2841. 'The angel of Jehovah called to Abraham a second time out of heaven' means a still greater comfort received by the Lord [from the Divine]. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling out of heaven' as giving comfort to, and from the meaning of 'the angel of Jehovah' as the Lord's Divine itself, dealt with above in 2821, where the same words occur. The expression a second time is used here because a greater comfort is received. The comfort received first is contained in verses 12-14, where Divine providence is the subject, that comfort being that those members of the human race who are called spiritual would be adopted. The second comfort, which is greater, is contained in the verses which follow below - in verses 17-18, and those that follow to the end of the chapter - the comfort in this case being that those spiritual ones would be multiplied as the stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore, and that not only those people would be saved but also all in whom goodness may be found. These things were the objects of the Lord's love, and therefore such things brought Him comfort. No one finds any comfort except in the things which are the objects of his love.

683. As regards the use twice of the verb 'did' comprehending both good and truth, it should be recognized that in the Word, especially the Prophets, one matter may be described in two ways, as in Isaiah,

He has passed on in peace, a way He has not gone with His feet. Who has performed and done this? Isaiah 42:3, 4.

Here the first statement has regard to good, the second to truth, that is to say, the first regards things of the will, the second those of the understanding. Thus 'passing on in peace' embodies things of the will, 'a way he did not go with His feet' those of the understanding. The same applies to 'performing' and 'doing'. In the Word things that belong to the will and to the understanding, that is, to love and faith - or what amounts to the same, celestial things and spiritual things - are joined together in such a way that each individual part images a marriage, and answers to the heavenly marriage. The same applies here with the repetition of the same verb.