Doctrine of Holy Scripture - Swedenborg Foundation

DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 149I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God wasthe Word; in him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:1, 4.)“The Word” here means the Lord as to Divine truth, in whichalone there is life and there is light.[4] It is on this account that the Word, which is from the Lordand which is the Lord, is calledA fountain of living waters (Jer. 2:13; 17:13; 31:9).A fountain of salvation (Isa. 12:3).A fountain (Zech. 13:1).A river of the water of life (Rev. 22:1).And it is said thatThe lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall leadthem unto living fountains of waters (Rev. 7:17).Besides other passages where the Word is called the “sanctuary”and the “tabernacle” in which the Lord dwells with man.3. But the natural man cannot be persuaded by theseconsiderations to believe that the Word is Divine truth itselfwherein are Divine wisdom and Divine life; for he judges it by itsstyle, and in this they do not appear. Yet the style of the Word isthe Divine style itself, with which no other style, however sublimeand excellent it may seem, is at all to be compared; for every otherstyle is as darkness is to light. The style of the Word is such thatthere is holiness in every sentence, and in every word, and in someplaces in even the very letters. This is why the Word conjoins manwith the Lord, and opens heaven. From the Lord proceed twothings: Divine love, and Divine wisdom (or, what is the same,