royal role he is called Christ. In the Word, in his priestly role he is called
Jehovah and the Lord; in his royal role he is called God and the Holy
One of Israel, as well as King.
The two roles are differentiated from each other, just as love and wis-
dom are, or their equivalents, goodness and truth. Therefore whatever
the Lord did from divine love or divine goodness, he did from his priestly
position. On the other hand, whatever the Lord did from divine wisdom
or divine truth, he did from his royal position. In fact, in the Word
“priest” and “priesthood” mean divine goodness, and “king” and “royal”
mean divine truth. The priests and kings in the Israelite church repre-
sented these two roles.
As for redemption, it relates to both roles. Which aspect of it relates
to which role will be disclosed in what follows. In order that the details
may be clearly perceived, the explanation will be broken up into topics or
points. They will be the following:
1. Redemption was actually a matter of gaining control of the hells,
restructuring the heavens, and by so doing preparing for a new spir-
itual church.
2. Without this redemption no human being could have been saved
and no angels could have continued to exist in their state of integrity.
3. The Lord therefore redeemed not only people but also angels.
4. Redemption was something only the Divine could bring about.
5. This true redemption could not have happened if God had not
come in the flesh.
6. Suffering on the cross was the final trial the Lord underwent as the
greatest prophet. It was a means of glorifying his human nature, that
is, of uniting that nature to his Father’s divine nature. It was not
redemption.
7. Believing that the Lord’s suffering on the cross was redemption itself
is a fundamental error on the part of the church. That error, along
with the error about three divine Persons from eternity, has ruined
the whole church to the point that there is nothing spiritual left in it
anymore.I will discuss these matters point by point.
- Redemption was actually a matter of gaining control of the hells, restruc- 115
turing the heavens, and by so doing preparing for a new spiritual church.I can
say with absolute certainty that these three actions are redemption, because
§115 the lord the redeemer & redemption 165