23. From him who is, and who was, and who is to come. That this signifies, from Him who is the All in all of heaven and of the church from eternity to eternity, is evident from the signification of who is, and who was, and who is to come, as being from eternity to eternity; and also, that He is the All in all of heaven, and of the church. The reason why from eternity to eternity is signified by these words is, because all times, in the Word, signify not times, but states of life (as may be evident from what is said and shown concerning time in heaven, in the work, Heaven and Hell, n. 162-169); and because all times signify states of life, therefore, when the Lord is treated of, they signify infinite state, and infinite state, in reference to time,, is eternity. That all times are embraced in the expressions, "who is, and who was, and who is to come," is manifest. Much might be said about eternity, as a term applicable to the Lord alone; but it would not be understood by the natural man, whose thoughts are chiefly based on time, space and matter, although eternity does not involve such things. If a man could think of eternity as the angels of heaven think, he might possibly have some idea of it, and be able to comprehend what "from eternity" means, which is signified by the expression "who was"; also what the Divine foresight is, that it embraces the most particular things from eternity; and what, the Divine providence is, that it extends to the most particular things, to eternity; consequently, that whatever proceeds from the Lord is from eternity to eternity, and that unless such were the case, heaven and the universe could not subsist. But at present we cannot enter further into this arcanum. (Something may be seen respecting it in the work, Heaven and Hell, n. 167.) Here let it be observed only that the same is understood by "Jehovah" as by, "who is, who was, and who is to come," because the word Is, which is JEHOVAH, involves the past, which is meant by "who was," and the future, which is meant by "who is to come," and thus signifies from eternity to eternity. [2] That Is signifies from eternity is also known in the Christian world from that Psalm of David, where it is said,
"I will declare concerning the decree; Jehovah hath said unto me. Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee" (ii. 7).
It is known that these things are said of the Lord, and that by to-day is meant from eternity. (That to-morrow, in the Word, where the Lord is treated of, also signifies to eternity, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia, n. 3998.) The reason why who is, who was, and who is to come signifies also the All in all of heaven and the church is, because it signifies eternal, and eternal cannot be expressed by any other word in heaven than by Divine. The reason of this is that Infinite cannot fall into an angelic idea, still less into a human idea: and by eternal is meant the infinite Manifestation (Existere) from the infinite as Being (Esse); but the only idea that can be formed of this is, that, the Eternal, which is the Divine as to Manifestation, is the All in all of heaven and the church. For the whole heaven is not heaven from the proprium of the angels, but from the Divine of the Lord; nor is the church the church from the proprium of men, but from the Divine of the Lord; for all the good of love and the truth of faith are from the Lord; and the good of love and the truth of faith constitute heaven and the church: angels and men are only recipients, and in proportion to their reception, heaven and the church dwell in them. (These things may be seen fully illustrated In the work. Heaven and Hell, n. 7-12, where it is shown that the Divine of the Lord constitutes heaven, and that the Divine which constitutes heaven is the Divine Human, which is the Divine Manifestation (Existere) from the Divine as Being (Esse), n. 78-86.)
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