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.

47. Spirit means a person’s life. This can be seen from everyday speech, in which a person is said to yield up the spirit when he dies. Consequently spirit in this sense means the life in respiration. The word “spirit” is also derived from the Latin verb “to respire.” So it is that in Hebrew there is one word for spirit and wind.

There are two wellsprings of life in a person. One is the motion of the heart, and the other the respiration of the lungs. The life springing from the respiration of the lungs is properly meant by spirit, and also by the soul. That these operate in concert with a person’s thinking in accord with his intellect, but that life springing from the motion of the heart operates in a person in concert with his will’s love — this will be seen in its right place.

[2] That a person’s life is meant by spirit in the Word is clear from the following:

You gather their spirit, they die, and return to...dust. (Psalms 104:29)

He remembered that they were flesh, spirit that passes away and does not come again. (Psalms 78:39)

When his spirit departs, he will return to (the) earth. (Psalms 146:4)

Hezekiah lamented that the life of his spirit would depart (Isaiah 38:16).

...the spirit of Jacob...revived. (Genesis 45:27)

...his molded image is a lie, and there is no spirit in (it). (Jeremiah 51:17)

...said the Lord Jehovih to the (dry) bones: “...I will put spirit in you, that you may live....” “...Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” ...and spirit came into them, and they lived again.... (Ezekiel 37:5-6, 9-10)

(Jesus) took (the daughter) by the hand...and her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. (Luke 8:54-55)