' and 'the glory', both senses of the Word, the external and the internal, are meant by them, the external sense being meant by 'the cloud' and the internal by 'the glory'. Also what is seen in the light of the world is a cloud in comparison with what is seen in the light of heaven. For these meanings of 'the cloud', see Preface to Genesis 18, and 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343(end), 6752, 8106, 8443, 8781, 9430, 10551.

[13] This explains why the term 'the glory' is also used in the Word to denote the cloud, as in Exodus,

The glory of Jehovah was seen in the cloud. Exodus 16:10.

And in another place,

The glory of Jehovah dwelt over Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. But the sight of Jehovah's glory was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain before the eyes of the children of Israel. Exodus 24:16-17.

And in another place in Exodus,

The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the dwelling-place. And Moses could not enter, because the cloud dwelt over it, and the glory of Jehovah filled the dwelling-place. Exodus 40:34-35.

In Numbers,

When the congregation gathered against Moses and against Aaron, and looked towards the tent of meeting, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared. Numbers 16:42.

In the first Book of Kings,

The cloud filled the house of Jehovah, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah filled the house of Jehovah. 1 Kings 8:10-11.

And in the Book of Revelation,

The temple was filled with smoke and the glory of God. Revelation 15:8.

[14] Because the Divine was seen in the form of a cloud, 'the cloud' means the Divine presence; and where the Divine presence exists, so does Divine Truth. Without Divine Truth the Divine is not seen, for the Divine resides within and constitutes it. This is the reason why in these quotations the cloud is denoted by the term 'the glory'; nor was there any other way in which that glory could be seen by the Israelite nation, on account of their interest in external things alone without anything internal, see 6832, 8814, 8819, 10551. Nevertheless cloud and glory are as distinct from each other as the light of the world and the light of heaven are, or as the literal sense of the Word and its internal sense are, or as human wisdom and angelic wisdom are.

From all this it may now be recognized that 'Moses said, Cause me, I beg You, to see Your glory' means a request that he may be shown what is Divine within. And since Moses represented the outward or external form that the Church, worship, and the Word take, discernment on the external level of Divine Truth within is meant.

Footnotes: