300. As regards the first arcanum-that by “Jehovah God” is meant the Lord and at the same time heaven-it is to be observed that in the Word, always for a secret reason, the Lord is sometimes called merely “Jehovah” sometimes “Jehovah God” sometimes “Jehovah” and then “God” sometimes the “Lord Jehovih” sometimes the “God of Israel” and sometimes “God” only. Thus in the first chapter of Genesis, where it is also said, in the plural, “Let us make man in our image” He is called “God” only, and He is not called “Jehovah God” until the following chapter, where the celestial man is treated of. He is called “Jehovah” because He alone is or lives, thus from Essence; and “God” because He can do all things, thus from Power; as is evident from the Word, where this distinction is made (Isaiah 49:4-5; 55:7; Psalms 18:2, 28-29, 31; 31:14). On this account every angel or spirit who spoke with man, and who was supposed to possess any power, was called “God” as appears from David:
God hath stood in the congregation of God, He will judge in the midst of the gods (Psalms 82:1);
and in another place:
Who in the sky shall be compared unto Jehovah? who among the sons of the gods shall be likened to Jehovah? (Psalms 89:6).
Again:
Confess ye to the God of gods, confess ye to the Lord of lords (Psalms 136:2-3).
Men also as being possessed of power are called “gods” as in Psalms 82:6; John 10:34-35. Moses also is said to be “a god to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1). For this reason the word “God” in the Hebrew is in the plural number—“Elohim.” But as the angels do not possess the least power of themselves, as indeed they acknowledge, but solely from the Lord, and as there is but one God, therefore by “Jehovah God” in the Word is meant the Lord alone. But where anything is effected by the ministry of angels, as in the first chapter of Genesis, He is spoken of in the plural number. Here also because the celestial man, as man, could not be put in comparison with the Lord, but with the angels only, it is said, the man “is become as one of us, knowing good and evil” that is, is wise and intelligent.
