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Mark Chapter 16

    THE WORD.

THE INTERNAL SENSE.

  1. and when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary [the mother] of James, and Salome, had bought spices, that when they came they might anoint Him.
  2. And very early the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre as the sun was rising.

that the lord's resurrection early in the morning involves in it the arising of a New Church, both in general and in particular, yea, also in singular; thus that He rises again daily, yea, every moment, in the minds of the regenerate. (Verses 1, 2.)

  1. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll away for us the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
  2. And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great.
  3. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white garment; and they were frightened.

On which occasion they who are in the affection of good and truth experience the removal of all false principles, so that celestial good and truth are made manifest. (Verses 3, 4, and former part of the 5th verse.)

  1. But he said to them, Be not frightened: you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him,
  2. But go away, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee: there you shall see Him, as He said to you.

By which they are led into holy adoration, and are admonished that the lord's Humanity was made Divine, and is continually present to guide them. (Verses 6, 7.)

  1. And going out quickly, they fled from the sepulchre, being troubled and amazed: and they said nothing to any one; for they were afraid.
  2. Now when He was risen early on the first [day] of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.

Yet they are afraid to publish this admonition, until it is further enforced by the lord's visible manifestation of Himself to the humble and the penitent. (Verses 8, 9.)

  1. She having gone forth told it to those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.
  2. And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and was seen by her, did not believe.
  3. But after these things He appeared to two of them as they walked, in another form, as they were going into the country.
  4. And they going away told it to the rest: neither believed they them.
  5. Afterwards He appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen Him when He was risen.

Nevertheless it is still doubted, until it is further enforced by His visible manifestation to those who had been instructed in the doctrine of truth. (Verses 10—15.)

  1. And He said to them, Going forth into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature.
  2. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be condemned.

To whom a charge is given to announce to the humble and the penitent the manifestation of God in the flesh in the person of jesus christ, and that heaven and eternal life are opened to all those who believe in this manifestation and do the work of repentance, but are closed against those who do not believe. (Verses 15, 16.)

  1. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues:
  2. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

They are further taught that by a right belief all false principles of every kind are cast out; the doctrinals of the New Church are received; security is given against infestation from the hells, and the infection of wickedness; at the same time by communication and conjunction with heaven, thus with the lord, spiritual diseases are healed. (Verses 17, 18.)

  1. But the Lord, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
  2. And they going forth, preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following.

Thus the sum and substance of all evangelical truth is to be found in the acknowledgement that the lord has Divine Omnipotence even as to His Humanity, and that He is continually at work in the minds of the humble and the penitent to confirm this acknowledgement. amen.

Exposition

Chapter XVI.

verses 2, 9. And very early the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre as the sun was rising. — Inasmuch as "morning" in a proper sense signifies the Lord, His coming, thus the approximation of His kingdom, it may be manifest what morning further signifies, namely, the arising of a New Church, for this is the Lord's kingdom on the earth, and this both in general and in particular, yea, also in singular; in general, when any New Church is raised up on this globe; in particular, when man is regenerating, and is made new, for on this occasion the kingdom of the Lord arises in him and he becomes a church; in singular, as often as the good of love and of faith is operative in him, for in this good is the Lord's advent. Hence the Lord's resurrection "on the third day in the morning," (Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1.) involves all those things, even in particular and singular, that He rises again in the minds of the regenerate every day, yea, every moment. AC 2405.

Inasmuch as the Lord is the morning, therefore also He arose from the grave "early in the morning," being about to establish a New Church. TCR 764.

Verses 3, 4. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll away for us the stone from the door of the sepulchre? &c.— By the "stone," which was placed before the door of the sepulchre, and which was rolled away by the angel, is signified the Divine Truth, thus the Word, which was closed by the Jews, but opened by the Lord; and whereas by a "sepulchre," in the spiritual sense, is signified resurrection and regeneration, and eminently by the "sepulchre," in which the Lord was laid, and by "angels," in the Word, is signified Divine Truth, therefore the angels were seen "one sitting at the head, and the other at the feet;" and by the "angel at the head" was signified the Divine Truth in first principles, and by the "angel at the feet" the Divine Truth in ultimates, each proceeding from the Lord, by which, when it is received, regeneration is effected and there is resurrection. AE 687.

Verse 5. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white garment.— That rational truths are like a covering or clothing to spiritual truths, may be thus explained; the inmost principles of man are what constitute his soul, but the exterior principles are what constitute his body. The inmost principles of man are goods and truths, from which the soul has its life, otherwise the soul would not be soul; exterior principles hence derive their life, and are all like a body, or, what is the same thing, like a covering or clothing; which may especially be manifest from those which appear in the other life, as from the angels when they are presented to view, on which occasion their interior principles shine forth from the face, whilst the exterior principles are represented both in their body and in their clothing, insomuch that every one may there know from the clothing alone what is their quality, for they are real substances, thus essences in form. The case is the same with the angels who have been seen, and who have been described in the Word as to their faces and clothing, as with those who were seen in the Lord's sepulchre. (Matt 28:3; Mark 16:5.) AC 4576. See also AC 10536. HH 180.

They saw a young man, &c.—That the spirit of a man is equally a man, may be seen demonstrated from much experience in the Treatise on "Heaven and Hell," HH 73—77, 311—316; and that every man is a spirit as to his interiors, HH 432—444. To which may be added, that everything spiritual is in its essence a man, thus the all of love and wisdom which proceeds from the Lord, for this is spiritual. The reason why everything spiritual, or which proceeds from the Lord, is a man, is, because the Lord Himself, who is the God of the universe, is a man, and from Him nothing can proceed but what is similar, for the proceeding Divine is not changeable in itself, and extended, and what is not extended is everywhere such; hence is His Omnipresence. The reason why man has conceived an idea of an angel, of a spirit, and of himself after death, as being like ether or air without a human body, is, because the sensually-learned have conceived it from the term spirit, which is a breath of the mouth, also from their being unseen, and not appearing before the eyes; for the sensual think only from the sensual principle of the body and from what is material, also from some passages of the Word not spiritually understood. Yet they know from the Word that the Lord, although He was a Man as to "flesh and bones," (Luke 24:39.) still became invisible to the disciples, and "passed through the doors when shut." (John xx. 19—26.) Angels also have been seen in the Word as men (Mark 16:5.) before many, who did not assume a human form for the purpose, but manifested themselves in their own form before the eyes of their spirits which were then opened. Lest, therefore, man should remain any longer in a fallacious idea concerning spirits and angels, and concerning his own soul after death, it has pleased the Lord to open the sight of my spirit, and to grant me to converse face to face with angels and deceased men, to contemplate them, to touch them, and to say many things concerning the incredulity and the delusion of men now living.— (Div. Wisdom, 7:1, from the Apocalypse Explained.)

The difference between a man in the natural world and a man in the spiritual world, is, that the one man is clothed in a spiritual body, but the other in a natural body; and the spiritual man sees the spiritual man as clearly as the natural man sees the natural man. But the natural man cannot see the spiritual man, and the spiritual man cannot see the natural man, on account of the difference between natural and spiritual. What kind of difference this is, may be described, but not in a few words.—(Continuation of Last Judgement, 36.)

Verse 9. Risen early on the first day, &c.—The "morning," in the supreme sense, signifies the Lord, and love from Him towards Him; hence it was that "He also rose early, at the rising of the sun." (Mark 16:2, 9.) AC 10134.

Verse 14. Hardness of heart.—See chap. 3:5, Exposition.

Verse 15. And He said to them, Going forth into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature.—That "beasts" signify affections belonging to man, evil affections with the wicked, and good affections with the good, may be abundantly manifest from the Word, as in Ezekiel,—"Behold, I will have respect to you, that you may be cultivated and sown: and I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall be multiplied and made fruitful: and I will make you to dwell according to your ancient states;" (Ez 36:9-11.) speaking of regeneration. And in Jeremiah,—" Behold, the days are coming, and I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and the seed of beast; and I will watch over them to build and plant;" (Jer. xxxi. 27, 28.) speaking also of regeneration. A distinction is made in the Prophets between beasts and wild beasts of the earth, and between beasts and wild beasts of the field. Good principles are still called "beasts," so that they who are nearest to the Lord in heaven, are named "animals," both in Ezekiel and in the Revelations, in which latter book it is written,—" All the angels stood round about the throne, and the elders, and the four animals; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and adored the Lamb." (Rev 7:11; 19:4.) They are also called "creatures," to whom the Gospel was to be preached, because they were to be created anew. "Go you into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15.) AC 46.

Inasmuch as to be made, or "created," also signifies to be regenerated, therefore he who is born again is said also to be "made or created anew," as is plain from these passages:— "Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10.) "You open Your hand, they are filled with good; You sendest forth Your spirit, they are created." (Psalm 104:28, 30.) "Behold, I create, Jerusalem a rejoicing;" (Isaiah 65:18.) and also in other passages, where the Lord is called Creator, Former, and Maker. Hence it is plain what is meant by these words of the Lord to His disciples,—" Go you into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15.) By "creatures" are meant all who are in a capacity to be regenerated; in like manner it is applied in Rev 3:14; 2 Cor 5:17. TCR 573.

A baptized, that is, a regenerate person, is meant by "creature;" (Mark 16:15; Rom 8:19-21.) and by a "new creature;" (2 Cor 5:17.) for it is called "creature" from being created, by which also is signified to be regenerated. TCR 687.

Verse 16. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, - but he that believes not shall be condemned.—By these words of the Lord is understood by the angels in heaven, that whoever acknowledges the Lord, and is regenerated, will be saved. Hence also it is that baptism is called, by Christian churches on earth, the "laver of regeneration." Be it known, therefore, to every Christian, that whoever does not believe in the Lord cannot be regenerated, notwithstanding his having been baptized, and that being baptized, without faith in the Lord, is of no avail, as may be seen above in this chapter. That "baptism" implies purification from evils, and thus regeneration, must be very plain to every Christian, for at the ceremony of baptism the priest signs the infant on the forehead with the sign of the cross, as a memorial of Christ, inquiring of the sponsors whether "they renounce the devil and all his works?" and whether "they receive the faith?" to which questions the sponsors answer in the child's name,—"Yes." Renunciation of the devil, that is, of the evils which are from hell, and faith in the Lord, perfect regeneration. TCR 685.

Inasmuch as "baptism" is for a sign and for a memorial that all regeneration is effected from the Lord, by the truths of faith, and by a life according to them, therefore man may be baptized when an infant, and if not at that time, when an adult. Let those, therefore, who have been baptized, know, that baptism itself does not give faith, neither salvation, but that it testifies that they receive faith, and that they are saved, if they be regenerated. Hence it may be manifest what is meant by the Lord's words in Mark, —" He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be condemned." (Mark 16:16.) "He that believes" is he who acknowledges the Lord, and receives Divine Truths from Him by the Word; "he that is baptized" is he who is regenerated by those Truths from the Lord. NJHD 206—208.

Verses 17, 18. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.—Although these things were miracles, they are still called "signs," because they testified concerning the Divine Power of the Lord thus operating, wherefore it is said at verse 20,—"The Lord working with them by those signs." They would have been called miracles, if applied to the wicked, for with the wicked such things only induce stupor, and strike the mind, and still do not persuade to a right faith. It is otherwise with the good, for to them the same things are testifications which persuade to a right faith, wherefore also they are called "signs," and it is said, "these signs shall follow them who believe;" but in what manner those signs could persuade to a right faith, shall also be briefly explained. Those miraculous signs, as the "casting out of devils," the "speaking with new tongues," the "taking up of serpents," "not being hurt if they drank any deadly thing," and "being restored to health by the laying on of hands," were spiritual in their essence and in their origin, from which spiritual things they flowed forth and were produced as effects, for they were correspondences, which derive all that they have from the spiritual world by influx from the Lord, as "casting out of devils in the name of the Lord," derives its effect from this circumstance, that the name of the Lord, spiritually understood, is the all of doctrine originating in the Word from the Lord; and that "devils" are false principles of every kind, which are thus cast out, that is, removed by doctrine originating in the Word from the Lord; "speaking with new tongues," derived its effect from this consideration, that "new tongues" are doctrinals for the New Church; "serpents were to be taken up," because "serpents" signify the hells as to wickedness, and thus they were to be safe from its infestation; "not being hurt if they drank any deadly thing," denoted that the wickedness of the hells would not infest them; the "recovery of the sick by the laying on of hands," denoted that by communication and conjunction with heaven, thus with the Lord, they should be healed of spiritual diseases, which are called iniquities and sins, the "laying on of hands" by the disciples, corresponding to conjunction and communication with the Lord, and thus to the removal of iniquities by His Divine Power. AE 706.

Deceit is called "hypocrisy," when expressions of piety are in the mouth, and impiety is in the heart, or when charity is in the mouth but hatred in the heart, or when innocence is in the countenance or gesture, but cruelty in the soul and bosom, consequently when innocence, charity, and piety are employed as the means of deceiving; such deceivers are "serpents and vipers" in the internal sense, since, as was said above, when viewed in the light of heaven by the angels, all such persons appear as serpents and as vipers, who conceal evils under truths, that is, who deceitfully bend truths to do evils, for they hide poison under the teeth, and thus destroy life. But they who are in the faith of truth, and in the life of good from the Lord, cannot be hurt by their poison, for they are in light from the Lord, in which light the deceitful appear as serpents, and their deceits as poisons. That they are in safety from the Lord, is meant by the Lord's words to the disciples,— "Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions;" (Luke 10:19.) and in Mark,—"These signs shall follow them who believe: they shall take up serpents; though they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them." (Mark 16:18.) AC 9013.

Verse 19. But the Lord, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.—Inasmuch as the Humanity of the Lord was glorified, that is, was made Divine, therefore after death He rose again on the third day with the whole Body, which is not the case with any man, for man rises again only as to the spirit, but not as to the body. To the intent that man might know, and no one might doubt, that the Lord rose again with the whole Body, He not only declared this by the angels who were in the sepulchre, but also showed Himself in His human Body before the disciples, saying to them, when they believed that they saw a spirit,—"Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see Me have." (Luke 24:39, 40; John 20:20.)

That the Lord might further prove that He was not a spirit but a man, He said to the disciples,—" Have you here any meat? They gave Him part of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb; which He took, and did eat before them." (Luke 24:41-43.) Inasmuch as His Body was now not material, but a Divine substantial Body, therefore He came to the disciples "when the doors were shut;" (John 20:19, 20.) and after that He had been seen, "He became invisible." (Luke 24:31.) The Lord, being now of such a quality, was taken up and sat at the right hand of God, for it is said in Luke,—" It came to pass, when Jesus blessed the disciples, He retired from them, and was taken up into heaven;" (Luke 24:51.) and in Mark,— "After speaking to them, He was taken up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19.) To "sit on the right hand of God" signifies Divine Omnipotence. D. Lord, 35. See also SS 49.

The Lord, after His resurrection, was no longer Jehovah under the form of an angel, but He was Jehovah Man, which also is meant by these words:—"See you My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see Me have;" (Luke 24:39.) and also from these words:—" I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world, and go to the Father." (John 16:28.) For the Lord, when He was in the world, made His Human Divine. AC 9316.

In the Word mention is made of "walking before God," of "standing before God," and of "sitting before God;" what is signified by "standing before God," may be seen above, AE 414; and what by "walking before God," AE 97; but what by "sitting before God," may be manifest from the passages in the Word where mention is made of "sitting;" for, in the spiritual world, all things which regard man's motion and rest, signify those things which regard his life, because they thence proceed. "Walking" and "journeying" are motions on the part of man, and hence signify progression of life, or progression of the thought from the intention of the will; but "standing" and "sitting" relate to man's rest, and hence signify the esse of life, from which its existere is derived, thus, to make to live; wherefore to "sit upon thrones," when speaking of judgement, signifies to be in the operation of judging, consequently also to judge. Hence mention is made of "sitting in judgement," which is to do judgement; to "sit" also on a throne, when speaking of a kingdom, signifies to be a king or to reign. What is further signified by "sitting," in a spiritual sense, may be manifest from the following passages:—"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, and stands not in the way of sinners, and sits not in the seat of the scornful." (Psalm 1:1.) In this passage mention is made of "walking," "standing," and "sitting," because one follows the other; for to "walk" has relation to the life of thought grounded in intention, to "stand" has relation to the life of intention grounded in the will, and to "sit" has relation to the life of the will, thus to the esse of life; "counsel," also, of which walking is predicated, has respect to thought; "way," of which standing is predicated, has respect to intention, and to "sit in a seat," has respect to the will, which is the esse of the life of man. Inasmuch as Jehovah, that is, the Lord, is the very Esse of the life of all, therefore to "sit" is predicated of Him, as in David,—"Jehovah shall sit to eternity;" (Psalm 9:7.) again,— "God reigns over the nations; God sits upon the throne of His Holiness;" (Psalm 47:8.) again,—"Jehovah sits at the flood, and sits a King for ever." (Psalm 29:10.) And in Matthew,—"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory;" (Matt 25:31.) where, to "sit upon the throne of His glory," signifies to be in His Divine Truth, from which is judgement;" again,—"When the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt 19:28; Luke 22:30.) Inasmuch as by the "angels," also by the "twelve apostles," and likewise by the "twelve tribes of Israel," are signified the truths of the church, and, in the supreme sense, the Divine Truth, therefore by "sitting upon thrones" is not meant that themselves are to sit, but the Lord as to Divine Truth, from which is judgement; and by "judging the twelve tribes of Israel," is signified to judge all according to the truths of their own church. Hence it is evident that by "sitting on a throne," when predicated of the Lord, is signified to be judging, thus to judge; it is called a "throne of glory," because "glory" signifies Divine Truth, see above, AE 34, 288, 345, 678. And in the Evangelists,—" David said in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit You on My right hand, until I make Your foes Your footstool." (Matt 22:43, 44; Luke 20:42, 43; Psalm e10:1.) "The Lord said to my Lord," signifies the Divine Principle itself, which is called Father, to the Divine Human Principle, which is called Son; "Sit on My right hand," signifies Divine Power or Omnipotence by Divine Truth; "until I make Your foes Your footstool," signifies until the hells are conquered and subdued, and the wicked are cast in thither; "foes" are the hells, consequently the wicked; and a "footstool" signifies the lowest region beneath the heavens, under which region are the hells; for the Lord, whilst He was in the world, was Divine Truth, which has Omnipotence, and by which He conquered and subdued the hells. Again,—" The Lord, after that He had spoken with them, was taken up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God;" (Mark 16:19.) where, to "sit on the right hand of God," has a like signification, denoting His Divine Omnipotence by Divine Truth. From which passages it is evident that to "sit," is to be; and to "sit on the right hand of God," is to be Omnipotent. AE 687.

Inasmuch as the Lord operates, in all cases, from first principles by last, and in the last is in His power and in His fullness, therefore it pleased the Lord to assume Humanity, and to become Divine Truth, that is, the Word, (John 1:14.) and thus from Himself to reduce to order all things of heaven and all things of hell, that is, to accomplish the Last Judgement. This the Lord could effect from the Divinity in Himself, which was in first principles, by [or through] His Humanity, which was in last principles, and not from His presence or abode in the men of the church, as heretofore, for these had altogether declined from the truths and goods of the Word, in which the Lord had before His dwelling with men. This was the primary cause of the Lord's coming into the world, and also that He might make His Humanity Divine; for by this He assumed the power of keeping in order to eternity all things of heaven and all things of hell. This is meant by "sitting on the right hand of God." (Mark xvi, 19.) The "right hand of God," is Divine Omnipotence; and to "sit on the right hand," is to be in that Omnipotence by the Humanity. AE 1087.