86. We can see more clearly from passages where it says nations and peoples that there are in the Word repetitions of what seems to be the same thing for the sake of the marriage of goodness and truth. See, for example, the following passages:

Woe to a sinful nation, to a people weighed down with iniquity. (Isaiah 1:4)

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

Assyria is the rod of my anger. I will send him against a hypocritical nation; I will appoint him against the people of my rage. (Isaiah 10:5-6)

It will happen on that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, the one who stands as a sign for the peoples. (Isaiah 11:10)

Jehovah is striking the peoples with a plague that cannot be healed and ruling the nations in anger. (Isaiah 14:6)

On that day a gift will be brought to Jehovah Sabaoth - a people scattered and shaven and a nation measured and trampled. (Isaiah 18:7)

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

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

Come near, O nations, and listen, O peoples. (Isaiah 34:1)

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

Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples convene. (Isaiah 43:9)

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

I have made him a witness to the peoples, a prince and a lawgiver to the nations. (Isaiah 55:4-5)

Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north and a great nation from the farthest parts of the earth. (Jeremiah 6:22)

I will no longer let you hear the slander of the nations, and you will not bear the reproach of the peoples anymore. (Ezekiel 36:15)

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

Do not allow the nations to turn [your heritage] into a joke or to say among the peoples, “Where is their God?” (Joel 2:17)

The remnant of my people will plunder them and the remainder of my nation will possess them. (Zephaniah 2:9)

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

My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to 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 will make me the head of the nations; people I have not known will serve me. (Psalms 18:43)

Jehovah makes the counsel of the nations ineffective; he overturns the thoughts of the peoples. (Psalms 33:10)

You are making us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. (Psalms 44:14)

Jehovah will subdue peoples under us and nations under our feet. Jehovah has ruled over the nations; those who are willing among the peoples have gathered. (Psalms 47:3, 8-9)

The peoples will praise you, the nations will be glad and rejoice, because you are going to judge the peoples with righteousness and lead the nations in the land. (Psalms 67:3-4)

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

There are other passages as well.

The reason it says both nations and peoples is that “nations” means people who are focused on what is good (and in an opposite sense, on what is evil) and “peoples” means those who are focused on what is true (and in an opposite sense, on what is false). That is why those who are in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom are called peoples, while those in the Lord’s heavenly kingdom are called nations. The underlying reason is that everyone in the spiritual kingdom is focused on what is true and therefore on wisdom, while everyone in the heavenly kingdom is focused on what is good and therefore on love.

167. "'And they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.'" This symbolically means that they will live with the Lord in His spiritual kingdom, because they are governed by truths from Him.

This is the meaning of these words because to walk in the Word symbolically means to live, and to walk with God symbolically means to live from Him, and because to be in white means, symbolically, to be guided by truths. For the color white in the Word is predicated of truths, because it takes its origin from the light of the sun, while red is predicated of goods, because it takes its origin from the sun's fire, and blackness is predicated of falsities, because it takes its origin from the darkness of hell.

People who are governed by truths from the Lord, being conjoined with Him, are called worthy, for all worth in the spiritual world comes from conjunction with the Lord.

It is apparent from this that "they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy," means, symbolically, that they will live with the Lord, because they are governed by truths from Him.

We say that they will live with the Lord in His spiritual kingdom because the whole of heaven has been distinguished into two kingdoms - the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom - and in the celestial kingdom live people who are governed by the goodness of love from the Lord, while in the spiritual kingdom live those who are governed by the truths of wisdom from the Lord. The latter are also said to walk with the Lord in white. Moreover, they are dressed in white garments.

[2] That to walk means, symbolically, to live, and to walk with God means to live with Him because it is to live from Him, is clear from the following passages:

He walked with Me in peace and rectitude... (Malachi 2:6)

You have delivered my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living. (Psalms 56:13)

...David... kept My commandments and... walked after Me with all his heart... (1 Kings 14:8)

Remember..., O Jehovah..., how I have walked before You in truth... (Isaiah 38:3)

If you... walk contrary to Me..., and... do not obey (My voice)..., I also will walk contrary to you... (Leviticus 26:23-24, 27-28)

They would not walk in the ways (of Jehovah). (Isaiah 42:24; cf. Deuteronomy 11:22; 19:9; 26:17)

...all people walk... in the name of (their) god, but we will walk in the name of Jehovah... (Micah 4:5)

A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light... ...believe in the light... (John 12:35-36; cf. 8:12)

...the scribes asked..., "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders...?" (Mark 7:5)

Walking is also said of Jehovah, that He walks among people, which is to say that He lives in them and together with them:

I will make My dwelling among you, and... I will walk among you and be your God... (Leviticus 26:11-12)

It is apparent from this what is meant by the statement,

These things says He... who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. (Revelation 2:1)