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.

8625. 'And he said, Because [Amalek's] hand is against the throne of Jah' means because they wish to do violence to the Lord's spiritual kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand against someone' as doing violence; and from the meaning of 'the throne of Jah' as the Lord's spiritual kingdom. The reason why 'the throne of Jah' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom is that 'the throne' has reference to the Lord's kingship, and the Lord's spiritual kingdom corresponds to His kingship. There are two offices attributed to the Lord, which are those of priest and king. The celestial kingdom corresponds to His priesthood, and the spiritual kingdom to His kingship; for the Lord is called priest by virtue of His Divine Goodness, and He is called king by virtue of His Divine Truth. The name Christ holds the latter - Divine Truth - within it, and the name Jesus holds Divine Good, see 1728, 2015, 3004, 3009, 6148. 'The throne' has reference to the Lord's kingship, and therefore to His spiritual kingdom; and the same applies to 'Jah'. For what 'the throne' is, see 5313; and for what 'Jah' is, 8267.

As regards the specific thing meant here, that those represented by 'Amalek' - namely hellish genii steeped in falsity arising from interior evil - wish to do violence to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, this has been explained above in 8593, 8622. Those who were steeped in the falsity of this evil could not be kept away from those belonging to the spiritual Church, before the Lord came into the world and made Divine the Human within Him. When He did so they were shut up in hell, from where they cannot ever rise up; and also contact with that Church, effected through influx, was completely taken away. For in respect of the truth of faith a member of the spiritual Church is in obscurity; and he accepts it as the truth because the Church has said it is, not because he perceives it to be the truth. This truth as it resides with them becomes good and consequently composes their conscience. If wicked genii were to flow into that obscurity they would in a thousand ways destroy such conscience; for they go to work not on the truths of faith there but on the actual affections. Wherever they detect any degree of affection for good they instantly pervert it; they do this so secretively that it cannot at all be noticed. They attack the person's fundamental ends in view. In short, their wickedness defies description, though it may be compared to a deadly and imperceptible poison that penetrates right into the marrow of the bones. In the Lord's Divine mercy more will be said from experience about these genii at the ends of chapters. ¹

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