Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10828

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10828. The Lord came into the world to save the human race, which if He had not done so would have perished in eternal death. He saved it by subduing the hells which were molesting every person coming into the world and going out of it, and at the same time by glorifying His Human; for having accomplished this He is able to keep the hells in subjection for evermore. The subjection of the hells and the glorification of His Human simultaneously was accomplished by means of temptations which His Human was allowed to undergo and by repeated victories in them, His passion on the Cross being the final temptation and the complete victory. The truth that the Lord subdued the hells is His own teaching in John,

Jesus said, Now My soul is troubled. Father, rescue Me from this hour. But on account of this I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name. A voice came from heaven, [saying,] I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Then Jesus said, Now is the judgement of this world, now will the prince of this world be cast outdoors. John 12:27,28,31.

In the same gospel,

Have confidence, I have overcome the world. John 16:33.

And in Isaiah,

Who is this who comes from Edom, marching in the vast numbers of His strength, mighty to save? My own arm brought salvation to Me. Therefore He became their Saviour. Isa 63:1-19; 59:16-21.

The truth that He glorified His Human, and the truth that the passion on the Cross was the final temptation and the complete victory, through which He was glorified, is again His own teaching in John,

After Judas went out Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God will glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him at once. John 13:31,32.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You. Now, Father, glorify Me with the glory which I had with You before the world was. John 17:1,5.

In the same gospel,

Now My soul is troubled. Father, glorify Your name. And a voice came from heaven, [saying,] I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. John 12:27,28.

And in Luke,

Ought not the Christ to have suffered this and to enter into His glory? Luke 24:26.

'Glorifying' means making Divine. From all this it is now clear that unless the Lord had come into the world and been made Man, and by this means had delivered from hell all those who believe in Him and love Him, no mortal being could have been saved. This is what should be understood by the statement that without the Lord there is no salvation.


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