1328. Et de la Jéhovah les dispersa sur les faces de toute la terre, signifie que le culte interne devint nul : c'est ce qu'on peut voir en ce que être dispersé signifie être dissipé. Dans le sens le plus près, être dispersée sur les faces de toute la terre, signifie ceux qui voulaient bâtir la ville de Babel ; mais comme ce sont eux qui privent les autres de toute connaissance du vrai, ainsi que je l'ai dit, ces mêmes expressions signifient en même temps la privation du culte interne : en effet, l'un est la conséquence de l'autre ; ici c'est la conséquence, parce que ces expressions sont répétées pour la troisième fois. La preuve que la Première Eglise Ancienne a été privée des connaissances du vrai et du bien, c'est que les nations qui constituèrent cette Eglise Ancienne devinrent pour la plupart idolâtres et eurent cependant un certain culte externe. Ceux qui sont idolâtres hors de l'Eglise ont un sort bien préférable au sort de ceux qui sont idolâtres dans l'Eglise ; ceux-là sont des idolâtres externes, mais ceux-ci sont des idolâtres internes ; que le sort des premiers soit préférable, c'est ce qui est évident par les paroles que le Seigneur dit dans Luc 13:23, 28-29, 30 ; et dans , , . On voit maintenant pourquoi l'état de cette Eglise Ancienne fut changé.

8938. 'In every place where I shall put the memory of My name' means the state of faith [in the Lord] with each individual person. This is clear from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 3404, 4321, 4882, 5605, 7381, so that 'every place' is the state of each individual or with each individual person. The reason why the state of faith is meant is that 'the name of Jehovah' means everything in its entirety through which the Lord is worshipped, thus all aspects of faith and charity, 2724, 3006, 6674. Consequently 'putting the memory of the name of Jehovah God' means [that state in] the person with whom - that is, in whose heart - charity and faith that come from the Lord are present. The meaning in the literal sense is that they were to sacrifice burnt offerings and eucharistic offerings, thus their flocks and herds, in Jerusalem, this being the place chosen by the Lord for them in which to worship Him, and so in which 'He put the memory of His name'. A place is not meant however in the internal sense, but each individual person with whom charity and faith are present; for 'place' does not mean place in the internal sense but state, and 'name' does not mean name but faith and worship, so that a person who has attained a state in which faith is being received from the Lord is meant. In Jerusalem furthermore, the place in which the Lord was worshipped through the burnt offerings and eucharistic offerings, all things of the Church were represented. This is why 'Jerusalem' in the Word, and 'the New Jerusalem' in the Book of Revelation, means the Lord's Church; and the Lord's Church exists with each individual person in a state in which charity and faith received from the Lord are present. For a person is in himself the Church, and the many with whom the Church exists compose the Church collectively. From all this it is also evident that 'in every place in which I shall put the memory of My name' means the state of faith with each individual person.