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.

4584. Verses 16-20 And they travelled on from Bethel, and there was still a stretch of land to go to Ephrath; and Rachel gave birth, and suffered severely ¹ in giving birth. And it happened in her suffering severely, ¹ in giving birth, that the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid, for this also is a son for you. And it happened as her soul was departing, when she was about to die, that she called his name Ben-oni; and his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; this is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day.

'They travelled on from Bethel, and there was still a stretch of land to go to Ephrath' means the spiritual of the celestial at this point - 'Joseph' being the celestial of the spiritual. 'And Rachel gave birth, and suffered severely in giving birth' means the temptations endured by interior truth. 'And it happened in her suffering severely, in giving birth' means following temptations. 'That the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid' means perception received from the natural. 'For this also is a son for you' means spiritual truth. 'And it happened as her soul was departing, when she was about to die' means a state of temptations. 'That she called his name Ben-oni' means the nature of that state. 'And his father called him Benjamin' means the nature of the spiritual of the celestial. 'And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath' means the end of the initial affection for interior truth. 'That is, Bethlehem' means a new spiritual of the celestial raised up in place of it. 'And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave' means the holiness of the spiritual truth that was to be raised up again there. 'This is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day' means the state of holiness lasting perpetually.

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