145. In the Word too 'name' means the essential nature of a real thing, and 'seeing and calling by name' knowing characters, as in Isaiah,

I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoarded riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Jehovah, the one calling you by name, the God of Israel. For the sake of My servant Jacob, and of Israel My chosen, and I have called you by name, I have surnamed you, but you do not know Me. Isaiah 45:3-4.

Here 'calling by name' and 'surnaming' mean knowing his character beforehand. In the same prophet,

You will be called by a new name which the mouth of Jehovah will declare. Isaiah 62:2.

This stands for his becoming a different person, as is clear from what precedes and what follows these words. In the same prophet,

O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name, you are Mine. Isaiah 43:1.

This stands for knowing character. Again in the same prophet,

Lift up your eyes on high and see; who created these? He who brings out their host by number; He will call them all by name. Isaiah 40:26.

This stands for His knowing them all. In Revelation,

You have a few names in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments. He who conquers will be clad in white garments and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:4-5.

Elsewhere in the same book,

Whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb. Revelation 13:8.

In these places 'names' is in no way used to mean names but people's characters. Nor in heaven do they know anyone's name, only his character.

3302. 'And they called his name Esau' means its essential nature, that is to say, of the Natural as regards good. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' or calling by name, as knowing the essential nature of a person or thing, and so knowing that nature itself, dealt with in 144, 145, 440, 768, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, and from the fact that names in the Word, however many these may be, in the internal sense mean spiritual realities, 1224, 1888, so that 'Esau' is some spiritual reality. That reality is the Lord's Divine Natural as regards Divine Good when first conceived, as is clear from what has been stated and from what follows concerning Esau, as well as from other places in the Word. But as Esau and Edom are very similar in meaning - the difference being that 'Edom' is the Divine Natural as regards good to which doctrinal matters concerning truth have been allied - confirmation from places in the Word will in the Lord's Divine mercy therefore be provided at verse 30 below, where Esau is called Edom.