Session Eight
The Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit
An Explanation of the Lord Working within Man: The Man's Regeneration and Salvation
The Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit
An Explanation of the Lord Working within Man: The Man's Regeneration and Salvation
In Exodus, chapter 31, we read the words
From an outward or external appearance it appears that these men were chosen because of their craftsmanship abilities and that these things to be made by them are Jehovah's way to lead the Israelites in their worshipping Him. That in its self is nothing wrong in thinking so, but the problem comes when those of today say that that was all right for them, but now we do not need such things for worship. They do not know that these things were representative and that they represent internal or spiritual truths. Thus, they rationalize that such things today are done away with and dismiss the idea of any internal truth. Again, such reasoning about today's external worship may be true and does not require us to worship so, but such reasoning does away with God's Truth. Those who believe in this way, never come to learn that truth, they see only an appearance of truth, and, so, are no better off than the Israelites, who were chosen and were to follow Jehovah God, but who came to reject Him at His coming. The words of this story has an internal sense, for understood in only the natural sense does not speak of God, Heaven, or led man to salvation, but is only an account of the early Israelitish Church. As such the Word is seen in only its literal, natural historical sense. Often such historical truths have no concern for man's salvation and point to God's Word as revealing only an elaborate external ritual in man's worship of Him.
We see that despite Jehovah's instructions through Moses or the Word, which is what Moses signifies, that they had turned further and further away. Jehovah, Himself came to them because of their sin and to mankind in the human of a man to teach and to lead them and us and, as said above, they rejected Him. So, too, unless the understanding and willing of man rise above that of one's love of self and of the things of the world, man will continue as one who cannot be raised into Heaven and is not conjoined with the Lord. Thus, he cannot be born again through regeneration and, so, be saved, for indeed, was not that why Jehovah came in the flesh, that is, put on the natural body of man in order to redeem and save him.
It is 'as if' the Lord's coming has not accomplished with man what He came for, that is that a man is to prepare himself for the Lord to come, not just His coming into the world, but spiritually into man where he can become conjoined with Heaven and God. And, that He is to live, that is, the Lord is to 'as if' dwell within his heart and mind, in his will and his understanding and thus, to vivify his 'life', to make him alive from being dead because of his sin.
The Christian man who has studied any knows that it is the spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit that enters 'as it were' a man and enlightens and fills him with the Lord's love. It is this that makes him a true Christian and that his salvation and life is then in the fullest sense. So, with that in mind, we can understand that for Jehovah to say, "I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in every work" to a man in the tribe of Judah, can somewhat understand what is meant. We should desire that the Lord fill us, also, with His Spirit that He promised to His disciples and necessarily all those who believe and follow Him.
These qualities - wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and work are what every man wishes for, especially those who search for truth and goodness. It should be pointed out that the spirit of God operates only in a person imperceptibly and only with the man's spirit. Therefore, the man cannot comprehend naturally what is meant, but the Holy Spirit that the Lord sends operates perceptibly in man, thus spiritual truth can be comprehended by him, because the Lord in His first coming has united the Divine Celestial and Spiritual with His Divine Natural. In explanation of this, mankind has fallen from the celestial and the spiritual states of life when he was in the Garden of Eden where he had perception and saw within, from God, celestial and spiritual truths and goods. Thus, he could no longer spiritually understand the spirit of God that still comes to him, for he is unaware of it. What filling us with the spirit of God and the Holy Spirit means is that influx and enlightenment from the Divine Truth comes from the Divine Good of the Lord. The spirit of God comes imperceptible, while the Holy Spirit comes to us perceptible; that is, a man can know this in his natural state. The idea is that such truths come out from Heaven from the Lord into man and enlightens him with the truth that he otherwise could not know and have, living only in the natural state. He does not have enlightenment because he no longer has perception as man did in the first or the Most Ancient Church.
Truths that come from God's spirit from Heaven now come to man are imperceptible; they are not known in the natural state unless man becomes enlightened. Knowing this fact may be thought of as nice to know, but you might think of what good (use) is it to a man for he still cannot understand them. Still, it is this influx that enables us to become conjoined with the Lord or saved. It is precisely that lack of such an understanding that false doctrines are taught in the Christian Churches today concerning man's salvation. It is this influx of truths and goods coming from the Lord that have been taught to man by God from his infancy and his youth and to a lesser degree in his adulthood. For, it is in this state of infancy and childhood that the celestial things are inscribed on the interiors or in a man's spirit. They are what are called remains. Because man chose not to live in the celestial or even the spiritual state, genuine truth and good are closed to him and cannot be understood in his external or natural state but are seen there only in appearances. Still, through influx they enter the man's interiors and internal, his spiritual and celestial and are there called remains ready for use.
Now, these goods with man, which are from a love for the Lord God, establish the true Church within a man. It is one in who is the good of love to the Lord from the Lord and, so, the good of celestial love that constitutes the true Church in man. In truth any such man, who is as Bezaleel, who had this love, is filled with the spirit of God, filled with wisdom, enlightenment, knowledge, and work. Though he may not know that he is chosen to make or construct a place for the Lord to dwell within him as was the Tent or the tabernacle with the Ark inside crafted by Bezaleel for God's dwelling with the Israel Church. Though such a structure was only representative, for God's true dwelling with man is within him even as the Lord has said Heaven was within man. So, it is not the name of any particular person seen in the Word that is meant, but it is the qualities within that person from the Lord and such qualities can be within other men.
Let us, now, look at this verse, not in its literal or natural sense, but in its spiritual sense and try to understand spiritually what is meant. Even when the Lord speaks of works and deeds of man having to do with being rewarded or recompensed we learn that a person's life is changed and he becomes conjoined with the Lord. With those who are in the good of love to the Lord's wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and work, flow in from the Lord, from the celestial to the natural or external state of man. So, first, there is wisdom, for wisdom consists in willing well from love in these two - love and wisdom - the attributes and qualities of God. Second, there is intelligence consisting in understanding well from willing well. As you see, these are a man's internal or the internal man. Then comes knowledge from influx coming from God of knowing well and their work in doing well, each from willing well. Notice, here, that such willing and doing is an act of obedience by man to the Truth or to the Lord and are of the man's natural state. They are of the external man. What we see there is that wisdom is in intelligence, intelligence in knowledge, and knowledge in work - they are not independent or separated. They are in the ultimate - the natural of man, his sensual and the corporeal nature - which all these qualities are calumniated. And to separate them as false doctrine does is saying that a man cannot do good works that saves, that such work cannot save and in saying that only a man needs to believe and he will be saved. However, it should be known that good works are the Lord's within man, even as His wisdom and His love is within through the influx of His wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and work flowing and enlightening him by the Holy Spirit.
Nonetheless, let us read a few verses that mention work and deeds of man as being of worth. "The Son of Man shall render to every one according to his deeds" (Matthew 16: 27), "I will recompense them according to their work, and according to the deed of their hands" Jeremiah 25: 14), again, "Return you every one from his evil ways, and make your works good" (Jeremiah 35: 15). And in Revelation, "I will give unto everyone according to your works" (2: 23), and "They were judged every one according to their works" (20: 13). Finally, "Behold, I come and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his works" (Rev. 22: 12). What the Word speaks of here is that the work which a man does because he loves truth and good, is the man's love or charity and is his faith. These are the two means of salvation: first, love to the Lord and second, love towards the neighbor. In the first is seen man's faith, in the second can be seen his charity. Thus, man wills his own good and his own truth and in this is meant his work and deeds, though they are the Lord's, who dwells in Him. A man has this freedom to either will for good or for evil.
The Lord has filled us with His spirit. Influx from Him enlightens us from Divine Truth, which is from the Lord's Divine Good. This is the filling of the spirit of God. The Divine Truth and Divine Good of the Lord is all good and all truth out of Heaven from the Lord. Good and truth does not come from man, but are with him from the Divine in Heaven. Man must receive God's good and truth in order to have enlightenment and from this enlightenment he sees inwardly, not from self, not outwardly or worldly, but from the Lord. From this it can be known that it is the man's interiors - his will and understanding - that the Lord raises up to Heaven. Thus, his will and understanding withdraw from the body and the world. They actually come into the light and heat of Heaven and, thus the man's spirit has God's influx and enlightens him.
Spiritual light is Divine Truth coming from the Lord as the Sun in Heaven. It enlightens the understanding. Spiritual heat of Heaven enkindles the will; it is the good of love, which also proceeds from the Lord as the Sun of Heaven. This man's spirit, or the spiritual of man, is among angels and his understanding of truths and his affection for goods are communicated to him by angels. The truth and good they have are from the Lord. Though such communication is not immediate as that which comes from the Holy Spirit.
Moreover, today the Lord, who has glorified Himself and is in His Divine Human, sends the spirit of truth or the Holy Spirit that gives man the power to follow Him, to do His Truth, the Commandments, and to do His will. For as said, such influx of truth and good from the Holy Spirit coming to man are now perceptible and he can come to comprehend spiritual truths in his natural understanding. For the Lord has united the Natural with the Spiritual and the Celestial in Himself and in the man who believes and who acts accordingly, that is, whose works are in him from the Lord.
However, let it be known that this perception that comes now through the Holy Spirit is only made possible by the Lord through His Word when it is understood in its internal sense. Such knowledge of this now descends to mankind on earth in the Lord's coming again in this Truth. It comes as Truth in the Word of the Divine Human - the Latin Word - through Emanuel Swedenborg just as the Word came to mankind through Moses, the Prophets, and the Evangelist inspired by the Lord God.
End.
- "I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in every work" (3).
From an outward or external appearance it appears that these men were chosen because of their craftsmanship abilities and that these things to be made by them are Jehovah's way to lead the Israelites in their worshipping Him. That in its self is nothing wrong in thinking so, but the problem comes when those of today say that that was all right for them, but now we do not need such things for worship. They do not know that these things were representative and that they represent internal or spiritual truths. Thus, they rationalize that such things today are done away with and dismiss the idea of any internal truth. Again, such reasoning about today's external worship may be true and does not require us to worship so, but such reasoning does away with God's Truth. Those who believe in this way, never come to learn that truth, they see only an appearance of truth, and, so, are no better off than the Israelites, who were chosen and were to follow Jehovah God, but who came to reject Him at His coming. The words of this story has an internal sense, for understood in only the natural sense does not speak of God, Heaven, or led man to salvation, but is only an account of the early Israelitish Church. As such the Word is seen in only its literal, natural historical sense. Often such historical truths have no concern for man's salvation and point to God's Word as revealing only an elaborate external ritual in man's worship of Him.
We see that despite Jehovah's instructions through Moses or the Word, which is what Moses signifies, that they had turned further and further away. Jehovah, Himself came to them because of their sin and to mankind in the human of a man to teach and to lead them and us and, as said above, they rejected Him. So, too, unless the understanding and willing of man rise above that of one's love of self and of the things of the world, man will continue as one who cannot be raised into Heaven and is not conjoined with the Lord. Thus, he cannot be born again through regeneration and, so, be saved, for indeed, was not that why Jehovah came in the flesh, that is, put on the natural body of man in order to redeem and save him.
It is 'as if' the Lord's coming has not accomplished with man what He came for, that is that a man is to prepare himself for the Lord to come, not just His coming into the world, but spiritually into man where he can become conjoined with Heaven and God. And, that He is to live, that is, the Lord is to 'as if' dwell within his heart and mind, in his will and his understanding and thus, to vivify his 'life', to make him alive from being dead because of his sin.
The Christian man who has studied any knows that it is the spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit that enters 'as it were' a man and enlightens and fills him with the Lord's love. It is this that makes him a true Christian and that his salvation and life is then in the fullest sense. So, with that in mind, we can understand that for Jehovah to say, "I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in every work" to a man in the tribe of Judah, can somewhat understand what is meant. We should desire that the Lord fill us, also, with His Spirit that He promised to His disciples and necessarily all those who believe and follow Him.
These qualities - wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and work are what every man wishes for, especially those who search for truth and goodness. It should be pointed out that the spirit of God operates only in a person imperceptibly and only with the man's spirit. Therefore, the man cannot comprehend naturally what is meant, but the Holy Spirit that the Lord sends operates perceptibly in man, thus spiritual truth can be comprehended by him, because the Lord in His first coming has united the Divine Celestial and Spiritual with His Divine Natural. In explanation of this, mankind has fallen from the celestial and the spiritual states of life when he was in the Garden of Eden where he had perception and saw within, from God, celestial and spiritual truths and goods. Thus, he could no longer spiritually understand the spirit of God that still comes to him, for he is unaware of it. What filling us with the spirit of God and the Holy Spirit means is that influx and enlightenment from the Divine Truth comes from the Divine Good of the Lord. The spirit of God comes imperceptible, while the Holy Spirit comes to us perceptible; that is, a man can know this in his natural state. The idea is that such truths come out from Heaven from the Lord into man and enlightens him with the truth that he otherwise could not know and have, living only in the natural state. He does not have enlightenment because he no longer has perception as man did in the first or the Most Ancient Church.
Truths that come from God's spirit from Heaven now come to man are imperceptible; they are not known in the natural state unless man becomes enlightened. Knowing this fact may be thought of as nice to know, but you might think of what good (use) is it to a man for he still cannot understand them. Still, it is this influx that enables us to become conjoined with the Lord or saved. It is precisely that lack of such an understanding that false doctrines are taught in the Christian Churches today concerning man's salvation. It is this influx of truths and goods coming from the Lord that have been taught to man by God from his infancy and his youth and to a lesser degree in his adulthood. For, it is in this state of infancy and childhood that the celestial things are inscribed on the interiors or in a man's spirit. They are what are called remains. Because man chose not to live in the celestial or even the spiritual state, genuine truth and good are closed to him and cannot be understood in his external or natural state but are seen there only in appearances. Still, through influx they enter the man's interiors and internal, his spiritual and celestial and are there called remains ready for use.
Now, these goods with man, which are from a love for the Lord God, establish the true Church within a man. It is one in who is the good of love to the Lord from the Lord and, so, the good of celestial love that constitutes the true Church in man. In truth any such man, who is as Bezaleel, who had this love, is filled with the spirit of God, filled with wisdom, enlightenment, knowledge, and work. Though he may not know that he is chosen to make or construct a place for the Lord to dwell within him as was the Tent or the tabernacle with the Ark inside crafted by Bezaleel for God's dwelling with the Israel Church. Though such a structure was only representative, for God's true dwelling with man is within him even as the Lord has said Heaven was within man. So, it is not the name of any particular person seen in the Word that is meant, but it is the qualities within that person from the Lord and such qualities can be within other men.
Let us, now, look at this verse, not in its literal or natural sense, but in its spiritual sense and try to understand spiritually what is meant. Even when the Lord speaks of works and deeds of man having to do with being rewarded or recompensed we learn that a person's life is changed and he becomes conjoined with the Lord. With those who are in the good of love to the Lord's wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and work, flow in from the Lord, from the celestial to the natural or external state of man. So, first, there is wisdom, for wisdom consists in willing well from love in these two - love and wisdom - the attributes and qualities of God. Second, there is intelligence consisting in understanding well from willing well. As you see, these are a man's internal or the internal man. Then comes knowledge from influx coming from God of knowing well and their work in doing well, each from willing well. Notice, here, that such willing and doing is an act of obedience by man to the Truth or to the Lord and are of the man's natural state. They are of the external man. What we see there is that wisdom is in intelligence, intelligence in knowledge, and knowledge in work - they are not independent or separated. They are in the ultimate - the natural of man, his sensual and the corporeal nature - which all these qualities are calumniated. And to separate them as false doctrine does is saying that a man cannot do good works that saves, that such work cannot save and in saying that only a man needs to believe and he will be saved. However, it should be known that good works are the Lord's within man, even as His wisdom and His love is within through the influx of His wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and work flowing and enlightening him by the Holy Spirit.
Nonetheless, let us read a few verses that mention work and deeds of man as being of worth. "The Son of Man shall render to every one according to his deeds" (Matthew 16: 27), "I will recompense them according to their work, and according to the deed of their hands" Jeremiah 25: 14), again, "Return you every one from his evil ways, and make your works good" (Jeremiah 35: 15). And in Revelation, "I will give unto everyone according to your works" (2: 23), and "They were judged every one according to their works" (20: 13). Finally, "Behold, I come and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his works" (Rev. 22: 12). What the Word speaks of here is that the work which a man does because he loves truth and good, is the man's love or charity and is his faith. These are the two means of salvation: first, love to the Lord and second, love towards the neighbor. In the first is seen man's faith, in the second can be seen his charity. Thus, man wills his own good and his own truth and in this is meant his work and deeds, though they are the Lord's, who dwells in Him. A man has this freedom to either will for good or for evil.
The Lord has filled us with His spirit. Influx from Him enlightens us from Divine Truth, which is from the Lord's Divine Good. This is the filling of the spirit of God. The Divine Truth and Divine Good of the Lord is all good and all truth out of Heaven from the Lord. Good and truth does not come from man, but are with him from the Divine in Heaven. Man must receive God's good and truth in order to have enlightenment and from this enlightenment he sees inwardly, not from self, not outwardly or worldly, but from the Lord. From this it can be known that it is the man's interiors - his will and understanding - that the Lord raises up to Heaven. Thus, his will and understanding withdraw from the body and the world. They actually come into the light and heat of Heaven and, thus the man's spirit has God's influx and enlightens him.
Spiritual light is Divine Truth coming from the Lord as the Sun in Heaven. It enlightens the understanding. Spiritual heat of Heaven enkindles the will; it is the good of love, which also proceeds from the Lord as the Sun of Heaven. This man's spirit, or the spiritual of man, is among angels and his understanding of truths and his affection for goods are communicated to him by angels. The truth and good they have are from the Lord. Though such communication is not immediate as that which comes from the Holy Spirit.
Moreover, today the Lord, who has glorified Himself and is in His Divine Human, sends the spirit of truth or the Holy Spirit that gives man the power to follow Him, to do His Truth, the Commandments, and to do His will. For as said, such influx of truth and good from the Holy Spirit coming to man are now perceptible and he can come to comprehend spiritual truths in his natural understanding. For the Lord has united the Natural with the Spiritual and the Celestial in Himself and in the man who believes and who acts accordingly, that is, whose works are in him from the Lord.
However, let it be known that this perception that comes now through the Holy Spirit is only made possible by the Lord through His Word when it is understood in its internal sense. Such knowledge of this now descends to mankind on earth in the Lord's coming again in this Truth. It comes as Truth in the Word of the Divine Human - the Latin Word - through Emanuel Swedenborg just as the Word came to mankind through Moses, the Prophets, and the Evangelist inspired by the Lord God.
End.
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