Spiritual Meaning of

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 Redeeming

As regards redeeming, in the proper sense this signifies to restore and appropriate to Himself that which had been His; and it is predicated of slavery, of death, and of evil; when of slavery, they are meant who have been enslaved, in the spiritual sense enslaved by hell; when of death, they are meant who are in condemnation; and when of evil, as here, they are meant who are in hell, for the evil from which the angel redeems is hell (AC 6279). As the Lord delivered man from these evils by making the Human in Himself Divine, therefore His Divine Human is called in the Word the Redeemer, as in Isaiah:--

I aid thee, saith Jehovah, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 41:14).

Again:--

Thus hath said Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One (Isa. 49:7, 26).

Again:--

Jehovah Zebaoth is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called (Isa. 54:5).

In these passages, the Divine Itself, which is called Jehovah, is distinguished from the Divine Human, which is called the Redeemer the Holy One of Israel.

[2] But that it is Jehovah Himself in the Divine Human, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:--

Thus hath said Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth, I am the first, and I am the last, and besides Me there is no God (Isa. 44:6).

Again:--

Thus hath said Jehovah thy Redeemer, I am Jehovah thy God, that teacheth thee (Isa. 48:17).

Again:--

Thou art our Father, for Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us; Thou Jehovah art our Father, our Redeemer; from everlasting is Thy name (Isa. 63:16).

In David:--

Jehovah who redeemed thy life from the pit (Ps. 103:4).

[3] From these passages also it is plain that by Jehovah in the Word no other is meant than the Lord (AC 1343, 1736, 2921, 3035, 5663); and that Jehovah the Redeemer is His Divine Human. Therefore also those who have been redeemed are called the redeemed of Jehovah in Isaiah:--

Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh; Behold His reward is with Him, and the price of His work before Him. They shall call them, The people of holiness, the redeemed of Jehovah (Isa. 62:11, 12);

that it is the Lord from whom they are called the redeemed of Jehovah, is very clear; for it is said of His coming: Behold thy salvation cometh; behold His reward is with Him. See besides (Isa. 43:1; 52:2, 3; 63:4, 9; Hosea 13:14; Exod. 6:6; 15:13; Job 19:25), where it is evident that redemption is predicated of slavery, of death, and of evil.

from AC 6281

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Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info