44. Verse 13. And in the midst of the seven lampstands One like unto the Son of man, signifies the Lord as to the Word, from whom that church is. It is known from the Word, that the Lord called Himself "the Son of God," and also "the Son of man;" that by "the Son of God" He meant Himself as to the Divine Human, and by the "Son of man," Himself as to the Word, is fully demonstrated in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord (n. 19-28); and as it is there fully confirmed from the Word, it is unnecessary to add any further confirmation here. Now, because the Lord represented Himself before John as the Word, therefore as seen by him, He is called "the Son of man." He represented Himself as the Word, because the New Church is treated of, which is a church from the Word, and according to the understanding of it. That the church is from the Word, and that such as its understanding of the Word is, such is the church, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture (n. 76-79). As the church is a church from the Lord through the Word, therefore the Son of man was seen in the midst of the lampstands; "in the midst" signifies in the inmost, from which the things which are round about, or which are without, derive their essence, here, their light or intelligence. That the inmost is the all in the things which are round about, or without, is shown in many places in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom; it is like light and flame in the midst, from which all the circumferences receive light and heat. [2] "In the midst," has the same signification in the following passages in the Word:
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee (Isa. 12:6). God is my King working salvation in the midst of the earth (Ps. 74:12). God doing mercy in the midst of the temple (Ps. 48:9). God standeth in the assembly of God; he will judge in the midst of the gods (Ps. 82:1). They are called "gods" who are in Divine truths from the Lord, and, abstractly, the truths themselves:
Behold, I send an angel before thee; beware of his face, for My name is in the midst of him (Exod. 23:20-21). "The name of Jehovah" is all the Divine; "in the midst," is in the inmost, and thence in everything of it. "The midst" also signifies the inmost, and thence the all, in many other passages in the Word, where evils are also treated of, as in Isa. 24:13; Jer. 23:9; Ps. 5:9; Jer. 9:4, 5; Ps. 36:1; 55:4; 62:4. These passages are adduced in order to show, that "in the midst of the lampstands" signifies in the inmost, from which the church and everything of it is derived; for the church and everything of it is from the Lord through the Word. That "lampstands" signify the New Church, may be seen above (n. 43).
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