16. Ik heb een paar keer met engelen over deze zaak gesproken, die hun verwondering erover uitspraken dat de mensen van de kerk niet wisten dat de Heer en de naaste liefhebben eruit bestaat het goede en het ware lief te hebben en dit te willen doen. Terwijl zij toch kunnen weten dat iemand zijn liefde betuigt door de dingen te willen en te doen die de ander wil; op deze manier wordt hij op zijn beurt liefgehad en verenigd met diegene die hij liefheeft, niet door hem lief te hebben zonder te doen wat hij wil, wat op zich niet liefhebben is. Ze zeiden ook dat men zou moeten weten dat het goede dat uit de Heer voortgaat een gelijkenis van Hem is, aangezien Hijzelf daarin aanwezig is, en dat diegenen die door middel van voornemen en doen het goede en het ware tot hoofdbestanddelen maken van hun leven, gelijkenissen van Hem worden en met Hem worden verenigd. ten slotte is willen, ergens van houden om te doen. Bovendien leert de Heer in het Woord dat dit zo is, door te zeggen: Wie mijn geboden heeft en ze bewaart, die is het, die Mij liefheeft... en Ik zal hem liefhebben... en bij hem wonen Johannes 14:21, 23). En elders: Indien gij mijn geboden bewaart, zult gij in mijn liefde blijven (Johannes 15:10, 12).

205. He that hath the key of David, signifies who has power by means of Divine truth. This is evident from the signification of "key," as being the power of opening and shutting, here heaven and hell, for it follows, "He that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth;" therefore "key" means here the power of saving (as above, n. 86), since to open heaven and to shut hell is to save. It is evident also from the representation of "David," as being the Lord in respect to Divine truth. By "David" in the Word the Lord is meant, because by "kings" in the Word the Lord in respect to Divine truth is represented, and by "priests" there the Lord in respect to Divine good. The Lord is represented especially by king David, because David had much care of the matters of the church, and also wrote the Psalms. (That "kings" in the Word signify Divine truth, and "priests" Divine good, see above, n. 31; moreover, that all names of persons and places in the Word signify spiritual things, which are the things pertaining to the church and to heaven, see above, n. 19, 50, 102.)

It is said, "He that hath the key of David," because David (as was just said) represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and the Lord has all power in the heavens and on earth from Divine good through Divine truth; for in general good without truth has no power, neither has truth without good any power, for good acts through truth. From this it is that Divine good and Divine truth proceed united from the Lord, and so far as they are conjointly received by the angels, so far the angels are powers. This then, is why it is said "the key of David." (That all power is in truths from good, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 228-233, where the Power of the Angels of Heaven is treated of; also n. 539.)

[2] That by "David" in the Word the Lord is meant is clearly evident from certain passages where he is mentioned in the prophets. As in Ezekiel:

They shall be to Me for a people, and I will be to them for a God, and My servant David king over them, that they may all have one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the land, they and their sons and their son's sons even to eternity; and David My servant shall be prince to them to eternity (Ezekiel 37:23-25).

In Hosea:

The sons of Israel shall return, and shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king; and with fear shall they come to Jehovah and to His goodness in the extremity of days (Hosea 3:5).

It is said "They shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king," because "Jehovah" in the Word means the Lord in respect to Divine good, which is the Divine Esse, and "David a king" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth, which is the Divine Existere. (That "Jehovah" in the Word means the Lord in respect to Divine good, see Arcana Coelestia 732, 2586, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4253, 4402, 7010, 9167, 9315)

[3] In Zechariah:

Jehovah shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David, and the glory of the inhabitant of Jerusalem, may not exalt itself above Judah. In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitant of Jerusalem, and the house of David shall be as God, and as the angel of Jehovah before them. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace. In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:7-8, 10; 13:1).

Here the Lord's coming is treated of, and the salvation at that time of those who are of His spiritual kingdom. "Tents of Judah" mean the celestial kingdom; and the "house of David and the inhabitant of Jerusalem," the spiritual kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is constituted of those in heaven and on earth who are in Divine truth, and the celestial kingdom of those who are in Divine good (See just above, n. 204. From this it can be seen what these words mean, namely, that these two kingdoms shall act as one, and that one shall not exalt itself above the other. (Of these two kingdoms, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). That "Judah" signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love and the Lord's celestial kingdom may be seen above (n. 119). And that "Jerusalem" signifies the Lord's spiritual kingdom, see in the Arcana Coelestia 402, 3654, 9166. The same is therefore signified by "the house of David;" consequently it is here said, "the house of David shall be as God, and as the angel of Jehovah;" "God" also means the Lord in respect to Divine truth (See Arcana Coelestia 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167); and the like is meant by the "angel of Jehovah" (See above, n. 130, 200).

[4] "David" and his "house" have a like signification also in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a prince and a lawgiver to the nations ¹ (Isaiah 55:3-4).

These things are said of the Lord, who is here "David." In David:

In the heavens Thou shalt establish Thy truth; I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation; and the heavens shall confess Thy wonder, O Jehovah; Thy truth also in the congregation of the saints (Psalms 89:2-5).

These things also were said of the Lord, and not of David; for it is said, "I have sworn to David My servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation;" this is not applicable to David, whose seed and throne were not established to eternity, and yet Jehovah swore, and an oath from Jehovah is irrevocable confirmation from the Divine (See Arcana Coelestia 2842[1-10]). The "seed of David" in the spiritual sense, means those who are in the truths from good from the Lord, and in an abstract sense, truths themselves that are from good (See Arcana Coelestia, n (Arcana Coelestia 3373, 3380, 10249, 10445); and "throne" means the Lord's spiritual kingdom (See Arcana Coelestia 5313, 5922, 6397, 8625). David is called "My servant" (as also above in Ezekiel 37:23-25), because "servant" in the Word is used of every person and every thing that serves and ministers (See Arcana Coelestia 3441, 7143, 8241), and Divine truth proceeding serves and ministers to Divine good from which it proceeds. That it is the Lord in respect to Divine truth, or Divine truth proceeding from the Lord that is meant by "David," is evident, for it is said, "In the heavens Thou shalt establish Thy truth, and the heavens shall confess Thy truth in the congregation of the saints." That those also are called "saints" who are in Divine truths, see just above n. 204.

[5] In the same:

I will not profane My covenant, and what is pronounced by My lips will I not change. Once have I sworn by My holiness; I will not lie unto David. His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established as the moon to eternity, a faithful witness in the clouds (Psalms 89:34-37).

That these things are said of the Lord is evident in the whole Psalm, for it treats of His coming, and afterwards of the repudiation of Him by the Jewish nation. That the Lord is here treated of, and that He is here meant by "David" is plain from these words in the same Psalm:

I have found David, My servant; with the oil of My holiness have I anointed him. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall call Me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. I also will make him the firstborn, high above the kings of the earth. I will set his throne as the days of the heavens (Psalms 89:20, 25-27, 29).

The Lord is meant also by "David," by "the anointed," and by "king," in other passages in the Psalms, as can be clearly seen by those who understand the Word spiritually, but obscurely by those who understand it only naturally. As in these words in David:

Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy saints shall shout for joy for Thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of Thine anointed. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed; upon himself shall his crown flourish (Psalms 132:9-10, 17-18);

here also the Lord is meant by "David" and by "the anointed;" for the Lord is treated of in this Psalm, as is clear from what goes before, where it is said:

He swore unto Jehovah, I will not give sleep to mine eyes until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the mighty One of Jacob. Lo, we have heard of it at Ephrathah [Bethlehem]. We will come into His habitations, we will worship at His footstool (Psalms 132:2, 4-7).

[6] That David might represent the Lord in respect to Divine truth, the Lord was willing to be born of the house of David, and also to be called "the Son of David," "his Root and Offspring," also "the Root of Jesse." But when the Lord put off the human from the mother, and put on the Human from the Father, which is the Divine Human, He was no longer David's son. This is meant by the Lord's words to the Pharisees:

Jesus said to the Pharisees, How does it seem to you respecting Christ? whose Son is He? They said unto Him, David's. He said unto them, How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at My right hand, until I place thine enemies as a stool of thy feet? If David then calleth Him Lord, how is He his Son (Matthew 22:42-45; Luke 20:41-44).

That the Lord glorified His Human, that is, put off the human from the mother, and put on a Human from the Father, which is the Divine Human, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-295, 298-310. For this reason He was not David's son, as He was not the son of Mary, whom therefore He did not call His mother, but "woman" (Matthew 12:46-49; Mark 3:31 to the end; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:4; 19:25, 26). The like is meant by "the key of Peter," as by "the key of David," namely, that the Lord has all power, and that He has this power through His Divine truth, as will be seen in the article that now follows.

Voetnoten:

7463. 'And Moses said, Behold, I go out from you' means the removal of the appearance of God's truth among them. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses' as the law of God, dealt with in 6723, 6752, thus God's truth also, 7014, 7381; and from the meaning of 'going out' as a removal, as above in 7404. For 'Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron' means the presence of God's truth, 7451, and therefore 'going out from him' here means a removal. In considering the presence and removal of God's truth among the evil, one should realize that truth from God sometimes appears to them, and that it does so through the presence of an angel near them. But with them truth from God does not come in by way of their interiors, as it does with the good, because their interiors are closed. It has an effect only on their exteriors. When this happens they are filled with fear and consequently self-abasement, for the presence of truth from God perturbs them and strikes fear into them that is like the fear of death. But when the truth from God is removed they return to their previous state of mind and have no fear. This is what is meant by the presence of the appearance of God's truth and its removal. It was also represented by Pharaoh, by his self-abasement while Moses was present with him, and his promise to send the people away to sacrifice to Jehovah, and by his 'making his heart stubborn after Moses had gone out from him', verse 28. For as shown above, 'Moses' represented the law of God or God's truth.

[2] The law of God and God's truth are one and the same because the law of God means the Word, and accordingly God's truth. The fact that 'the law means the Word and accordingly God's truth is clear from the following places: In John,

Jesus said, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are Gods? If He called them gods, with whom the Word came to be, and the Scripture cannot be broken . . . John 10:34-35.

'Written in the law' stands for the presence of those words in the Word, for they are written in David. In the same gospel,

The crowd said, We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. John 12:34.

These words too are written in David. In the same gospel,

Jesus said, In order that the Word written in the Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause. John 15:25.

This as well is found in David. In Luke,

It is written in the Law of the Lord that every male opening the womb should be called holy to the Lord; and that they should offer a sacrifice, in keeping with what is written in the Law of the Lord, of a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons. Luke 2:23-24, 39.

This command is contained in Moses. In the same gospel,

A lawyer testing Jesus said, What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him. What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it? Luke 10:25-26.

[3] In the same gospel,

The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God is proclaimed. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the Law to fall. Luke 16:16-17.

There are other places besides this in which the Word is called the Law and the Prophets, such as Matthew 5:18; 7:12; 11:13; 22:36, 40. In Isaiah,

Bind up the testimony, seal the Law for the benefit of My disciples. Isaiah 8:16.

'The Law' stands for the Word. In the same prophet,

. . . lying sons, sons who did not wish to hear the Law of Jehovah. Isaiah 30:9.

In the same prophet,

He will set judgement on the earth, the islands hope for His Law. Isaiah 42:4.

This refers to the Lord, 'His Law' standing for the Word. In the same prophet,

Jehovah will magnify His Law. Isaiah 42:21.

In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, If you do not obey Me, to go in My Law which I have set before you, in order that you may hear the Word of My servants the prophets . . . Jeremiah 26:4-5.

Here 'the Law' stands for the Word, and in very many other places besides. From this it is evident that 'the Law' is the Word, and since it is the Word it is God's truth, as in Jeremiah,

This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, said Jehovah: I will put [My] Law in the midst of them, and will write it on their heart. Jeremiah 31:33.

Here 'Jehovah's Law' stands for God's truth.

[4] In a broad sense 'the Law' is the whole Word, in a narrower sense the historical section of the Word, in an even narrower sense the Word written through Moses, and in a restricted sense the Ten Commandments, see 6752.

From all this one may now see why Moses is said to represent both the law of God and God's truth.