84. And, behold, I am alive unto the ages of the ages. That this signifies life eternal from Him is evident from the signification of being alive, as being to be from eternity, and that in Him alone life is from Himself (concerning which see above, n. 82), but here, it denotes life in others, and His life in others is life eternal; for it is said, just before, that He was dead, by which is signified that He was rejected, because not received in faith and love. By being alive, therefore, is here signified His being received by those who are in His life, which life is in faith and love with man, and that life is life eternal. That unto the ages of the ages signifies to eternity, is clear without explanation. [2] That the life of the Lord is the life of faith and love to Him, and that this life is eternal, is evident from many passages in the Word, as from the following:
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have life eternal. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life" (John iii. 14, 15, 16, 36).
And again:
"The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life" (iv. 14):
water is the truth of faith (as may be seen above, n. 71). In the same:
"Every one who seeth the Son, and believeth on him, hath eternal life. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (vi. 40, 63).
The words which the Lord speaks, are also the truths of faith. In the same:
"I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (xi. 25, 26).
In the same:
"Labour for the food which endureth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you" (vi. 27).
The food which the Lord gives, is also the truth and good of faith, because spiritual food is meant (see Arcana Coelestia, n. 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 8562, 9003). [3] It was said that the life of the Lord is in faith in Him and love to Him with man; the reason is, that the all of faith and love is from Him, and that which is from Him is also Himself; for it is His proceeding Divine, which is called the Spirit of truth, and the Holy Spirit; and because the Lord is therein, and it is Himself, therefore it is said that they should abide in the Lord, by which is meant to abide in faith and love to Him, from Him; as He says in John:
"Abide in me, and I in you. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing" (xv. 4-10).
From these things it may be known what is meant by these words in John:
"Ye see me; because I live ye shall live also" (xiv. 19).
(That to see the Lord is to believe in Him, may be seen above, n. 14, 25, 37; and that to have faith, or to believe in the Lord, is to be in love and charity, see the small work, The Last Judgment, n. 33-39; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 108-122.)
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