The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord.

By Emanuel Swedenborg

(First published 1763)

A translation of Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Domino, by Emanuel Swedenborg, 1688-1772. Translated from the Original Latin by N. Bruce Rogers.

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Translator’s Table of Contents

PREFACE

The Holy Scripture Throughout Has the Lord As Its Subject, and the Lord Embodies the Word. 1

The Statement That the Lord Fulfilled All of the Law Means That He Fulfilled All of the Word. 8

The Lord Came into the World to Conquer the Hells and Glorify His Humanity; and the Suffering of the Cross Was the Final Battle by Which He Fully Overcame the Hells and Fully Glorified His Humanity. 12

By His Suffering of the Cross the Lord Did Not Take Away Sins, but Bore Them. 15

An Imputation of the Lord’s Merit Is Nothing Else Than the Forgiveness of Sins Following Repentance. 18

In Relation to His Divine Humanity the Lord Is Called the Son of God, and in Relation to the Word the Son of Man. 19

The Lord Made His Humanity Divine from the Divine in Him, and So Was United with the Father. 29

The Lord Is God Himself, the Origin of and Subject of the Word. 37

There Is One God, and the Lord Is That God. 45

The Holy Spirit Is the Divinity Emanating from the Lord, and It Is the Lord Himself. 46

The New Church Is Meant by the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation. 62

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PREFACE

Several years ago we published the following five short works:

1. Heaven and Hell.

2. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.

3. The Last Judgment.

4. The White Horse.

5. The Planets and Earths in the Universe.

In them we presented to view a number of things hitherto unknown.

Now, by command of the Lord, who has been revealed to me, I am to publish the following:

- The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord.

- The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture.

- A Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem Based on the Ten Commandments.

- The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding Faith.

- A Continuation Concerning the Last Judgment.

- Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Providence.

- Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Omniscience, Infinity and Eternity.

- Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom.

- Angelic Wisdom Regarding Life.

We say The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, but we mean doctrine for the New Church, a church which is today being established by the Lord. For the former church has reached its end, as can be seen from what we said in the short work, The Last Judgment 33-39, and from what we are going to say later in the short works just named.

The fact that the New Jerusalem to come after the Judgment, as foretold in the twenty-first chapter of the book of Revelation, means the New Church may be seen in the final section here below.

9. In a broader sense the Law means everything written by Moses in his five books. This is apparent from the following verses:

In Luke:

Abraham said to (the rich man in hell), “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.... If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded even if one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:29, 31)

In John:

Philip...said to (Nathanael), “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets, wrote....” (John 1:45)

In Matthew:

Do not think that I came to undo the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to undo but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17-18)

Again in Matthew:

...all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. (Matthew 11:13)

In Luke:

The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God is preached.... (Luke 16:16)

In Matthew:

...whatever you wish men to do to you, do also to them...this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Again in Matthew:

Jesus said..., “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and...you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37, 39-40)

In these places Moses and the Prophets, or the Law and the Prophets, mean everything written in the books of Moses and in the books of the Prophets.

[2] That the Law in particular means everything written by Moses is still more apparent from the following verses:

In Luke:

When the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought (Jesus) to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, that every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” ...And...the parents brought...Jesus (into the Temple), to do for Him according to the custom of the Law.... When they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord.... (Luke 2:22-24, 27, 39)

In John:

In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such.... (John 8:5)

Again in John:

...the Law was given through Moses.... (John 1:17)

It is apparent from this that when reference is made to statements made in the books of Moses, those books are called sometimes the Law and sometimes Moses. This is apparent also in Matthew 8:4; Mark 10:2-4, 12:19; Luke 20:28, 37; John 3:14, 7:19, 51, 8:17, 19:7.

[3] There are also many other things commanded by Moses that he calls the Law. So, for example, laws regarding burnt offerings (Leviticus 6:9, 7:37). Regarding other sacrifices (Leviticus 6:25, 7:1-11). Regarding the grain offering (Leviticus 6:14). Regarding leprosy (Leviticus 14:2). Regarding jealousy (Numbers 5:29-30). Regarding the Nazirite (Numbers 6:13, 21).

Moreover, Moses himself calls his books the Law:

Moses wrote this Law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.... (And he said to them,) “Take this book of the Law, and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah....” (Deuteronomy 31:9, 11, 26)

It was placed beside the Ark, because the Ark had in it the stone tablets which, in a strict sense, are the Law.

The books of Moses were later called the book of the Law:

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the Law in the house of Jehovah.” ...when the king heard the words of the book of the Law, he tore his clothes. (2 Kings 22:8, 11, 23:24)