Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 58their reception from the Lord, and they receive in the measure inwhich they are in Divine good united with Divine truth; for this isthe Lord in Heaven. From this it is clear that the Lord alone ispowerful, and no one else in heaven except from the Lord. Thereason is that the Divine of the Lord is the all in all things inheaven, for this makes heaven in general, and with each one inparticular. Moreover, by him were all things created that werecreated, thus heaven and earth, as he himself teaches in John:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, andGod was the Word. All things were made through him; and withouthim was not anything made that hath been made. In him was life, andthe life was the light of men. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt inus (John 1:1, 3–4, 14).By “the Word” is meant the Divine truth which is in the heavens,and from which are all things there. That this is the Lord in respectto the Divine human is evident, for it is said, “And the Wordbecame flesh, and dwelt in us.” And because all the life of theangels is therefrom, likewise all the light in the heavens, it is said,“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (But all thesethings may be seen more fully illustrated in Heaven and Hell,namely, that the Divine of the Lord makes heaven, n. 7–12; thatthis is his Divine human, n. 78–86; that all the life of angels istherefrom, n. 9; and also all light in heaven, n. 126–140; thatangels have all their power from the Lord, and none at all fromthemselves, n. 228–233.) From this it is clear that “Almighty”means to be, to live, and to have power, from himself. That theLord’s Divine human has being, life, and power from itself equallywith his Divine in himself, which is called the Father, the Lord alsoteaches:As the Father hath life in himself, so gave he to the son to have lifein himself (John 5:26);and that no one else has life in himself Jesus declares:Without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).