7277. 'And will lead My army, My people, the children of Israel' means that those among whom forms of good and truths are present are to be delivered. This is clear from the meaning of 'leading out' as delivering; from the meaning of 'army' as all kinds of good within truths, dealt with in 7236, thus those among whom forms of good, and truths from these, are present; from the meaning of 'people' as that which has reference to those in whom spiritual good and truth are present, dealt with in 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581, 4619, thus those who belong to the spiritual Church, 2928, 7207; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with above in 7271, thus those in whom forms of good and truths are present.

1260. Since 'nations' in the Most Ancient Church and in the Ancient Church meant goods or good persons, therefore also in the contrary sense they mean evils or evil persons Similarly with 'peoples'; since these meant truths, therefore also in the contrary sense they mean falsities. For in a corrupted Church good is turned into evil, and truth into falsity, as a consequence of which the meaning of nations and peoples in that contrary sense occurs many times in the Word, as in Isaiah 13:4; 14:6; 18:2, 7; 30:28; 34:1-2; Ezekiel 20:13; and in many other places.