114. REDEMPTION
It is well known in the church that the Lord has two functions, the priestly and the kingly; but since few are aware of what distinguishes either of them, this needs to be stated. The Lord in His priestly function is called Jesus, in His kingly function Christ; and in the Word He is also called in His priestly function Jehovah and Lord, and in His kingly function God and the Holy One of Israel, as well as King. The distinction between them is like that between love and wisdom, or, what is the same, between good and truth. Therefore whatever the Lord did or performed from Divine love or Divine good, He did in His priestly function; whatever He did from Divine wisdom or Divine truth, in His kingly function. In the Word too priest and priesthood mean Divine good, king and royalty Divine truth, and this same pair were represented by priests and kings in the Israelite church. Redemption concerns both functions, but in what respects it concerns one or the other will be revealed in what follows. For the sake of clarity of detail the discussion will be divided into separate topics or sections, as follows:
(i) The real redemption was the conquest of the hells and the ordering of the heavens, and preparation by this means for a new spiritual church. (ii) But for that redemption no person could have been saved, nor could the angels have remained unharmed. (iii) The Lord thus redeemed not only men, but also angels. (iv) Redemption was an entirely Divine deed. (v) This redemption could only be effected by an incarnate God. (vi) The passion on the cross was the last temptation which the Lord underwent as the greatest Prophet; this was the means by which He glorified His Human, that is, united it with His Father's Divine; so this was not in itself the redemption. (vii) It is a fundamental error on the part of the church to believe that the passion on the cross was the real act of redemption. That error, together with the erroneous belief in three Divine Persons existing from eternity, has so perverted the whole church that there is no remainder of spirituality left in it.
These points will be discussed one by one.