21. 'Unto God and His Father' signifies thus [they are] images of His Divine Wisdom and of His Divine Love. By 'God and the Father' in the spiritual sense not two persons are understood, but by 'God' the Divine as to wisdom is understood, and by 'the Father' the Divine as to love. There are in fact two things in the Lord, Divine Wisdom and Divine Love or Divine Truth and Divine Good. In the Old Testament these two are understood by 'God' and 'Jehovah'; here, by 'God' and 'the Father'. Now since the Lord teaches that He and the Father are one, and that He is in the Father and the Father in Him (John x 30; xiv 10, 11), two persons are not understood by 'God' and 'the Father', but only the Lord. Also the Divine is one and indivisible; therefore by [the statement] that Jesus Christ has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father is signified in order that in His presence they may appear to be images of His Divine Wisdom and Love. In these two likewise the image of God has its abode with men and angels. That the Divine, which in itself is one, is designated by various names in the Word, may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD. That the Lord Himself is also the Father, is established from these passages. In Isaiah:-
Unto us a Boy is born, unto us a Son is given, Whose Name is Wonderful, GOD, Hero, THE FATHER OF ETERNITY, the Prince of Peace Isa. ix 6 [H.B. 5].
In the same:-
Thou Jehovah art our Father, our Redeemer from an age is Thy Name Isa. lxiii 16.
And in John:-
If you have known Me, you have known My Father also, and from henceforth you have known Him and seen Him. Philip says, Lord, show us the Father. Jesus says to him, He who has seen Me has seen the Father, how then sayest thou, Show us the Father? Believe Me, that I am in the Father and the Father in Me John xiv 7, 8, 9, 11.
No. 960 below may be seen.
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