807. Slain from the foundation of the world. This signifies whose Divine in the Human has not been acknowledged from the first establishment of the present church, is evident from the signification of the Lamb being sacrificed or slain, as denoting not to be acknowledged (concerning which see above, n. 315, 328). Here it denotes that His Divine in His Human was not acknowledged, of which we shall speak presently. And from the signification of the foundation of the world, as denoting the first establishment of the church. For by the world, in the Word, various things are signified - both the world in general, and the good and evil therein; also the evil only who are in the world, and thence also the hells. By the world, also, is signified the same as by the earth, that is, the church; which is also here meant by the foundation of the world; and also in these words in Matthew:
"The King shall say unto them on the right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess as a heritage the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (xxv. 34).
The reason why the Lord is not acknowledged when His Divine in His Human is not acknowledged is, because in such case the Lord is not regarded as God, but only as a man, who is not able to save. But as it is still believed from the Athanasian Creed that the Lord is the Son of God born from eternity, and that His Divine is equal to the Divine of the Father, and yet they separate His Human from His Divine, it follows, that they divide the Lord as it were into two persons, which they call natures, so that the Lord, as the Son of God from eternity is one, and as the Son of Mary another. And because they thus divide the Lord, no one can draw near to Him, unless he approaches Him on the one hand as God, and on the other as a man. Such an idea concerning the Lord has existed from the first foundation of the church, as is evident from the writings of the Fathers, and afterwards from those of their sons.
[3] This division of the Lord in the church from its beginning was the result of the Word not being understood. For where the Father is named by the Lord, it was believed to be the Divine distinct from His Human, although it is quite clear, in Matthew and in Luke, that the Lord was conceived by the very Divine, which is called the Father; and that, consequently, this very Divine is in His Human, as the soul is in its body, and the soul and body are one person. And what is wonderful, the Athanasian Creed, which is the doctrine concerning God throughout the whole Christian world, teaches this in express terms, and yet scarcely any one attends to it. That they do not attend to it has been made clear to me from many with whom I have conversed after their death, both the learned and the unlearned, who have said that they did not know it; but that they thought of the Son of God from eternity as of a Divine Person above His Human sitting at the Father's right hand. So also they said that they had not attended to the words of the Lord, that the Father and He are One; also that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father.
From these things it is evident that the church from its commencement has not acknowledged the Lord's Divine in His Human; and that this is what is signified by the Lamb being slain from the foundation of the world.
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