251. To show from the Word that there are two-part expressions in it whose elements seem like repetitions of the same thing would take too long - it would fill pages and pages. To remove doubt, however, I wish to list passages that mention nations and peoples together, and others that mention joy and gladness together.

The following are passages that mention nations and peoples together:

Woe to a sinful nation, to a people heavy with wickedness. (Isaiah 1:4)

The peoples walking in darkness have seen a great light; you have increased the nation. (Isaiah 9:2-3)

Assyria is the rod of my anger. I will send it against a hypocritical nation; I will command it to go against a people of my wrath. (Isaiah 10:5-6)

It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the Root of Jesse, who stands as a banner for the peoples. (Isaiah 11:10)

Jehovah is striking the peoples with an incurable blow; he is ruling the nations with anger. (Isaiah 14:6)

In that day, a far-flung and shaven people will be brought out as a gift for Jehovah Sabaoth, a measured and trampled nation. (Isaiah 18:7)

A strong people, they will honor you; a city of powerful nations will fear you. (Isaiah 25:3)

Jehovah will swallow up the covering over all peoples, the veil over all nations. (Isaiah 25:7)

Approach, you nations, and hear, you peoples. (Isaiah 34:1)

I called you to be a covenant for the people, a light for the nations. (Isaiah 42:6)

All the nations should be gathered together and the peoples should convene. (Isaiah 43:9)

Behold, I will lift my hand toward the nations and my banner toward the peoples. (Isaiah 49:22)

I gave him as a witness for the peoples, a leader and a legislator for the nations. (Isaiah 55:4-5)

Behold, a people is coming from a northern land, and a great nation from the sides of the earth. (Jeremiah 6:22-23)

No longer will I let you hear the slander of the nations; you will not bear the insult of the peoples anymore. (Ezekiel 36:15)

All peoples and nations will worship him. (Daniel 7:14)

To prevent the nations from making cruel remarks about them and saying among the peoples, "Where is their God?" (Joel 2:7)

The remnants of my people will plunder them and the remainders of my nation will inherit them. (Zephaniah 2:9)

Many peoples will come, and numerous nations, to seek Jehovah in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 8:22)

My eyes have seen the salvation that you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light of revelation to the nations. (Luke 2:30-32)

You have redeemed us in your blood, [some] from every people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)

You need to prophesy again upon peoples and nations. (Revelation 10:11)

You will put me as the head of the nations; a people whom I had not known will serve me. (Psalms 18:43)

Jehovah makes the counsel of the nations useless; he turns the thoughts of the peoples upside down. (Psalms 33:10)

You will make us a proverb 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 rules over the nations; the willing among the peoples have gathered. (Psalms 47:3, 8-9)

The peoples will confess you and the nations will rejoice, because you are going to judge the peoples in uprightness and lead the nations on earth. (Psalms 67:3-5)

Remember me, Jehovah, with the good pleasure of your people, so that I may rejoice in the joy of your nations. (Psalms 106:4-5)

There are more passages like this as well.

Both nations and peoples are mentioned because "nations" mean those who focus on goodness or, in an opposite sense, on evil; and "peoples" mean those who focus on truths or, in an opposite sense, on falsities. For this reason, those who belong to the Lord's spiritual kingdom are called "peoples" and those who belong to the Lord's heavenly kingdom are called "nations," since all who are in the spiritual kingdom focus on truths and therefore intelligence; and all who are in the heavenly kingdom focus on good actions and therefore wisdom.

624. ¹ The fourth experience.

Awoken from sleep in the middle of the night I saw fairly high up towards the east an angel holding a paper in his right hand. It was brightly lit up by the sun, and in the middle there was writing in golden letters. I saw that the inscription was: The marriage of good and truth. A radiance sparkled from the writing, and spread into a broad ring around the paper. This radiance or halo looked like the dawn in springtime. Afterwards I saw the angel coming down with the paper in his hand, and as he came the paper shone less and less, and the inscription, The marriage of good and truth, changed from gold to silver colour, then to that of copper, later to that of iron and finally to the colour of rust and verdigris. At last the angel appeared to enter a dark cloud, and passing through the cloud appeared on earth. There the paper, though still held in the angel's hand, was invisible. This happened in the world of spirits, into which everyone comes at first after death.

[2] Then the angel spoke to me. 'Ask those,' he said, 'who are coming here whether they can see me or anything in my hand.' A great crowd came, one group from the east, one from the south, one from the west and one from the north. I asked those from the east and south, men who in the world had devoted themselves to study, whether they could see anyone here with me, or anything in his hand. They all said that they could see nothing at all. Then I put the question to those who came from the west and north. These were those who in the world had taken on trust what learned people said. They too said they could not see anything. However, the last of this group, those who in the world had had a simple faith based on charity, or in other words possessed some truth from good, said, after the first-comers had gone, that they could see a man with a piece of paper, the man in fine clothing and the paper with letters written on it. When they looked closely, they said they could read, The marriage of good and truth. So they addressed the angel, requesting him to tell them what this meant.

[3] He said that everything in the whole of heaven and everything in the whole of the world is from creation nothing but the marriage of good and truth. This is because every single thing, both those that live and breathe as well as those that do not, comes from the marriage of good and truth and was created for that purpose. Nothing exists created to be truth alone, nor to be good alone. Neither of these is anything taken by itself, but by marriage they come into existence and become such as is the nature of the marriage. In the Lord God the Creator Divine good and Divine truth are present in their very substance. The being of His substance is Divine good, the coming-into-being of this substance is Divine truth, and they are in a state of complete union, for in Him they make up one to an infinite degree. Since these two are one in God the Creator Himself, they are therefore also one in every single thing created by Him. By this too the Creator is linked with all things created by Him in an everlasting covenant as of marriage.

[4] The angel went on to say that the Sacred Scripture, which was dictated by the Lord, is in general and in its parts a marriage of good and truth (see above 248-253). Since the church, being formed by means of the truths of doctrine, and religion, being formed by good deeds in life in accordance with the truths of doctrine, are in the case of Christians solely derived from the Sacred Scripture, it can be established that the church too in general and in its parts is a marriage of good and truth. The same as has been said here about the marriage of good and truth applies also to the marriage of charity and faith, since good relates to charity, truth to faith.

After making this speech the angel left the earth and travelling through the cloud went up into heaven. Then as he went up the paper began to shine as before, changing at each stage of the ascent. Then the ring of radiance which previously looked like the dawn came down and dispersed the cloud which had darkened the earth, and the sun shone.

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