The Two Names of Our Lord — Jesus Christ

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

That the deepest arcana lie concealed in the internal sense of the Word, which have heretofore come to no one's knowledge can be very plainly seen from the internal sense of the two names of our Lord, Jesus Christ. When these names are used, few have any other idea than that they are proper names and almost like the names of any other man, but more holy. The more learned indeed are aware that Jesus signifies Savior, and that Christ means Anointed, and from this they conceive some interior idea, but still these are not the things the angels in heaven perceive from the names in question. The things they perceive are still more Divine.

By the name "Jesus," when named by a man who is reading the Word, the angels perceive Divine good; and by "Christ," Divine truth; and by the two names, the Divine marriage of good and truth, and of truth and good; thus the whole Divine in the heavenly marriage, which is heaven.

That "Jesus" in the internal sense is Divine good, and that "Christ" is Divine truth, may be seen from many things in the Word. That "Jesus" is Divine good comes from the fact that "Jesus" means "safety," "salvation," and "Saviour;" and because it means these, it signifies the Divine good; for all salvation is from the Divine good which is of the Lord's love and mercy; and thus is effected by the reception of that good. That "Christ" is Divine truth comes from the fact that the name means "Messiah," "Anointed," and "King;" and that these names signify the Divine truth will be evident from what follows.

These are the things the angels perceive when "Jesus Christ" is named; and this is what is meant when it is said that there is salvation in no other name, as also by the Lord so often speaking of His "name."

As in John:

Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do (John 14:13).

In the same:

These things are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His name (John 20:31);

and in other places.

The "name" is all in one complex by which the Lord is worshiped, and thus denotes the quality of all worship and doctrine, and therefore here it denotes the good of love and of charity conjoined with the truth of faith, which is the complex of all doctrine and of all worship.

That "Christ" is the same as "Messiah," "Anointed," and "King," and that these names are the same as the Divine truth, may be seen from what now follows.

• First: That "Christ" is the same as "Messiah," "Anointed," and "King," is evident from the following passages in the Word.

In John:

Andrew findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted the Christ (John 1:41).

In the same:

Many of the multitude when they heard the word said, This is of a truth the Prophet; others said, This is the Christ; but others said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Doth not the Scripture say that the Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the town where David was? (John 7:40-42);

"the Christ" here plainly means the Messiah whom they expected.

In the same:

Have the rulers then indeed known that this is truly the Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is; but when the Christ cometh no one knoweth whence He is (John 7:26-27)

"the Christ" denotes the Messiah; that no one would know whence He is, was because He would not be acknowledged.

In the same:

The Jews came round about Jesus, and said unto Him, How long dost thou hold our soul in suspense? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, but ye believe not (John 10:24-25).

Here also "the Christ" denotes the Messiah whom they expected.

In the same:

The multitude answered, We have heard out of the Law that the Christ abideth forever (John 12:34);

"the Christ" meaning the Messiah.

In the same:

Martha said, I have believed that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world (John 11:27)

that is, that He was the Messiah.

In Luke:

There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and to him was the answer made by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ (Luke 2:25-26);

meaning that he should see the Messiah, or the Anointed of Jehovah.

In the same:

Jesus said to the disciples, But who say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God (9:20; Mark 8:29. See also other passages; as Matt. 26:63-64; John 6:68-69; Mark 14:61-62).

Now as "Christ" and "Messiah" are the same, and as "Christ" in the Greek and "Messiah" in the Hebrew signify the "Anointed," it is evident that "Christ" is the same as the "Anointed;" and likewise the same as "King," for kings in general were called the "anointed," as is evident from the historic and prophetic parts of the Word in many passages.

As in David:

The kings of the earth set themselves, and [the rulers] took counsel together, against Jehovah and against His Anointed (Ps. 2:2).

Again:

Now know I that Jehovah saveth His Anointed; He will answer Him from the heavens of His holiness, in the powers of the salvation of His right hand (Ps. 20:6).

Again:

Jehovah is their strength, and a stronghold of salvations to His Anointed (Ps. 28:8).

In Samuel:

Jehovah will give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn of His Anointed (1 Sam. 2:10).

In these and many other passages the "Anointed" denotes the "King." In the original language the reading is "Messiah." In these prophetic utterances the Lord is treated of in the internal sense; and that He is the "King" is also plain from passages in the New Testament.

As in Matthew:

The governor asked Jesus, Art Thou the King of the Jews? Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest (Matt. 27:11).

And in Luke:

Pilate asked Jesus, saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And He answering him said, Thou sayest (Luke 23:3; Mark 15:2).

And in John:

They cried out, Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel (John 12:13).

And again:

Nathaniel said, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel (John 1:49).

• Second: That "Messiah," "Anointed," and "King," are the same as the Divine truth, is evident from very many passages in the Word. The Lord Himself so teaches in John:

Pilate said unto Jesus, Art Thou not a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King; for this was I born, and for this am come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth; everyone who is of the truth heareth My voice (John 18:37).

It is evident from this that it is the Divine truth itself from which the Lord was called "King." That kings were anointed, and were therefore called the anointed, was because the oil with which they were anointed signified good, denoting that the truth signified by a "king" was from good, consequently was the truth of good; and thus that the royal office with kings might represent the Lord as to the Divine truth which is from Divine good, and thus the Divine marriage of good in truth; while the priestly office represented the Divine marriage of truth in good. The latter is signified by "Jesus;" the former by "Christ."

Hence it is evident what is signified by the "Christs" in Matthew:

See that no man seduce you; for many shall come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall seduce many. Then if anyone shall say unto you, Lo here is the Christ, or there, believe it not; for there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets (Matt. 24:4-5, 23-24; Mark 13:21-22).

Here by "false Christs" are signified truths not Divine, or falsities; and by "false prophets," those who teach them.

And again:

Be not ye called masters, for one is your Master, even Christ (Matt. 23:10);

"Christ" denotes truth Divine. Hence it is evident what a Christian is, namely, one who is in truth from good.

(from Arcana Coelestia 3004-3010)

The Lord's Work of Salvation

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

It is known in the church that the Lord is the Savior and the Redeemer of the human race, but it is known to few how this is to be understood.

They who are in the externals of the church believe that the Lord redeemed the world, that is, the human race, by His own blood, by which they mean the passion of the cross, but they who are in the internals of the church know that no one is saved by the Lord's blood, but by a life according to the precepts of faith and charity from the Lord's Word.

They who are in the inmosts of the church understand by the Lord's blood the Divine truth proceeding from Him, and by the passion of the cross they understand the last of the Lord's temptation, by which He completely subjugated the hells and at the same time glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine, and that thereby He redeemed and saved all who suffer themselves to be regenerated by a life according to the precepts of faith and of charity from His Word. Moreover, by "the Lord's blood" in the internal sense, according to which the angels in the heavens perceive the Word, is meant the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord.

But no one can know how man was saved and redeemed by the Divine through the subjugation of the hells and the glorification of His Human, unless he knows that there are with every man angels from heaven and spirits from hell, and that unless these are constantly present with man, he cannot think anything, or will anything, and thus that in respect to his interiors man is either under the dominion of spirits who are from hell, or else is under the dominion of angels who are from heaven. When this is first known, it can then be known that unless the Lord had wholly subjugated the hells, and reduced all things both there and in the heavens into order, no one could have been saved nor likewise unless the Lord had made His Human Divine, and had thereby acquired for Himself to eternity Divine power over the hells and over the heavens. For neither the hells nor the heavens can be kept in order without Divine power, because the power by which anything comes forth must be perpetual for it to subsist, for subsistence is a perpetual coming forth.

The Divine Itself which is called "the Father," without the Divine Human which is called "the Son," could not effect this, because the Divine Itself without the Divine Human cannot reach man, nor even an angel, when the human race has altogether removed itself from the Divine. This came to pass in the end of the times, when there was no longer any faith or any charity, and therefore the Lord then came into the world and restored all things, and this by virtue of His Human; and thus saved and redeemed man through faith and love to the Lord from the Lord — for such the Lord can withhold from the hells and from eternal damnation, but not those who reject faith and love from Him to Him, for these reject salvation and redemption.

That the Divine Itself does this by means of the Divine Human is evident from many passages in the Word, as from those in which the Divine Human, which is the Son of God, is called the right hand and arm of Jehovah; and in which it is said that the Lord has all power in the heavens and on earth. By virtue of the Divine Human, the Lord subjugated the hells, and reduced all things therein and in the heavens into order, and at the same time glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine, and that the Divine Itself, which is called "the Father," effected this by means of the Divine Human is evident 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, and without Him was not anything made that was made; and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:1-3, 14)

it is evident that the Lord as to the Divine Human is He who is here called "the Word," for it is said, "the Word was made flesh."

And again:

No one hath seen God at any time, the Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath set Him forth (John 1:18).

Ye have neither heard the voice of the Father at any time, nor seen His shape (John 5:37).

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one cometh unto the Father, but by Me. Henceforth ye have known the Father, and have seen Him. He that seeth Me seeth the Father (John 14:6-7, 9).

No one knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son shall will to reveal Him (Matt. 11:27).

From all this it can now be seen what the work of salvation and of redemption is, and that it is effected by virtue of the Lord's Divine Human.

(from Arcana Coelestia 10152)

Free State of Deliberation

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The Initiation and Conjunction of Good and Truth

This is necessary in betrothal and marriage, is well known but that it is required in the initiation and conjunction of good and truth, is not so well known, because it is not apparent to the natural man, and because such initiation and conjunction are among the things that are accomplished without man's reflecting upon them; nevertheless during every moment when man is being reformed and regenerated, it comes to pass that he is in a state of freedom when truth is being conjoined with good.

Everyone may know, if he only considers, that nothing is ever man's, as his, unless it is of his will; what is only of the understanding does not become man's until it becomes of the will also; for what is of the will constitutes the being [esse] of a man's life; but what is of the understanding constitutes the coming forth [existere] of his life thence derived. Consent from the understanding alone is not consent, but all consent is from the will.

Wherefore unless the truth of faith which is of the understanding is received by the good of love which is of the will, it is not at all truth which is acknowledged, and thus it is not faith.

But in order that truth may be received by the good which is of the will, it is necessary that there be a free state. All that is of the will appears free — the very state of willing is liberty — for that which I will, that I choose, that I long for, because I love it and acknowledge it as good.

All this shows that truth, which is of faith, never becomes man's as his until it has been received by the will, that is, until it has been initiated and conjoined with the good there, and that this cannot be effected except in a free state.

(from Arcana Coelestia 3158)