Arcana Coelestia #4568
4568. And God said to him, Thy name is Jacob. That this signifies the quality of the Lord’s external Divine natural, is evident from the signification of “name,” as being quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421); and from the representation of Jacob, as being the Lord’s Divine natural, of which often above. It is called external, because “Israel” is the Lord’s internal Divine natural, of which in what now follows.
Arcana Coelestia #145
145. In the Word also by “name” is signified the essence of a thing, and by “seeing and calling by name” is signified to know the quality. As in Isaiah:
I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My chosen, I have even called thee by thy name, I have surnamed thee, and thou hast not known Me (Isaiah 45:3-4).
In this passage, to “call by name” and to “surname” signifies to foreknow the quality. Again:
Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall declare (Isaiah 62:2), signifying to become of another character, as appears from the preceding and subsequent verses. Again:
Fear not, O Israel, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine (Isaiah 43:1),
denoting that He knew their quality. Again in the same Prophet:
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their army by number. He will call them all by name (Isaiah 40:26),
meaning that He knew them all. In the Revelation:
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments: he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels (Revelation 3:4-5).
Whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 13:8).
By “names” in these passages are by no means meant names, but qualities; nor is the name of anyone ever known in heaven, but his quality.
