516. The spiritual marriage means the marriage of the Lord and the church (on which see above 116-131). As a result it also means the marriage of good and truth (also dealt with above 83-102). Since this marriage of the Lord and the church, and hence of good and truth, is present in every detail of the Word, it is the violation of this which is here meant by the violation of the spiritual marriage. For the church comes from the Word, and the Word is the Lord. The Lord is the Word, because He is the Divine good and the Divine truth in it. A full proof that the Word is that marriage may be seen in The Teaching of the New Jerusalem concerning Holy Scripture (80-90).