5973. “以色列说” 表现在的属灵良善。这从 “以色列” 的代表清楚可知, “以色列” 是指属灵良善 (参看5801, 5803, 5807, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5832, 5833节)。至于何谓 “以色列” 所代表的属灵良善, 何谓 “雅各” 所代表的属世良善, 可参看前文 (5965节)。不熟悉圣言内义的人绝无可能知道为何雅各有时叫 “雅各”, 有时叫 “以色列”; 因为在同一章, 甚至同一节中, 经上有时用这个名字, 有时用那个名字。这很清楚地表明, 圣言含有内义, 如此处经上说 “他们父亲雅各的灵就苏醒了, 以色列说”。另处也有同样的例子, 如以下经文:

约瑟的兄弟便雅悯, 雅各没有打发他和哥哥们同去; 在前来的人当中, 以色列的儿子们也来。(创世记 42:4, 5).

以色列起程; 神在夜间的异象中对以色列说, 雅各！雅各！雅各说, 我在这里。(创世记 46:1, 2)

雅各就从别是巴起身; 以色列的儿子们接上他们的父亲雅各。(创世记 46:5)

雅各家来到埃及的共有七十人; 约瑟套上他的马车, 上去迎接以色列; . 以色列对约瑟说。(创世记 46:27, 29, 30)

以色列人住在埃及地, 歌珊地; 雅各住在埃及地十七年; 以色列死的日期临近了。(创世记 47:27-29)

有人告诉雅各说, 看哪, 你儿子约瑟到你这里来了。以色列就勉强在床上坐起来; 雅各对约瑟说。(创世记 48:2, 3)

雅各叫了他的儿子们来说, 雅各的儿子们, 你们要聚集而听, 要听从你们的父亲以色列。(创世记 49:1, 2)

他们的怒气可咒, 因为非常暴烈, 他们的忿恨可诅, 因为很严厉！我要使他们分散在雅各中, 使他们散居在以色列。(创世记 49:7)

他的手臂健壮敏捷, 这是因雅各之大能者的手; 以色列的牧者, 以色列的磐石是从那里而出的。(创世记 49:24)

这两个名字的用法也经常出现在先知书中。

1416. That 'I will make you into a great nation' means a kingdom in heaven and on earth becomes clear from the meaning of 'nation' in the internal sense as the celestial entity of love and the good which flows from this, thus all throughout the world in whom the celestial element of love and charity is present. Since the subject here in the internal sense is the Lord, everything of the celestial and of the good deriving from it, thus His kingdom, is meant - which exists with those in whom love and charity are present. In the highest sense the Lord Himself is 'the great nation' since He is the Celestial itself and Good itself. For all good that flows from love and charity originates in Him alone, which also explains why the Lord comprises His own kingdom, that is, He is the All in all of His kingdom, as also all angels in heaven acknowledge. From this it is now clear that 'I will make you into a great nation' means the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth.

[2] That 'nation' in the internal sense, where the Lord and celestial things of love are the subject, means Him and all celestial things may become clear also from what has been introduced in 1258, 1259, regarding the meaning of a nation and nations. This matter may be confirmed further still from the following places: In reference to Abraham further on,

No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. Genesis 17:5.

The soft 'h' sound in Abraham was taken from Jehovah's name because he represented Jehovah, that is, the Lord. Similarly in reference to Sarai,

You will not call her name Sarai, but Sarah will be her name, and I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her; thus will I bless her, and she will become nations; kings of peoples will be from her. Genesis 17:15-16.

'Nations' here stands for the celestial things of love, and 'kings of peoples' for the spiritual things of faith deriving from that love, which are the Lord's alone.

[3] In reference to Jacob likewise,

Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel will be your name. And He called his name Israel, and God said, I am God Almighty, ¹ increase and multiply; a nation and an assembly of nations will come into being from you, and kings will go out from your loins. Genesis 35:10-11.

Here 'Israel' stands for the Lord, who Himself, as is well known to some, is in the highest sense Israel. And when He is meant by 'Israel' it is evident that 'a nation and an assembly of nations' and 'kings from his loins' mean the celestial and spiritual things of love, and therefore all in whom the celestial and spiritual things of love are present. In reference to Ishmael, Abram's son by Hagar, it is said,

The son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation, because he is your seed. Genesis 21:13, 18.

What Ishmael represents will be seen in that place. 'The seed of Abram' means love itself, and because of this the word nation is used for those begotten from Ishmael.

[4] That 'nation' means the celestial things of love is clear in Moses,

If you will surely hearken to My voice, and keep My covenant and be a peculiar treasure to Me from among all peoples, you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:5-6.

Here 'a kingdom of priests', a phrase used to describe the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, springing from the celestial things of love, is openly called 'a holy nation'. But the Lord's kingdom springing from His Royalty is described as such by virtue of the spiritual things of love and is called 'a holy people'. 'Kings from the loins' therefore, as above, ² is spiritual things. In Jeremiah,

If these ordinances depart from before Me, said Jehovah, the seed of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me for ever. ³ Jeremiah 31:36.

'Seed of Israel' stands for the celestial entity of charity, and when this ceases to exist there is no longer a nation before the Lord.

[5] In Isaiah,

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. You have multiplied the nation. Isaiah 9:2-3.

Specifically this refers to the Church of the nations, ⁴ , but in general to all who are without knowledge but lead charitable lives. These are 'the nation' because they are members of the Lord's kingdom. In David,

O that I may see the good of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the joy of Your nation, that I may glory in Your heritage. Psalms 106:5.

Here 'nation' plainly stands for the Lord's kingdom. It was from an ability to perceive that 'a nation' meant the celestial entity of love and the good which flows from this that members of the Most Ancient Church came to be distinguished into separate houses, families, and nations. By this distinguishing they gained a perception of the Lord's kingdom; and because they had a perception of the Lord's kingdom they had a perception of the celestial itself. From that ability to perceive there arose that which held a spiritual meaning, and from this that which was representative.

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