86. Repetitions seemingly of the same idea exist in the Word to express a marriage of goodness and truth, and this can be more clearly seen from passages in which nations and peoples are mentioned. Consider, for example, the following:
Woe to a sinful nation, to a people laden with iniquity.... (Isaiah 1:4)
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.... You have multiplied the nation.... (Isaiah 9:2-3)
...Assyria, the rod of My anger.... I will send him against a hypocritical nation; against the people of My wrath I will charge him.... (Isaiah 10:5-6)
It shall come to pass in that day that the nations shall seek the Root of Jesse, who shall stand as the people’s banner.... (Isaiah 11:10)
(Jehovah) who struck the people...with an incurable stroke, who ruled the nations in anger.... (Isaiah 14:6)
In that day, brought as a present to Jehovah Zebaoth will be a people torn and shaven, and...a nation measured and downtrodden.... (Isaiah 18:7)
...a mighty people will glorify You; the cities of powerful nations will fear You. (Isaiah 25:3)
(Jehovah) will swallow up...the covering...over all peoples, and the veil...over all nations. (Isaiah 25:7)
Come near, you nations..., and you peoples, pay attention! (Isaiah 34:1)
I (Jehovah) have called You...as a covenant for the people, as the light of the nations. (Isaiah 42:6)
Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people assemble. (Isaiah 43:9)
Behold, I will lift My hand toward the nations, and My banner toward the peoples. (Isaiah 49:22)
...I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a prince and lawgiver to the nations. (Isaiah 55:4)
Behold, a people comes from the north country, and a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth. (Jeremiah 6:22)
Nor will I cause you to hear the calumny of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore.... (Ezekiel 36:15)
...all peoples, ...nations...will worship Him. (Daniel 7:14)
...lest the nations make a joke of them, and say among the peoples, “Where is their God?” (Joel 2:17)
The remnant of My people shall plunder them, and the residue of My nation shall possess them. (Zephaniah 2:9)
Many peoples and numerous nations shall come to seek Jehovah Zebaoth in Jerusalem.... (Zechariah 8:22)
...my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for the revelation of the nations.... (Luke 2:30-32)
...You...have redeemed us...by Your blood, out of every...people and nation.... (Revelation 5:9)
You must prophesy again about peoples and nations.... (Revelation 10:11)
You shall make Me the head of the nations; a people I have not known shall serve me. (Psalms 18:43)
Jehovah renders the counsel of the nations ineffectual; He overturns the thoughts of the peoples. (Psalms 33:10)
You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. (Psalms 44:14)
(Jehovah) will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet.... (Jehovah) has reigned over the nations.... Those willing of the peoples have gathered together.... (Psalms 47:3, 8-9)
The peoples shall confess You.... The nations shall be glad and exult. For You shall judge the peoples righteously, and guide the nations upon the earth. (Psalms 67:3-5)
Remember me, O Jehovah, with the favor You have toward Your people..., that I may...be glad in the joy of Your nations.... (Psalms 106:4-5)
And so on elsewhere.
[2] Nations and peoples are mentioned together because nations mean people prompted by goodness, and in an opposite sense people prompted by evil, while peoples means people who are prompted by truths, and in an opposite sense people who are prompted by falsities.
People who belong to the Lord’s spiritual kingdom are therefore called peoples, while those who belong to the Lord’s celestial kingdom are called nations. For everyone in the spiritual kingdom is prompted by truths and so by wisdom, while everyone in the celestial kingdom is prompted by goodness and so by love.
