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Swedenborg’s Revelation and the Name “Jesus Christ”
By Kurt Simons | January 13, 2007
“Swedenborg presents his theology as essentially Christian, and in fact more truly Christian than either Protestantism or Catholicism, as suggested by the title of his last published work, True Christianity. Although he suggests a new direction for Christianity, his theology has much in common with mainstream denominations: He believes in the sacraments of baptism and communion, the latter of which he calls the Holy Supper. He subscribes to the divine inspiration of the Word (Christian Scripture)…. He supports the existence of heaven and hell, angels and devils, and the salvation or condemnation of the individual after death. He urges repentance and the shunning of evils as sins against God. He speaks of faith and goodwill, and recommends good works. He believes in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and in the divinity of Jesus Christ.” (J.S. Rose, Essays for the New Century Edition, West Chester: Swedenborg Foundation 2005, p. 72)
It might also be noted that, at the beginning of Swedenborg’s call, in 1744, Jesus Christ appeared to him in person and Swedenborg even reports that: “I believe that His countenance was…such while He lived on earth.” (Journal of Dreams 54). Then, at what was in effect the end of his call, in his final and crowning work, True Christian Religion, Swedenborg identified himself on the title page as “Emanuel Swedenborg, Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
While Swedenborg’s revelation is thus fundamentally Christian, there are two aspects of its use of the name “Jesus Christ” that may appear confusing to someone just becoming acquainted with that revelation and which thus need clarification:
1. Swedenborg’s revelation is clear as to the power of the name “Jesus Christ.” For instance, it teaches that that name represents not just the marriage of good and truth that defines God (Arcana Coelestia 3004, 3960, 5502) but “means the whole of redemption, and the whole of His teaching, and thus the whole of salvation” (True Christian Religion 298). Indeed, “[T]he Lord Jesus Christ… Himself is salvation and everlasting life” (ibid. 150, Arcana Coelestia 9809, John 20:31) and “in no other name [than Jesus Christ] is there salvation” (Arcana Coelestia 3006).
Despite the importance of the name “Jesus Christ,” however, it is used relatively infrequently in the text of Swedenborg’s revelation, with much of what usage there is due to citations from the New Testament. The term “Lord,” on the other hand, is very widely used, despite the fact that “‘Lord’[,] …[in] Latin Dominus, [is] a title rather than a name, meaning ‘the one in charge’ (J.S. Rose, op. cit. p. 58), as in the references in the Gospels to Him as ‘my Lord’ (Luke 1:43, John 20:13, 28).” Why does Swedenborg do this?
The Arcana Coelestia tells us that
“In all that follows the name THE LORD is used exclusively to mean the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, and He is called the Lord without the addition of the rest of His names. Throughout heaven He is acknowledged and worshipped as Lord, since He has all power in heaven and on earth. This He also commanded when He said,
“You call Me Lord, and you are right, for so I am.” John 13:13.
“Furthermore after the Resurrection the disciples called Him Lord.” (Arcana Coelestia 14)
This passage makes two points. One is that use of the title “Lord” is appropriate. The other is that, when Swedenborg’s revelation uses “Lord,” it is an abbreviation or shorthand for “the rest of His names,” i.e. the whole long list of names by which God is referred to “ Jehovah, Adonai, Jesus, I Am, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Faithful and True, etc., etc. (e.g. see list).
Note that the explanation of this abbreviation or shorthand occurs right at the beginning - number 14 - of the very first volume of the whole Second Advent revelation and applies - in all that follows” - i.e. in the rest of Swedenborg’s revealed work. Since it clearly would be cumbersome in the extreme to repeatedly use even an abbreviated list of God’s names, this is a very practical protocol to follow. So, when you read “Lord, or “Messiah,” or “Adonai,” etc.) recall that all these names are referring to Jesus Christ.
2. A second area where there is apparent deviation from use of the name “Jesus Christ” in the revelation given to Swedenborg is that that revelation refers repeatedly to the “Divine Human.” However, this is just another name for “the Son,” Jesus Christ (e.g., Apocalypse Revealed 15, Arcana Coelestia 2320, 2628, 3061, 3038, 3952, 10053, 10152, 10196, New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 290, 306, Doctrine of the Lord 19, 20, 28, Divine Love and Wisdom 12, 146, Divine Providence 157, True Christian Religion 92, 113), making the point, among other things, that Jesus is the archetype, the pattern for the rest of humanity, perfect in all respects as we are not. However, since Jesus Christ is the only component of God that we can conceptualize and hence relate to, staying focused on Him is important for developing the relationship with Him that is the basis of our salvation. In other words, thinking of Jesus Christ provides the most meaningful answer to that fundamental question of faith, famously posed by the Apostle Thomas (John 20: 25), “How can I believe what I do not intellectually comprehend?” (Doctrine of Faith 2)
“That…God has become a Man, is the first and most essential thing for the sake of which the Word was given; for no one can believe in and love a God whom he cannot comprehend under some form; and therefore those who acknowledge the incomprehensible, in their thought fall into nature, and thus believe in no God.” (Arcana Coelestia 9356)
In other words,
“The reason why we must believe, that is, have faith in God the Saviour Jesus Christ, is that it is faith in a visible God, in whom there is an invisible God; and faith in a visible God, who is man and at the same time God, enters into a person.” (True Christian Religion 339)
March 21st, 2007 at 12:29 am
This was very helpful to me. I had always wondered what our Lord’s name meant. Now I know thanks again.
May The LORD JESUS CHRIST bless you.