The Doctrine of the Lord, by Emanuel Swedenborg

from Emanuel Swedenborg,, The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning The Lord (New York:  Swedenborg Foundation, 1946)

 

The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning The Lord

By Emanuel Swedenborg
(First published, in Latin, 1763) 

CONTENTS

I. Universal Holy Scripture treats of the Lord: the Lord is the Word (n. 1-7).

II. Its being said that the Lord fulfilled all things of the law, means that He fulfilled all things of the Word (n. 8-11).

By the law in a restricted sense are meant the ten Commandments of the Decalogue (n. 8).

By the law in a wider sense are meant all things written by Moses in his five books (n. 9).

By the law in the widest sense are meant all things of the Word (n. 10, 11).

III. The Lord came into the world to subjugate the hells and to glorify his human ; and the passion of the cross was the final combat, whereby he fully conquered the hells, and fully glorified his human (n. 12-14).

IV. By the passion of the cross the Lord did not take away sins, but bore them (n. 15-17).

V. The imputation of the Lord's merit is nothing but the remission of sins after repentance (n. 18).

VI. The Lord in respect to the Divine Human is called the son of God; and in respect to the Word, the son of man (n.19-28).

The Lord's Human, conceived of Jehovah the Father, and born of the virgin Mary, is the Son of God (n. 192-22).

The Lord is called the Son of man when His passion is treated of (n. 24).

The Lord is called the Son of man when the judgment is treated of (n. 25).

The Lord is called the Son of man when his Advent is treated of (n. 26).

The Lord is called the Son of man when redemption, salvation, reformation, and regeneration are treated of (n. 27).

That the Son of man signifies the Lord in respect to the Word, was the reason why the prophets also were called sons of man (n. 28).

VII. The Lord made Divine his human from the Divine that was in himself, and thus became one with the father (n.29-36).

The Lord from eternity is Jehovah (n. 30).

The Lord from eternity, or Jehovah, assumed the Human to save men (n. 31).

The Lord made His human Divine from the Divine in Himself (n 32).

  1. This was done by successive steps.
  2. The Divine operated through the Human, as the soul does through the body.
  3. The Divine and the Human operated unanimously.
  4. The Divine was united to the Human, and the Human to the Divine.
  5. The Divine Human is to be approached.
  6. As the Lord made His Human Divine in Himself, and as the Human is to be approached, and is the Son of God, we must put our faith in the Lord, who is both Father and Son.

The Lord made His Human Divine by means of temptations admitted into Himself, and by means of continual victories in them (n. 33).

The full unition of the Divine and the Human in the Lord was effected by means of the passion of the cross, which was the last temptation (n. 34).

By successive steps the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God (n. 35).

Thus God became Man, as in first principles. so also in ultimates (n. 36).

VIII. The Lord is God himself, from whom and concerning whom is the Word (n. 37-44).

  1. The Lord is called Jehovah (n. 38).
  2. The Lord is called the God of Israel, and the God of Jacob (n. 39).
  3. The Lord is called the Holy One of Israel (n. 40).
  4. The Lord is called Lord, and God (n. 41).
  5. The Lord is called King, and Anointed (n. 42).
  6. The Lord is called David (n. 43).

IX. God is one, and the Lord is that God (n. 45).

X. The Holy Spirit is the Divine proceeding from the Lord, and this is the Lord himself (n. 46-54).

By "spirit" is meant man's life (n. 47).

As man's life varies according to his state, by "spirit" is meant the varying affection of life in man (n. 48). As

  1. The life of wisdom.
  2. The excitation of life.
  3. Freedom of life.
  4. Life in fear, pain or grief, and anger.
  5. A life of various evil affections.
  6. Infernal life.

By "spirit" is meant the life of one who is regenerate, which is called spiritual life (n. 49).

By "spirit" is meant spiritual life in those who are in humiliation (n. 492).

Where "spirit" is said of the Lord, there is meant His Divine life, thus the Lord Himself (n. 50).

"Spirit" as used for Jehovah Himself, that is, the Lord (n. 502).

By "spirit," when said of the Lord, is specifically meant the life of His Wisdom, which is Divine Truth (n. 51).

Jehovah Himself (that is, the Lord) spoke the Word through the prophets (n. 52).

XI. The doctrine of the Athanasian Creed agrees with the truth, provided that by a trinity of persons is understood a trinity of person, and that this trinity is in the Lord (n. 55-61).

XII. By the "New Jerusalem" (spoken of in the revelation) is meant a New Church (62-65). 

Back to home page