3623. 'What would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'life' as conjunction by means of truths and goods. For when it was not possible for any truth from a common stem or genuine source to be joined to natural truth, there could not be any alliance of the natural to the truth of the rational, in which case it seemed to the rational as though its own life were no life, 3493, 3620. This is why here 'what would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction. Here and in other places the word 'life' in the original language is plural, and the reason for this is that in man there are two powers of life. The first is called the understanding and is the receptacle of truth, the second is called the will and is the receptacle of good. These two forms or powers of life make one when the understanding is rooted in the will, or what amounts to the same, when truth is grounded in good. This explains why in Hebrew the noun 'life' is sometimes singular, sometimes plural. The plural form of that noun is used in all the following places, Jehovah God formed the man, dust from the ground; and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7. Jehovah God caused to spring up out of the ground every tree desirable to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the middle of the garden. Genesis 2:9. Behold, I am bringing a flood of waters over the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life. Genesis 6:17.

They went in to Noah into the ark, two by two from all flesh in which there is the spirit of life. Genesis 7:15 (in 780).

Everything which had the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils breathed its last. Genesis 7:12.

In David,

I believe [I am going] to see the goodness of Jehovah in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13.

In the same author,

Who is the man who desires life, who loves [many] days, that he may see good? Psalms 34:12

In the same author,

With You, O Jehovah, is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. Psalms 36:9.

In Malachi,

My covenant with Levi was [a covenant] of life and peace. Malachi 2:5.

In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Jeremiah 21:8.

In Moses,

To love Jehovah your God, to obey His voice, and to cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land. Deuteronomy 30:20.

In the same author,

It is not an empty word from you; for it is your life, and through this word you will prolong your days in the land. Deuteronomy 32:47.

And in other places too the plural form of the noun 'life' is used in the original language because, as has been stated, there are two kinds of life which yet make one. It is similar with the word 'heavens' in the Hebrew language, in that the heavens are many and yet make one, or like the expression 'waters' above and below, in Genesis 1:7-9 , by which spiritual things in the rational and in the natural are meant which ought to be one through being joined together. As for the plural form of 'life', when this is used both the life of the will and that of the understanding are meant, and therefore both the life of good and that of truth are meant. For man's life consists in nothing else than good and truth which hold life from the Lord within them. Devoid of good and truth, and of the life which these hold within them, no one is human. For devoid of these no one would ever have been able to will or to think anything. Everything that a person wills originates in good or in that which is not good, and everything he thinks originates in truth or in that which is not truth. Consequently man possesses two kinds of life and these make one when his thinking flows from his willing, that is, when truth which is the truth of faith flows from good which is the good of love.

8624. 'And called the name of it Jehovah Nissi' means constant warfare and the Lord's protection against those steeped in falsity arising from interior evil. This is clear from the fact that the ancients in the Church gave names to indicate the essential nature and the state of whatever matter was under consideration then, and that also they included those things in the names themselves, 340, 1946, 3422, 4298. The nature and state of the matter under consideration here is that the war of Jehovah will be against Amalek from generation to generation, in the internal sense that war will be waged unceasingly against those steeped in falsity arising from interior evil. This is also meant by 'Jehovah Nissi'. In the original language Jehovah Nissi means Jehovah is my Banner or Standard, and 'standard' or 'banner' in the Word means a call to assemble for war. And because the words 'the war of Jehovah' are used, protection given by Him is also meant.

[2] That 'banner' or 'standard ' means a call to assemble for war is clear from the consideration that whenever the people were called to assemble, whether they were going to make journeys, celebrate feasts, or go to war, they sounded the trumpet and at the same time also lifted up a standard or banner on the mountains. For their sounding the trumpet, see Numbers 10:1-11; and the fact that they lifted up a standard or banner is evident from the following places: In Jeremiah,

Declare in Judah and cause to be heard in Jerusalem, and say, sounding the trumpet in the land, Proclaim, blow loudly, ¹ and say, Gather together, and let us go into the fortified cities Raise a banner towards Zion; assemble, do not stop Jeremiah 4:5-6.

In Isaiah,

O all inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, when the banner is lifted up, look; and when the trumpet is sounded, hear. Isaiah 18:3

In the same prophet,

He has lifted up a banner to the nations from afar, and whistled to him from the furthest end of the earth; and behold, he will come swiftly, with speed. Isaiah 5:26.

In the same prophet,

On a tall mountain lift up the banner, raise your voice to them, wave your hand, that they may come to the gate of the princes. Isaiah 13:2.

In the same prophet,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, behold, I will lift up My hand towards the nations, and lift up My banner towards the peoples, that they may bring your sons in their bosom and carry your daughters on their shoulder. Isaiah 49:22.

From all these places it is evident that 'a banner' means an assembling together.

[3] The fact that 'a banner' or 'a standard', when used in reference to the Lord, also means protection is clear in Isaiah,

They will fear the name of Jehovah from the setting, and His glory from the rising of the sun, because He will come like a narrow stream. The spirit of Jehovah will raise a banner against him; then the Redeemer will come to Zion. Isaiah 59:19-20.

In the same prophet,

It will happen on that day, that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who is standing as a banner of the peoples; and His rest will be glory. Isaiah 11:10.

[4] Since a standard, for which the original language uses the same word as that used for a banner, meant an assembling together, and when spoken of in reference to the Lord also meant protection, it was explicitly commanded that the bronze serpent should be set on a standard. This is recorded in Moses as follows,

Jehovah said to Moses, Make a serpent and set it on a standard; and it will happen, that everyone who has been bitten, when he has looked at it, will live. And Moses made a serpent of bronze and set it on a standard. So it happened, if a serpent had bitten a man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, that he was restored to life again. Numbers 21:8-9.

'The bronze serpent' represented the Lord, see John 3:14-15. The fact that it also meant protection is self-evident; for the healing effected by looking at the serpent on the standard meant healing from evils arising from falsity, effected by looking to faith in the Lord. For the Lord says in John, in the above mentioned verses,

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life.

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