261. XI. THE LORD WHEN IN THE WORLD FULFILLED ALL THINGS OF THE WORD, AND THEREBY BECAME THE WORD, THAT IS A DIVINE TRUTHS EVEN IN THINGS LAST. That the Lord when in the world fulfilled all things of the Word, and thereby became Divine truth, or the Word, even in things last, is meant by these words in John:
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:4). "To become flesh" is to become the Word in things last. What the Lord was as the Word in things last, He showed to His disciples when he was transfigured (Matt. 17:2 seq.; Mark 9:2 seq.; Luke 9:28 seq.), where it is said that Moses and Elias appeared in glory, "Moses" meaning the Word written through him, and in general the historical Word, and "Elias" the prophetical Word. The Lord as the Word in things last was also represented before John in Revelation (1:13-16), where all things in the description of Him signify the outmosts of Divine truth, or of the Word. Before this the Lord was indeed the Word or Divine truth, but in things first, for it is said:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word (John 1:1, 2);
but when the Word became flesh, the Lord also became the Word in things last. This is why He is called:
The First and the Last (Apoc. 1:8, 11, 17; 49:8; 21:6; 22:13; Isa. 44:6).
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