98. 5. I will deliver thee out of the hand of the evil, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the violent (Jeremiah 15:21).

Jehovah will gather Israel, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and freed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he (Jeremiah 31:10-11). Throughout the whole of this chapter, and also Chapter 33, the redemption and liberation of men of the church is treated of. But in the former chapters from the first up to this one the vastation of the church is treated of.

Behold the days come in which I will make a new covenant; not according to the covenant that I have made, for they have made void this covenant. But this shall be the covenant that I will make after those days, I will put My law in their midst, and I will write it upon their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Nor shall they teach, a man his companion, nor a man his brother; Know Jehovah: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them (Jeremiah 31:31-34, 38). This is said of the New Church after redemption.

N. B. That is the day of the Lord Jehovih of Hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may take vengeance on His adversaries (Jeremiah 46:10).

Because the day of calamity shall come upon Egypt, the time of their visitation (Jeremiah 46:21).

Their Redeemer is strong, Jehovah of Hosts is His name (Jeremiah 50:34).

Concerning the day of the visitation upon Babylon, in which vengeance must be taken upon it (Jeremiah 50:18, 27-28, 31).

The time of the vengeance of Jehovah, and of retribution (Jeremiah 51:6).

Jehovah of Hosts is the Former of all things, and of the rod of His inheritance by which He will do judgment (Jeremiah 51:19-23).

It is also called the time of the harvest of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel (Jeremiah 51:33).

The day of the vengeance of Jehovah, the vengeance of His temple (Jeremiah 51:11).

The days in which He will visit upon Babylon (Jeremiah 51:44, 47, 52).

It is called the day of evil (Jeremiah 51:2).

10153. 'And I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel' means the Lord's presence and His influx through good in heaven and in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling', when this is said of the Lord, as His being present and flowing in, His doing so through Divine Good being meant because 'dwelling' has reference to good, see 2268, 2451, 2712, 3613, 8269, 8309, which is why the words 'in the midst' are used, because 'the midst' means what is inmost, and that which is inmost is good (for this meaning of 'the midst', see 2940, 2973, 5897, 6084, 6103); and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as the Church, dealt with in 9340.

[2] The reason why 'dwelling in the midst', when said of the Lord, means His presence and influx through Divine Good is that the Lord flows into and is present with a person in the good he receives from the Lord. Good composes the person's true self, for everyone's character is conditioned by his good. By good, love should be understood, since anything that is loved is called good. The fact that a person's love or good makes him what he is may be recognized by anyone at all who observes what another is like; for having observed him he can direct him by means of his love wherever he wishes him to go, so much so that when that other person is held under the sway of his own love he is no longer his own master, and reasons which disagree with his love count for nothing with him, while those which collude with his love count for everything.

[3] The truth of this is also plainly evident in the next life. All spirits there are recognized by their loves, and when they are held under the sway of those loves they cannot act in any way contrary to them; for if they act contrary to those loves they act contrary to themselves. They are therefore embodiments of their loves, those in the heavens being embodiments of heavenly love and charity, so beautiful that they are beyond description, whereas those in the hells are embodiments of their own loves, namely self-love and love of the world, and are consequently embodiments also of hatred and vengeance, thus are monsters so awful that they defy description.

[4] Since therefore a person's love makes him altogether what he is, it is evident that the Lord cannot be present in a person's love if it is evil, only in a person's love that is good, thus in his good. People think that the Lord is present in truth called the truth of faith; but He is not present in truth devoid of good. Where good exists however He is present in truth through that good; and He is present in truth to the extent that it leads to good and to the extent that it emanates from good. Truth devoid of good cannot be said to be within a person; it is merely in his memory, residing there as factual knowledge which does not enter the person and form part of him until it becomes part of his life. It becomes part of his life when he loves it, and in love lives in accord with it. When this happens the Lord dwells with him, as also the Lord teaches in John,

He who has My commandments and does them, he it is who loves Me, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:21, 23.

'Manifesting Himself' means enlightening with the truths of faith from the Word; 'coming to him' means being present; and 'making Their home with him' means dwelling in his good.