768. And went away (abivit) to make war with the rest of her seed.- That this signifies, And thence a determined effort, springing from a life of evil, to attack the truths of the doctrine of that church, is plain from the signification of going away, as denoting a determined effort springing from a life of evil (concerning which we shall speak presently); from the signification of making war, as denoting to attack and to desire to destroy (concerning which see above, n. 573, 734); and from the signification of her seed, as denoting the truths of the doctrine of the church (concerning which we shall also speak presently). It is said the rest of her seed, because those who are in those truths, are meant, and in an abstract sense the truths of that church, which they believe themselves able to assault and destroy. To go away (abire) signifies here a determined effort from a life of evil, because to go (ire) in the spiritual sense signifies to live, therefore in the Word, the expressions "to go (ire) with the Lord," and "to walk with Him" and "after Him," are used, and they signify to live from the Lord; but when "to go" (ire) is said of the dragon, whose life is a life of evil, it signifies to make an effort from that life, and because that effort is an effort from hatred, which is signified by his anger (see above, n. 754, 758), therefore a determined effort is signified, because he who makes an effort from hatred makes a determined effort.

[2] Since the hatred of those meant by the dragon is a hatred against those who are in the truths of the doctrine of the church which is the New Jerusalem, therefore it is a hatred against the truths of doctrine which such possess. For those who love any one, also those who cherish hatred against any one, indeed love or hate the person in whom those things are which they love or hate, and these things are truths of doctrine in them, therefore truths of doctrine are signified by "the rest of her seed." It is therefore evident that, in the spiritual sense of the Word, person is not regarded, but something considered apart from personality, as in the present case, that which is in the person. This may be further illustrated in this way. It is said in the Word, that the neighbour should be loved as a man loves himself, but in the spiritual sense it does not mean that the neighbour should be loved as to the person, but that those things should be loved which are in the person from the Lord. For a person is not actually loved because he is a person or man, but on account of his character, and thus a person is loved for his qualities; this then is meant by neighbour; and it is the spiritual neighbour, or the neighbour in the spiritual sense, who is to be loved. This quality or neighbour with those who are of the church of the Lord is everything that proceeds from the Lord, which in general has reference to all good, spiritual, moral, and civil, therefore those who are in these goods love those who are in the same; this then is to love the neighbour as oneself.

[3] From these things it is evident that the rest of her seed, namely, of the woman, who signifies the church, mean those who are in the truths of the doctrine of that church, and in a sense apart from personality - which is the true spiritual sense - the truths of the doctrine of that church; similarly in other passages of the Word, as in the following in Moses:

"I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. He shall tread upon thine head, and thou shalt wound his heel" (Genesis 3:15).

This is a prophecy concerning the Lord. The serpent there signifies man's Sensual, where his proprium resides, which in itself is nothing but evil, while the woman signifies the spiritual church, or the church which is in Divine truths. And because the Sensual of man has been destroyed, and the man of the church becomes spiritual when he is raised up out of the Sensual, it is therefore said, there shall be enmity between thee and the woman. The seed of the serpent signifies all falsity from evil, and the seed of the woman all truth from good, and in the highest degree, Divine Truth; and as all Divine Truth is from the Lord, and as the Lord by its means destroyed falsity from evil, it is therefore said, "He shall tread upon thy head;" "He" signifies the Lord, and head all falsity from evil. That the Sensual would still do injury to Divine Truth in its ultimates, which is the Word in the sense of the letter, is signified by "thou shalt wound his heel," the heel signifying that ultimate and that sense. That these have suffered and do still suffer injury from the Sensual, is evident from this single example, that the Roman Catholics understand the woman here to mean Mary and the worship of her, therefore in their Bibles the reading is not "He" (ille), but "it" (illud) and she (illa).

[4] So also in a thousand other passages.

In Jeremiah:

"Behold, the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast" (31:27).

This is said of the Lord, and of a new church from Him; His coming is signified by "Behold the days shall come." To sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah, signifies to reform those who will be of that church, the house of Israel signifying the spiritual church, and the house of Judah the celestial church. And as reformation takes place by means of spiritual truths and by means of natural truths therefrom, it is said, "with the seed of man and the seed of beast," the seed of man signifying spiritual truth, from which man has intelligence, and the seed of beast natural truth, from which man has knowledge (scientia), also a life according to it, both of these from the affection for good. That man signifies affection for spiritual truth and good, may be seen above (n. 280); and that beast signifies natural affection (n. 650); thus the seed of man and the seed of beast signify the truths of those affections.

In Malachi:

"There is not one who doeth [this] who hath the spirit; is there one that seeketh the seed of God?" (2:15).

Is there one that seeketh the seed of God? signifies that no one seeks Divine Truth; the seed of God here evidently signifies Divine Truth; so "the born of God" mean those who are regenerated by the Lord by means of Divine Truth, and a life according to it.

[5] In Isaiah:

"Jehovah willed to bruise him, he hath weakened [him]; if thou shalt make his soul a guilt offering, he shall see seed, he shall prolong days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper by his hand" (53:10).

This is said of the Lord. The whole of this chapter treats of His temptations, by means of which He subjugated the hells. The increasing severity of His temptations is described by Jehovah willed to bruise Him, and weaken Him; and the severest temptation, which was the passion of the cross, is signified by, "If thou shalt make His soul a guilt offering, - to make His soul a guilt offering signifying the last temptation, by which He completely subjugated the hells, and fully glorified His Human, through which comes redemption. The Divine Truth that afterwards proceeded from His Divine Human, and the salvation of all those who receive Divine Truth from Him, is signified by, He shall see seed; that this will continue for ever is signified by, He shall prolong days, to prolong, when said of the Lord, signifying to continue for ever, and days signifying states of light, which are the states of the enlightenment of all by means of Divine Truth. That this is from His Divine for the salvation of mankind is signified by The will of Jehovah shall prosper by His hand.

[6] In the same:

"Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the east, and I will gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back, bring my sons from afar, my daughters from the end of the earth" (43:5, 6).

It is supposed that these words have reference to the bringing back of the sons of Israel into the land of Canaan; this, however, is not there meant, but the salvation by the Lord of all those who receive Divine Truth from Him, and of whom a new church is formed. This is the signification of His seed which shall be brought from the east and gathered from the west, and which the north shall give up and the south shall not keep back. Therefore, the words follow, "Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth," sons denoting those who are in the truths of the church, and daughters those who are in its goods. But these words may be seen explained above (n. 422:5, 724:20).

[7] In the same:

"Thou shalt break forth to the right and to the left, and thy seed shall inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited" (54:3).

This is said of a church from the Lord with the Gentiles, and this church is here meant by the barren woman that did not bare, and who should have many sons (ver. 1). The seed that shall inherit the nations, signifies the Divine Truth that shall be given to the nations. To break forth to the right hand and to the left, signifies extension and multiplication, the right hand signifying truth in light, and the left hand truth in shade. The reason of this signification is, that in the spiritual world, to the right hand is the south, where those are who are in the clear light of truth, and to the left is the north, where those are who are in an obscure light of truth. To make the desolate cities to be inhabited, signifies their life according to Divine truths, which before this had been destroyed, cities denoting the truths of doctrine from the Word, to be inhabited signifying to live according to truths, and desolate cities those truths previously destroyed, that is, with the Jewish nation.

[8] In the same:

"Their seed shall become known in the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples; all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed that Jehovah hath blessed" (Isaiah 61:9).

This also is said of the church to be established by the Lord. The seed that shall become known in the nations, signifies Divine Truth that will be received by those who are in the good of life; and the offspring in the midst of the peoples, signifies life according to Divine truth. Those that see them shall acknowledge that they are the seed, signifies enlightenment that it is the real truth that they receive; that Jehovah hath blessed, signifies that it is from the Lord. Such is the signification of these words in a sense apart from personality, but in a strict sense those who will receive Divine Truth from the Lord are meant.

[9] In the same:

"They are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them" (65:23).

This also is said of a church from the Lord. By the seed of the blessed of Jehovah are meant those who will receive Divine Truth from the Lord; and by their offspring are meant those who live according to it, but in a sense apart from personality, which is the true spiritual sense, seed means Divine Truth, and offspring a life according to it, as shown above. By offspring are meant those who live according to Divine Truth, and in an abstract sense, life according to it, because the word in the original, rendered offspring, is from a word which means to go forth and to proceed, and that which goes forth and proceeds from the Divine Truth received is a life according to it.

[10] In the same:

"As new heavens and a new earth, which I will make, shall stand before me, so shall your seed and your name stand" (Isaiah 66:22).

This also treats of the Lord, and the salvation of the faithful by Him. A new church from Him is meant by new heavens and a new earth, by new heavens the internal church, and by a new earth, the external church. That Divine Truth and its quality shall continue is signified by "your seed and your name shall stand," seed signifying Divine Truth, which also is truth of doctrine from the Word, and name its quality. That name signifies the quality of a thing and of a state, may be seen above (n. 148).

[11] In David:

"Thou hast founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, and thou shalt continue; they shall all wax old like garments, like a garment shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end; the sons of thy servants shall abide, and their seed shall be established before thee" (Psalm 102:25-28).

The earth which God hath formed, and the heavens the work of His hands, which shall perish, have a similar signification to that of the former heaven and former earth which have passed away (see Apoc. 21:1).

And because the face of the earth and of the heavens in the spiritual world will be entirely changed at the day of the Last Judgment, and there will be a new earth and new heavens in the place of the former, it is therefore said, that "they shall all wax old like garments, like a garment shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed;" they are compared to garments, because garments signify external truths, such as those had who were in the former heaven (caelo) and former earth, which heaven and earth do not endure, because not in internal truths. The state of Divine Truth that shall endure from the Lord to eternity is signified by "thou shalt continue, and thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end," the years of God signifying states of Divine Truth. The sons of Thy servants shall abide, and their seed shall be established before Thee, signifies that angels and men who are recipents of Divine Truth shall have eternal life, and that truths of doctrine with them shall endure to eternity, sons of the servants of God denoting angels and men who are recipients of Divine Truth, and their seed denoting the truths of doctrine.

[12] In the same:

"The seed that shall serve him shall be numbered to the Lord for a generation" (Psalm 22:30).

This also is said of the Lord. The seed that shall serve Him, means those who are in truths of doctrine from the Word; while it shall be numbered to the Lord for a generation, signifies that they shall be His to eternity, to be counted signifying to be arranged and disposed in order, here to be added to, thus to be His.

[13] In many passages in the Word mention is made of the seed of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, also of the seed of Israel, and this in the historical sense of the letter means their posterity; but, in the spiritual sense, Divine Truth and the truth of doctrine from the Word are meant, because Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel, in this sense, mean the Lord, as can be seen from passages in the Word, where they are mentioned. For example, where it is said, that they shall come from the east and from the west, and shall recline (accumbo) ¹ with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 8:11), which means the enjoyment of celestial good from the Lord. So in other passages. And as the Lord is meant by them in the internal sense, therefore their seed signifies the Divine Truth which is from the Lord, and thus also truth of doctrine from the Word, as in the following passages.

In Moses:

Jehovah said to Abraham, "All the land which thou seest will I give to thee and to thy seed for ever; and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth" (Genesis 13:15, 16):

"Look up towards the heavens and number the stars, so shall thy seed be" (Genesis 15:5).

"In thy seed shall all nations be blessed" (Genesis 22:18).

To Isaac,

"To thee and to thy seed will I give all these lands, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 26:3-5).

To Jacob,

"Unto thy seed after thee will I give this land" (Genesis 35:12).

The land "given to Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob, and to their seed after them" (Deuteronomy 1:8):

"The seed of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (Deuteronomy 4:37; chap. 10:15; chap. 11:9).

Since by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as stated, the Lord is meant, by Abraham the Lord as to the celestial Divine of the church, by Isaac as to the spiritual Divine of the church, and by, Jacob as to the natural Divine of the church; therefore their seed signifies the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, the seed of Abraham signifying celestial Divine Truth, the seed of Isaac spiritual Divine Truth, and the seed of Jacob natural Divine Truth; consequently those are meant who are in Divine Truth from the Lord. But the land which the Lord will give to them means the church, which is in Divine Truth from Him; it can therefore be understood what is signified by all nations being blessed in their seed; for they could not be blessed in their posterity, that is, in the Jewish and Israelitish nation, but in the Lord and from the Lord by the reception of Divine Truth from Him.

[14] That the Jews are not meant by the seed of Abraham, is plain from the words of the Lord in John:

The Jews answered, "We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to any man. Jesus answered, I know that ye are Abraham's seed, yet ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you; ye are of your father the devil" (John 8:33, 34, 37, 44).

It is evident from these words that the Jews are not meant by the seed of Abraham, but that Abraham means the Lord, and the seed of Abraham Divine Truth from the Lord, which is the Word; for it is said, "I know that ye are Abraham's seed, yet ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you." By the Lord saying, "I know that ye are Abraham's seed," is signified that He knew that the truth of the church, which is the Word, was with them; "but that they nevertheless rejected the Lord is signified by "ye seek to kill me." That they were not in Divine Truths from the Lord is signified by "because my word hath no place in you" and that there was in them nothing but evil and falsity therefrom, is signified by "ye are of your father the devil, and the truth is not in him"; and afterwards, "when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh from his own," where a lie signifies Divine Truth or the Word adulterated. The Lord said, "I know that ye are Abraham's seed," also for the reason that Judah signifies the Lord as to the Word, as may be seen above (n. 119, 433).

[15] In David,

"He will make them to fall in the wilderness, and will make their seed to fall among the nations, and will scatter them in the lands" (Psalm 106:26, 27).

To make their seed fall among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands, signifies that Divine Truth would perish with them through evils and falsities.

The seed of Israel has a similar signification in these passages:

"Thou Israel my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, whom I have taken from the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 41:8, 9).

"I will pour out my Spirit upon" the seed of Israel and Jacob, "and my blessing upon their offspring" (Isaiah 44:3).

"In Jehovah all the seed of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory" (Isaiah 45:25).

"Jehovah, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the land towards the north, and out of all the lands whither I have driven them, that they may dwell upon their own land" (Jeremiah 23:8).

Israel, in the highest sense, means the Lord as to the internal of the church, therefore his seed also signifies the Divine Truth which is with those who are of the church signified by Israel. Israel means the church with those who are interiorly natural, and have truths therein from a spiritual source. Therefore Israel signifies a spiritual natural church.

[16] Since David, in the Word, means the Lord as to royalty, and the royalty of the Lord signifies Divine Truth in the church, therefore also his seed means those who are in the truths of the church from the Word, and these are also called sons of the king, and sons of the kingdom; it means also that Divine Truth is in them, as in the following passages:

"As the host (exercitus) of the heavens cannot be numbered, or the sand of the sea be measured, so will I multiply the seed of David and the Levites my ministers" (Jeremiah 33:22).

"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn to David my servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and I will build up thy throne to generation and generation. I will set his seed for ever, and his throne as the days of the heavens. His seed shall be to eternity and his throne as the sun before me" (Psalm 89:3, 4, 29, 36).

That David, in the Word, means the Lord as to royalty, which is Divine Truth in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, may be seen above (n. 205); therefore his seed signifies that Divine Truth with those who are in truths from good, thus also those who are in truths of doctrine from the Word. For truths of doctrine from the Word, or truths of the Word, are all from good; and as such are meant by the seed of David, therefore, in an abstract sense, the truth of the Word, or the truth of doctrine from the Word, is also meant by it. That the seed of David does not mean his posterity can be seen by any one, for it is said that his seed shall be multiplied as the host of the heavens and the sand of the sea, and that it shall be established and set to eternity, also that his throne shall be built up to generation and generation, and shall be as the days of the heavens and as the sun. Such things can in no way be said about the seed of David, that is, about his posterity, and his throne, for where now are these to be found? But all those things harmonize, when it is seen that by David the Lord is meant, by his throne, heaven and the church, and by his seed, the truth of heaven and of the church.

[17] In Jeremiah:

"If I shall not have fixed my covenant of day and night, the ordinances of heaven and of the earth, I will cast away also the seed of Jacob and of David my servant, that I will not take of his seed to rule over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them" (33:25, 26).

In the same:

"Jehovah said, who giveth the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night; If these ordinances shall depart from before me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever" (31:35, 36).

In these passages the seed of Jacob and of David, also the seed of Israel, mean also those who are in Divine truths, but the seed of Jacob mean those who are in natural Divine Truth, David means those who are in spiritual Divine Truth, and Israel means those who are in Divine Truth spiritual-natural, which is mediate between natural Divine Truth and spiritual Divine Truth. For there are degrees of Divine Truth as there are degrees of its reception by the angels in the three heavens, and in the church. The covenant of day and night, and the ordinances of heaven and earth, signify the conjunction of the Lord with those who are in Divine truths in the heavens, and who are in Divine truths on earth. Covenant signifies conjunction; statutes the laws of conjunction, which are also the laws of order, and the laws of order are Divine truths; day signifies the light of truth such as it is with the angels in the heavens; and night the light of truth such as it is with men on earth, and also such as it is with those, both in the heavens and on earth, who are under the Lord as a moon; therefore it is also said, "Who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night." But the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, here mean all those who are of the Lord's church in every degree; of these, and of the seed of Jacob and David it is said that if they acknowledge not the Lord, and do not receive Divine Truth from Him, the Lord will not reign over them.

[18] In the same:

"No one of his seed shall prosper who sitteth upon the throne of David, and ruleth any more in Judah" (22:30).

This is said of Coniah, king of Judah, who is there called a despised and worthless idol; and it is said of him that "he and his seed shall be taken away and cast unto the earth" (verse 28 of the same chapter). This king has a signification similar to that of Satan, and his seed signifies infernal falsity; that this shall not rule in the Lord's church in which is celestial Divine Truth, is signified by No one of his seed shall sit upon the throne of David, nor rule any more in Judah, Judah here denoting the celestial church in which the Lord reigns.

[19] As David represented the royalty of the Lord, so Aaron represented His priesthood, therefore the seed of Aaron means those who are in affection for real truth which is from celestial good. Because of this representation the following statute was given for Aaron:

"The high priest shall not take to wife a widow, or a divorced woman, or one polluted, a harlot, but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife, lest he profane his seed amongst his people; I Jehovah do sanctify him" (Leviticus 21:14, 15).

As man (vir) and wife (uxor), in the Word, in its spiritual sense, signify the understanding of truth and the will of good, and as thought belongs to the understanding and affection to the will, therefore man and wife also signify the thought of truth and affection for good, also truth and good. It is consequently evident what a widow, one divorced, and one polluted, a harlot, signify; a widow signifies good without truth, because left by truth, which is the man; a woman divorced signifies good rejected by truth, thus discordant good; and one polluted, a harlot, signifies good adulterated by falsities, which is no longer good but evil. Because of this signification of these women, the high priest was forbidden to take any of them to wife, because he represented the Lord as to the priesthood, which signified the Divine Good. And as a virgin signifies the will or affection for genuine truth, and since genuine truth makes one with and is in agreement with Divine Good, and these two are conjoined in heaven and in the church, and their conjunction is called the heavenly marriage, therefore it was enacted that the high priest should take a virgin to wife. And as truth of doctrine is a result of this marriage, but from a marriage with such as are signified by a widow, a divorced woman, and one polluted, a harlot, falsity of doctrine is produced, it is therefore said, "Lest he profane his seed among his people." Seed signifies genuine truth of doctrine, and thus also the doctrine of genuine truth from the good of celestial love; and his people signify those who are of the church in which is the doctrine of genuine truth from the Word. And as this was representative of the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of the Lord with the church, it is therefore said, "I Jehovah do sanctify him."

[20] Because the high priest represented the Lord as to Divine Good, and his seed signified Divine Truth, which is the same as genuine truth of doctrine, it was therefore also made a statute, that a man a stranger, who was not of the seed of Aaron, should not come near to burn incense before Jehovah (Numbers 16:40). A man a stranger signifies falsity of doctrine, and to burn incense signifies worship from spiritual good, which, in its essence, is genuine truth; while the seed of the high priest signifies Divine Truth from a celestial origin; for this reason a law was made that no stranger, who was not of the seed of Aaron, should offer incense in the tent of meeting before Jehovah.

[21] When it is known what feature of heaven and the church was represented by other persons also mentioned in the Word, the signification of their seed will be understood, as in the case of the seed of Noah, Ephraim, and Caleb, in the following passages.

Concerning Noah, "I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you" (Genesis 9:9).

Israel said of Ephraim, "His seed shall be the fulness of the earth" (Genesis 48:19).

And Jehovah said of Caleb, "His seed shall inherit the earth (Numbers 14:24).

What Noah and Ephraim represented and signified has been explained in the Arcana Coelestia. Caleb represented those who were to be introduced into the church, therefore by their seed is signified the truth of doctrine of the church.

[22] The signification of the seed of man is also similar to that of the seed of the field, because a field equally as man signifies the church; therefore, in some passages, the terms seed and sowing are applied to the people of the earth, just as they are applied to a field; as in the following.

In Jeremiah:

"I had planted thee a noble vine, a seed of truth; how art thou turned into branches of a strange vine unto me" (2:21).

In David:

"Their fruit will I destroy from the earth, and their seed from the sons of man" (Psalm 21:10).

In Hosea:

"I will sow" Israel "unto me in the earth" (2:23).

In Zechariah:

"I will sow" Judah and Joseph "among the peoples, and in remote places they shall remember me" (10:9).

In Ezekiel:

"I will look again to you, that ye may be tilled and sown; then will I multiply man upon you, all the house of Israel, the whole of it" (36:9, 10).

In Jeremiah:

"Behold, the days come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and the seed of beast" (Jeremiah 31:27).

In Matthew:

"The seed sown are the sons of the kingdom" (Matthew 13:38).

But it is not necessary to show here that the seed of the field has a signification similar to that of the seed of man, for we have here only to explain the signification of the seed of the woman, and to confirm it from the Word.

[23] Because seed signifies truth of doctrine from the Word, and, in the highest sense, Divine Truth, therefore, in the opposite sense, seed signifies falsity of doctrine, and infernal falsity.

As in Isaiah:

"Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, seed of an adulterer, and ye that have committed whoredom. Against whom do ye sport yourselves, against whom do ye make wide the mouth and draw out the tongue? Are ye not the children of transgression, the seed of falsehood" (57:3, 4).

By sons of a sorceress and seed of an adulterer, are signified falsities from the Word when it has been falsified and adulterated, by the sons of the sorceress, falsities from the Word falsified, and by the seed of an adulterer, falsities from the Word adulterated. The Word is said to be falsified when truths are perverted, and to be adulterated when its goods are similarly perverted, also when its truths are applied to the loves of self. Children of transgression and the seed of falsehood, signify falsities flowing from such former falsities. To sport themselves, signifies to take delight in things falsified; to make wide the mouth, signifies the delight in thought therefrom, and to draw out the tongue, signifies delight in teaching and propagating such falsities.

[24] In Isaiah:

"Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, sons that are corrupters; they have forsaken Jehovah, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel, they have gone away backwards" (1:4).

The sinful nation signifies those who are in evils, and a people laden with iniquity, those who are in falsities therefrom; for nation is used in the Word, in reference to evils, and people in reference to falsities, as may be seen above (n. 175, 331, 625). The falsity of those who are in evils is signified by the seed of evil doers, and the falsities of those who are in the falsities from that evil are signified by the sons who are corrupters. That sons signify those who are in truths, and, in the opposite sense, those who are in falsities, and in an abstract sense, truths and falsities, may be seen above (n. 724). They have forsaken Jehovah and provoked the Holy One of Israel, signifies that they have rejected Divine Good and Divine Truth, Jehovah denoting the Lord as to Divine Good, and the Holy One of Israel the Lord as to Divine Truth. Their going away backwards, signifies that they utterly departed from good and truth, and went away to infernal evil and falsity; for those in the spiritual world who are in evils and falsities turn themselves backwards from the Lord, as may be seen in Heaven and Hell 123).

In the same:

"Thou shalt not be united with them in the sepulchre, for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of the wicked shall not be named for ever" (Isaiah 14:20).

This is said of Lucifer, by whom Babylon is meant. The seed of the wicked which shall not be named for ever, signifies the direful falsity of evil from hell; the rest may be seen explained above (n. 589, 659:20, 697).

[25] In Moses:

"He who hath given his seed to Molech shall surely die, the people of the land shall stone him with stones. I will set My faces against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath given of his seed to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane the name of my holiness" (Leviticus 20:3; 18:21).

To give of his seed to Molech, signifies to destroy the truth of the Word, and thus of the doctrine of the church therefrom, by application to the vile loves of the body, as to murders, hatreds, revenges, adulteries, and similar things, which leads to the acceptance of infernal falsities instead of Divine things; such falsities are signified by the seed given to Molech. Molech was the god of the sons of Ammon (1 Kings 11:7), and was set up in the valley of Hinnom, which was called Topheth, where they burnt their sons and daughters in the fire (2 Kings 23:10); the loves mentioned above are signified by that fire. And as the seed given to Molech signifies such infernal falsity, and stoning was a punishment of death for injury done to and for destruction of the truth of the Word, and of doctrine therefrom, it is therefore said, that the man "who hath given of his seed to Molech shall surely die, and the people of the land shall stone him with stones." That stoning was the punishment for doing injury to or for destroying truth, may be seen above (n. 655). That such falsity is destructive of all the good of the Word and of the church is signified by, "I will set my faces against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath polluted my sanctuary, and profaned the name of my holiness," sanctuary signifying the truth of heaven and of the church, and the name of holiness all its quality. From the passages quoted, it is now evident that seed, in the highest sense, means Divine Truth from the Lord, and it consequently means the truth of the Word and of the doctrine of the church which is from the Word, while in the bad sense it means, infernal falsity which is the opposite of that truth.

脚注:

328. For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God in thy blood. That this signifies the separation of all from the Divine, and conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him, is evident from the signification of being slain, when predicated of the Lord, as denoting the separation of all from the Divine, for to be slain in the Word signifies to be spiritually slain, that is, to perish by evils and falsities, as may be seen above, n. 315; and because the Lord also is not with them, for He is denied, therefore by being slain, when said of the Lord, is signified not to be acknowledged (as above, n. 315), and also to be denied; and when the Lord is denied, He is, as it were, slain with them, and they are thereby separated from the Divine. For those who deny the Lord, that is, His Divine, separate themselves altogether from the Divine, for He is the God of the universe, and He is one with the Father, also the Father is in Him and He in the Father, and no one cometh to the Father but by Him, as the Lord Himself teaches; therefore those in the church who do not acknowledge His Divine, are altogether separated from the Divine, and more so they who in heart deny it.

[2] To deny it is here meant by slaying Him in themselves. This is also meant in the internal sense of the Word by their crucifying the Lord (as may be seen above, n. 83, 195); for the Jews, with whom the church then was, denied that He was the Christ, and consequently separated themselves from the Divine, and therefore they put Him to death, or crucified Him. Even at this day those do this who deny His Divine; whence it is a common remark of preachers, that they who lead an evil life, and blaspheme Him, crucify Him in themselves. This, therefore, is what is here signified by, "Thou wast slain"; and from the signification of, "Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," as denoting that He would conjoin us to the Divine by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. For that to redeem signifies to liberate from hell, and thereby to take them to Himself, and thus conjoin them to the Divine, will be evident from the passages in the Word, where to redeem and redemption are mentioned, which will be adduced below; and the Lord's blood signifies the Divine truth proceeding from Him; and because a man by the reception of Divine truth from the Lord is liberated from hell and conjoined to Him, therefore by, "Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," there is signified conjunction with the Divine by the reception of the Divine truth from Him.

[3] That this sense is concealed in those words, no one can see who confines himself to the sense of the letter, for in that sense nothing else can be seen, except that by, "Thou wast slain," is meant crucified; and by, "Thou hast redeemed by thy blood," is meant that He has reconciled us to His Father by the passion of the cross; and because that sense is the sense of the letter, and it has remained unknown hitherto, that in every particular of the Word there is an internal sense which is spiritual, therefore from the sense of the letter they have made it a doctrine of the church, that the essential Divine which they call the Father, rejected the whole human race, and that the Lord, by the passion of the cross, made reconciliation, and thus that those for whom He intercedes are saved. How can he, whose understanding is in some measure enlightened, help seeing that this doctrinal is contrary to the Divine itself? For the Divine never rejects any man, for He loves all, and thence desires the salvation of all. And it is also contrary to the Divine itself to be reconciled by the shedding of blood, and to be brought back to mercy through the consideration of the passion of the cross which His own Son sustained, and that thence He has mercy, and not from Himself; and although this is contrary to the Divine essence, still they call it essential faith or justifying faith to believe this.

[4] Who also from enlightened reason can suppose that the sins of the whole world were transferred to the Lord, and taken away from every one who has that faith alone? And yet this is the doctrine of those who do not think beyond the sense of the letter. But yet, the angels who are with men, do not perceive it according to that sense, but according to the spiritual sense, for they are spiritual, and hence they think spiritually and not naturally. By redeeming man by His blood, they understand the freeing man from hell, and so claiming and conjoining him to Himself by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. That this is the case the church also may know; for it may know that no one can be conjoined to the Divine by blood, but by the reception of the Divine truth, and the application of it to the life.

[5] The Lord's deliverance [of man] from hell was accomplished by His assuming the Human, and thereby subjugating the hells, and reducing all things in the heavens into order, which could have been done in no other way than from the Human, for the Divine operates from primaries by means of ultimates, thus from Himself by those things that are from Himself in ultimates, these being in the Human. This is the operation of the Divine power in heaven and in the world. (But concerning this matter some particulars may be seen above, n. 41; also in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 315; and in the Arcana Coelestia 5897, 6239, 6451, 6465, 8603, 9215, 9216, 9824, 9828, 9836, 10044, 10099, 10329, 10335, 10548.) The Lord's deliverance [of man] from hell was also accomplished by His glorifying His Human, that is, by making it Divine, for thus and in no other way could the hells be kept in subjection for ever; and because the subjugation of the hells and the glorification of His Human was accomplished by temptations admitted into His Human, the passion of His cross was the last temptation and complete victory. By bearing the sins of all, is signified that He admitted into Himself all the hells when tempted, for all sins and evils come up therefrom, and enter into and are with man; therefore by bearing them is signified His admitting the hells into Himself when tempted; and by His taking away sins, is signified that He subjugated the hells, in order that evils may thence no more arise in those who acknowledge the Lord and receive Him, that is, the Divine truth proceeding from Him in faith and life, and are thus conjoined to the Lord. It is said that by "Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," is signified conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of Him, and the reception of Divine truth from Him; and because the church is founded upon this, I wish in a few words to state how conjunction is thereby effected.

[6] The chief thing is to acknowledge the Lord, His Divine in the Human, and His Omnipotence in saving the human race; for by that acknowledgment man is conjoined to the Divine, because there is no Divine elsewhere; for there is the Father, the Father being in Him, and He in the Father, as the Lord Himself teaches; therefore those who look to another Divine near Him, or at His side, as those are accustomed to do who pray to the Father to have mercy for the sake of the Son, turn aside from the way and worship a Divine elsewhere than in Him. And, moreover, they think nothing at that time concerning the Lord's Divine, but solely concerning His Human, which nevertheless cannot be separated, for the Divine and the Human are not two but a single person conjoined like soul and body, according to the doctrine received by the churches from the Athanasian Creed. To acknowledge the Divine in the Lord's Human, or the Divine Human, is the chief thing of the church, by this there is conjunction; and because it is the primary it is also the first thing of the church. Because this is the first thing of the church, the Lord therefore, when He was in the world, so often asked those whom He healed, "Believest thou that I am able to do this?" and when they answered that they did believe, He said, "Be it done according to your faith." This He so often asked that they might first believe that He had Divine Omnipotence from His Divine Human, for without that faith the church could not be begun, and without that faith they could not be conjoined with the Divine, but must have been separated from it, and, consequently, they could not receive any thing good from Him.

[7] Afterwards the Lord taught how they would be saved, namely, that they should receive Divine truth from Him; and this is received, when it is applied to, and implanted in, the life by doing it; therefore the Lord so often said, that they should do His words. From these considerations it is evident that these two things, namely, to believe in the Lord and to do His words, make one, and that they can by no means be separated; for he who does not the Lord's words does not believe in Him; nor also does he believe in Him who supposes that he does believe in Him and does not do His words; for the Lord is in His words, that is, in His truths, and from them the Lord imparts faith to man. From these few remarks, it can be known that conjunction with the Divine is effected by the acknowledgment of the Lord and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. This, therefore, is what is signified by the Lamb redeeming us to God by His blood. That by the Lamb is signified the Lord as to the Divine Human, may be seen above, n. 314. Concerning this circumstance more may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-297; and from the Arcana Coelestia there, n. 300-306, as also at the end of this work, where the Lord is particularly treated of. That blood signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and that salvation through His blood signifies through the reception of Divine truth from Him, will be explained in the following article.

[8] That to redeem, however, signifies to deliver and set free, and when predicated of the Lord to deliver and free from hell, and thus to claim and conjoin to Himself, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

"Who cometh from Edom, travelling in the multitude of his strength? I who speak in justice, mighty to save. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. In all their want he suffered want, and the angel of his faces preserved them; in his love and his pity he redeemed them; and he took them, and carried them all the days of eternity" (63:1, 4, 9).

The Lord is here treated of, and His temptation-combats, by which He subjugated the hells. By Edom, from which He cometh, is signified His Human, and also by the angel of His faces. His Divine power from which He fought, is signified by travelling in the multitude of His strength; the casting down into hell of those who rose up against Him, and the elevation of the good into heaven, are meant by justice, therefore, by these words, "I who speak in justice, mighty to save. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." His Divine love from which He did those things, is described by, "In all their want he suffered want, and the angel of his faces preserved them; in his love and his pity he redeemed them; and he took them, and carried them all the days of eternity." Hence it is evident that by the redeemed and by those whom He redeemed, are signified those whom He delivered and saved from the fury of those who are from hell.

[9] In the same:

"Thus said Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel; [Fear not;] for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine" (43:1).

That by redeeming is signified to free from hell, and to claim and conjoin to Himself, so that they may be His, is evident; for it is said, "I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine," because this is effected by reformation and regeneration from the Lord, it is therefore said, "Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel." He is called Creator because by to create in the Word is signified to regenerate, as may be seen above, n. 294. Jacob and Israel signify those who belong to the church, and are in truths from good.

[10] In the same:

"Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold! thy salvation cometh; behold! His reward is with him, and the worth of the trouble is before him; And they shall call them, A people of holiness, the redeemed of Jehovah" (62:11, 12).

Here also the Lord's advent is treated of, and the establishment of the church by Him. The daughter of Zion signifies the church which is in love to the Lord; His advent is meant by "Behold! thy salvation cometh; behold! his reward is with him, and the worth of the trouble is before him"; those who are reformed and regenerated by Him are meant by the redeemed of Jehovah.

[11] The reason why they are called the redeemed is, because they are freed through regeneration from evils, and are claimed by and conjoined to the Lord. In the same:

"No lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not be found therein; but the redeemed shall walk there. Thus the redeemed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing, the joy of eternity upon their head" (35:9, 10).

Here also the Lord's advent is treated of, and the salvation of those who suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord. That there shall not be with them falsity destroying truth, nor evil destroying good, is signified by "no lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not be found therein"; that they are delivered from evils and freed from falsities is signified by, "the redeemed shall walk there; thus the redeemed of Jehovah shall return"; their eternal felicity is signified by, "They shall come to Zion with singing, and the joy of eternity upon their head"; Zion denotes the church. What singing signifies may be seen just above, n. 326. There are two words in the original tongue by which to redeem is expressed; one signifies deliverance from evils, the other liberation from falsities; those two expressions are here. Hence it is said, the redeemed shall walk, and the redeemed of Jehovah shall return. Those two expressions are also used in Hosea (13:14); and in David (Psalms 69:18; 107:6).

[12] That to redeem signifies to deliver from evils and to free from falsities, and also to deliver and free from hell, is, because all the evils and falsities with a man arise from hell; and because they are removed through reformation and regeneration by the Lord, reformation and regeneration also are signified by to redeem or by redemption; as in the following passages.

[13] In David:

"Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercy's sake" (Psalms 44:26).

To redeem [is here used] for to set free and to reform.

Again:

"God hath redeemed my soul out of the hand of hell; and he shall receive me" (Psalms 49:15).

To redeem from the power of hell, means to free; to receive me, to claim and to conjoin to Himself, or to make them His, as servants sold and redeemed.

In Hosea:

"Out of the hand of hell will I redeem them; I will redeem them from death" (13:14).

To redeem means to deliver and free from damnation.

In David:

"Bless Jehovah, O my soul, bless his holy name; who hath redeemed thy life from the pit" (Psalms 103:1-4).

To redeem from the pit, means to free from damnation, the pit denoting damnation.

Again:

"Draw nigh unto my soul, redeem it, and because of mine enemies redeem me" (Psalms 69:18).

To draw nigh to the soul signifies to conjoin it to Himself; to redeem it signifies to deliver from evils; redeem me because of mine enemies, signifies to free from falsities, enemies denoting falsities.

Again:

"Let the redeemed of Jehovah say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the restraining enemy" (Psalms 107:2).

The redeemed of Jehovah are those who are delivered from evils; "whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the restraining enemy," are those whom He has freed from falsities.

In Jeremiah:

"I am with thee, to keep thee and to deliver thee; and I will deliver thee out of the hand of the evil, and I will redeem thee from the hand of the violent" (15:20, 21).

To redeem out of the hand of the violent means to liberate from falsities which offer violence to the good of charity; the violent signify those falsities, consequently, also those who are in them.

[14] In David

"Let Israel hope in Jehovah, for with Jehovah there is mercy, and in him is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities" (Psalms 130:7, 8).

Redemption here means liberation; Israel, the church; and to reform those who are of the church, and free them from falsities, is signified by, "He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities."

Again:

"Let integrity and uprightness guard me; for I have waited for thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his distresses" (Psalms 25:21, 22).

To redeem Israel from distresses, means also here to free those who belong to the church from falsities which cause distress.

In Isaiah:

"Is my hand shortened, that there is no redemption, or is there no power in me to deliver?" (50:2).

That redemption denotes liberation is evident, for it is also said, "Is my hand shortened, or is there no power in me to deliver?" In David:

"God shall hear my voice; he shall redeem my soul with peace " (Psalms 55:16-18).

To redeem here means to free.

Again:

"Unto thee will I sing with the harp, thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall praise; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed" (Psalms 71:22, 23).

To redeem the soul here means to free from falsities; for by soul in the Word is signified the life of faith, and by heart the life of love; therefore to redeem the soul signifies to free from falsities, and to give the life of faith.

[15] And again:

"Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep thy commandments" (Psalms 119:134).

To deliver from the oppression of man signifies to free from the falsities of evil, for man signifies the spiritual affection of truth and thence wisdom, and in the opposite sense, as here, the lust of falsity, and thence insanity; the oppression thereof, signifies the destruction of truth by falsities.

So again:

"Into thine hand I commend my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, God of truth" (Psalms 31:5).

To redeem here means to free from falsities and to reform by truths. Because this is signified by to redeem, therefore it is also said, "O Jehovah, God of truth."

And again:

"Mischief is in the hands of sinners, and their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I walk in mine integrity; redeem me, and be merciful unto me" (Psalms 26:9-11).

To redeem here means to free from falsities, and to reform.

So again:

"He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence; and precious shall their blood be in his eyes. And he shall live, and he shall give him of the gold of Sheba; and he shall pray for him continually; daily shall he bless him" (Psalms 72:14, 15).

The needy are here treated of, by whom are signified those who desire truths from a spiritual affection. Concerning them it is said, that "He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence," by which is signified liberation from evils and falsities which destroy the goods of love and the truths of faith; the reception of Divine truth by them is signified by, "precious shall their blood be in his eyes"; their reformation is described by, "He shall live, and he shall give him of the gold of Sheba; and he shall pray for him continually; daily shall he bless him." The gold of Sheba denotes the good of charity; to pray for him continually, signifies that they shall continually be withheld from falsities and kept in truths; and daily shall he bless him, signifies that they shall continually be in the good of charity and faith, for this is the Divine benediction, and this is to pray for him continually.

[16] In Isaiah:

"Thus said Jehovah, Ye are sold for nought, and ye shall not be redeemed by silver; into Egypt have my people descended to dwell there as strangers, but Asshur oppressed them for nothing" (52:3, 4).

The desolation of truths by scientifics, and by the reasonings of the natural man from them, is here treated of; for by, "into Egypt have my people descended to dwell there as strangers," is signified the instruction of the natural man by means of scientifics and by the knowledges of truth. Egypt signifies scientifics and also knowledges, but such as are from the sense of the letter of the Word; and to dwell as a stranger signifies to be instructed. By Assyria oppressing them for nothing, is signified the falsification of those things by the reasonings of the natural man. Assyria signifies reasonings, and to oppress for nothing signifies falsification; for falsities are nothing, because there is nothing of truth in them, which is the case when the natural man, separate from the spiritual, draws conclusions; hence it is that it is preceded by, "Ye are sold for nought; and ye shall not be redeemed by silver." To be sold for nought signifies, from himself, or from the proprium, to alienate oneself, and to renounce falsities; and not to be redeemed by silver, signifies that they could not be delivered from the falsities of evil by truth; money signifies truth, and to be redeemed signifies to be delivered from the falsities of evil, and to be reformed.

[17] In Zechariah:

"I will gather them together, because I will redeem them; then shall they be multiplied; and I will sow them among the peoples; and I will bring them back out of the land [of Egypt], and will gather them together out of Assyria, and to the land of Gilead, and to Lebanon will I bring them" (10:8-10).

The subject here treated of is the restoration of the church, and reformation by means of truths from good; and by, "I will gather them, because I will redeem them," is signified the dispersion of falsities, and reformation by truths; therefore it is said, "they shall be multiplied, and I will sow them among the peoples," by which is signified the multiplication and insemination of truth from good; to bring them back out of the land of Egypt, and to gather them from Assyria, signifies, to lead them away from the falsification of the truth which they have by means of reasonings from scientifics (as may be seen above). "To bring them to the land of Gilead, and to Lebanon," signifies, to the good of the church, which is the good of charity, and to the good and truth of faith; the former is the land of Gilead, and the latter Lebanon.

[18] From these things it is evident what is signified, in the spiritual sense, by Jehovah leading the people out of Egypt and redeeming them; as in Moses:

"I will free you from bondage; and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments" (Exodus 6:6).

So again:

"I brought you out of Egypt with a stretched-out arm, and I redeemed you out of the house of servants" (Deuteronomy 9:26-29; 13:5; 15:15; 24:18).

"Thou in thy mercy hast led forth thy people whom thou hast redeemed; thou hast brought them in the strength of thy hand to the dwelling of thy holiness" (Exodus 15:13).

And in Micah:

"I made thee ascend out of the land of Egypt, and I redeemed thee out of the house of bondage" (6:4).

In the sense of the letter it means here that they were, by the Divine power, brought out of Egypt, where they had been made servants; but, in the internal or spiritual sense, no such thing is meant, but that those who belong to the church, who are those who are reformed by the Lord, by truths and by a life according to them, are delivered and freed from evils and the falsities thence, for these are the things that make man a slave; this is the spiritual sense of those words, in which the angels are, while man is in the sense of the letter.

[19] The angels also by redemption understand deliverance from evils, and liberation from falsities, in the following passages.

In Moses:

"I will put redemption between my people and Pharaoh's people" (Exodus 8:23).

In David:

"He hath sent redemption unto his people; he hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reverend is his name" (Psalms 111:9).

In Matthew:

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, but shall lose his soul? or what shall a man give as a price sufficient for the redemption of his soul?" (16:26; Mark 8:36, 37).

[20] Redemption here means deliverance from damnation. From these considerations it is evident what is signified by the Lord redeeming mankind, namely, that He has delivered and freed them from hell, and from the evils and falsities which thence continually rise up and bring man into condemnation, and that He continually delivers them and frees them. This deliverance and liberation was brought about by His subjugating the hells; and the continual deliverance and liberation, by His having glorified His Human, that is, having made it Divine, for thereby He keeps the hells continually in subjection; this, therefore, is what is signified by His redeeming man, and by His being called in the Word a Redeemer; as in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Fear not, thou worm of Jacob, and ye dying men of Israel; I am he who helpeth thee, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel" (41:14).

In the same prophet:

"Thus said Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, because of Jehovah that is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee" (49:7).

Again:

"Our Redeemer is Jehovah Zebaoth; his name, the Holy One of Israel" (47:4).

Again:

"Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel" (43:14).

Again:

"That all flesh may know that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob" (49:26).

Again:

"That thou mayest know that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob" (60:16).

By the Holy One of Israel, and by the Mighty One of Jacob, who in these passages is called the Redeemer, is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, and by Jehovah His essential Divine. The reason why the Lord as to His Divine Human is called the Holy One of Israel, and the Strong and Mighty One of Jacob, is, because Israel and Jacob signify the church, thus those who are regenerated and reformed, that is, who are redeemed by the Lord, for these alone belong to the church, or constitute the Lord's church.

[21] That the Lord's Divine Human is what is called holy, is evident in Luke:

The angel said unto Mary, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (1:35).

And that the Lord as to the Divine Human is the Strong and Mighty One of Jacob, in the same:

The angel said unto Mary, "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son. He shall be great, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end" (1:30-33).

By the house of Jacob is meant the Lord's church; that it is not the Jewish nation, is evident.

[22] Because the Lord's Human was equally Divine as His essential Divine, which assumed the Human, therefore also Jehovah is called the Redeemer in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy God" (48:17).

And again:

"Jehovah of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called" (54:5).

In David:

"O Jehovah my Rock, and my Redeemer" (Psalms 19:14).

In Jeremiah:

"Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of hosts is his name" (50:34).

In Isaiah:

"Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting" (63:16).

From these considerations it is now evident how what the Lord said is to be understood:

The Son of man hath come "that he may give his soul a redemption for many" (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).

That is, that they might be freed and delivered from hell; for the passion of the cross was the last combat and full victory, by which He subjugated the hells, and by which He glorified His Human. (As may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-297; and 300-306)