Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) Arcana Caelestia 518. Verse 22 And Enoch walked with God after he beget Methuselah three hundred years; and he beget sons and daughters. 'Walking with God' means doctrine concerning faith. 'He beget sons and daughters' means matters of doctrine concerning truths and goods. 718. 'Male and mate'* means that truths were joined to goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'man' (vir) as truth which belongs to the understanding, and from the meaning of 'wife' as good which belongs to the will, both dealt with already. This consequently means that with man neither the smallest area of thought nor the smallest area of affection or activity has any existence at all unless it contains some marriage of understanding and will. In the absence of such a marriage nothing ever comes forth or is produced. The very organs of man's body, in their complex and in their simple parts, and indeed in the simplest parts of all, contain that which is passive and that which is active. And if these were not coupled together, like man and wife in marriage, they could not even be there, let alone produce anything. The same applies to the whole realm of nature. The source and origin of these enduring marriages lies in the heavenly marriage by means of which also the idea of the Lord's kingdom is stamped on everything in the whole realm of nature, Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 1 of 48 both on animate beings and on inanimate. * lit. man and wife 3005. The fact that JESUS in the internal sense is Divine Good and CHRIST Divine Truth may be seen from many places in the Word. The reason why Jesus is Divine Good is that it means Safety, Salvation, and Saviour. And as it means these it means Divine Good, for it is from Divine Good, which is the manifestation of the Lord's love and mercy, and so through the reception of that Good, that all salvation springs. The reason why Christ is Divine Truth is that it means Messiah, Anointed, and King. That Messiah, Anointed, or King is Divine Truth will be clear from what follows. 3006. These are the things that angels perceive when the names Jesus Christ are used, and the things that are meant by its being said that in no other name is there salvation, and by what the Lord stated so many times concerning His name, as in John, Whatever you ask in My name, I will do. John 14:13, 14. In the same gospel, These things have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31. And elsewhere. 'His name' means everything in its entirety by which the Lord is worshipped, and so the essential nature of all worship and doctrine, see 2724. Here therefore the good of love and charity is meant when joined to the truth of faith, which Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 2 of 48 constitutes the fabric of doctrine and worship in their entirety. 3007. As regards Christ being the same as Messiah, Anointed, and King, and Messiah, Anointed, and King being the same as Divine Truth, this may be seen [from what follows below]. 3008. The first point- that Christ is the same as Messiah, Anointed, and King - is evident from the following places in the Word: In John, Andrew found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah, which when interpreted is the Christ. John 1:41. In the same gospel, Many from the crowd as they heard this utterance said, This is truly the prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But others said, Surely the Christ is not therefore going to come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Christ is going to come from the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the town where David was? John 7:40-42. 'The Christ' plainly stands for the Messiah whom they awaited. In the same gospel, Do the rulers indeed acknowledge that this is indeed the Christ? Yet we know where this man is from, whereas when the Christ comes no one knows where He is from. John 7:25-27. 'The Christ' stands for the Messiah. No one knew where He was from because He was unacknowledged. In the same gospel, The Jews gathered round Jesus and said to Him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 3 of 48 and you do not believe. John 10:24, 25. Here also 'the Christ' stands for the Messiah whom they awaited. In the same gospel, The crowd answered, We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains for ever. John 12:34. 'The Christ' stands for 'the Messiah'. In the same gospel, Martha said, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world. John 11:27. That is, Martha believed that He was the Messiah. In Luke, There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He had received an answer from the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. Luke 2:25, 26. This stands for the Messiah or Jehovah's Anointed. In the same gospel, Jesus said to the disciples, But whom do you say that I am? Peter answered and said, God's Christ. Luke 9:20; Mark 8:29. And there are other instances besides these, such as Matt. 26:63, 64; John 6:68, 69; Mark 14:61, 62. [2] Since the names Christ and Messiah are one and the same - Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew meaning the Anointed - it is therefore evident that Christ is one and the same as the Anointed. It is also one and the same as King, for kings were generally called the anointed, as is evident from many places in the Historical sections of the Word, as well as the Prophetical, as in David, The kings of the earth have set themselves, and the princes have taken counsel together against Jehovah and against His Anointed. Ps. 2:2. In the same author, Now I know that Jehovah saves His Anointed. He will answer Him from His holy heaven Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 4 of 48 with the mighty acts of His saving right hand. Ps. 20:6. In the same author, Jehovah is their strength, and the saving strength of His Anointed. Ps. 28:8. In Samuel, Jehovah will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His Anointed. 1 Sam. 2:10. In these and many other places elsewhere 'the anointed' stands for the king. The word used in the original language is Messiah. In all these prophetical utterances the subject in the internal sense is the Lord, who is the King, as is also evident from the New Testament, as in Matthew, The governor asked Jesus, Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him, You say so. Matt. 27:11. In Luke, Pilate asked Jesus, saying, Are you the King of the Jews? He answering him said, You say so. Luke 23:3; Mark 15:2. In John, They cried, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. John 12:13. In the same gospel, Nathanael said, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! John 1:49. 3009. As to the second point - that Messiah, Anointed, or King is the same as Divine Truth - this is clear from very many places in the Word, and has been shown frequently in explanations; as in 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069. The Lord Himself also teaches the same in John, Pilate said to Jesus, Are you not then a king? Jesus answered, You say it, because I am a King. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. John 18:37. From this it is clear that Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 5 of 48 the Divine Truth itself is at the root of the Lord's being called 'the King'. The reason why kings were anointed and consequently called the anointed was that 'the oil' with which they were anointed meant good, 886, 2832. Also the truth, meant by 'king', was derived from good and was accordingly truth grounded in good, so that the kingly office with them represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth which is derived from Divine Good, and so represented the Divine marriage of good within truth, whereas the priestly function represented the Divine marriage of truth within good. The latter is meant by Jesus, the former by Christ. 3010. From this it is evident what is meant by 'the Christ' in Matthew, See that no one leads you astray, for many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will lead many astray. Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ! or, There! do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise. Matt. 24:4, 5, 23, 24; Mark 13:21, 22. Here 'false Christs' means truths which are not Divine - that is, falsities - and 'false prophets' those who teach such falsities, 2534. In the same gospel, Neither be called masters, for you have one Master, the Christ. Matt. 23:10. 'The Christ' stands for Divine truth. This shows what is meant by a Christian, namely one governed by truth derived from good. 3732. 'Jacob made a vow, saying' means a state of Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'making a Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 6 of 48 vow' in the internal sense as wishing the Lord to provide; and therefore in the highest sense, in which the Lord is the subject, a state of Providence is meant. The reason why in the internal sense 'making a vow' means wishing the Lord to provide is that present within vows there is a desire and affection that what is wished for may come about, thus that the Lord may provide it. Within them something of a bargain is present, and at the same time on man's part something of a bounden duty to keep his side of it, should he obtain his desire. This was the case with Jacob, in that Jehovah was to be his God, and the stone which he placed as a pillar was to be God's house, and he would devote a tenth of everything He had given him, if Jehovah guarded him on the road, gave him bread to eat and clothing to wear, and he went back in peace to his father's house. From this it is evident that the vows made in those times were particular agreements, involving primarily men's acknowledgement of God as their God if He provided them with what they desired, and involving also their repayment to Him with some gift if He did provide it. [2] That state of affairs shows quite clearly what the fathers of the Jewish nation were like. They were like Jacob here, who did not as yet acknowledge Jehovah and was still at the stage of choosing whether to acknowledge Him or some other as his own God. It was a special feature of that nation, even of their fathers, that everyone wished to have his own God; and anyone who worshipped Jehovah Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 7 of 48 worshipped Him merely as some god called Jehovah, the name which distinguished Him from the gods of other nations. Accordingly their worship even in this respect was idolatrous, for the worship of the name only, even of Jehovah's, is nothing but idolatrous, 1094. This is like people who call themselves Christians and say that they worship Christ, but do not live according to His commandments. They worship Him in an idolatrous way since they worship only His name, it being a false Christ whom they worship; reference to that false Christ is made in Matthew 24: 23, 24 - see 3010. 2534. 'For he is a prophet' means that thus it was to be taught. This is clear from the meaning of 'a prophet'. One reads the word 'prophet' many times in the Word, and in the sense of the letter it means those to whom revelation is given, and also - abstractedly from persons - revelation itself. But in the internal sense that word means one who teaches, and also - abstractedly - doctrine itself. And because, as has been stated, the Lord is doctrine itself, or the Word which teaches, He is called 'a Prophet', as also in Moses, Jehovah your God will raise up a Prophet like me from the midst of you, from your brothers; Him shall you obey. Deut. 18: 15, 18. The words 'like me' are used because the Lord was represented by Moses, as He also was by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and many more. And because people awaited Him it is therefore said in John, When the people saw the sign which Jesus Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 8 of 48 had done, they said, This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world. John 6: 14. [2] Since the Lord in the highest sense is 'the Prophet' and 'the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy', Rev. 19: 10, 'a prophet' therefore means in the internal sense of the Word a person who teaches, and also - abstractedly - doctrine, as becomes quite clear from the following places: In Luke, You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High. Luke 1: 76. Zechariah said this in reference to his son, John the Baptist, who was not the prophet but one preparing the way by teaching and preaching the good news about the Lord's Coming, as he himself says, They asked him, What are you? Are you Elijah? But he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? He answered, No. Therefore they said to him. Who are you? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord. John 1: 21-23. [3] In Matthew, Many will say on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name? Matt. 7: 22. Here it is evident that 'prophesying' means teaching. In John, You must again prophesy over many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Rev. 10: 11. 'Prophesying' stands for teaching. What 'peoples', 'nations', 'tongues', and 'kings' mean has been stated and shown in various places. In the same book, The nations will trample the holy city for forty-two months, but I will grant My two witnesses to prophesy Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 9 of 48 one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. Rev. 11: 2, 3. Here also 'prophesying' stands for teaching. In Moses, Jehovah said to Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. Exod. 7: 1. Here 'prophet' stands for one teaching or saying what Moses would have to say. In Joel, I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Joel 2: 28. 'They will prophesy' stands for they will teach. [4] In Isaiah, Jehovah has poured out over you a spirit of sleep, and has closed your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers, He has covered; and the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a sealed book which men give to one who is able to read, saying, Read this, now; and he will say, I cannot, for it is sealed. Isa. 29: 10, 11. Here 'the prophets' is used to mean those who teach truth, and 'the seers' those who see truth. Their heads are said to be 'covered' when they know no truth at all and see none at all. Because in ancient times those who taught were called prophets, they were also called 'seers', for 'seeing' meant understanding, 2150, 2325. The fact that they were called 'seers', see 1 Sam. 9: 9; 2 Sam. 24: 11. They were also called 'men (vir) of God' because of the meaning 'man' carried, dealt with in 158, 265, 749, 915, 1007, 2517. The fact that they were called 'men of God', see 2 Kings 1: 9-16; 4: 7, 9, 16, 21, 22, 25, 27, 40, 42; 5: 8, 14, 20; 13: 19; 23: 16, 17. Heavenly doctrine of Christ and antichrist pg. 10 of 48