To fear God signifies to not do evil. To fear the Lord is to worship and revere Him, for in worship there is a holy and reverential fear, which is grounded in the consideration that the object of worship is to be honored. To fear God and give glory to him signifies to worship the Lord from holy truths, and to worship, or adore him, signifies to worship the Lord from the good of love. Fear of God, as used in the Word, signifies worship, either grounded in fear, or in the good of faith, or in the good of love. When the subject concerns the unregenerate or people not fully developed spiritually, it refers to worship grounded in fear. When the subject treated of concerns the spiritually regenerate, it signifies worship grounded in the good of faith. Finally, when subject treated of concerns the celestially regenerate, it signifies worship grounded in the good of love. The fear of God, as in Genesis 20:10, signifies a regard for divine or spiritual truth.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 2826 [1-14]; Exodus 10, 20)

511. And great fear fell on those who saw them. This symbolizes a disturbance of the mind and alarm at Divine truths.

The symbolic meaning of fear varies, depending on what it affects. Here it symbolizes a disturbance of the mind and alarm at Divine truths, as Divine truths have this effect on evil people. For evil people are terrified as soon as they hear about hell and eternal damnation. But the terror soon dissipates, along with their belief in the existence of any life after death.