10528.“我要差遣一位使者在你前面”表主的神性，教会及其敬拜源于这神性。这从“一位使者”和“差遣在你前头”的含义清楚可知：“一位使者”在至高意义上是指主的神性人身，在相对意义上是指在天堂，在天使当中的主之神性，以及在教会，在世人当中的主之神性，如下文所述；“差遣在你前头”是指预备。 “一位使者或天使”在至高意义上是指主的神性人身（参看1925，3039，6280，6831，9303节）；在相对意义上是指在天堂，在天使当中的主之神性（参看1925，2821，4085，6831，8192节）。由此可推知，“一位使者或天使”也表示在接受主之神性的世人当中的主之神性。因为那些从主拥有对祂的爱之良善和对祂的信之真理在自己里面的人死后就成为天使；那些成为天使的人在活在世上时内心就是一位天使。这就是为何在圣言中，施洗约翰被称为“使者”，如在路加福音：
这个人就是经上所记的那一位，看哪，我要差遣我的使者在你面前，他要在你前面预备你的道路。（路加福音7:27）
此处“使者”表示与他同在的主之神性，这一点明显可见于玛拉基书：
看哪，我要差遣我的使者在我前面预备道路。你们所寻求的主，立约的使者，就是你们所爱慕的，必忽然来到祂的殿。（玛拉基书3:1）
“使者”在这种情况下之所以表示主的神性，是因为施洗约翰代表圣言方面的主，和以利亚一样，圣言是来自主的神性真理。以利亚代表圣言（参看创世记18序言，以及2762，5247e节）；施洗约翰也代表圣言（9372节）。而就至高意义而言，主的神性人身就是“使者或天使”，故经上说“主，立约的使者必来到祂的殿”；“殿”是指祂的神性人身，这一点明显可见于约翰福音（2:18-23）。祂之所以被称为“主”和“使者”，是因为祂由于神性良善而被称为“主”，由于神性真理而被称为“使者”。正因在圣言中，耶和华是指主自己，故经上说“我要差遣我的使者在我前面预备道路”，这是耶和华说的。
注：《圣经》的英文版中的使者一词，是希伯来语、希腊语或拉丁语中“天使”一词的主要意思。
Potts(1905-1910) 10528
10528. And I will send an angel before thee. That this signifies the Divine of the Lord from which is the church and its worship, is evident from the signification of "an angel," as being in the supreme sense the Lord as to the Divine Human, and in the relative sense the Divine of the Lord in heaven with the angels, as also in the church with men (of which below); and from the signification of "sending before thee," as being to prepare. (That in the supreme sense "an angel" denotes the Lord as to the Divine Human, see n. 1925, 3039, 6280, 6831, 9303; that in the relative sense it denotes the Divine of the Lord in heaven with the angels, see n. 1925, 2821, 4085, 6831, 8192.) From this it follows that "an angel" also signifies the Divine of the Lord with the men who receive it; for men who are in the good of love and in the truths of faith in the Lord from the Lord, after death become angels; and those who do so are angels inwardly even while they live in the world. From this it is that in the Word John the Baptist is called an "angel," as in Luke:
This is he of whom it is written, Behold I send Mine angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee (Luke 7:27). That here "angel" denotes the Divine of the Lord with him is plain in Malachi:
Behold I send Mine angel, who shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the covenant, whom ye desire (Mal. 3:1). That the Divine of the Lord is there meant by "angel" is because John the Baptist represented the Lord in respect to the Word, even as Elijah did, and the Word is Divine truth which is from the Lord. (That Elijah represented the Word may be seen in the preface to Genesis 18, and also in n. 2762, 5247; and that John the Baptist did so, in n. 9372.) And whereas in the supreme sense the Lord as to the Divine Human is the "Angel," therefore it is said, "the Lord shall come to His temple, even the Angel of the covenant;" "the temple" denotes His Divine Human, as is evident in John 2:18-22. The reason why He is called both "Lord" and "Angel," is that He is called "Lord" from Divine good, and "Angel" from Divine truth. As "Jehovah" in the Word denotes the Lord Himself, therefore it is said, "I send Mine Angel, who shall prepare the way before Me." This is said by Jehovah.
Elliott(1983-1999) 10528
10528. 'And I will send an angel before you' means that which is Divine and the Lord's, from which the Church and its worship spring. This is clear from the meaning of 'an angel' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense as that which is Divine and the Lord's in heaven among angels, and also in the Church among people on earth, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'sending before you' as preparing. For the meaning of 'an angel' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine Human, see 1925, 3039, 6280, 6831, 9303, and in the relative sense as that which is Divine and the Lord's in heaven among angels, 1925, 2821, 4085, 6831, 8192. And from this it follows that 'an angel' also means that which is Divine and the Lord's among people on earth who receive it. For those people who have within themselves from the Lord the good of love to Him and the truths of faith in Him become angels after death; and those who become angels are also inwardly such while they live in the world. This is why John the Baptist is called 'an angel' in the Word, as in Luke,
This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send My angela before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. Luke 7:27.
And the fact that 'angel' in this declaration means that which was Divine and the Lord's with him is evident in Malachi,
Behold, I send My angel, who will prepare the way before Me. And suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking, and the angel of the covenant in whom you delight. Mal 3:1.
The reason why that which is Divine and the Lord's is meant by 'angel' in this instance is that John the Baptist represented the Lord in respect of the Word, as did Elijah, and the Word is Divine Truth that comes from the Lord. (For Elijah, that he represented the Word, see Preface to Genesis 18, and 2762, 5247(end); and that John the Baptist did so, 9372.) And it is because the Lord's Divine Human is meant in the highest sense by 'angel' that the words 'there will come to His temple the Lord, and the angel of the covenant' are used. 'The temple' is His Divine Human, as is evident in John 2:18-23. Both expressions - 'the Lord' and 'the angel' - are used because He is called 'the Lord' on account of Divine Good and 'the angel' on account of Divine Truth. And it is because Jehovah in the Word is the Lord Himself that it says, 'I send My angel, who will prepare the way before Me', this being said by Jehovah.
Latin(1748-1756) 10528
10528. `Et mittam ante te angelum': quod significet Divinum Domini, ex quo {1}Ecclesia et ejus cultus, constat ex significatione `angeli' quod in sensu supremo sit Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum et in sensu respectivo Divinum Domini in caelo apud angelos, etiam in Ecclesia apud homines, de qua sequitur; {2}et ex significatione `mittere ante te' quod sit praeparare; quod `angelus {3}' in supremo sensu sit Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum, videatur n. 1925, 3039, 6280, 6831, 9303, et quod in sensu respectivo sit Divinum Domini in caelo apud angelos, n. 1925, 2821, 4085, 6831, 8192; {4} inde sequitur quod `angelus' etiam sit Divinum Domini apud homines qui id recipiunt; homines enim qui in bono amoris et in veris fidei in Dominum Domino sunt fiunt angeli post mortem, et qui fiunt etiam sunt quoad interiora sua cum vivunt in mundo; inde est quod {5} Johannes Baptista dicatur `angelus' in Verbo, ut apud Lucam, Hic est de quo scriptum est, Ecce Ego mitto angelum Meum ante faciem Tuam, qui praeparabit viam Tuam coram Te, vii 27:et quod `angelus' ibi sit Divinum Domini apud illum, apud Malachiam, Ecce Ego mitto angelum Meum, qui parabit viam ante Me; et subito veniet ad templum Suum Dominus, Quem vos quaeritis, et angelus foederis, quem vos desideratis, iii 1;
quod Divinum Domini per `angelum' ibi intelligatur, est quia Johannes Baptista repraesentavit Dominum quoad Verbum, sicut Elias, et Verbum est Divinum Verum quod a Domino; quod Elias id repraesentaverit, videatur Praefatio ad Gen. xviii, et n. 2762, 5247 fin., et quod Johannes Baptista, n. 9372; et quia in supremo sensu Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum est `angelus,' ideo dicitur, `Veniet ad templum Suum Dominus, et angelus foederis'; `templum' est Divinum Humanum Ipsius, ut patet Johannem ii 18-23; quod dicatur et `Dominus' et `angelus,' est quia `Dominus' dicitur ex Divino Bono, et `angelus' ex Divino Vero; {6}quia Jehovah in Verbo {7}est Ipse Dominus, {8}ideo dicitur, `Mitto angelum Meum, qui parabit viam ante Me'; hoc dicitur a Jehovah. @1 externum Ecclesiae altered to Ecclesia cp n. 10524$ @2 (m)et ex significatione mittere ante te, quod sit in externo Ecclesiae et cultus, quoniam Divinum desinit, in externis ut in suum ultimum; quia gens illa in solo externo erat, et apud illam non Divinum quia non internum, ut supra ostensum est, et usque in ipso externo cultus et Ecclesiae in se spectato erat, ideo per mittere ante te angelum significatur Divinum in externo cultus et Ecclesiae apud illos(n)$ @3 i Jehovae$ @4 inde etiam sequitur quod sit Divinum Domini in Ecclesia apud homines qui id recipiunt; quod homo etiam ex Divino Domini apud illum dicatur angelus constat ex eo, quod homo, qui in bono amoris et fidei est in Domino, intus sit angelus, et quoque fiat angelus post mortem$ @5 i etiam$ @6 d quod i and quia i quod$ @7 sit$ @8 etiam ibi patet, dicitur enim a Jehovah$