3023. 'I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth' means an utterly sacred binding to the Divine which existed in highest things and in the things derived from these. This is clear from the meaning of 'making someone swear by' as binding by means of an oath, for to swear by is nothing else than to be bound to; and this bond is utterly sacred when one swears 'by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth', that is, when one is bound to the Divine above and beneath, or what amounts to the same, to the Divine which exists in highest things and in the things derived from these. Since 'Jehovah the God of heaven' is used in reference to the Lord, it means Jehovah Himself, who is called 'the Father', from whom the Lord was conceived and so who was the Lord's Divine Essence; for His very conception transmitted that very Essence from which He had His being. 'Jehovah the God of the earth' means in this case Jehovah who is called 'the Son', and so means His Human Essence. The Human Essence came into being from the Divine Essence when the Lord made that Human Essence Divine also. Thus 'Jehovah the God of heaven' means the Divine as it exists in highest things, while 'Jehovah the God of the earth' means the Divine as it exists in the things derived from these. The Lord however is called 'Jehovah, the God of heaven' by virtue of His Divine in the heavens, and 'the God of the earth' by virtue of His Divine on earth. The Divine in the heavens is also that which resides with man in his internals, whereas the Divine on earth is that which does so in his externals. For man's internals constitute his 'heaven' because through them he is linked to angels, whereas his externals constitute his 'earth' because through them he is linked to men, 82, 913, 1411, 1733. When a person has been regenerated his internals flow into his externals, and externals exist from internals. From this one may also know what the internals of the Church are and what its externals.

1410. The implications of 'Jehovah said to Abram' meaning a first awareness of all things are as follows: The historical incident is representative, but the actual words describing it carry a spiritual meaning. Such was the style in the Ancient Church that if something was true people would say 'Jehovah said' or 'Jehovah spoke', which, as shown already, meant that it was so. Subsequently however when things carrying a spiritual meaning were converted into representatives, Jehovah - that is, the Lord - at that point spoke to them directly. And when it is then said that 'Jehovah said' or 'Jehovah spoke' to somebody, it has the same meaning as previously, for the Lord's words in the true historical narratives embody within them the same as the Lord's words in the made-up ones. The only difference is that the latter contain that which has been made up to be like true narrative whereas the former have not been made up. 'Jehovah said to Abram' therefore means nothing other than a first awareness, as when in the Ancient Church someone through conscience, or through some other dictate, or through their Word, was made aware that something was so, the expression 'Jehovah said' would be used.