5913. 'And your flocks, and your herds' means natural good, interior and exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'flock' as interior good, dealt with in 2566, in this case interior natural good since the flocks belonged to Israel, who represents spiritual good from the natural, 5906; and from the meaning of 'herd' as exterior natural good. The reason why 'herd' means exterior good and 'flocks' interior good is that the animals which constituted a herd, such as oxen and young bulls, were signs, when used in sacrifices, of external forms of the good of charity and also of the forms of good present in the external man. But the animals constituting flocks, such as lambs, sheep, she-goats, were signs of internal forms of the good of charity and also of the forms of good present in the internal man. Consequently people in whom these forms of good are present are referred to in the Word by the single term 'flock', and the one who leads them by the term 'pastor' or 'shepherd'.

1736. The fact that the Lord is Jehovah, who is here called 'God Most High', is quite clear from the Word: in Isaiah,

Jehovah Zebaoth is His name, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth He is called. Isaiah 54:5.

Here it is explicitly stated that 'the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel', who is the Lord alone, is 'Jehovah Zebaoth' and 'the God of the whole earth'. In the same prophet,

Thus said Jehovah your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah your God. Isaiah 48:17.

In the same prophet,

I am helping you, said Jehovah your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 41:14.

The expressions 'the Holy One of Israel' and 'the God of Israel' occur many times. That the Lord is the Holy One of Israel and the God of Israel is quite clear from where it is said that they saw the God of Israel, under whose feet there was so to speak a paved work of sapphire stone, like the substance of the sky for purity, Exodus 24:10.

[2] None other was acknowledged and called Jehovah by the Jewish Church because that Church worshipped the one God Jehovah, and more importantly, because all the religious observances of that Church represented Him -- though the majority did not know this - and because all things in the internal sense of the Word had Him as their meaning. In Isaiah,

He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord Jehovih will wipe away tears from all faces. And it will be said on that day, Behold, this is our God, we have waited for Him and He will save us. This is Jehovah, whom we have waited for; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation. Isaiah 25:8-9.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord.

[3] In the same prophet,

Behold, the Lord Jehovih will come with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd, He will gather into His arm, He will carry the tiny lambs in His bosom, ¹ and will lead those that give suck. Isaiah 40:10-11.

This refers explicitly to the Lord who is 'the Lord Jehovih'. 'He will come with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him' stands for the fact that He would by His own power overcome the hells. 'Pasturing the flock', 'gathering into His arm', 'carrying the tiny lambs in His bosom', and 'leading those that give suck' have reference to His love, or mercy.

[4] In the same prophet,

Thus said Jehovah, God Himself who created the heavens, who formed the earth and made it, who Himself established it and created it not an emptiness, and formed it to dwell in: I am Jehovah, and there is none else. Am not I Jehovah and there is no God else besides Me? A just God, and a Saviour, there is none besides Me. Look to Me and be saved, all ends of the earth. For I am God and there is no other. Isaiah 45:18, 21-22.

Here it is explicitly stated that the Lord alone is Jehovah and God. 'To create the heavens and form the earth' is to regenerate, and so 'the Creator of heaven and earth' is the Regenerator, see 16, 88, 472, and elsewhere. This is why the Lord is in various places called Creator, One who forms, and Maker.

[5] In the same prophet,

You are our Father, for Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our rather, our Redeemer; from of old is Your name. Isaiah 63:15-16.

This refers explicitly to the Lord who alone is the Redeemer. In Moses,

Take notice of His face, ² and hearken to His voice, lest you provoke Him, for He will not endure your transgression, for My name is in the midst of Him. Exodus 23:21.

'Name' is the essential nature, see 144, 145, while 'in the midst' is the inmost, 1074.

[6] In Isaiah,

To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6-7.

This plainly refers to the Lord. In Jeremiah,

Behold, the days are coming and I will raise up for David a righteous branch and He will reign as King, and act with understanding, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell with confidence. And this is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:5-6.

This plainly refers to the Lord. In Zechariah,

Jehovah will be King over all the earth; in that day there will be one Jehovah, and His name one. Zechariah 14:9.

This is plainly a reference to the Lord. 'Name' stands for Essential Nature.

Poznámky pod čarou: