The same is true of heaven. Although it is divided into countless
communities, before the Lord it nevertheless looks like one thing—in
fact, like one human being, as I have shown above [§§ 65 , 119 : 1 , 268 ; com-
pare § 74 : 5 ]. The same thing is true of a country. Although it is broken up
into many jurisdictions, provinces, and cities, it is united under a
monarch who exercises justice and judgment. It is the same with the
truths of faith that the Lord uses to make the church a church. This is
because the Lord is the Word; the God of heaven and earth; the God of
all flesh; the God of the vineyard, or the church; the God of faith; the
light itself; the truth itself; and eternal life.
[ 2 ] It is clear from John that the Lord is the Word and is therefore all
the truth in heaven and the church: “The Word was with God, and the
Word was God. And the Word became flesh” (John 1 : 1 , 14 ).
It is clear from Matthew that the Lord is the God of heaven and
earth: “Jesus said, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to
me’” (Matthew 28 : 18 ).
It is clear from John that the Lord is the God of all flesh: The Father
has given the Son power over all flesh (John 17 : 2 ).
It is clear from Isaiah and from John that the Lord is the God of the
vineyard, or the church: “My beloved had a vineyard” (Isaiah 5 : 1 , 2 ); “I
am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15 : 5 ).
It is clear from Paul that the Lord is the God of faith: “You have the
justice that comes from faith in Christ, from the God of faith” (Philip-
pians 3 : 9 ).
It is clear from John that the Lord is the light itself: “He was the true
light that enlightens everyone who comes into the world” (John 1 : 9 ). In
another passage Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light so that all
who believe in me would not remain in darkness” (John 12 : 46 ).
It is clear from John that the Lord is the truth itself: “Jesus said, ‘I am
the way, the truth, and the life.’” (John 14 : 6 ).
It is clear from John that the Lord is eternal life: “We know that the Son
of God came into the world so that we would know the truth. We are in
the truth in Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” ( 1 John 5 : 20 ).
[ 3 ] To these things I should add that because people are busy in this
world, they cannot acquire for themselves more than a few truths of
faith. Nevertheless, if they turn to the Lord and worship him alone, they
gain the ability to recognize all truths. For this reason, as soon as all true
worshipers of the Lord hear some truth of faith they had not known
before, they immediately see it, acknowledge it, and accept it. The reason
is that the Lord is in them and they are in the Lord. Therefore the light of
§354 faith 423