140.由于圣灵表示神圣真理，而神圣真理在主自己里面，就是主自己（约翰福音14:6），因而由于圣灵无法从其它源头发出，故经上说：
那时圣灵还没有来，因为耶稣尚未得着荣耀。（约翰福音7:39）
祂得着荣耀之后：
祂向祂的门徒吹了一口气，说，领受圣灵吧。（约翰福音20:22）
主向门徒吹气并说这句话原因是，吹气是表示受神启示的外在象征；启示意味着被带入与天使社群的交往中。这会使理解力能理解天使迦百列对于主的孕育所说的那番话：
圣灵要临到你身上，至高者的能力要荫庇你；因此你所要生的圣者必称为神的儿子。（路加福音1:35）
还有：
主的天使在梦中对约瑟说，不要怕，只管娶过你的未婚妻马利亚来，因她所怀的孕是从圣灵来的。约瑟没有和她同房，直到她生了儿子。（马太福音1:20，25）
此处“圣灵”表示从耶和华父所发出的神圣真理；这种发出就是那时荫庇祂母亲的“至高者的能力”。所以，这句话与约翰所说的相吻合：
道与神同在，道就是神；道成了肉身。（约翰福音1:1，14）
此处“道”（即圣言）表神圣真理，这一点可参看前面新教会的信仰（3节）。
140. 因為聖靈表示神性的真理, 而這些真理在主裡面,是主自己(約翰福音14:6)。聖靈沒有別的來源, 因此聖言說:"那時還沒有聖靈, 因為耶穌尚未得著榮耀(約翰福音7:39) 。在祂榮耀後, 向門徒們吹氣, 說:'接受聖靈'"(約翰福音20:22)。主向門徒們吹氣並說這樣的話, 因為吹氣代表受神性啟發的外在記號; 啟發表示帶進並與天人社區聯絡。
由此就能領會到迦百列論主的受孕時所講的:"聖靈將降臨於你, 至高者的能力將遮蓋你, 因此從你生出的聖者將被稱為上帝的兒子"(路加福音1:35)。類似的, "主的天人在夢中對約瑟說:'不要怕, 只管娶你的妻子瑪利亞來, 因祂所懷的孕是從聖靈來的。他沒有和她同房, 直到她生了兒子"(馬太福音1:20, 25)。"聖靈"在這裡表示從父發出的神性真理(或聖理), 所產生的就是遮蓋瑪利亞的"至高者的能力"。這樣的觀點就符合『約翰福音』以下的陳述:"道與上帝同在, 道是上帝; 道成了肉身"(約翰福音1:1; 14)。道表示神性真理(或聖理), 見第3節"新教會的信仰"中的內容。
140. Now, because the Holy Spirit means divine truth and this was in the Lord and was the Lord himself (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit could not come from anywhere else, therefore the Word says, "The Holy Spirit was not yet in existence, because Jesus was not glorified yet" (John 7:39); and after he was glorified, "He breathed on his disciples and said, Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). The Lord breathed on his disciples and said this because breathing on someone is an outward representation of divine inspiration. To be inspired is in fact to be inserted into angelic communities.
From these points the intellect can grasp what the angel Gabriel said about the Lord's conception: "The Holy Spirit will descend upon you and the power of the Highest will cover you; therefore the Holy One that is born from you will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Likewise, "The angel of the Lord said to Joseph in a dream, Do not be afraid to accept Mary as your bride, for the Child that is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. And Joseph did not touch her until she bore her firstborn Son" (Matthew 1:20, 25). The "Holy Spirit" in this passage is the divine truth that radiates from Jehovah the Father. This emanation was the power of the Highest that covered Mary then. This view is therefore in alignment with the following statement in John: "The Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh" (John 1:1, 14). The Word there means divine truth, as you can see above under the heading "the faith of the new church," 3.
140. Now because the Holy Spirit means the Divine truth, and this was in the Lord Himself and was the Lord Himself (John 14:6), and so because the Holy Spirit could not proceed from any other source, it is said:
The Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified, John 7:39.
and after His glorification:
He breathed on His disciples and said, Receive the Holy Spirit, John 20:22.
The reason why the Lord breathed on the disciples and said this was that breathing on was the external sign standing for inspiration by God; and inspiration means being brought into contact with communities of angels. This will allow the understanding to grasp what the angel Gabriel said about the Lord's conception:
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; so that the holy thing that is born of you will be called the Son of God, Luke 1:35.
Also:
The angel of the Lord said to Joseph in a dream, Do not be afraid to take Mary as your betrothed, for what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; and Joseph did not touch her until she had given birth to her first-born son, Matthew 1:20, 25.
The Holy Spirit stands there for the Divine truth proceeding from Jehovah the Father; it was this that came forth which was 'the power of the Most High' which overshadowed His mother. So this statement tallies with what John says:
The Word was with God, and the Word was God; and the Word was made flesh, John 1:1, 14.
For a demonstration that the Word there means the Divine truth see the Faith of the New Church (3 above).
140. Since, then, by the Holy Spirit the Divine truth is meant, and the Divine truth was in the Lord and was the Lord Himself (John 14:6), and since the Holy Spirit could therefore proceed from no other source, it is said:
The Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:39),
and after the glorification:
He breathed upon His disciples and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (John 20:22).
The Lord breathed upon His disciples and said this because "breathing upon, (aspiratio)" was an outward symbol representative of the Divine breathing-into (inspiratio). Breathing-into effects insertion into angelic societies. From all this the understanding can comprehend what was said by the angel Gabriel respecting the conception of the Lord:
The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
And again:
The angel of the Lord said to Joseph, in a dream, Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy bride; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And Joseph touched her not until she had brought forth her firstborn Son (Matthew 1:20, 25).
Here the "Holy Spirit" means the Divine truth going forth from Jehovah the Father; and this going forth is the power of the Most High which then overshadowed the mother. This, therefore, agrees with what is said in John:
The Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh (1:1, 14).
That by "the Word" here the Divine truth is meant may be seen above (n. 3) on The Faith of the New Church.
140. Now since the Divine Truth, which was in the Lord, and was the Lord, John 14:6, is meant by the Holy Spirit; and since the Holy Spirit could proceed from no other source, it was therefore said:
"The Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified" John 7:39;
and after glorification,
He breathed on the disciples, and said: "Receive ye the Holy Spirit" John 20:22.
The Lord breathed on the disciples and said these words, because breathing was an external representative sign of Divine inspiration; and inspiration is introduction into angelic societies. From these things may be understood what the angel Gabriel said concerning the conception of the Lord:
"The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God" Luke 1:35.
Again:
The angel of the Lord said to Joseph in a dream, "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit... and Joseph knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son" Matthew 1:20, 25.
The Holy Spirit in these passages is the Divine Truth proceeding from Jehovah the Father; and this Proceeding is the power of the Highest which then overshadowed the mother: which agrees with what is said in John,
"The Word was with God, and the Word was God... and the Word was made flesh." 1:1, 14.
The Word there signifies the Divine Truth, as may be seen above, 3, on the Faith of the New Church.
140. Nunc quia per Spiritum Sanctum intelligitur Divina Veritas, et haec fuit in Domino, et Ipse Dominus, Johannes 14:6, et sic quia non potuit aliunde procedere, ideo dixit, Nondum erat Spiritus Sanctus, quia Jesus nondum glorificatus erat, Johannes 7:39 et post Glorificationem, inspiravit in Discipulos, et dixit, accipite Spiritum Sanctum, Johannes 20:22. Quod Dominus aspiraverit discipulos, et illud dixerit, fuit causa, quia aspiratio erat signum repraesentativum externum Divinae inspirationis: Inspiratio autem est insertio in societates angelicas. Ex his ab intellectu comprehendi potest hoc de Conceptione Domini ab Angelo Gabriele dictum, Spiritus Sanctus veniet super te, et Virtus Altissimi obumbrabit te, unde quod nascitur ex te Sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei, Luca 1:35. Tum, Angelus Domini in somnio dixit Josepho, ne timeas accipere Mariam Sponsam tuam, nam quod in ea natum, ex Spiritu Sancto est; et Josephus non tetigit illam, usque dum peperit Filium suum primogenitum, Matthaeus 1:20, 25. Spiritus Sanctus ibi est Divinum Verum procedens a Jehovah Patre, et hoc Procedens est Virtus Altissimi, quae tunc obumbravit Matrem: hoc itaque coincidit cum hoc apud Johannem, Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum et Verbum Caro factum est, Johannes 1:1, 14; quod per Verbum ibi intelligatur Divinum Verum, vide in FIDE NOVAE ECCLESIAE, supra 3.