27. The faithful witness, signifies from whom is all truth in heaven. This is evident from the signification of "faithful witness," as being, in reference to the Lord, the acknowledgment of the Divine Human from whom is all truth in heaven (of which in what follows). It is said in heaven, because Divine truth, proceeding from the Lord's Divine good, makes heaven in general, and with each angel there in particular. (This may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 13, 126-140; and that this is from the Lord's Divine Human, n. 7-12, 78-86.) The Lord as to the Divine Human is called the "faithful witness," because Divine truth proceeding from Him, bears witness in heaven concerning Him. This testimony is universally in the Divine truth in heaven; as may be seen from this, that angels of the interior heaven can think of the Divine in no other way than under a human form, thus as the Divine Human, and for the reason that the Divine Human of the Lord fills the universal heaven and forms it, and the thoughts of angels proceed and flow according to the form of heaven (see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 59-102, 200-212, 265-275). From this it is that "the testimony of Jesus Christ" (see n. 10) signifies the acknowledgment of the Divine of the Lord in His Human. [2] From this can be seen what is meant in the spiritual sense by "bearing witness" and by "testimony" in the following passages:
John [that is, the Baptist] came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the Light, that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but came that he might bear witness of the Light. It was the true Light, which lighteth every man. And I have seen and have borne witness (John 1:7-9, 34). "Light" signifies Divine truth; therefore the Lord is here called "the true Light, which lighteth every man," and to "bear witness of the light" signifies an acknowledgment of His Divine Human, from which Divine truth proceeds. (That "light" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, in the chapter on The Light of Heaven, n. 120-140.) [3] In the same:
Ye sent unto John, and He bare witness unto the truth; but I receive not testimony from man (John 5:33-34). In the same:
Jesus said, Verily I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and bear witness of what we have seen. He that cometh from heaven is above all. What He hath seen and heard, of that He beareth witness (John 3:11, 31-32). In the same:
Jesus said, Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true; for I know whence I came and whither I go (John 8:14). By this is signified that He hears witness concerning Himself from Himself, because He was Divine truth. In the same:
When the Comforter is come, the Spirit of Truth, He shall bear witness of Me (John 15:26). "The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth," is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord (see Arcana Coelestia, n. 9818, 9820, 10330; and above, n. 25). [4] In the same:
Pilate said, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest it, because I am a king. For this have I been born, and for this am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice. Pilate said, What is truth? (John 18:37-38). The Lord thus answered when He was asked whether He was a king, because the Lord, as king, is Divine truth, for this is the royalty of the Lord in heaven, while His Divine good is the priesthood there. This is why the Lord said that He was a king, that to this end He was born, and to this end He came into the world, that He should bear witness unto the truth; and that everyone that is in truth heareth His voice; and therefore Pilate asked him, "What is truth?" thus whether that was king. (That Divine truth is the royalty of the Lord in the heavens, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 3009, 5068; and that "kings," therefore, in the Word, signify those who are in Divine truths, or abstractly from persons, signify Divine truths, see n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044.) That "kings" signify those who are in Divine truths, will appear more clearly in the explanation of what follows in Revelation, where kings are mentioned; and just below, where it is said, "He hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." From this it can be seen that by the words, "from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness," is signified the Lord as to the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, from which is all truth in heaven.
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