7439. Let My people go, that they may serve Me. That this signifies that they should release those who are of the spiritual church in order that they may worship their God in freedom, is evident from the signification of “letting go,” as being to release; from the representation of the sons of Israel, here “My people,” as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223); and from the signification of “serving Jehovah,” as being to worship. That they should worship in freedom is plain from what follows (verses 21-23), and also from the fact that all worship which is truly worship must be in freedom.

[2] The sons of Israel being called “the people of Jehovah” was not because they were better than other nations, but because they represented the people of Jehovah, that is, those who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom. That they were not better than other nations is plain from their life in the wilderness, in that they did not at all believe in Jehovah, but in their hearts believed in the gods of the Egyptians, as is evident from the golden calf which they made for themselves, and which they called their gods who had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 32:8). The same is evident also from their subsequent life in the land of Canaan, as described in the historicals of the Word, and from what was said of them by the prophets, and finally from what was said of them by the Lord.

[3] For this reason also few of them are in heaven, for they have received their lot in the other life according to their life. Therefore do not believe that they were elected to heaven in preference to others; for whoever so believes, does not believe that everyone’s life remains with him after death, nor that man must be prepared for heaven by his whole life in the world, and that this is done of the Lord’s mercy, and that none are admitted into heaven from mercy alone, regardless of how they have lived in the world. Such an opinion about heaven and the Lord’s mercy is induced by the doctrine of faith alone, and of salvation by faith alone without good works; for those who hold this doctrine have no concern about the life, and so believe that evils can be washed away like dirt by water, and thus that man can in a moment pass into the life of good, and consequently be admitted into heaven. For they do not know that if the life of evil were taken away from the evil, they would have no life whatever, and that if they who are in a life of evil were admitted into heaven, they would feel hell in themselves, and this the more grievously, the more interiorly they were admitted into heaven.

[4] From all this it can now be seen that the Israelites and Jews were by no means elected, but only accepted to represent the things that belong to heaven; and that this must needs be done in the land of Canaan, because the Lord’s church had been there from the most ancient times, and from this all the places there became representative of heavenly and Divine things. In this way also the Word could be written, and the names in it could signify such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom.

460. Saying, Salvation unto our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, signifies confession that eternal life is from the Lord alone. This is evident from the signification of "saying," as being to confess, for the confession follows; also from the signification of "unto Him who sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb," as being the Lord in relation to Divine good and in relation to Divine truth; that the "one sitting upon the throne" means the Lord in relation to Divine good, and "the Lamb" the Lord in relation to Divine truth may be seen above (n. 134, 253, 297, 314). It is evident also from the signification of "salvation" as being eternal life, for eternal life means in the Word eternal salvation.

[2] "Salvation unto Him," signifies that salvation is from Him, since He is salvation; for everything of salvation and of eternal life is from the Lord and is with man and angel; for all the good of love and all the truth of faith with man are the Lord's with him, and not the man's; for it is the Divine proceeding, which is the Lord in heaven with the angels and in the church with men, and from the good of love and the truth of faith come salvation and eternal life; so when it is said that salvation is the Lord's, and that the Lord Himself is salvation, it is clear how this is to be understood, as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him that He may save us; this is Jehovah; we have waited for Him; let us exult and be glad in His salvation (Isaiah 25:9).

In the same:

My salvation shall not delay; and I will give salvation in Zion, My splendor in Israel (Isaiah 46:13).

In the same:

I have given Thee for a light to the nations, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:6).

In the same:

Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh (Isaiah 62:11).

In David:

Jehovah shall give out of ¹ Zion the salvation of Israel, when He shall bring back the captivity of His people (Psalms 14:7; 53:6).

This is said of the Lord, who is here called salvation, from the act of saving, and for the reason that He is salvation with man, for so far as the Lord is with man so far man has salvation. So in Luke:

Simeon said, Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples (Luke 2:30, 31).

Again, this is why the Lord was called "Jesus," for Jesus means salvation.

[3] It is said, "who sitteth upon the throne, and the Lamb," both of these meaning the Lord, "who sitteth upon the throne," meaning the Lord in relation to Divine good, and "the Lamb" meaning the Lord in relation to Divine truth, both from His Divine Human (as has been shown above in the passages cited). Wherefore, elsewhere, the Lamb alone upon the throne is mentioned, as in Revelation(Revelation 5:6), "Behold in the midst of the throne a Lamb standing," also (Revelation 7:17), "The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them;" also in this chapter, the Lamb alone is called God (verses 11, 12), "They fell down before the throne, and worshiped God, saying, Strength unto our God." The meaning here is similar as when the Lord speaks of "the Father" and "the Son" as if they were two, when yet by "the Father" He meant the Divine in Itself, and by "the Son" His Human from that Divine; this He again clearly teaches when He says that the Father is in Him and He in the Father and that He and the Father are one. The meaning is similar in these words, "who sitteth upon the throne, and the Lamb." (That also "the Lamb" means the Lord's Divine Human, and in a relative sense the good of innocence, see above, n. 314.)

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