82. Verse 18. And the Living One, signifies who is from eternity. This is evident from this, that He who is from eternity is the only Living One, and that all others, who are not from eternity, have been created by Him, and thus made recipients of life from Him. Therefore He only who is from eternity has life in Himself, and no one besides Him. That the Lord, in respect both to the Divine and to the Human, has life in Himself, is evident from what is said in John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt in us (John 1:2-4, 14).
That the Lord is here meant by the "Word" is clear, for it is said, "the Word became flesh, and dwelt in us." In the same:
As the Father hath life in Himself, even so gave He to the Son to have life in Himself (John 5:26).
In the same:
Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).
And in the same:
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
It is believed in the world that man has life implanted in him, and that it does not therefore flow in unceasingly from Him who alone has life in Himself, and who thus alone is Life. But this belief is a belief in what is false (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 9).
