129.主之所以愿意经历各样的试探，甚至忍受十字架的苦难，是因为祂是本质上的先知，在古时，先知表示出于圣言的教会教义；所以，他们通过神所施加给他们的各种不公、严厉，甚至犯罪行为来代表教会当时的状态。然而，由于主是圣言本身，故祂作为本质上的先知，以十字架受难来代表犹太教会亵渎圣言的方式。另外一个原因是，祂要由此在诸天堂被视为两个世界（灵界和尘世）的救主。因为祂受难的一切细节都代表了亵渎圣言的细节；天使以属灵的方式来理解这些细节，而教会里的人则以属世的方式来理解。以下经文证实，主就是本质上的先知：
主说，先知除了在本地本家之外，没有不受尊敬的。（马太福音13:57；马可福音6:4；路加福音4:24）
耶稣说，先知在耶路撒冷之外丧命是不能的。（路加福音13:33）
众人都惊惧，颂赞神说，有伟大的先知在我们中间兴起来了！（路加福音7:16）
他们论到耶稣说，这是拿撒勒的先知。（马太福音21:11；约翰福音7:40，41）
一位先知要从弟兄中间兴起，他们要听从祂的话。（申命记18:15－19）
129. 主願意忍受各樣的試探,甚至十字架的苦難, 因為祂是最後的先知。先知代表教會從聖言來的教導, 他們以各種方式來代表教會在當時的狀態——甚至藉著上帝命令他們去做非正義的,苛刻的,乃至不道德的事情。然而, 對主而言, 祂是聖言自身。當祂在十字架上受難時, 祂是最後的先知, 代表著猶太教會褻瀆聖言的現狀。
祂願承受十字架受難的另一個原因:祂會因此在天上被接受為兩個世界的拯救主。祂受難的所有細節都代表著聖言被褻瀆的詳細情形; 天人們以屬靈的意義來領會, 而教會之人以屬世的意義來認知。
以下經文明顯看出主是先知:先知除了在他家鄉和他本家之外, 沒有不受尊敬的(馬太福音13:57;馬可福音6:4;路加福音4:24)。耶穌說:"先知在耶路撒冷之外喪命是不能的"(路加福音13:33)。眾人都驚奇, 歸榮耀與上帝, 說:"有大先知在我們中間興起來了"(路加福音7:16)。他們稱耶穌為"拿撒勒來的先知"(馬太福音21:11;約翰福音7:40-41)。在『申命記』中還說, 一個先知將在眾弟兄中興起, 他們當聽祂的話(申命記18:15-19)。
129. The Lord was willing to undergo spiritual tests, including even the suffering on the cross, because he was the ultimate prophet. The prophets stood for the church's teachings from the Word. As a result they represented the nature of the church in various way - seven by doing unjust, harsh, and wicked things that God commanded them to do. In the Lord's case, however, he was the Word itself. During his suffering on the cross he was the ultimate prophet, representing the way the Jewish church had desecrated the Word.
An additional reason why the Lord was willing to suffer on the cross was that by doing so he would come to be acknowledged in the heavens as the Savior of both worlds. Every aspect of his suffering meant something related to the desecration of the Word. When people in the church understand these aspects in physical terms, angels understand them in spiritual terms.
The following passages make it clear that the Lord was the ultimate prophet: "The Lord said, 'A prophet is nowhere less honored than in his own country and in his own house'" (Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24). "Jesus said, 'It is not right for a prophet to die away from Jerusalem'" (Luke 13:33). "Fear took hold of them all. They were praising God and saying that a great prophet had risen among them" (Luke 7:16). They called Jesus "that prophet from Nazareth" (Matthew 21:11; John 7:40-41). It says in Deuteronomy that a prophet would be raised up from among his brothers and sisters, and they would obey his words (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).
129. The reason why the Lord was willing to undergo temptations even to the point of suffering upon the cross, was that He was the Prophet, and prophets in ancient times meant the church's doctrine from the Word; consequently they represented the church in its state at that time by the various unfair, harsh and even criminal acts imposed on them by God. However, since the Lord was the Word itself, by His passion on the cross as the Prophet He represented the way in which the Jewish church profaned the Word. Another reason was that He should thus be acknowledged in the heavens as the Saviour of both worlds. For all the details of His passion stand for details of the profanation of the Word; and the angels understand them spiritually, while men in the church do so naturally. The following passages establish that the Lord was the Prophet:
The Lord said, Nowhere is a prophet less honoured than in his native country and in his own home, Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24. Jesus said, It is not fitting for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem, Luke 13:33.
Fear seized them all, and they praised God, saying that a great prophet had been raised up among them, Luke 7:16.
They called Jesus 'The Prophet from Nazareth.' Matthew 21:11; John 7:40-41. It was said that a prophet should be raised up from among the brothers, whose words they were to obey, Deuteronomy 18:15-19.
129. The Lord was willing to be tempted even to the passion of the cross, because He was the essential Prophet; and the prophets formerly signified the doctrine of the church from the Word, and therefore the state of the church was represented by them in various ways, some of which were unjust, grievous, and abominable, and these representations were enjoined upon them by God. But because the Lord was the Word itself, He, as the essential Prophet, represented in the passion of the cross the Jewish church in its ways of profaning the Word. To this reason another may be added, namely, that thereby He might be acknowledged in the heavens as the Savior of both worlds; for all things pertaining to His passion signified things pertaining to the profanation of the Word; and while men of the church understand these naturally the angels understand them spiritually. That the Lord was the essential Prophet is evident from the following passages:
The Lord said, A prophet is not without honor save in his own country and in his own house (Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24).
Jesus said, It is not meet that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem (Luke 13:33).
Fear took hold on all, praising God, and saying that a great prophet is risen up among us (Luke 7:16).
They said of Jesus, This is the prophet of Nazareth (Matthew 21:11; John 7:40, 41).
That a prophet was to be raised up from the midst of the brethren to whose words they should hearken (Deuteronomy 18:15-16).
129. The Lord was willing to be tempted, even to the passion of the cross, because He was The Prophet; and prophets formerly signified the doctrine of the Church from the Word, and therefore they represented the state of the Church by various means, even by some that were unjust, hard, and also vile, which were enjoined upon them by God. But because the Lord was the Word itself, He, as The Prophet, represented, by the passion of the cross, how the Jewish Church profaned the Word. There was this further purpose to be served, namely, that He might be acknowledged in the heavens as the Savior of both worlds; for everything connected with His passion signified such things as relate to the profanation of the Word; and angels understand them in their spiritual significance, while men of the Church on earth understand them in their natural sense. That the Lord was The Prophet is evident from the following passages:
The Lord said, "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house" Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24.
Jesus said: "It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem" Luke 13:33.
"And there came a fear upon all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us" Luke 7:16.
They said concerning Jesus: that He was the prophet of Nazareth. Matthew 21:11; John 7:40-41.
Moreover, it is written in Deuteronomy 18:15-19, that a prophet should be raised up from among their brethren, whose word they should obey.
129. Quod Dominus usque ad Passionem crucis voluerit tentari, fuit causa, quia erat Ipse Propheta, et Prophetae olim significabant doctrinam Ecclesiae ex Verbo, et inde repraesentabant Ecclesiam, qualis illa fuit, per varia, et quoque per iniqua, dura et quoque nefaria, quae illis a Deo injuncta fuerunt. Dominus autem quia fuit ipsum Verbum, per Passionem crucis ut Ipse Propheta repraesentavit Ecclesiam Judaicam, quomodo illa ipsum Verbum prophanavit: huic causae accedit haec, quod sic pro Salvatore utriusque Mundi agnosceretur in Coelis, omnia enim Passionis Ipsius significabant talia quae profanationis Verbi sunt, et Angeli illa spiritualiter, dum homines Ecclesiae naturaliter intelligunt. Quod Dominus 1 fuerit ipse Propheta, constat ex his locis. Dominus dixit, non est PROPHETA minus honoratus, quam in Patria sua, et in Domo sua, Matthaeus 13:57; Marcus 6:4; Luca 4:24. Jesus dixit, non est conveniens PROPHETAM interire extra Hierosolymam, Luca 13:33. Cepit timor omnes, laudantes Deum, dicentes, quod PROPHETA MAGNUS suscitatus sit inter illos, Luca 7:16. Dixerunt de Jesu, ILLE PROPHETA a Nazareth, 2 Matthaeus 21:11, 3 Johannes 7:40-41. Quod PROPHETA excitaretur a medio fratrum, cujus verbis obedirent, Deuteronomius 18:15-19.
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