6832. 'In a flame of fire from the middle of a bramble bush' means God's love present in true factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'a flame of fire' as God's love, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'a bramble bush' as true factual knowledge. The reason why 'a bramble bush' means true factual knowledge is that all shrubs of every kind mean factual knowledge, whereas actual plantations of trees, being larger, mean cognitions and perceptions. Because it produces flower and berries 'a bramble bush' means true factual knowledge. True factual knowledge that the Church possesses consists in nothing else than the Word as it exists in the sense of the letter and also every one of the Church's representative forms and meaningful signs that existed among the descendants of Jacob. These in the external form they take are called true factual knowledge; but in their internal form they are spiritual truths. But truths in their internal or spiritual form could not be made visible to those descended from Jacob, for the reason that they were interested solely in things of an external nature and had no wish whatever to know about anything internal. Therefore the Lord appeared in a bramble bush (when the Lord appears to people He does so in a way suited to the kind of people they are, for a person cannot receive the Divine in any way other than that which is a way suited to the kind of person he is); and therefore also, when the Lord appeared on Mount Sinai He appeared to the people' as a fire burning even to the heart of heaven, and as darkness, cloud, and pitch darkness', Deuteronomy 4:11; 5:22-25; also Exodus 19:18. He would have appeared in an altogether different way if the people below the mountain who beheld Him had not been the kind of people they were. And because those people were interested solely in things of an external nature, when Moses went in to the Lord on Mount Sinai, it is said that he went into the cloud, Exodus 20:21; 24:2, 18; 34:2-5, 'the cloud' being the external aspect of the Word, see Preface to Genesis 18, and 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 (end), and also consequently representatives in the Church which are seen in outward form.

[2] The truth that the Lord appears to each individual person in a way suited to the kind of person he is may be recognized from the consideration that the Lord appears to those in the inmost or third heaven as the Sun from which light beyond description radiates, the reason being that those there are governed by the good of love to the Lord. He appears to those in the middle or second heaven as the Moon, the reason being that there they are governed by love to the Lord in a more remote and obscure way; for they are governed by love towards the neighbour. But the Lord does not appear to those in the lowest or first heaven either as the Sun or the Moon, only as Light, a light far more brilliant than light in the world. And since the Lord appears to each in a way suited to the kind of person he is, He cannot appear to those in hell as anything other than dark cloud and pitch darkness. For as soon as the light of heaven which comes from the Lord shines into any hell, darkness and thick darkness are produced there. From all this one may now recognize that the Lord appears to each individual person in a way suited to the kind of person he is, for this is suited to the way he receives the Lord. And since the descendants of Jacob were interested solely in things of an external nature, the Lord appeared to Moses in a bramble bush, and also in a cloud when Moses went in to the Lord on Mount Sinai.

[3] The reason why 'a flame' is God's love is that love in its earliest origin is nothing other than fire or flame from the Lord as the Sun. The fire or flame of this sun is what supplies each individual person with the being (esse) of his life; it is that life-giving fire which fills a person's interiors with warmth, as one may recognize from what happens with love. To the extent that love increases in a person he warms up; but to the extent that it diminishes he cools off. This explain s why, when the Lord appeared in a vision, He appeared as fire and flame, as in Ezekiel,

The appearance of the four living creatures (who were cherubs) was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of lamps. It was moving between the living creatures as a bright fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning. Above the firmament that was over their heads, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and over the likeness of a throne there was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it, above. And I saw the shape of burning coals, as the shape of fire, within it round about, from the appearance of His loins and upwards. But from the appearance of His loins and downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it. Ezekiel 1:13, 26-28.

[4] Nobody can deny that all the several details of this vision are signs that represent aspects of the Divine; but unless one knows what is meant by 'the cherubs', 'the burning coals of fire, like the appearance of lamps', 'a throne', 'the appearance of a man upon it', 'his loins from which fire emanated upwards and downwards, and the brightness radiating from the fire', one can have no knowledge of the real holiness hidden within all those several details. 'The cherubs' are the Lord's Providence, see 308; 'the throne' is heaven, or - to be exact - Divine Truth that emanates from the Lord to form heaven, 5313; 'the appearance of a man upon the throne above' is plainly the Lord's Divine Human; and 'loins' are conjugial love and all heavenly love that derives from it, 3021, 4277, 4280, 4575, 5050, 5062. This love was represented by 'the shape of burning coal, as the shape of fire, whose brightness was round about it'.

[5] In Daniel,

I saw, until thrones had been placed, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was a flame of fire; His wheels were burning fire. A river of five issued and came forth from before Him. Daniel 7:9-10.

The Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love was seen in this vision too as a flame of fire. In John,

He who sat on the white horse, His eyes were like aflame of fire. Revelation 19:11-12.

'He who sat on the white horse' is the Lord in respect of the Word, as is explicitly stated in verses 13, 16, of that chapter. Thus 'the flame of fire' is Divine Truth contained in the Word, which radiates from the Lord's Divine Goodness. In the same book,

In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe. His head and hair were white, like white wool, like snow; but His eyes were like a flame of fire. Revelation 1:13-14.

Here also 'eyes like a flame of fire' is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Goodness.

[6] The meaning of 'a flame of fire' as Divine Truth emanating from the Lord is also evident in David,

The voice of Jehovah falls like a flame of fire. Psalms 29:7.

'The voice of Jehovah' stands for Divine Truth. In order that Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good might be represented, the people were commanded to make a lampstand of pure gold with seven lamps and to place it in the tent of meeting by the table where the loaves of the presence were, and to keep the lamps burning unceasingly before Jehovah, Exodus 25:31-end; 37:17-24; 40:24-25; Leviticus 24:4; Numbers 8:2; Zechariah 4:2. The lampstand with its seven lamps served to represent Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good.

[7] In order also that Divine Good itself might be represented they were commanded to have perpetual fire on the altar,

Fire shall burn on the altar and not be put out; the priest shall kindle pieces of wood on it at every dawn. Fire shall burn unceasingly on the altar and not be put out. Leviticus 6:12-13.

The fact that the ancients were very well acquainted with the use of fire to represent Divine Love may be recognized from the spread of that representative from the Ancient Church even to nations far away whose worship was idolatrous and who, as is well known, established an everlasting sacred fire and placed in charge of it virgins, who were called the vestal virgins.

[8] In the contrary sense 'fire' and 'flame' mean filthy kinds of love, such as those of vengeance, cruelty, hatred, and adultery, and in general the cravings that spring from self-love and love of the world. This too is clear from very many places in the Word, of which let just the following be quoted: In Isaiah,

Behold, they have become as stubble, the fire has burned them; they do not save themselves from the power of the flame. ¹ There will be no coal to be warmed by [nor] fire to sit in front of. Isaiah 47:14.

In Ezekiel,

Behold, I will kindle in you a five, which will devour in you every green tree and every dry tree. The blazing flame ² will not be put out, and all faces from south to north will be scorched by it. Ezekiel 20:47.

Here 'fire' and 'flame' mean desires for what is evil and false which annihilate everything good and true in the Church, and thereby lay it waste.

[9] In Luke,

The rich man said to Abraham, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16:24.

People who do not know that a person's vital heat has a different origin from that which is the source of elemental fire cannot possibly do anything else but think that by hell fire is meant fire like that found in the world. In the Word however this latter kind of fire is not meant but the fire of love, thus the fire of a person's life, emanating from the Lord as a Sun. And when this fire comes among those engrossed in pursuits contrary to it, it is turned into the fire of evil desires which, as stated above, belong to vengeance, hatred, and cruelty, and which well up from self-love and love of the world. This is the fire that torments those who are in hell, for when the restraint placed on their evil desires is relaxed, one sets upon another and they torment one another in dreadful and indescribable ways. For each has the wish for supremacy and wants to take from the other the things he has by hidden or open devices. When one or two have such desires hatreds consequently develop within the group, and these lead to the savage deeds that are performed, especially by the use of devices involving magic and the use of figments of the imagination, devices which are countless and totally unknown in the world.

[10] People who do not believe in the existence of spiritual things, especially those who worship nature, cannot at all be led to believe that the warmth present in living persons, which constitutes the actual life within them, has a different origin from that which is the source of worldly heat. For they are not even aware, let alone able to acknowledge, that there is a heavenly fire radiating from the Lord as a Sun, and that this Fire is pure love. Consequently they are unaware of countless instances in the Word in which no other kind of fire is meant; nor are they aware of countless manifestations of it in the human being, who is an organ made to receive that fire.

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2826. 'For now I know that you fear God' means glorification from Divine love. 'This is clear from the meaning of 'knowing', in reference to the Lord's Divine, as nothing other than being united, or what amounts to the same, being glorified, for the Human was being united to the Divine by means of temptations, 1737, 1813; and from the meaning of 'fearing God', or the fear of God, as in this case Divine love. As this has reference to the Lord's Divine Rational as regards truth, the expression 'fearing God' is used here, not 'fearing Jehovah', for when truth is the subject the name God occurs, but when good is, the name Jehovah occurs, 2586, 2769, 2822. For it was by means of Divine love that the Lord united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, and the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, or what amounts to the same, glorified Himself, see 1812, 1813, 2253. What is meant in the Word by 'fearing God' becomes clear from very many places there when these are understood as to the internal sense. In the Word the fear of God means worship, and indeed worship based either on fear, or on good that flows from faith, or on good that flows from love. Worship based on fear is meant when those who are not regenerate are the subject, worship based on good flowing from faith when regenerate spiritual people are the subject, and worship based on good flowing from love when regenerate celestial people are the subject.

[2] I The fear of God in general means worship. This is evident in the Book of Kings,

The children of Israel feared other gods and walked in the statutes of the nations. The nations brought into Samaria did not at the beginning fear Jehovah; therefore Jehovah sent lions among them. Then came one of the priests whom they had made captives in Samaria, and he dwelt in Bethel and was teaching them how to fear Jehovah. Jehovah had made a covenant with the children of Israel and had commanded them, You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves down to them, and you shall not serve them, nor sacrifice to them, but you shall fear Jehovah, and bow yourselves down to Him, and sacrifice to Him. 2 Kings 17:7-8, 24-25, 28, 32-33, 35-37, 41.

Here 'fearing' clearly stands for worshipping. In Isaiah,

Because this people have drawn near with their mouth, and honoured Me with their lips, but their heart has been far from Me, and their fear of Me has been a commandment of men that has been taught to them.... Isaiah 29:13.

Here 'their fear of Me' stands for worship in general, for it is said that that fear was 'a commandment of men'. In Luke,

There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God and did not regard man. Luke 18:2.

'Who did not fear God' stands for not worshipping Him.

[3] II The fear of God means worship based on fear when those who are not regenerate are the subject

This is evident from the following places: In Moses, when the Law was delivered on Mount Sinai to the people,

The people said to Moses, You yourself speak to us and we will listen; and do not let God speak to us lest perhaps we die. And Moses said to the people, For God has come to tempt you, and to the end that His fear may be before your faces, so that you do not sin. Exodus 20:19-20.

And elsewhere in the same author,

Now why should we die? For this great fire will devour us; if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more we shall die. You go near and hear all that Jehovah our God will say, and then you tell us all that Jehovah our God will say to you, and we will listen and act. And Jehovah said to Moses, Who will grant it that they have this heart within them to fear Me and to keep all My commandments all their days? Deuteronomy 5:25, 27, 29.

Here 'the fear of God before your faces, so that you do not sin' and 'a heart to fear Me and to keep all My commandments' means worship based on fear attributable to them because they are by nature what they are. Indeed people whose worship is external, and not at all internal, are led through fear to respect the law and to obey it; but they do not enter into any internal worship, which is holy fear, unless the good of life is present in them, and they know what is internal, and believe it. In the same author,

If you do not take care to do all the words of this Law that are written in this Book, to fear this glorious and fearful name, Jehovah your God, Jehovah will make your plagues exceptional, ¹ and the plagues of your seed, plagues great and persistent, and diseases bad and persistent. And He will bring back on you all the sicknesses of Egypt which you fear, and they will cling to you. Deuteronomy 28:58-60.

Here also 'fearing the glorious and terrible name of Jehovah God' means worship based on fear; and in order that this fear might exist among such persons all evils, even cursings, were attributed to Jehovah, 592, 2335, 2395, 2447. In Jeremiah,

Your wickedness will chasten you, and your backslidings will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake Jehovah your God, and for My fear not to be in you. Jeremiah 2:19.

In Luke,

I tell you, Do not fear those who kill the body, but after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you ought to fear; fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, fear Him. Luke 12:4-5; Matthew 10:28.

Here also 'fearing God' implies worship based on some kind of fear, for fear drove those people to obey, as has been stated.

[4] III Fearing God or Jehovah means worship based on good that flows from faith, when regenerate spiritual people are the subject.

This is evident from the following places: In Moses,

The king will write for himself a copy of this Law in a Book before the Levite priests. And it will be with him, and he will read from it every day of his life, so that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, keeping all the words of this Law and these statutes to do them. Deuteronomy 17:18-19.

'The king' in the internal sense stands for the truth of faith since the office of a king represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom, 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069. Consequently 'fearing Jehovah his God' means worship of Him based on the truth of faith, which, being inseparable from the good of charity, is described as 'keeping the words of the Law and these statutes to do them'. In Samuel,

Behold, Jehovah has set a king over you. If you will fear Jehovah and serve Him, and hearken to His voice, both you, and the king who reigns over you, will be following Jehovah your God. 1 Samuel 12:13-14.

Here too 'fearing Jehovah' stands in the internal sense for worship based on the good and truth of faith, as previously, since a king or the kingly office is the subject.

[5] In Joshua,

Now fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served. Joshua 24:14.

Here also 'fearing Jehovah' stands for worship based on good and truth which exist with the spiritual man, for 'sincerity' is used in reference to the good of faith, 612, 'truth' to the truth of faith. In Jeremiah,

They will be My people and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all their days, for their own good and that of their sons after them. And I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn back from doing good to them, and I will put My fear into their heart of not departing from Me. Jeremiah 32:38-40.

Here 'fearing God' means worship based on the good and truth of faith. This becomes clear from the train of thought and from the fact that the words 'people' and 'God' are used - 'people' being used in reference to those with whom the truth of faith exists, see 1259, 1260, and 'God' being used when truth is the subject, 2586, 2769, 2807 (end). In Isaiah,

A powerful people will honour You, the city of strong nations will fear You. Isaiah 25:3.

Here also 'fearing God' stands for worship based on spiritual truth, since the expressions 'people' and 'city' are used - 'the city' meaning doctrinal teaching that is true, see 402, 2268, 2449, 2451.

[6] In David,

Who is the man that fears Jehovah? He will teach him the way that he should choose. Psalms 25:12.

Here 'the man that fears Jehovah' stands for one who worships Him. This refers to the spiritual man, as is evident from the fact that it is said 'He will teach him the way' - 'way' meaning truth, see 627, 2333. In the same author,

Blessed is everyone who fears Jehovah and walks in His ways! Psalms 128:1.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,

Those who fear Jehovah will glorify Him, all the seed of Jacob will glorify Him; and they will stand in awe of Him, all the seed of Israel. Psalms 22:23.

Here 'standing in awe of Him' stands for worship based on the truth of faith, for 'the seed of Israel' is the spiritual side of the Church, that is, the good and truth of faith, 1025, 1447, 1610. In Moses,

Now Israel, what does Jehovah your God require of you but to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, to keep Jehovah's commandments and His statutes? Deuteronomy 10:12-13.

Here a description occurs of what 'fearing God' entails in the case of the spiritual man, meant by 'Israel', namely 'walking in the ways of Jehovah, loving Him, serving Him, and keeping His commandments and statutes'. In John,

I saw an angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel, and saying in a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgement has come. Revelation 14:6-7.

Here 'fearing God' stands for holy worship based on the good and truth of faith. In Luke,

Jesus said to the paralysed man, Rise, take up your bed and go away to your home. As a consequence amazement seized them all, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear. Luke 5:24-26.

Here 'fear' stands for holy fear as it exists in people who by means of the truth of faith are being introduced into the good of love.

[7] IV Fearing God or Jehovah means worship based on good that flows from love, when regenerate celestial people are the subject.

In Malachi,

My covenant with Levi was [a covenant] of life and peace, and I gave them to him with fear; and he feared Me, and for My name he was crushed. The law of truth was in his mouth, and perversity was not [found] on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness. Malachi 2:5-6.

This refers to the Lord, meant here by 'Levi' in the internal sense. 'Levi' means the priesthood, and he means love. 'Fear' in this instance stands for the good that flows from Divine Love, 'the law of truth' for the truth that accompanies it, 'peace and uprightness' for both.

[8] In Isaiah,

There will come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch will grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of Jehovah will rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and intelligence, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah. And His delight ² will be in the fear of Jehovah. Isaiah 11:1-3.

This too refers to the Lord. 'The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah' stands for the Divine love of truth, 'His delight will be in the fear of Jehovah' for the Divine love of good.

[9] In David,

The commandments of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of Jehovah is clean, standing for ever; the judgements of Jehovah are truth, righteous altogether. Psalms 19:8-9.

Here 'the fear of Jehovah is clean' stands for love, 'the judgements of Jehovah are truth' for faith. 'Righteousness' is used in reference to good that is the good of love, 'judgements' to truth that is the truth of faith, see 2235; and these are called 'righteous altogether' when truth consists in good, or faith in charity.

[10] In the same author,

Behold, the eye of Jehovah is on those who fear Him, on those who await His mercy. Psalms 33:18.

And elsewhere in the same author,

Jehovah takes no delight in the might of the horse, nor pleasure in the legs of man Jehovah's pleasure is in those who fear Him and in those who await His mercy. Psalms 147:10-11.

'The might of the horse' stands for a person's own power to think what is true; for 'a horses means the understanding, see 2760-2762. 'The legs of man' stands for a person's own power to do good. 'Those who fear Jehovah' stands for people whose worship of Him is based on a love of truth, and 'those who await His mercy' stands for those whose worship is based on a love of good. In the Prophets when good is spoken of so also is truth, and when truth is spoken of so also is good, on account of the heavenly marriage of good and truth that exists in every individual part [of the Word], see 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712, 2731.

[11] In the same author,

Jehovah will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron, He will bless those who fear Jehovah, both small and great. Psalms 115:12-13.

Here 'those who fear Jehovah' stands for people whose worship is based on the good that flows from faith, meant by 'the house of Israel', and on the good that flows from love, meant by 'the house of Aaron' - both of them on account of the heavenly marriage which exists, as has been stated, in every individual part of the Word.

[12] In Isaiah,

The stability ³ of your times will be strength to save, wisdom and knowledge; and the fear of Jehovah itself the treasure. Isaiah 33:6.

Here 'wisdom and knowledge' stands for the good of faith joined to the truth of faith, 'the fear of Jehovah' for the good of love. In the same prophet,

Who among you fears Jehovah? [Who] listens to the voice of His servant? Isaiah 50:10.

'Who fears Jehovah' stands for one whose worship is based on love, 'who listens to the voice of His servant' for one whose worship is based on faith. When one goes with the other the heavenly marriage is in that case present.

[13] From these places that have been quoted from the Word it is clear that 'the fear of God' means worship based either on fear, or on the good that flows from faith, or on the good that flows from love. But the more there is of fear present in worship the less there is of faith, and still less of love. Conversely, the more there is of faith present in worship, and even more so of love, the less there is of fear. Present within all worship there is fear, but this fear takes on a different form and nature; for it is holy fear. But holy fear is not so much a fear of hell and of damnation, as a fear lest anything whatever be done or thought that is contrary to the Lord and contrary to the neighbour, thus anything whatever that is contrary to the good of love and to the truth of faith. It is an abhorrence which on the one side forms the boundary of the holiness of faith and of the holiness of love. And since, as has been stated, it is not a fear of hell and damnation, it exists with those who abide in the good of faith, less so with those who abide in the good of love, that is, who abide in the Lord. Therefore,

[14] V Fearing also means distrusting, or having no faith and love.

As in Isaiah,

Thus said your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, and have called you by your name; you are Mine. Isaiah 43:1, 5; 44:8

In Luke,

The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us, that without fear we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him, in holiness and righteousness before Him. Luke 1:73-75.

In the same gospel,

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32.

In Mark,

Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not fear, only believe. Mark 5:36; Luke 8:49-50.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said, Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith? Mark 4:40.

In Luke,

The hairs of your head are numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:7.

In all these places 'fearing' means distrusting or having no faith and love.

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