Vers 25. Und die äußeren Prinzipien der Seele fürchten, dass sie ihr eigenes Leben völlig verlieren und dass das Leben des Himmels mit ihnen untergeht, weil sie nicht fähig sind, die reine Liebe des Herrn zu empfangen; und sie fürchten, dass ihr eigenes Leben oder alles, was geistig ist, mit ihnen untergeht, wenn sie nach dem Diktat der göttlichen Güte und Weisheit handeln müssen, die von dieser Liebe ausgehen. [Zur Veranschaulichung sei erwähnt, dass, wenn die Seele zum ersten Mal erkennt, dass der Herr Jehova absolut selbstlos ist, dass sein ganzes Handeln von dem Wunsch bestimmt wird, alles, was er hat, den anderen zu geben, soweit sie es empfangen können, die Befürchtung aufkommt, dass, wenn die Seele sich bemühen würde, diesem Beispiel zu folgen und vollkommen zu werden, wie der Vater im Himmel vollkommen ist, sie alles verlieren würde, was im Leben erfreulich ist.]

1672. 'And the kings who were with him' means the apparent truth that goes with that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'kings' in the Word. Kings, kingdoms, and peoples in the historical and prophetical sections of the Word mean truths and the things that belong to truths, as may be confirmed from many places. In the Word a careful distinction is made between people and nation, 'people' meaning truths, 'nation' goods, as shown already in 1259, 1260. Kings have reference to peoples, and not so much to nations. The children of Israel, before they sought to have kings, were 'a nation' and represented good, or that which is celestial; but after they desired a king and received one, they became 'a people' and represented not good or that which is celestial, but truth or that which is spiritual, and this was the reason why this was ascribed to them as a fault in 1 Samuel 8:7-end. This, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be explained elsewhere. In the present verse, since 'Chedorlaomer' is referred to, and then the phrase 'the kings who were with him' is added, both good and truth are meant - good by 'Chedorlaomer' and truth by 'the kings'. But what kind of good and truth it was when the Lord's temptations first began has been stated above.