The Lord, in the simplest terms, is love itself expressed as wisdom itself. In philosophic terms, love is the Lord's substance and wisdom is His form. Of course, we feel the Lord's love and hear His wisdom in many different ways, depending on our state in life and how receptive we are. That's why the Lord has so many different names in the Bible, and is referred to in so many different ways.

8039. The latter part of the present chapter, and what comes after it, deals with the further preparation of those belonging to the spiritual Church who were held back on the lower earth before the Lord's Coming, until they could be led into heaven. To the end that they might be brought there they were first conveyed safely through the midst of damnation, then underwent temptations, during all of which the Lord was present constantly. Their conveyance through the midst of damnation is meant by the passage through the Sea Suph; their temptations are meant by life in the wilderness to which the people were led; and the Lord's presence is meant by the pillar of cloud during the daytime and of fire by night.