709. The name Jehovah is used because now the subject is charity. From verse 9 to the end of the previous chapter Jehovah is not used but God, the reason being that there the subject is the preparation of Noah, or the member of the Church called Noah, as regards things of his understanding, which are matters of faith. Here however it is the preparation of him as regards the things of his will, which are matters of love. When the subject is the things of the understanding, that is, the truths of faith, the name God is used, but when it is those of the will, that is, goods stemming from love, Jehovah is used. For it is not things of the understanding, that is, of faith, that constitute the Church but those of the will which are matters of love. Jehovah is present within love and charity, but not within faith except faith that inheres in love or charity. This also is why in the Word faith is compared to the night, but love to the daytime, as in Genesis 1 where the great lights are mentioned; the greater light, which is the sun and means love, has dominion over the day, while the lesser light, which is the moon and means faith, has dominion over the night, Genesis 1:14, 16. Similarly in the Prophets, Jeremiah 31:35; 33:20; Psalms 136:8-9; also Revelation 8:12.

385. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." This symbolically means that they will be caught up no longer in battles against evils and the accompanying falsities, and so will no longer experience times of distress, but will be surrounded by goods and truths and thus by heavenly joys emanating from the Lord.

This is the symbolic meaning of the Lamb's wiping away every tear from their eyes because we are told in verse 14 above that they are "ones who are coming out of the great tribulation," which means, symbolically, that they are people who have undergone temptations or trials, and have fought against evils (no. 377). And people who after that are not caught up in battles against evils are people surrounded by goods and truths and thus by heavenly joys.

The following passage in Isaiah has a similar symbolic meaning:

He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord Jehovih will wipe away tears from all faces... Then they will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, to set us free. This is Jehovah, for whom we have waited; we will rejoice and be glad in His salvation." (Isaiah 25:8-9)

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