DOCTRINE

OF

THE NEW JERUSALEM

CONCERNING

THE LORD.

THAT THE WHOLE SACRED SCRIPTURE IS CONCERNING THE LORD, AND THAT THE LORD IS THE WORD.

1. It is read in John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. This was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was nothing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not." Moreover, "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Onlybegotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." i. 1, 2, 3, 4,5. 14. In the same; "Light is come into the world, but men loved darkness more than light; for their works were evil." iii. 19. And again in the same; "While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be children of light. I have come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in Me may not abide in darkness." xii. 36. 46. From these it is manifest, that the Lord is from eternity God, and that He is that Lord, who was born in the world; for it is said, The Word was with God, and God was the Word; as also, that without Him was nothing made that was made; and afterwards, that the Word became flesh, and they saw Him. That the Lord is called the Word, is little understood in the church; but He is called the Word, because the Word signifies divine truth, or divine wisdom; and the Lord is divine Truth itself, or divine Wisdom itself; wherefore also He is called Light, concerning which also it is said, that it came into the world. Because divine wisdom and divine love make one, and in the

Lord were one from eternity, therefore also it is said, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." Life is divine love, and light is divine wisdom. This one is what is meant by, "In the beginning the Word was with God, and God was the Word." With God is in God, for wisdom is in love, and love in wisdom. Likewise in another place in John; "Glorify Thou Me, Father, with Thyself, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.' xvii. 5. With Thyself is in Thyself. Wherefore also it is said, that God was the Word; and elsewhere, that the Lord is in the Father, and the Father in Him; as also, that the Father and He are one. Now, because the Word is the divine Wisdom of divine Love, it follows that it is Jehovah himself, thus the Lord, by whom all things were made that are made; for all things were created by divine Wisdom, from divine Love.

2. That it is the same Word, that was manifested by Moses and the Prophets, and by the Evangelists, which is here specifically meant, may appear manifest from this, that that is the divine truth itself, from which is all the wisdom of angels, and all the spiritual intelligence of men; for this same Word, which is with men in the world, is also with the angels in the heavens, but in the world with men it is natural, whereas in the heavens it is spiritual. And because it is the divine truth, it is also the Divine proceeding, and this is not only from the Lord, but it is also the Lord himself. Because that is the Lord himself, therefore each and every thing of the Word is written concerning Him alone; from Isaiah even to Malachi, there is not any thing which is not concerning the Lord, or which, in the opposite sense, is not contrary to the Lord. That it is so, no one as yet had seen, but still every one can see it, provided he knows it, and thinks of it whilst he is reading; and knows, moreover, that in the Word there is not only a natural sense, but also a spiritual sense; and that in this sense, by the names of persons and places, is signified something of the Lord, and thence something of heaven and the church from Him, or something opposite. Since each and every thing of the Word is concerning the Lord, and the Word is the Lord, because it is divine truth, it is manifest why it is said, that "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory;" and also why it is said, "While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be children of light. I have come a light into the world; he that believeth in Me doth

not abide in darkness." Light is divine truth, thus the Word. On account of this, every one, even at this day, who goes to the Lord alone, when he reads the Word, and prays to Him, is enlightened in it.

3. It shall also be told here in a few words, what is treated of in general and in particular concerning the Lord, in all the Prophets of the Old Testament, from ISAIAH even to MALACHI. I. That the Lord came into the world in the fulness of time, which was, when He was no longer known by the Jews, and thence when nothing of the church remained; and unless the Lord had then come into the world and revealed Himself, man would have perished in eternal death. He himself says in John, "Unless ye believe that I am, ye shall die in your sins." viii. 24. II. That the Lord came into the world, that He might accomplish a last judgment, and thereby subjugate the hells then ruling, which was done by combats, or by temptations admitted into his human from the mother, and by continual victories then; and unless they had been subjugated, no man could have been saved. III. That the Lord came into the world, that He might glorify his Human, that is, unite it to the Divine, which was in Him from conception. IV. That the Lord came into the world, that He might establish a new church, which should acknowledge Him as Redeemer and Savior, and by love and faith towards Him, be redeemed and saved. V. That He then at the same time established order in heaven, so that it should make one with the church. VI. That the passion of the cross was the last conflict or temptation, by which He fully conquered the hells, and fully glorified his Human. That the Word treats of no other subjects, may be seen in the little work concerning THE SACRED SCRIP

TURES.

4. To prove that it is so, I will in this first article only adduce the passages from the Word, where it is said, that day, in that day, and in that time; in which by day and by time, is meant the coming of the Lord. In ISAIAH. “It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established in the top of the mountains. Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. The day of Jehovah of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty. In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver and of gold. ii. 2. 11, 12. 20. In that day the Lord Jehovih will take away their ornaments. iii. 18. In that day the branch of Jehovah shall be beautiful and glo

rious. iv. 2. They shall roar against them in that day; and shall look down upon the earth, where behold darkness and sorrow; and the light shall be darkened in the ruins. v. 30, And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah shall hiss for the fly in the extremity of the rivers of Egypt. In that day the Lord shall shave in the passages of the river. In that day He shall vivify. In that day every place shall be covered with briers and thorns. vii. 18. 20, 21. 23. What will ye do in the day of visitation which shall come? In that day Israel shall stay upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel in truth. x. 3. 20. In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to Him shall the nations seek, and his rest shall be glorious, Especially in that day the Lord shall again recover the remnant of his people. xi. 10, 11. In that day thou shalt say, O Jehovah, I will praise Thee. In that day shall ye say, Praise Jehovah, call upon his name. xii. 1. 4. The day of Jehovah is at hand, as devastation from the Almighty it shall come; behold the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel and of indignation and wrath and anger. I will shake the heaven, and the earth shall remove out of its place, in the day of his fierce anger. Her time is near, and it will come, and her days shall not be prolonged. xiii. 6. 9. 13. 22. It shall come to pass, in that day, the glory of Jacob shall be made thin. In that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall be to the Holy One of Israel. In that day shall the cities of refuge become like the deserts of a wood. xvii. 4. 7.9. In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan. In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt. In that day there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria; and Israel shall be in the midst of the land. xix. 18, 19. 23, 24. The inhabitants of the island shall say in that day, Behold our expectation. xx. 6. A day of tumult, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord Jehovih of hosts. xxii. 5. In that day the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth. After many days they shall be visited; then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed. xxiv. 21, 22, 23. They shall say in that day, Lo, this is our God, whom we have waited for, that He may deliver us. xxv. 9. In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah, We have a strong city. xxvi. 1. In that day Jehovah shall visit with his sword.

In that

day sing ye unto her a vineyard of pure wine. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown. xxvii. 1, 2. 13. In that day shall Jehovah of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty. xxviii. 5. Then in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of darkness. xxix. 18. There shall be rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall; and the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, in the day that Jehovah bindeth up the breach of his people. xxx. 25, 26. In that day shall every man cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold. xxxi. 7. The day of Jehovah's vengeance, the year of his retributions. xxxiv. 8. These two things shall come to thee in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood. xlvii. 9. My people shall know my name; and in that day, that I am He that doth speak, behold it is I. lii. 6. Jehovah hath anointed Me to proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn. lxi. 1, 2. The day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." lxiii. 4.

In JEREMIAH. "In those days they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah. In those days the house of Judah shall go to the house of Israel. iii. 16, 17, 18. In that day the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes, and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder. iv. 9. Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, when the earth shall become a waste. vii. 32. They shall fall among those who fall in the day of their visitation. viii. 12. Behold the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will punish all those who are circumcised, with the uncircumcised. ix. 24. In the time of their visitation they shall perish. x. 15. There shall be no remains to them; I will bring evil upon them, in the year of their visitation. xi. 23. Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, when it shall be no more said, I will give this place to devastation. xvi. 14. I will shew them the back, and not the face in the day of their calamity. xviii. 17. Behold the days come, when I will give this place to devastation. xix. 6. Behold, the days come, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, who shall reign a King. In those days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell securely. Wherefore, behold, the days come, when they shall no