8650. 'Of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land)' means the essential nature of the good of truth of those outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421, 6674. That essential nature is described by the words uttered by Moses then, which were, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land. The reason why these words mean the good of truth of those outside the Church is that 'a sojourner'' means those who were born outside the Church, yet were receiving instruction in things of the Church; and 'a foreign land' means a place where the Church does not exist. For the meaning of 'a sojourner' as those who were born outside the Church and were receiving instruction in things of the Church, see 1463, 4444, 7908, 8007, 8013. The reason why 'a foreign land' is where the genuine Church does not exist is that 'land' or 'earth' means the Church, 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, and 'foreign' a place where what is genuine does not exist; for the Lord's Church is spread throughout all lands, and so exists also among gentiles, 2049, 2284, 2589-2604. Furthermore when Gershom was born Moses was outside his own Church, among those with whom the good of simple truth existed, who are meant by 'the Midianites', see 6793-6796.

2589. THE STATE AND CONDITION IN THE NEXT LIFE OF NATIONS AND PEOPLES BORN OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

It is commonly supposed that those born outside the Church, who are called heathens and gentiles, cannot be saved for the reason that they do not possess the Word and so do not know the Lord, without whom there is no salvation. But that gentiles too are saved may be known from the single consideration that the Lord's mercy is universal - that is, it reaches out to every individual human being. For gentiles are born human beings the same as those within the Church, who are a relative minority; and they are not to blame because they do not know the Lord. Consequently the nature of their state and condition in the next life has in the Lord's Divine mercy been shown to me.