A Ransom for Many - それは何を意味するのでしょうか？

今から約2000年前、ナザレのイエス、イエス・キリストは十字架にかけられました。死にました。苦しみながら。そして、翌々日の朝には死からよみがえりました。彼の肉体は消滅した。というより、その後の出来事を考えると、それは霊的なものに変化したようだ。それ自体、考えると面白いことですが、この記事の焦点ではありません）。

その代わり、ここでは、イエスがなぜ死んだのかについて、聖書で語られているいくつかの事柄に注目したいと思います。それについては、ほぼ2000年前の混乱があります。それを掘り下げてみましょう...。

で マルコによる福音書10:42-45 にも）。 マタイによる福音書20:25-28）には、イエスの宣教の後半に起こった、よく知られた教訓が記されています。ヤコブとヨハネは、まだ何が起こっているのかよく理解していなかったので、イエスが「王」になったときに、イエスの左と右に座ることを約束してほしいと陳情していました。もちろん、他の弟子たちは不愉快な思いをしました。イエスはこの状況を知っていたので、彼らを集めて、イエスの使命の本質と、彼らの使命のあり方を説明しようとしたのです。

これがその文章です。

"しかし、イエスは彼らを呼び寄せて言われた。「あなたがたは、異邦人を支配することになっている者たちが、彼らの上に主権を行使し、その偉大な者たちが彼らの上に権威を行使していることを知っている。しかし、あなた方の間ではそうではありません。あなた方の中で偉くなる者は誰でも、あなた方の大臣となります。あなたがたの中で偉くなる者は、あなたがたの大臣となり、あなたがたの中で最も偉くなる者は、すべての者のしもべとなる。人の子といえども、仕えられるためではなく、仕えるために来たのであり、また、自分の命を多くの人のための身代金として捧げるために来たのである。"

身代金です。ここで使われているギリシャ語は、λύτρον（ルトロン）といい、λύω（ルオ）の「緩める」「解く」「自由にする」という意味から、贖罪や身代金を意味しています。

神学者の中には、この文章を、十字架の物語の中で、イエスが苦悩と神の本質からの分離感を示す3つのことを言っている文章と組み合わせた人もいます。「わが神、わが神、なぜ私をお見捨てになったのですか」、「それにしても、私の意志ではなく、御心のままにしてください」、「父よ、彼らをお許しください。

これは確かに、イエスがある種のスケープゴートの役割を果たし、父を失望させた人類の代わりに自分の死を捧げた、一種の犠牲と解釈することができます。そのように解釈した神学者もいます。西暦1000年頃のカンタベリーのアンセルムは、そのような主張をする一派のリーダーの一人でした。しかし、私たちはそれが正しい道だとは思っていません。それどころか、間違った道であったために、かなりの損害を被ったと考えています。

新キリスト教の神学では、神が怒ったというのは意味がありません。神は愛そのものです。私たちが神の愛に応えないと、神はがっかりされますか？しかし、怒ることはありません。特に旧約聖書ではそのように見えることもありますが、神の本質は愛なのです。

さらに言えば、イエスの肉体が死んだからといって、父なる神の気分が良くなるわけではないことは、もっとはっきりしているはずです。二人は一人の人間であり、一心同体であることを忘れてはいけません。

むしろ、神の受肉、宣教、死、復活という一連のサイクルは、新しい真理が人類に到達するために行われたものなのです。

で 天界の秘義1419,

"主は、愛そのもの、あるいは天上のすべての愛の本質と命であり、人類に主のすべてのものを与えることを望んでおられます。" "このことは、人の子が自分の命を多くの人のための身代金として与えるために来たという主の言葉によって示されています。"

で アポカリプスの説明 328:15という説明がありました。

"身代金を取る』という言葉は、人々を偽りから解放し、真理によって改革することを意味します。これは『真理の神エホバよ，わたしを身代金に換えてください』という言葉に示されています」。詩編31:5)

イエス様が死なれた理由の一つは、地獄の力に打ち勝つためでした。イエスは生涯を通して悪霊と戦いました。最も明確に描写されているのは、洗礼を受けた直後、荒野で40日間を過ごされた時です。イエス様の十字架の苦しみは、悪に対する最後の戦いであり、イエス様の復活は、悪に対する最後の勝利でした。

すべての人にとって、悪を克服するためには、誘惑や悪との戦いがあります。私たちが個人的に悪と闘うように、キリストは宇宙規模で悪と闘われました。キリストの死はその闘いの結論でしたが、それは敗北ではなく、勝利でした。聖書によると、神が肉と血を受けたのは、「死によって、死の力を持つ者、すなわち悪魔を滅ぼすためであった」とあります。(ヘブライ人への手紙2:14,15)

聖書がイエスの死の理由として挙げているもう一つの理由は、イエスがご自分の人間としての性質と神としての性質を一つにして、「ご自分の中で、二人で一人の新しい人を造る」ことができるようにするためでした(エフェソの信徒への手紙2:14-16を参照してください。 ヨハネによる福音書17:11, 21; 10:30)。

他にも様々な理由が挙げられます。

父のもとに行く」ことができた(ヨハネによる福音書13:3; 14:2, 28; 16:10)。彼は「栄光」を得ることができました(ヨハネによる福音書17:1,5)や「主の栄光に入る」(ルカによる福音書24:26)。彼は「完成された」ことができた(ルカによる福音書13:32)、または「聖なるもの」(ヨハネによる福音書17:19)。

スウェーデンボルグのでは真のｷﾘｽﾄ教86と書かれています。

"エホバ神は、人々を救済する目的で、神の真理としてこの世に現れた。贖いとは、地獄を支配し、天界を再編し、そして教会を設立することだった。"

磔にされた時、悪の勢力は勝ったと思った。当時の宗教的、市民的な権力者たちが主導して彼を非難した。彼はあざけられた。群衆は彼に反発した。

イエス様の肉体の死は、このように「身代り」でした。あの拷問と死を受けることによって、イエス様は自分の霊的な力が自然の死を超えていることを示すことができたのです。イエスは、私たちを地獄の支配から解き放ち、新しい教会、私たちが従うことのできる新しい道を確立されたのです。

328. For thou wast slain, and didst redeem us to God in Thy blood, signifies the separation of all from the Divine, and the conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of the Lord, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. This is evident from the signification of "being slain," as being, in reference to the Lord, the separation of all from the Divine, for "to be slain" signifies in the Word to be spiritually slain, that is, to perish by evils and falsities (See above, n. 315); and because the Lord with such is not, for He is denied, therefore "being slain" signifies, in reference to the Lord, not acknowledged (as above, n. 315 and also denied; and when the Lord is denied He is as it were slain with such as deny, and by the denial they are separated from the Divine; for such as deny the Lord, that is, His Divine, separate themselves altogether from the Divine. For the Lord is the God of the universe, and He is one with the Father, and the Father is in Him and He in the Father, and no one cometh to the Father but by Him, as the Lord Himself teaches; consequently those in the church who do not acknowledge His Divine, and still more those who in heart deny it, are altogether separated from the Divine.

[2] Denying the Divine is here meant by slaying Him with themselves. In the internal sense of the Word the same is meant by "crucifying the Lord" (See above, n. 83, 195); for the Jews, with whom the church then was, denied that he was the Christ, and thereby separated themselves from the Divine and therefore they gave Him up to death, or crucified Him. Moreover, at this day those who deny His Divine do the same; it is therefore frequently said by preachers that those who lead an evil life and blaspheme the Lord crucify Him with themselves. This, therefore, is what is here signified by "Thou wast slain." This is evident also from the signification of "thou didst redeem us to God in Thy blood," as being that He conjoined us to the Divine by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him; for "to redeem" signifies to liberate from hell, and thereby to appropriate men to Himself, and thus conjoin them to the Divine, as will be seen from the passages in the Word in which "to redeem" and "redemption" are mentioned, which will be quoted below. The "blood of the Lord" signifies Divine truth proceeding from Him; and because man by the reception of Divine truth from the Lord is liberated from hell and conjoined to Him, therefore "Thou didst redeem us to God in Thy blood" signifies conjunction with the Divine by the reception of the Divine truth from the Lord.

[3] That this sense lies hidden in these words no one can see who abides in the mere sense of the letter, for in that sense nothing else can be seen except that "Thou wast slain" means that He was crucified and "Thou didst redeem us in Thy blood" means that He has reconciled us to His Father by the passion of the cross. Because this meaning is the meaning of the letter, and because it has hitherto been unknown that in the particulars of the Word there is an internal sense which is spiritual, from that sense, namely, the sense of the letter, it has been made a doctrine of the church that the Divine Itself which they call the Father cast away from Him the whole human race, and that the Lord by the passion of the cross made reconciliation, and that thus those for whom He intercedes are saved. Who that has any illumination of understanding cannot see that this doctrinal is contrary to the Divine Itself? For the Divine Itself never casts away any man from Him for He loves all, and therefore desires the salvation of all. It is also contrary to the Divine Itself to be reconciled by the shedding of blood, and to be brought back to mercy by beholding the passion of the cross which His own Son sustained, and from this to have mercy, and not from Himself. Although this doctrine is so contrary to the Divine essence, yet to believe this is called essential faith or justifying faith.

[4] Again, who can think from enlightened reason that the sins of the whole world were transferred to the Lord, and that the sins of anyone who merely has that faith are thereby taken away? But although this is the doctrine of those who never think beyond the sense of the letter, yet the angels who are with men have no perception of these things according to that sense, but according to the spiritual sense, for they are spiritual and therefore think spiritually and not naturally. To angels, "redeeming man in His blood" means liberating man from hell, and thus claiming and conjoining man to Himself by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. Moreover, the church may know that this is so; for it may know that no one is conjoined to the Divine by blood, but by the reception of the Divine truth, and the application of it to the life.

[5] Liberation from hell by the Lord was accomplished by His assuming the Human, and through it subjugating the hells, and reducing to order all things in the heavens, which could have been done in no way except by the Human; for the Divine operates from firsts through ultimates, thus from Himself through the things that are from Himself in ultimates, which are in the Human. This is the operation of Divine power in heaven and in the world. (On this see some things above, n. 41; also in Heaven and Hell 315; and in Arcana Coelestia 5897, 6239, 6451, 6465, 8603, 9215, 9216, 9824, 9828, 9836, 10044, 10099, 10329, 10335, 10548.) Liberation from hell by the Lord was also accomplished by His glorifying His Human, that is, making it Divine; for thus and not otherwise could He hold the hells in subjection forever; and as the subjugation of the hells and the glorification of His Human was accomplished by means of temptations admitted into his Human, His passion of the cross was His last temptation and complete victory. That "He bore the sins of all" signifies that He admitted into Himself all the hells when He was tempted, for from the hells all sins or evils ascend, and enter into man and are in him; therefore the Lord's "bearing sins" signifies that He admitted the hells into Himself when tempted; and His "taking away sins" means that He subjugated the hells, in order that evils may no more rise up from them, with those who acknowledge the Lord and receive Him, that is, who receive in faith and life the Divine truth proceeding from Him, and who are thus conjoined to the Lord.

It was said that "Thou didst redeem us to God in Thy blood" signifies conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of the Lord, and the reception of Divine truth from Him; and as the church is founded on this, I will state briefly how conjunction is thereby effected.

[6] The primary thing is to acknowledge the Lord, to acknowledge His Divine in the Human, and His omnipotence to save the human race; for by that acknowledgment man is conjoined to the Divine, since there is no Divine except in Him; for the Father is there; for the Father is in Him, and He in the Father, as the Lord Himself teaches; consequently they who look to another Divine near Him, or at His side, as those are wont to do who pray to the Father to have mercy for the sake of the Son, turn aside from the way and worship a Divine elsewhere than in Him. Moreover, they then give no thought to the Divine of the Lord, but only to the Human, when yet these cannot be separated; for the Divine and the Human are not two, but a single person, conjoined like soul and body, according to the doctrine received by the churches from the Athanasian Creed. Therefore to acknowledge the Divine in the Lord's Human, or the Divine Human, is the primary thing of the church, by which there is conjunction; and because it is the primary it is also the first thing of the church. It is because this is the first thing of the church, that the Lord, when He was in the world, so often said to those whom He healed, "Believest thou that I can do this?" and when they answered that they believed, He said, "Be it done according to thy faith." This He so often said that they might believe, in the first place, that from His Divine Human He had Divine omnipotence, for without that belief the church could not be begun, and without that belief they could not have been conjoined with the Divine, but must have been separated from it, and thus would not have been able to receive anything good from him.

[7] Afterwards the Lord taught how they were to be saved, namely, by receiving Divine truth from Him; and truth is received when it is applied to the life and implanted in it by doing it; therefore the Lord so often said that they should do His words. From this it can be seen that these two things, namely, believing in the Lord and doing His words, make one, and can by no means be separated; for he who does not do the Lord's words does not believe in Him; so also he who thinks that he believes in Him and does not do His words does not believe in Him, for the Lord is in His words, that is, in His truths, and by them He gives faith to man. From these few things it can be known that conjunction with the Divine is effected through the acknowledgment of the Lord and the reception of Divine truth from Him. This, therefore, is what is signified by "the Lamb redeeming us to God in His blood." That "the Lamb" signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, see above n. 314. (On this more may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-297, and in the quotations from Arcana Coelestia, n 300-306, as also at the end of that work, where the Lord is particularly treated of.)

That "blood" signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and "salvation by His blood" signifies by the reception of Divine truth from Him, will be explained in the following article.

[8] That "to redeem" signifies to deliver and to make free, and, in reference to the Lord, to deliver and free from hell, and thus to set apart and conjoin to Himself, can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, walking in the multitude of his power? I that speak in righteousness, great to save. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed hath come. In all their straitness He was in straitness and the angel of His faces saved them; because of His love and His pity He redeemed them; and He took them up and carried them all the days of eternity (Isaiah 63:1, 4, 9).

This treats of the Lord and His temptation-combats, by which He subjugated the hells. "Edom from which He cometh" signifies His Human, so also does "the angel of His faces." His Divine power from which He fought is signified by "walking in the multitude of His power;" the casting down into hell of those who rose up against Him and the elevation of the good into heaven is meant by "righteousness," thus by these words, "I that speak in righteousness, great to save. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed hath come." His Divine love from which He did these things is described by "In all their straitness He was in straitness, and the angel of His faces saved them; because of His love and His pity He redeemed them; and He took them up and carried them all the days of eternity." From this it is clear that "the redeemed" and "those whom He redeemed" signify those whom He rescued from the fury of those who are from hell, and whom he saved.

[9] In the same:

Thus hath said Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine (Isaiah 43:1).

That "to redeem" signifies to free from hell, and to set apart and conjoin to Himself so that they may be His, is clear, for it is said, "I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine;" because this is effected through reformation and regeneration by the Lord, therefore it is said, "Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel." He is called Creator because "to create" in the Word signifies to regenerate (See above, n. 294). "Jacob" and "Israel" signify those who are of the church, and are in truths from good.

[10] In the same:

Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and the wages of His work are before Him. And they shall call them a people of holiness, the redeemed of Jehovah (Isaiah 62:11-12).

This also treats of the Lord's coming, and the establishment of a church by Him. "Daughter of Zion" signifies the church which is in love to the Lord; His coming is meant by "Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and the wages of His work are before Him;" those who are reformed and regenerated by Him are meant by "the redeemed of Jehovah."

[11] These are called the "redeemed" because they have been freed from evils by regeneration, and are set apart by the Lord and are conjoined to Him. In the same:

No lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not be found therein; but the redeemed shall go; and the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing, and the gladness of eternity shall be upon their head (Isaiah 35:9-10).

This also treats of the Lord's coming, and the salvation of those who suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord. That with such there shall not be falsity destroying truth nor evil destroying good, is signified by "No lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not be found therein;" that such are delivered from evils and freed from falsities is signified by "the redeemed shall go; so shall the ransomed of Jehovah return;" their eternal happiness is signified by "they shall come to Zion with singing, and the gladness of eternity shall be upon their head," "Zion" meaning the church. What "singing" signifies see just above (n. 326). There are two, words in the original by which "to redeem" is expressed, one signifying deliverance from evils, the other liberation from falsities; these two words are used here; thus it is said, "the redeemed shall go," and "the ransomed of Jehovah shall return." (These two words are also used in Hosea 13:14; and in David, Psalms 69:18; 107:2)

[12] "To redeem" signifies to deliver from evils and to free from falsities, and also to deliver and free from hell, because all evils and falsities with man arise out of hell; and since the Lord removes these by reformation and regeneration, reformation and regeneration also are signified by "to redeem" or "redemption," as in the following passages.

[13] In David:

Rise up as a help to us, and ransom us for Thy mercy's sake (Psalms 44:26);

to "ransom" here meaning to free and to reform. In the same:

God hath ransomed my soul from the hand of hell; and He will accept me (Psalms 49:15).

"To ransom from the hand of hell" means to free; "to accept me" means to set apart and to conjoin to Himself, or to make His own, as servants sold and redeemed. In Hosea:

Out of the hand of hell will I ransom them; I will redeem them from death (Hosea 13:14).

"To redeem" meaning to deliver and free from damnation.

In David:

Bless Jehovah, O my soul, who hath redeemed thy life from the pit (Psalms 103:1, 4).

"To redeem from the pit" means to free from damnation; "the pit" meaning damnation. In the same:

Draw nigh unto my soul, redeem it, and because of my enemies ransom me (Psalms 69:18).

"To draw nigh to the soul" signifies to conjoin it to Himself; "to redeem it" signifies to deliver from evils; "because of my enemies ransom me" signifies to free from falsities, "enemies" meaning falsities. In the same:

Let the redeemed of Jehovah say, whom He hath redeemed out of the hand of the distressing enemy (Psalms 107:2).

"The redeemed of Jehovah" means those who are delivered from evil; "whom He hath redeemed out of the hand of the distressing enemy" means those whom He has freed from falsities. In Jeremiah:

I am with thee, to save thee and to rescue thee; and I will rescue thee out of the hand of the evil, and I will ransom thee out of the hand of the violent (Jeremiah 15:20-21).

"To ransom out of the hand of the violent" means to free from falsities that offer violence to the good of charity; the "violent" signifying such falsities, consequently those also who are in them.

[14] In David:

Let Israel hope in Jehovah, for with Jehovah there is mercy, and in Him is much ransom, and He shall ransom Israel out of all his iniquities (Psalms 130:7-8).

"Ransom" means liberation; "Israel" the church; and to reform those who are of the church and free them from falsities is signified by "He shall ransom Israel out of all his iniquities."

In the same:

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I have waited for thee. Ransom Israel, O God, out of all his distresses (Psalms 25:21-22).

"To ransom Israel out of distresses" means here also to free those who are of the church from falsities, which straiten.

In Isaiah:

Is My hand shortened, that there is no ransoming? or is there no power in Me to rescue? (Isaiah 50:2).

That "ransoming" means liberation is evident, for it is said also, "Is My hand shortened, or is there no power in Me to rescue." In David:

God shall hear my voice; He shall ransom my soul in peace (Psalms 55:17-18);

"to ransom" here means to free.

In the same:

Unto Thee will I sing psalms with the harp, Thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall praise; and my soul, which Thou hast ransomed (Psalms 71:22-23).

"To ransom the soul" means to free from falsities; for "soul" in the Word signifies the life of faith, and "heart" the life of love; therefore "to ransom the soul" signifies to free from falsities and to give the life of faith.

[15] In the same:

Ransom me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Thy precepts (Psalms 119:134).

"To ransom from the oppression of man" signifies to free from the falsities of evil, for "man" signifies the spiritual affection of truth and wisdom therefrom, and in the contrary sense, as here, the lust of falsity and insanity therefrom; the "oppression of man" signifies the destruction of truth by falsities.

In the same:

Into Thine hand I will commend my spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O Jehovah, God of truth (Psalms 31:5);

"to ransom" means to free from falsities and to reform by means of truths; and because this is signified by "ransom" it is said, "O Jehovah, God of truth." In the same:

Crime is in the hands of sinners, and their right hand is full of a bribe. But as for me, I walk in mine integrity; ransom me, and be merciful unto me (Psalms 26:10-11);

"to ransom" meaning to free from falsities and to reform. In the same:

He shall redeem their soul from fraud and violence; and precious shall their blood be in His eyes. And he shall live, and to him shall He give of the gold of Sheba; and He shall pray for him continually; all the day shall He bless them (Psalms 72:14-15).

The "needy" are here treated of, by whom those are signified who desire truths from spiritual affection; of these it is said that "He shall redeem their soul from fraud and violence," which signifies liberation from falsities and evils that destroy the goods of love and the truths of faith; the reception of Divine truth by them is signified by "precious shall their blood be in His eyes;" their reformation is described "he shall live, and to him shall He give of the gold of Sheba; and He shall pray for him continually; all the day shall He bless him;" "the gold of Sheba" is the good of charity; "to pray for him continually" signifies that they shall constantly be withheld from falsities and kept in truths; and "all the day shall He bless him" signifies that they shall constantly be in the good of charity and faith, for this is a Divine benediction; while to withhold from falsities and to keep in truths is "to pray for him continually."

[16] In Isaiah:

Thus said Jehovah, For nought ye have been sold, and not by silver shall ye be redeemed. My people went down into Egypt to sojourn there, but Assyria oppressed them for nought (Isaiah 52:3-4).

This treats of the desolation of truths by knowledges and by the reasonings of the natural man from them; for "My people went down into Egypt to sojourn there" signifies the instruction of the natural man in knowledges and cognitions of truth; "Egypt" signifies knowledges and also cognitions, but such as are from the sense of the letter of the Word; and "to sojourn" signifies to be instructed; "Assyria oppressed them for nought" signifies the falsification of knowledges by the reasonings of the natural man; "Assyria" signifying reasonings, and "to oppress for nought" falsifications, for falsities are nought because there is nothing of truth in them. Knowledges are thus falsified when the natural man separate from the spiritual forms conclusions; this is why it is said, "For nought ye have been sold, and not by silver shall ye be redeemed;" "for nought to be sold" signifies from self or from the selfhood to alienate oneself from falsities and renounce them; and "not by silver to be redeemed" signifies that one cannot be delivered by means of truth from the falsities of evil; "silver" signifying truth, and "to be redeemed" signifying to be delivered from the falsities of evil and to be reformed.

[17] In Zechariah:

I will bring them together, because I will ransom them; and then shall they be multiplied; I will sow them among the peoples; and I will bring them back out of the land, and will bring them together out of Assyria; and I will lead them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon (Zechariah 10:8-10).

This treats of the restoration of the church, and reformation by means of truth from good; and "I will bring them together, because I will ransom them" signifies the dispersion of falsities and reformation by means of truths; therefore it is said, "they shall be multiplied, and I will sow them among the peoples," which signifies the multiplication and insemination of truth from good; "to bring them back out of the land of Egypt, and to bring them together out of Assyria" signifies (as above) to withdraw them from the falsifying of truth that they are in by their reasonings from knowledges; "to lead them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon" signifies to the good of the church, which is the good of charity, and to the good and truth of faith; the former is "the land of Gilead" and the latter "Lebanon. "

[18] From this it can be seen what is signified in the spiritual sense by Jehovah's "leading the people out of Egypt" and "ransoming them," as in Moses:

I will rescue you from bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments (Exodus 6:6).

I led you out of Egypt with a stretched-out arm, and I ransomed you out of the house of bondmen (Deuteronomy 7:8; 9:26-29; 13:5; 15:15; 24:18).

Thou in Thy mercy hast led Thy people whom Thou hast redeemed; Thou hast guided them in the strength of Thy hand to the habitation of Thy holiness (Exodus 15:13).

And in Micah:

I made thee to go up out of the land of Egypt, and ransomed thee out of the house of bondage (Micah 6:4).

This means in the sense of the letter that they were led by the Divine power out of Egypt, where they had been made bondmen; but in the internal or spiritual sense no such thing is meant, but it means that those who are of the church, that is, those that are reformed by the Lord by means of truths and a life according to them, are delivered and freed from evils and from the falsities thence, for these are the things that make man a bondsman; this is the spiritual sense of these words, and in this sense are the angels when man is in the sense of the letter.

[19] Moreover, by "redemption" the angels understand deliverance from evils and liberation from falsities in the following passages. In Moses:

I will put a ransom between My people and Pharaoh's people (Exodus 8:23).

In David:

He hath sent a ransom unto His people; He hath commanded His covenant for ever; holy and fearful is His name (Psalms 111:9).

In Matthew:

What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, but shall cause the loss of his soul? or what price shall a man give sufficient for the redemption of his soul? (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36-37);

"redemption" here meaning deliverance from damnation.

[20] From this it can be seen what the Lord's redeeming mankind signifies, namely, that He delivered and freed them from hell and from the evils and falsities that continually rise up therefrom and bring man into condemnation, and that He continually delivers them and frees them. This deliverance and liberation was effected by His subjugating the hells; and the continual deliverance and liberation by His glorifying His Human, that is, making it Divine, for thereby He keeps the hells continually subjugated; this, therefore is what is signified by His redeeming man, and by His being called in the Word "Redeemer," as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Fear not, thou worm of Jacob, and ye mortals of Israel; I am He that helpeth thee, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41:14).

Thus said Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, because of Jehovah who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee (Isaiah 49:7).

Our Redeemer is Jehovah of Hosts, His name the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 47:4).

Thus said Jehovah your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 43:14).

That all flesh may know that I Jehovah am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isaiah 49:26).

That thou mayest know that I Jehovah am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isaiah 60:16).

By the "Holy One of Israel," and the "Mighty One of Jacob," who is here called "Redeemer," is meant the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, and by "Jehovah" is meant His Divine Itself. The Lord in respect to His Divine Human is called "the Holy One of Israel," and "the Mighty One of Jacob," and the "Strong One of Jacob," because "Israel" and "Jacob" signify the church, thus those who are regenerated and reformed, that is, redeemed by the Lord, for these alone are of the church, that is, constitute the church of the Lord.

[21] That the Lord's Divine Human is what is called "the Holy One" is evident in Luke:

The angel said unto Mary, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; therefore the Holy Thing born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).

And that the Lord in respect to the Divine Human is "the Strong One of Jacob," and the "Mighty One of Jacob;" in the same:

The angel said unto Mary, Behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and bring forth a Son. He shall be great, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:30-33).

"The house of Jacob" evidently means the Lord's church, not the Jewish nation.

[22] Because the Lord's Human was equally Divine with His Divine Itself that took on the Human, Jehovah is called "the Redeemer" in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy God (Isaiah 48:17).

Jehovah of Hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel the God of the whole earth shall He be called (Isaiah 54:5).

In David:

O Jehovah, my ¹ Rock and my Redeemer (Psalms 19:14).

In Jeremiah:

Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of Hosts is His name (Jeremiah 50:34).

In Isaiah:

Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer; from everlasting is Thy ² name (Isaiah 63:16).

From this it can now be seen how this saying of the Lord is to be understood:

The Son of man came to give His soul a redemption for many (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45);

namely, that they might be delivered and freed from hell; for the passion of the cross was the last combat and complete victory by which He subjugated the hells, and by which He glorified His Human (See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-297, 300-306).

778. And upon his heads a name of blasphemy, signifies the falsifications of the Word. This is evident from the signification of "heads," as being the knowledge of the holy things of the Word, which are falsified and adulterated (See above, n. 775); also from the signification of "name," as being the quality of a thing and its state (See above, n. 102, 135, 696); here the quality of the reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life, which are signified by this "beast;" also from the signification of "blasphemy," as being the falsification of the Word (of which presently). From this it is evident that "upon his heads a name of blasphemy" signifies the quality of those who by reasonings from the natural man confirm the separation of faith from life, and that the quality of such is the falsification of the Word. "Blasphemy" signifies the falsification of the Word, because in what follows by this beast is described the way in which those who are meant by the dragon pervert the sense of the letter of the Word by reasonings from the natural man, that they may confirm the justification and salvation by faith alone without good works; and this cannot be done except by their falsifying the Word, which in each and every particular conjoins truths to goods and goods to truths, thus faith to charity and charity to faith (as shown above, n. 775. This is why falsifications of the Word are signified by "blasphemy," which is said to be the name of this beast.

[2] But how the Word is blasphemed by the falsification of it shall be illustrated by the following example. Those who separate faith from good works say:

That God the Father removed and even rejected from Himself the human race on account of their evils; and for this reason His Son was sent into the world, or the Son Himself, moved by pity, came into the world, and by the punishment of extreme condemnation, which was the passion of the cross, and by His own blood upon it, and finally by His death, He reconciled mankind to the Father, by thus interceding for it.

As this is among the chief things of the doctrine of those who separate faith from its life, which is charity, I will state briefly how the Divine is thereby blasphemed. It is blasphemed by this, that they believe and think that the Divine removed or rejected the human race from itself, when yet God is love itself, mercy itself, and goodness itself, and these are His Esse; evidently, therefore, it is impossible for God to remove or reject a single one of the human race, for this would be to act against His own Esse, which, as has been said, is the source of all love, all mercy, and all good. It would be impossible even for any angel or any man who is in love, mercy, and good from the Lord, to do this; and yet their love is finite, while the Divine love is infinite. God the Father's removing or rejecting the human race they call vindictive justice, of which they cherish no other idea than that of a king or judge avenging an evil done to him, consequently that it is like their vengeance, in which there cannot but be something of anger. To confirm this they cite passages from the Word where God is called an avenger, a revenger, jealous, angry, wrathful; and these passages of the Word they thus falsify, since these expressions are used in the sense of the letter of the Word according to appearances. For when a man after death becomes a spirit, if he is in evils from his life in the world he turns himself away from the Lord; and when he turns himself away from the Lord and denies Him he can no longer be so under the Lord's protection that his evil does not punish him, for the punishment of evil is in the evil, as the reward of good is in the good. But because the punishment of evil by the evil, or by those who are evil, appears as if it were punishment by the Divine, so from that appearance the Divine is said in the Word to be angry, to condemn, to cast into hell, and the like. Yet the Lord condemns and punishes no one (as can be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 545-550, under the head, "The Lord casts no one down into Hell, but the spirit casts himself down"). From this can be seen how the Divine is blasphemed by the falsification of the Word. For it is thought that God is in some respect an avenger, or revenger, that He is angry, that He casts into hell and punishes, when in fact it is evil that punishes itself, that is, hell from which evil is, and not the Divine. The Divine is blasphemed by the falsification of the Word also by their believing and thinking that God the Father wished to be reconciled to the human race by the punishment of extreme condemnation, which was the passion of the cross, thus by the blood of His Son; and that by this He was moved and is moved to mercy. Who that has an enlightened understanding does not see that this, too, is contrary to the Divine, and therefore contrary to the genuine truth of the Word? For as what is contrary to the Divine is blasphemy, so to wrest the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm this doctrine is blasphemy. But more about this in what follows.

[3] What, then, is signified by "blasphemy" can be seen from passages in the Word where it is mentioned; from which I am only allowed to cite the following. In the Gospels:

Jesus said, Every sin and blasphemy shall be remitted unto men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be remitted unto men. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man it shall be remitted unto him, but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit it shall not be remitted unto him, neither in this age nor in that which is to come (Matthew 12:31, 32).

I say unto you, All sins shall be remitted unto the sons of man. But whosoever shall blaspheme against the Spirit hath no remission to eternity, but shall be subject to an eternal judgment (Mark 3:28, 29).

Everyone who shall speak a word against the Son of man it shall be remitted unto him, but unto him that blasphemeth the Holy Spirit it shall not be remitted (Luke 12:10).

What is signified by "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," and what by "a word against the Son of man," has not hitherto been known in the church, and for the reason that it has not been known what is properly meant by "the Holy Spirit," and what by "the Son of man." "The Holy Spirit" means the Lord in relation to Divine truth such as it is in the heavens, that is, the Word such as it is in the spiritual sense, for this is Divine truth in heaven. And "the Son of man" means Divine truth such as it is on the earth, that is, the Word such as it is in the natural sense, for this is Divine truth on the earth. When it is known what is meant by "the Holy Spirit," and what by "the Son of man," it can also be known what is signified by "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," and by "a word against the Son of man;" also why "a word against the Son of man" can be remitted, and "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" cannot. "Sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" means to deny the Word, and to adulterate its essential goods and falsify its essential truths; while "a word against the Son of man" means to interpret the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, according to appearances.

[4] To deny the Word is a sin that "cannot be remitted in this age nor in that which is to come," that is, to eternity, and he who does it "is subject to an eternal judgment," because those who deny the Word deny God, deny the Lord, deny heaven and hell, and deny the church and all things pertaining to it; and those who deny these are atheists, who, although with their lips they attribute the creation of the universe to some Supreme Entity, or Deity, or God, yet in heart ascribe it to nature. Because such by denial have dissolved all bond of connection with the Lord they must needs be separated from heaven and conjoined to hell. To adulterate the essential goods of the Word and to falsify its essential truths is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that cannot be remitted, because "the Holy Spirit" means the Lord in relation to Divine truth such as it is in the heavens, that is, the Word such as it is in the spiritual sense, as has been said above. In the spiritual sense are genuine goods and genuine truths; but in the natural sense these same are as it were clothed, and only here and there are naked. They are therefore called apparent goods and truths. These are what are adulterated and falsified; and they are said to be adulterated and falsified when they are so explained as to be contrary to genuine goods and truths, for heaven then removes itself and man is separated from it; and for the reason, as has been said, that genuine goods and truths constitute the spiritual sense of the Word in which the angels of heaven are. For example, heaven is removed from man when the Lord and His Divine are denied, as was done by the Pharisees who said that the Lord wrought miracles by Beelzebub and had an unclean spirit; and because they thus denied Him and His Divine He said that this was sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, because it was against the Word, as may be seen in the preceding verses of these chapters in the Gospels. For the same reason also the Socinians and Arians, who deny the Divine of the Lord, although they do not deny the Lord, are out of heaven, and cannot be received by any angelic society.

[5] Take, as another example, those who exclude the goods of love and the works of charity from among the means of salvation, and who claim that faith, exclusive of these, is the sole means of salvation, and who confirm this opinion not only by doctrine but also by their life, saying in heart, Goods do not save me nor evils condemn, because I have faith. Such also blaspheme the Holy Spirit, for they falsify the genuine good and truth of the Word, and this in a thousand passages, where love and charity and deeds and works are mentioned. Moreover, as has been said above, in each and every thing of the Word there is the marriage of good and truth, thus of charity and faith; consequently when good or charity is taken away that marriage perishes, and instead there is adultery; the nature of this adultery will be explained elsewhere. This is why these, too, cannot be received into heaven; and for the further reason that they have put earthly love in place of heavenly love and evil works in place of good works, because their works are from earthly love, and when this is separated from heavenly love it is infernal love. But it is otherwise with those who believe, indeed, from the doctrine of the church and from their teachers, that faith is the only means of salvation, or who know this, but inwardly neither affirm it nor deny it, and who, nevertheless, live a good life from the Word, that is, because the Lord has so commanded in the Word. Such do not blaspheme the Holy Spirit, for they do not adulterate the goods of the Word nor falsify its truths, wherefore they have conjunction with the angels of heaven. Moreover, few of such know that faith is anything else than believing in the Word. The dogma of justification by faith alone without the works of the law they do not apprehend, because it transcends their understanding.

[6] These two examples are cited to make known what is meant by "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," that is, that sin against it is to deny the Divine truth, thus the Word, and that blasphemy against it is to adulterate the essential goods of the Word and falsify its essential truths. Let it be noted that the good of the Word when adulterated is evil, and that its truth when falsified is falsity. A word against the Son of man, signifies to interpret the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, according to appearances, because the Son of man means the Lord in relation to Divine truth such as it is on earth, thus such as it is in the natural sense. Such a word is remitted unto men, because most things in the natural sense of the Word, or the sense of its letter, are goods and truths clothed, and some only are naked, as they are in the spiritual sense; and goods and truths that are clothed are called appearances of truth. For the Word in its ultimates is like a man clothed with a garment, but with his face and hands naked; and where the Word is thus naked its goods and truths appear naked, as they do in heaven, thus such as they are in the spiritual sense. There is, therefore, nothing to hinder those who are enlightened by the Lord from seeing, or to hinder those who are not so enlightened from confirming, the doctrine of genuine good and genuine truth from the sense of the letter of the Word. The Word is such in the sense of the letter that it may be a basis for the spiritual sense; thus, too, it is accommodated to the comprehension of the simple, who, unless things are so stated, are unable to perceive them, and when perceived, to believe and do them.

[7] Moreover, because the Divine truths in the sense of the letter of the Word are for the most part appearances of truth, and the simple in faith and heart cannot be raised above them, it is not sin or blasphemy to interpret the Word according to appearances, provided principles are not formed from these appearances and so confirmed as to destroy Divine truth in its genuine sense. For example, where it is said:

Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29);

and:

This is My blood, that of the new Testament, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28);

and again:

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:7, 11);

and when from these words it is believed in simplicity that the Lord suffered the passion of the cross on account of our sins, and that through this suffering and His blood He redeemed us from hell-since this is an apparent truth, and can be stated and believed, therefore it does not condemn the simple in faith and heart. But to establish a principle from these words, and to confirm that principle so far as to hold that God the Father was and is in this way reconciled to man, and that man is justified and saved by his faith alone without the good things of charity, which are good works, and to be in that principle in life as well as in doctrine-this cannot be remitted.

[8] From this it can be seen that "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" signifies the falsification of the Word even to the destruction of Divine truth in its genuine sense. Therefore "a name of blasphemy" signifies the falsification of Divine truth, thus of the Word, because it is called blasphemy when anyone speaks against God; and to speak against God is to speak against the Divine truth, for the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is what is meant in the Word by "God;" and Divine good is meant by "Jehovah," and by "the Lord." And as it is blasphemy to speak against God, thus also against the Word, since the Word is Divine truth, it follows that blasphemy is to falsify the Word. For those who falsify the Word make its truth to be falsity, and falsity continually speaks against truth, and even assaults it. This is why "blasphemy" signifies the falsification of the Word, even to the destruction of its genuine good and genuine truth.

[9] The like is said of the "scarlet beast" further on in Revelation:

The woman sitting upon the scarlet beast was full of the names of blasphemy (Revelation 17:3).

That beast with the woman sitting on it there means Babylon; and "the names of blasphemy" mean the adulterations of the good and the falsifications of the truth of the Word; and these, as has been said, are blasphemies against the Lord.

[10] That "blasphemies" signify to believe and speak wickedly and falsely about God and about Divine truth can also be seen from other passages in the Word. As in Isaiah:

Jehovah said, Fear not on account of the words which thou hast heard, wherewith the young men of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. And Hezekiah the king prayed, and said, Hear, O Jehovah, all the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent to blaspheme the living God. And Jehovah spake concerning him, Whom hast thou blasphemed and reviled, and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel! By the hand of thy servants thou hast blasphemed the Lord (Isaiah 37:6, 15, 17, 23, 24).

From this, too, it can be seen that blasphemy is predicated of false speaking against God. For "the king of Assyria," who at that time was Sennacherib, signifies the rational, but here the rational perverted, which speaks against Divine truth, treats it shamefully, and censures it by falsities; and this is to falsify it, as has been said above. The falsities spoken against Divine truth are signified by the things mentioned in verses 10-13, 24, 25, which were all not only blasphemies against God but also falsifications of Divine truth.

[11] In Moses:

As to the soul that doeth with a high hand, the same blasphemeth Jehovah, in that he hath despised the word of Jehovah and hath rendered void His commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off, its iniquity shall be upon it (Numbers 15:30, 31).

This treats of those who act against the commandments of God given through Moses, both through error, and also from purpose (as is clear from verse 23 and those that follow in that chapter); here those who so act from purpose are treated of, and this is meant by "doing with a high hand." And since to act against a commandment is to act against Divine truth, and to act against this from purpose is to act from the intention of the will, and from that to speak falsity, which is the actual adulteration and falsification of the Word, therefore it is said "he blasphemeth Jehovah." And as this is similar to the sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit it is said, "that soul shall be utterly cut off, its iniquity shall be upon it;" "its iniquity shall be upon it" signifying that it cannot be remitted.

[12] That blasphemy is predicated of evil speaking and false speaking about God, and thus about Divine truth, it is unnecessary to confirm here by many passages from the Word; not only because anyone can see that blasphemy is nothing else in the spiritual sense, but also because there are various kinds of it; consequently in human languages, as in the Hebrew, there are various terms by which the kinds of blasphemy of God and of the Divine truth are expressed, such as calumny, contumely, ignominy, opprobrium, reproach, rebuke, jesting, scoffing, mocking, and others, each of which is used in the Word with a generic and specific difference, to analyze and explain which would require many pages.