Word, and the Lord Himself is so called in the supreme sense, because all Divine Truth is from Him; a farther reason is, because nothing which exists in the universe is any thing, that is, is a thing, unless it is from the Divine Good by Divine Truth, as is evident from John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word; all things were made by Him," &c. A. C. 5075.

By the Word, when it is predicated of the Lord, and likewise of Revelation from Him, in the proximate sense is signified the Divine Truth, from which all things, which are things, exist. That all things, which are things, have existed and do exist by the Divine Truth which is from the Lord, thus by the Word, is an arcanum which has not as yet been discovered. It is believed that thereby is meant, that all things were created by God's saying and commanding, as a king in his kingdom; but this is not meant by all things being made and created by the Word, but it is the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Divine Good, that is, which proceeds from the Lord, from which all things have existed and do exist. The Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good is the very very real, and the very very essential [thing] which is in the universe, and this makes and creates. Concerning the Divine Truth scarcely any one has any other idea than as concerning a word which flows from the mouth of a speaker, and is dissipated in the air; this idea concerning the Divine Truth has produced the opinion that by the Word is meant only a command, and thereby that all things were made from a command only, thus not from any real [thing], which proceeded from the Divine of the Lord; but, as was said, the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is the very very real and essential [thing] from which are all things. A. C. 5272.

That the Lord is Good itself, or Life, and Truth itself, or Light, and thus that there is no good and truth but from the Lord, is taught 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; He was the true light, which enlightens every man that cometh into the world." A. C. 20.

That the Lord is the Word, He teaches in John in these words, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and God was the Word: and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us." Inasmuch as this passage has been understood in no other way than to mean, that God taught man by the Word; therefore it has been explained by

an expression of elevation, which involves that the Lord is not the Word itself: the reason is, because it was not known, that by the Word is meant the Divine Truth of the Divine Good, or, what is the same thing, the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love that these principles are the Lord Himself, was shewn in the treatise concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, and that they are the Word, in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture, 1—86. In what manner the Lord is the Divine Truth of the Divine Good, shall here also be briefly shewn; every man is not a man from his face and body, but from the good of his love, and from the truths of his wisdom; and whereas man is a man from these principles, every man likewise is his own truth and his own good, or his own love and his own wisdom, and without these he is not a man: but the Lord is Good Itself and Truth Itself, or, what is the same thing, Love Itself and Wisdom Itself; and these are the Word, which "in the beginning was with God, and which was God, and which was made flesh." D. P. 172.

That by the Word is understood the Lord as to the Divine Human is evident, for it is said, "The Word was made flesh, and we beheld His glory, as the glory of the only-begotten of the Father." That the Lord is God also as to the Human, or that the Lord's Human is also Divine, is likewise evident, for it is said, "The Word was with God, and God was the Word, and the Word was made flesh." By the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth. A.E. 852.

When the Lord was in the world, and glorified His Human, He first made it Divine Truth, and by degrees the Divine Good of the Divine Love; and afterwards from the Divine Good of the Divine Love, He is operative in heaven and in the world, and gives them life, which is effected by the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of the Divine Love of His Divine Human, for from it the heavens have existed, and from it they perpetually exist, that is, subsist. Such things are involved in these words in John, "In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made by Him," &c.; the Word is Divine Truth; the first state is described by the expressions," In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word;" the second state is described, by "all things being made by Him." A. C. 10,076.

That God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, by the Wisdom of His Love, is meant by these words in John,

"In the beginning was the Word," &c., i. 1—14; by the Word is there meant the Divine Truth, or what amounts to the same, the Divine Wisdom, wherefore also it is called Life and Light, and life and light are nothing else than wisdom. T. C. R. 50.

Such power has Divine Truth, which proceeds from Divine Good, that by it were created all things in the universe; the Word signifies that Truth in John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word; all things were made by Him;" hence it is that miracles were done by Moses, for Moses represents Divine Truth. It is believed by the generality that the Word or Divine Truth is only speech from Jehovah, and a command to do so and so, and nothing more; whereas it is the very essential principle from which and by which are all things. A. C. 7678.

Scarcely any one knows at this day that there is any power in truth, for it is supposed that it is only a word spoken by some one who is in power, which on that account must be done, consequently that truth is only as a breathing from the mouth, and as a sound in the ear; when yet Truth and Good are the principles of all things in both worlds, the spiritual and the natural, by which principles the universe was created, and by which the universe is preserved; and likewise by which man was made; wherefore those two principles are all in all. That the universe was created by Divine Truth is plainly said in John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; all things were made by Him;" and in David, "By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made," Psalm xxxiii. 6; by the Word in both cases is meant the Divine Truth. Inasmuch as the universe was created by Divine Truth, therefore also the universe is preserved by it; for as subsistence is perpetual existence, so preservation is perpetual creation. The reason why man was made by the Divine Truth is, because all things of man have reference to understanding and will, and the understanding is the receptacle of Divine Truth, and the will of Divine Good; consequently the human mind, which consists of those two principles, is nothing else but a form of Divine Truth and Divine Good spiritually and naturally organized. From these considerations, it may now be manifest for what cause God as the Word came into the world, and was made Man, viz. that this was for the sake of redemption; for on this occasion God by the Human, which was Divine Truth, put on all power, and cast down, subdued, and reduced under His obedience the hells, which had grown up even to the heavens where angels

were, and this not by an oral word, but by the Divine Word, which is Divine Truth; and afterwards He fixed a great gulf between the hells and the heavens, which none from hell can pass over. From these considerations, it may be manifest that the power of Divine Truth is ineffable; and since the Word, which is in the Christian church, is the continent of Divine Truth in its three degrees, it is evident that this is what is understood in John, i. 3, 10.

137.

T. C. R. 224.
T. C. R. 224. See also H. H.

That creation in the Word signifies the reformation and establishment of the church, which is effected by the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, is evident from the words in John, i. 1-14. By the Word is there understood the Lord as to Divine Truth; that all things were created by it, is understood by all things "being made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made which was made, and by the world being made by Him;" inasmuch as by the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth, therefore it is said, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, that was the true light;" light signifies Divine Truth, and life all intelligence and wisdom from the Divine Truth, for this constitutes the essential life of man, and also according to it is life eternal; the presence of the Lord with every one with His Divine Truth, from which is life and light, is understood by "the light shining in darkness, and enlightening every man that cometh into the world;" but that they, who are in the falses of evil, do not perceive, thus do not receive it, is meant by "the darkness not comprehending," and by "the world not knowing Him," darkness signifying the falses of evil. That it is the Lord as to the Divine Human, who is here understood by the Word, is very evident; for it is said, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us, and we saw His glory;" glory also signifies Divine Truth. Hence also it is evident that to make or to create, in the above passage, signifies to make man new or to reform; for in the above passage, in like manner as in the book of creation, mention is immediately made of light, by which is signified the Divine Truth proceeding, whereby all are reformed. A. E. 294.

"In Him was life," &c.-The Divine Sphere which proceeds from the Lord, and which is called Divine Truth, is universal, and fills the universal heaven, and constitutes the all of life therein; it appears there before the eyes as light, which not only illuminates the sight, but also the mind; it is the same sphere likewise which constitutes the understanding appertaining to man: this is meant by these words in John, "In

Him was life, and the life was the light of men; this was the true light, which illuminates every man that cometh into the world, and the world was made by Him;" the subject treated of in this passage is concerning Divine Truth, which is called the Word, and that Divine Truth or the Word is the Lord Himself. This light, which is Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, was described amongst the ancients by radiant circles of a golden colour around the head and body of God represented as a Man; for the ancients perceived God no otherwise than under a Human Form. When man is in good, and from good in truths, then he is elevated into that Divine Light, and more interiorly according to the quality and quantity of good. A. C. 9407.

By life in this passage is meant the Divine Love of the Lord, and by light His Divine Wisdom. D. L. W. 38. See also Exposition, chap. vi. 40, 57.

Verse 5. And the light shined in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.-The light in this passage is Divine Truth; and whereas men, from being internal men, were become so external or natural, that they no longer acknowledged Divine Truth, thus neither the Lord, therefore it is said, that "the darkness did not comprehend the light," and that the world did not acknowledge Him. A. E. 151.

Darkness in the above passage denotes falsities within the church falsities out of the church are also called darkness, but such as may be illuminated, concerning which it is thus written in Matthew, "The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light, and to them who have sat in the region and shadow of death, light hath arisen," iv. 16, where darkness denotes the falses of ignorance, such as is the darkness of the Gentiles; and in John, "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, but men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil," iii. 19, where light denotes truth, and darkness falses; light also denotes the Lord, because from Him is all truth, and darkness denotes the hells, because thence comes all that is false. A. C. 1839.

Verse 6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. In the Word there are several who represent the Lord as to Divine Truth, or as to the Word; but the principal amongst them are Moses, Elias, Elisha, and John the Baptist; that John the Baptist has this representation, is manifest from this consideration, that he is "the Elias who was to come." He who does not know that John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, cannot know what all those things in