L 29. The Doctrine of the Church that is received in the whole Christian world is that Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man, who, although He is God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ; one, by the taking of the manhood into God; one altogether, by unity of person; for as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ. These words are taken from the doctrine of the Athanasian Creed, which has been received in the whole Christian world; and they are what is essential in it concerning the unition of the Divine and the Human in the Lord. What is said further in that Creed about the Lord will be explained in its own chapter. From these words it is quite evident that it is in accordance with the faith of the Christian Church that the Divine and the Human in the Lord are not two, but one, as the soul and body are one man, and that the Divine in Him assumed the Human.

[2] From this it follows that the Divine cannot be separated from the Human, nor the Human from the Divine, for this would be like separating the soul from the body. That this is so must be admitted by everyone who reads what is cited above (n. 9, 21) from two of the evangelists namely, (Luke 1:26-35; Matt. 1:18-25) concerning the Lord‘s birth; from which it is manifest that Jesus was conceived of Jehovah God, and born of the virgin Mary; so that the Divine was in Him, and was His soul. As therefore His soul was the very Divine of the Father, it follows that His body, or Human, must also have become Divine for where the one is Divine, the other must be so too. In this way and in no other are the Father and the Son one, and the Father in the Son and the Son in the Father, and all things of the Son the Father’s, and all things of the Father the Son‘s, as the Lord Himself teaches in His Word.

[3] But how this unition was effected, shall be shown in the following order:--

1. The Lord from eternity is Jehovah.

2. The Lord from eternity, or Jehovah, assumed the Human to save men.

3. He made Divine the Human from the Divine in Himself.

4. He made Divine the Human by means of temptations admitted into Himself.

5. The full unition of the Divine and the Human in Him was effected by means of the passion of the cross, which was the last temptation.

6. By successive steps He put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God.

7. That thus God became Man, as in first principles, so also in ultimates.

L 30. i. That the Lord from eternity is Jehovah, is known from the Word; for the Lord said to the Jews, Verily I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58). And He says in another place, Glorify Thou Me, O Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was (John 17:5). By this is meant the Lord from eternity, and not a Son from eternity; for "the Son" is His Human that was conceived of Jehovah the Father, and born of the virgin Mary, in time, as has been shown above.

[2] That the Lord from eternity is Jehovah Himself, is evident from many passages in the Word, of which at present there shall be adduced only these few:--

From these words it is evident that Jehovah God Himself was awaited. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of JEHOVAH, make plain in the solitude a path for OUR GOD. The glory of JEHOVAH shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Beheld, THE LORD JEHOVAH shall come in strength (Isa. 40:3, 5, 10; Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). Here, too, the Lord is called Jehovah, who should come.

[3] I Jehovah will give thee for a covenant to the people, for a light of the nations. I Jehovah, this is My name and My glory will I not give to another (Isa. 42:6-8). "A covenant to the people," and "a light of the nations," is the Lord as to the Human; and as this is from Jehovah, and has become one with Jehovah, it is said, I Jehovah, this is My name, and My glory will I give to another, that is, not to another than Himself. To give glory, means to glorify, or to unite to Himself.

[4] THE LORD whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple (Mal. 3:1). By the "temple" is meant the temple of His body (John 2:19, 21). THE DAY-SPRING FROM ON HIGH hath visited us (Luke 1:78). "The day-spring from on high" also is Jehovah, or the Lord from eternity. From what has been said it is evident that by the Lord from eternity is meant His Divine a Quo, which in the Word is "Jehovah." But from the passages to be quoted below, it will be evident that by Lord, and also by Jehovah, after His Human was glorified, is meant the Divine and the Human together, as a one; and that by the Son, alone, is meant the Divine Human.

L 31. ii. That the Lord from eternity, or Jehovah, assumed the Human to save men, has been confirmed from the Word in preceding chapters; and that man could not have been saved in any other way, will be shown elsewhere. That He assumed a Human, is evident from the passages in the Word where it is said that He went forth from the Father, descended from heaven, and was sent into the world. As from these:--

(That to be "sent by the Father into the world" means to assume a Human, may be seen above, at n. 20.)

L 32. iii. That the Lord made His Human Divine from the Divine in Himself, is evident from many passages of the Word, of which those shall be here adduced which confirm:

--1. That this was done by successive steps:--

[2]

--2. That the Divine operated through the Human, as the soul does through the body:--

[3]

--3. That the Divine and Human operated unanimously:--

[4]

--4. That the Divine was united to the Human, and the Human to the Divine:--

[5]

--5. That the Divine Human is to be approached, is evident from these passages:--

The reason of this is that no one can see the Divine Itself which is called "the Father;" but the Divine Human can be seen; for the Lord says, 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).

[6]

--6. As the Lord made His Human Divine from the Divine in Himself, and as the Human is to be approached, and as the Son of God, we must put our faith in the Lord, who is both Father and Son. This is evident from these passages:--

[7] In these and all other passages where "the Father" is mentioned, there is meant the Divine which was in the Lord from conception, and which, according to the Doctrine of Faith of the Christian world, was circumstanced as is the soul in the body with man. The Human itself from this Divine is the Son of God. Now as this Human was made Divine, therefore, in order to prevent man from approaching the Father only, and thereby in thought, faith, and thence in worship, separating the Father from the Lord in whom the Father is, after the Lord had taught that He and the Father are one; that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father; that all should abide in Him; and that no one cometh to the Father but by Him, He taught also that we must believe in Him, and that man is saved by a faith directed to Him.

[8] Many in Christendom can form no idea of the fact that the Human in the Lord was made Divine, the chief reason of which is that they think of a man from his material body, and not from his spiritual body. And yet the truth is that all the angels (who are spiritual) are also men in a complete form; and, what is more, the whole Divine which proceeds from Jehovah God, from its first principles in heaven, down to its ultimate in this world, has a tendency to the human form.

L 33. iv. That the Lord made His Human Divine by means of temptations admitted into Himself, and by means of continual victories in them, has been treated of above, (n. 12-14); to which shall be added only this: Temptations are nothing but combats against evils and falsities; and as evils and falsities are from hell, temptations are combats against hell. Moreover with the men who are undergoing spiritual temptations, there are present evil spirits from hell, who induce them. The man is unaware that evil spirits induce the temptations; yet that they do so has been granted me to know from much experience.

[2] This is the reason why man is drawn out of hell and elevated into heaven when from the Lord he conquers in temptations; and this again is why man becomes spiritual, and therefore an angel, by means of temptations, or combats against evils. The Lord, however, fought from His own power against all the hells, and completely mastered and subjugated them; and as He at the same time glorified His Human, He holds them so to eternity.

[3] For before the Lord’s advent the hells had grown up to such a height that they were beginning to infest the very angels of heaven, and also every man that came into the world and went out of it. The cause of so high a growth of the hells was the complete devastation of the church, and the consequent prevalence of idolatries which caused the men of this world to be in mere falsities and evils; and the hells are from men. Hence it was that no man could have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world.

[4] Of these combats of the Lord the Psalms and Prophets treat much, but the Evangelists little. It is these combats which are meant by the temptations that the Lord endured, the last of which was the passion of the cross. And it is on account of them that the Lord is called Saviour and Redeemer. This is so far known in the church as to lead them to say that the Lord conquered death or the devil (that is, hell), and that He rose again victorious; and also that without the Lord there is no salvation. That the Lord also glorified His Human, and thereby became the Saviour, Redeemer, Reformer, and Regenerator to eternity, will be seen in what follows.

[5] That by means of these combats or temptations the Lord has become our Saviour, is evident from the passages quoted above in (n. 12-14); and also from this one in Isaiah:--

This chapter treats of the Lord‘s combats. Also from this passage in David:--

These words also treat of the Lord.

L 34. v. That the full unition of the Divine and the Human in the Lord was effected by means of the passion of the cross, which was the last temptation, has been established above in its proper chapter, where it has been shown that the Lord came into the world in order to subjugate the hells and glorify His Human, and that the passion of the cross was the last combat, by mean of which He fully conquered the hells, and fully glorified His Human. Now as by the passion of the cross the Lord fully glorified His Human (that is, united it to His Divine, and thus made His Human also Divine), it follows that He is Jehovah and God as to both the Divine and the Human. And therefore in many passages in the Word He is called Jehovah, God, and the Holy One of Israel the Redeemer, Saviour, and Former.

[2] As in the following:--

[3] From these passages it may be seen that the Lord’s Divine called "the Father" (and here "Jehovah" and "God"), and the Divine Human called "the Son" (and here "the Redeemer" and "Saviour," and also "the Former," which means the Reformer and Regenerator), are not two, but one. For not only is mention made of Jehovah, God, and the Holy One of Israel the Redeemer and Saviour, but the expression "Jehovah the Redeemer and Saviour" is used, and even "I am Jehovah the Saviour, and there is none besides Me." From this it is very evident that the Divine and the Human in the Lord are one Person; and that the Human also is Divine. For the Redeemer and Saviour of the world is no other than the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, and this is what is called the Son. Moreover redemption and salvation are an attribute proper to His Human, which is called merit and righteousness; for it Was His Human that endured temptations and the passion of the cross; and therefore it was by means of His Human that He effected redemption and salvation.

[4] As, therefore, after the unition of the Human with the Divine in Him, which was like that of the soul and body in man, they were no longer two but one Person (according to the Doctrine of the Christian world), it follows that the Lord is Jehovah and God as to both the Divine and the Human. And this therefore is why it is said on the one hand that Jehovah and the Holy One of Israel are the Redeemer and Saviour, and on the other that the Redeemer and Saviour are Jehovah, as may be seen from the passages that have been quoted. Thus it is said, Christ the Saviour (Luke 2:11; John 4:42). God and the God of Israel the Saviour and Redeemer (Luke 1:47; Isa. 45:15; 54:5; Ps. 78:35). Jehovah the Holy One of Israel the Saviour and Redeemer (Isa. 41:14; 43:3, 11, 14, 15; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5). Jehovah the Saviour, Redeemer, and Former (Isa. 44:6; 47:4; 49:26; 54:8; 63:16; Ps. 19:14; 130:7, 8; 2 Sam. 22:2, 3). Jehovah God the Redeemer and Saviour, and besides Me there is none else (Isa. 43:11; 44:6; 45:14, 15, 21, 22; Hosea. 13:4).

L 35. vi. By successive steps the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God. That in the Lord were the Divine and the human, the Divine from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the virgin Mary, is known. Hence He was God and Man, having a Divine essence and a human nature; a Divine essence from the Father, and a human nature from the mother; and therefore was equal to the Father as to the Divine, and less than the Father as to the human. It is also known that this human nature from the mother was not transmuted into the Divine essence, nor commingled with it, for this is taught in the Doctrine of Faith which is called the Athanasian Creed. For a human nature cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor can it be commingled therewith.

[2] In accordance with the same creed is also our doctrine, that the Divine assumed the Human, that is, united itself to it, as a soul to its body, so that they were not two, but one Person. From this it follows that the Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like that of another man, and thus material, and put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, so that the Human too became Divine. This is why in the Word of the Prophets the Lord even as to the Human is called Jehovah, and God; and in the Word of the Evangelists, Lord, God, Messiah or Christ, and the Son of God in whom we must believe, and by whom we are to be saved.

[3] As from His birth the Lord had a human from the mother, and as He by successive steps put it off, it follows that while He was in the world He had two states, the one called the state of humiliation or emptying out (exinanitio), and the other the state of glorification or unition with the Divine called the Father. He was in the state of humiliation at the time and in the degree that He was in the human from the mother; and in that of glorification at the time and in the degree that He was in the Human from the Father. In the state of humiliation He prayed to the Father as to one who was other than Himself; but in the state of glorification He spoke with the Father as with Himself. In this latter state He said that the Father was in Him and He in the Father, and that the Father and He were one. But in the state of humiliation He underwent temptations, and suffered the cross, and prayed to the Father not to forsake Him. For the Divine could not be tempted, much less could it suffer the cross. From what has been said it is now evident that by means of temptations and continual victories in them, and by the passion of the cross which was the last of the temptations, the Lord completely conquered the hells, and fully glorified His Human, as has been shown above.

[4] That the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine in Himself called the Father, is evident also from the fact that whenever He addressed His mother directly, He did not call her Mother, but Woman. Only three times in the Evangelists do we read that He thus addressed or spoke of her, twice calling her Woman, and once not recognizing her as His mother. Of the two occasions when He called her Woman we read in John:--

And of the one occasion when He did not recognize her, in Luke:--

In other places Mary is called His "mother," but not from His own mouth.

[5] The same inference is confirmed by the fact that the Lord did not admit that He was the son of David For we read in the Evangelists:--

From what has been said it is evident that in respect to the glorified Human the Lord was the son neither of Mary nor of David.

[6] Of what quality was His glorified Human, He showed to Peter, James, and John when transfigured before them:--

[7] That the Lord‘s Human was glorified, is evident from what is said about His glorification in the Evangelists:--

As the Lord was glorified by successive steps, it is said "I both have glorified it, and will glorify it again." Again in the same Evangelist:--

And in Luke:--

These things are said concerning His Human.

[8] The reason the Lord said "God is glorified in Him," and "God shall glorify Him in Himself," and also " Glorify Thy Son that Thy Son may also glorify Thee," is that the unition was reciprocal, being that of the Divine with the Human and of the Human with the Divine. On this account He said also, "I am in the Father, and the Father in Me" (John 14:10, 11); and "All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine" (John 17:10); so that the unition was plenary. It is the same with all unition--unless it is reciprocal, it is not full. Such therefore must also be the uniting of the Lord with man, and of man with the Lord. As He teaches:--

[9] As the Lord’s Human was glorified, that is, made Divine, He rose again after death on the third day with His whole body, which does not take place with any man; for a man rises again solely as to the spirit, and not as to the body. In order that men may know, and no one doubt, that the Lord rose again with His whole body, He not only said so through the angels in the sepulchre, but also showed Himself to His disciples in His human body, saying to them when they believed that they saw a spirit:--

[10] In order to evince still further that He was not a spirit but a Man, the Lord said to His disciples, Have ye here any meat? And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb; and He took it and did eat before them (Luke 24:41-43). As His body was no longer material, but Divine substantial, He came in to His disciples when the doors were shut (John 20:19, 26); and after He had been seen He became invisible (Luke 24:31). Being such, the Lord was then taken up, and sat at the right hand of God; as we read:--

To "sit at the right hand of God," signifies Divine omnipotence.

[11] As the Lord ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God (by which is signified Divine omnipotence) with the Divine and the Human united into a one, it follows that His human substance or essence is just as is His Divine substance or essence. To think otherwise would be like thinking that His Divine was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God, but not His Human together with it, which is contrary to Scripture, and also to the Christian Doctrine, which is that in Christ God and Man are like soul and body, and to separate these is contrary to sound reason. This unition of the Father with the Son, or of the Divine with the Human, is meant also in the following:--

Every man who is saved ascends into heaven, but not of himself. He ascends by the Lord‘s aid. The Lord alone ascended of Himself.

L 36. vii. Thus God became Man, as in first principles so also in ultimates. That God is a Man, and that every angel and every spirit is a man from God, has been partially shown in the work on Heaven and Hell, and will be further shown in the works entitled Angelic Wisdom. From the beginning, however, God was a Man in first principles and not in ultimates; but after He had assumed the Human in the world, He became a Man in ultimates also. This follows from what has been already established--that the Lord united His Human to His Divine, and thus made His Human Divine. It is from this that the Lord is called the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega:--