10618. Long-suffering with angers. That this signifies the Divine clemency, is evident from the signification of “long-suffering with angers,” when said of Jehovah, as being that He long endures the evils of man, for to be “long-suffering” denotes to endure and bear for a long time; and “angers” denote the evils with man. The reason why “angers,” when said of Jehovah, denote the evils with man, is that evil becomes angry, and good never; and evil is with man and never with the Lord, for the Lord is good itself. Nevertheless anger is attributed to the Lord, because it so appears to a man when he does not obtain what he desires, and when he is punished on account of evil. As then “long-suffering with angers,” when said of Jehovah, denotes long to endure the evils with man, it follows from this that thereby is signified the Divine clemency.

[2] As regards anger, be it known further that evil becomes angry, and good never, for the reason that to be angry is to will evil to another, which good cannot do, for good consists in willing the good of another. All evil has within it enmity, hatred, revenge, and cruelty; in these and from these evil has its delight. Moreover, evil hates good, because good is opposed to its delights. Consequently when evil cannot injure good, which it is always in the endeavor to do, it is first indignant, and afterward is angry. Whether you say evil, or an evil man, it is the same, for evil is in man as in its subject. And as such is the nature of evil against good, such it is against the Divine, for all good is the Divine with man, because it is from the Divine. From this it is that an evil man is always angry against the Divine, although outwardly he speaks differently before men.

[3] That he speaks differently is either from hypocrisy, or from the fact that he wishes the Divine to favor him in all things by granting whatsoever he desires, even to enabling him on his own account to take vengeance on all against whom he bears hatred. But as soon as he sees that this is not done, and especially if he himself is punished on account of his evil, he is then angry against God, even to denying Him and also blaspheming Him in his heart. That this is so is clearly shown in the other life, where a man acts according to his interiors, and not, as in the world, according to his exteriors; and in that life the penalty adheres to its evil, and is as it were inherent in it. (That “anger” denotes evil, see n. 6358, 6359; and that anger and evil are attributed to God, when yet they belong to man, and that nothing of evil is from God, see the places cited in n. 9306, 10431; and that evil is attended with its punishment, n. 1857, 8214, 8223, 8226, 9048)

9306. Take heed of his face. That this signifies holy fear, is evident from the signification of “taking heed of the face,” when said of the Lord, who is here meant by “the angel,” as being to be afraid lest He be angry on account of evils, or lest He be provoked on account of transgressions; as follows. To fear these things is holy fear (concerning which see above, n. 2826, 3718, 3719, 5459, 5534, 7280, 7788, 8816, 8925). It is said “take heed of his face,” because by the “face” is signified the interior things that belong to the life, thus those of the thought and affection, and especially those of the faith and the love. The reason is that the face has been formed according to the image of man’s interior things, in order that those which are of the internal man may appear in the external man; thus that those which are of the spiritual world may appear before the sight in the natural world, and so affect the neighbor. That the face exhibits in a visible form, or as it were in a mirror, the things which the man thinks and loves, is known. (That such are the faces of the sincere, and especially of angels, see n. 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066, 4326, 4796-4799, 5102, 5695, 6604, 8248-8250.)

Wherefore in the original tongue “the face” is a general term employed to describe the affections which exist and appear in a man, such as gratitude, favor, benevolence, help, kindness; and also as unmercifulness, anger, revenge; consequently in that tongue “the face,” taken with what it is joined to, means “near to,” “with,” “before,” “for the sake of,” and also “against;” thus whatever is in oneself, from oneself, for oneself, and against oneself; for as before said, the face is the man himself, or that which is in the man and shows itself.

[2] From all this it can be known what is signified by the “face of Jehovah,” or by the “face of the angel,” by whom is here signified the Lord as to His Divine Human; namely, the Divine good of the Divine love, and the Divine truth from this Divine good; for these are in Jehovah or the Lord, and they are from Him; nay, they are Himself (n. 222, 223, 5585). From this it is evident what is signified by the “faces of Jehovah” in the benediction:

Jehovah make His faces to shine upon thee, and be merciful unto thee; Jehovah lift up His faces unto thee, and give thee peace (Numbers 6:25-26).

God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause His faces to shine upon us (Psalms 67:1).

In like manner in Psalms 80:3, 7, (Psalms 80:7)19; 119:135; Daniel 19:17 and elsewhere.

[3] Hence it is that the Lord as to the Divine Human is called “the angel of the faces of Jehovah” in Isaiah:

I will make mention of the mercies of Jehovah. He will recompense them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His mercies; and He became their Savior; and the angel of His faces saved them, because of His love, and because of His pity (Isaiah 63:7-9).

That the Lord as to the Divine Human is called “the angel of the faces of Jehovah” is because the Divine Human is the Divine Itself in face, that is, in form, as the Lord also teaches in John:

If ye had known Me, ye had known My Father also; and from henceforth ye have known Him, and have seen Him. Philip said, Show us the Father. Jesus said unto him, Am I so long time with you, and hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. I am in the Father, and the Father in Me. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me (John 14:7-11).

[4] By “the face of Jehovah” or the Lord is also signified anger, vengeance, punishment, and evil, for the reason that from the common idea that all things are from God the simple believe that evil also is from Him, especially the evil of punishment; and therefore in accordance with this common idea, and also according to the appearance, anger, vengeance, punishment, and evil are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord; when yet these are not from the Lord, but from man (on which subject see n. 1861, 2447, 5798, 6071, 6832, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7632, 7877, 7926, 8197, 8227, 8228, 8282, 8483, 8632, 8875, 9128). Such is the signification here of “take heed of his face, provoke him not, for he will not endure your transgression.” And also in Leviticus:

Whosoever shall eat any blood, I will set My faces against the soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from the midst of his people (Leviticus 17:10).

I have set my faces against the city for evil, and not for good (Jeremiah 21:10).

The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth (Psalms 34:16).