Spiritual Meaning of Word

Spiritual Meaning of

Word

The signification of a word, is Divine truth, and hence a law of order. In the general sense a word signifies an utterance of the mouth, or a speech; and as a speech is a thought of the mind uttered by means of words, therefore a word signifies the thing that is being thought; and from this, in the original tongue, everything that really exists, and is any. thing, is called a word. But in an eminent sense the Word is Divine truth, for the reason that everything which really exists, and which is anything, is from Divine truth. Therefore it is said in David:--

By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the army of them by the breath of His mouth (Ps. 33:6);

where the word of Jehovah denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; the breath of the mouth of Jehovah denotes the life thence derived; the heavens made by it, and all the army of them, denote the angels in so far as they are receptions of Divine truth. That the heavens denote the angels is because these constitute heaven; and as the angels are receptions of Divine truth, therefore by angels in the abstract sense are signified Divine truths which are from the Lord (AR 8192); and that in the same sense the army of the heavens denotes Divine truths (AR 3448, 7236, 7988).

[2] From this it can be seen what is signified by the Word 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 in us, and we saw His glory (John 1:1, 3, 14).

That the Lord is here meant by the Word is plain, for it is said that the Word was made flesh. The Lord is the Word, because when He was in the world, the Lord was Divine truth itself; and when He departed out of the world, the Divine truth proceeded from Him (AR 9199, 9315).

[3] That in the supreme sense the Word denotes the Lord as to Divine truth, or what is the same, that the Word denotes the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, is evident from many passages, as in the following:--

They cried unto Jehovah, and He sent His Word, and healed them (Ps. 107:19, 20).

Ye have not the Word of the Father abiding in you, because whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not, and ye will not come to Me, that ye may have life (John 5:38, 40).

I have given them Thy word, therefore the world hateth them, sanctify them in Thy truth; Thy word is truth (John 17:14, 17).

He that sat on the white horse was clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And He had upon His garment and upon His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:13, 16).

From these and other passages it is evident that the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is the Word, and in the supreme sense the Lord as to Divine truth, for it is said that the name of Him who sat on the white horse is the Word of God, and that He is King of kings and Lord of lords; and as the Word denotes Divine truth, it is said that He was clothed in a garment dipped in blood, for by garment is signified truth (AR 9952), and by blood truth from good. See this more fully explained in (AR 2760-2762).

[4] Hence all truth which is from the Divine is called the word, as in Joel:--

Jehovah uttered His voice before His army; for His camp is very great, for countless is he that doeth His word (Joel 2:11);

where the voice which Jehovah utters denotes truth from the Divine (AR 9926); the camp of Jehovah denotes heaven (AR 4236, 8193, 8196). From this it is evident that count less is he that doeth His word denotes one who does truth Divine. In Matthew:--

When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and heedeth it not, the evil one cometh and snatcheth away that which was sown in his heart. He that was sown upon stony places, is he that heareth the word and straightway with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root. He that was sown among thorns, is he that heareth the word, but the care of the age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word. He that was sown in good ground, is he that heareth the word and payeth attention, and from this bringeth forth fruit (Matt. 13:19-23);

that the word here denotes truth Divine is evident without explication. It is said the word of the kingdom, because it is the truth of heaven and the church, for the kingdom denotes heaven and the church.

[5] From this it can be seen that words denote Divine truths which are from the Lord; as in John:--

The words that I speak unto you, are spirit and are life (John 6:63).

Therefore also the commandments of the decalogue are called the ten words (Exod. 34:28). That the word denotes a law of order, is because the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord makes order in the heavens, insomuch that it is order there. Hence the laws of heavenly order are Divine truths (n 1728, 1919, 2258, 2447, 4839, 5703, 7995, 8513, 8700, 8988). The law of order which is signified by word in this chapter is the way in which the Lord glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine, for this is the subject here treated of in the internal sense; and from this in the relative sense the regeneration of man is treated of, for the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the Lord (AR 3138, 3212, 3245, 3246, 3296, 4402, 5688). That this is the law of order in especial, is because the Lord as to the Divine Human is Order in the heavens, and because everyone who is being regenerated is brought into this order; wherefore they who are in this order are in the Lord.

AC 9987

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Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.