527. "And those who fear Your name, small and great." This symbolizes people who love things having to do with the Lord, in a lesser or greater degree.
To fear the Lord's name means, symbolically, to love things having to do with the Lord. To fear means, symbolically, to love, and the Lord's name symbolizes everything by which He is worshiped (no. 81). People small and great symbolize people who fear the Lord in a lesser or greater degree.
To fear here means, symbolically, to love because everyone who loves another is afraid of injuring the one he loves. There is no genuine love without that fear. Accordingly, someone who loves the Lord is afraid of doing evil, because evils go counter to the Lord, as they go counter to His Divine laws in the Word - the Word that originates from the Lord and thus embodies Him. Indeed, they go counter to His Divine essence, which is to will the salvation of all. For He is a savior. But He cannot save a person unless the person lives in accordance with the Lord's laws and commandments. What is more, someone who loves evils also desires to injure the Lord, indeed to crucify Him. This desire is inmostly present in every evil, even in people who in the world acknowledge Him with the lips. The reality of this is something unknown to people, but well known to angels.
[2] That to fear God means, symbolically, to love things having to do with God, by doing them and refusing to do things which go counter to Him, is apparent from the following passages:
...what does Jehovah your God require of you, but to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him... (Deuteronomy 10:12)
You shall walk after Jehovah your God and fear Him, that you may keep His commandments... (Deuteronomy 13:4)
You shall fear Jehovah your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast... (Deuteronomy 10:20. Cf. 6:2, 6:13-14, 6:24; 8:6; 17:19; 28:58; 31:12)
Who will grant them to have a heart to fear Me and keep... My commandments... (Deuteronomy 5:29)
Teach me Your way, O Jehovah...; unite my heart to a fear of Your name. (Psalms 86:11)
Blessed is he who fears Jehovah, who walks in His ways. (Psalms 128:1, cf. 112:1, Jeremiah 44:10)
If I am a Father, where is My honor? If I am Lord, where is the fear of Me? (Malachi 1:6, cf. 2:5, Isaiah 11:2-3)
I will give them one heart, and one way, to fear Me... and I will put fear of Me in their hearts so that they do not turn away from Me. (Jeremiah 32:39-40)
The beginning of wisdom is fear of Jehovah... (Psalms 111:10)
And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 8:13; 25:3; 29:13; 50:10; Jeremiah 33:9; Psalms 22:23; 33:8, 18; 34:7, 9; 55:19; 115:11, 13; 147:11; Revelation 14:7; Luke 1:50.
A fear of God in evil people, on the other hand, is not love, but a fear of hell.
