Spiritual Meaning of

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In the genuine sense a zealous God denotes the Divine truth of the Divine good, for God is predicated of truth (AC 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 7268, 8301), and zealous of good. But relatively to those who do not receive the Divine truth of the Lord's Divine good, a zealous God denotes falsity and evil; for they who are in the opposite perceive Divine truth as falsity, and Divine good as evil; because everyone sees these things from his own quality. Hence it is that the zeal of the Lord, which in itself is love and compassion, appears to them as anger; for when the Lord from love and mercy protects His own in heaven, they who are in evil are indignant and angry against the good, and rush into the sphere where the Divine truth and Divine good are, with the endeavor to destroy those who are there; and then the Divine truth of the Divine good works in them and makes them feel torments such as are in hell. Hence it is that they attribute wrath and anger to the Divine, and also all evil, when yet in the Divine there is absolutely nothing of anger, and absolutely nothing of evil; but pure clemency and mercy.

[2] From all this it is evident why zealous signifies falsity and evil, and zeal signifies anger. See what has been shown above on these subjects, namely, that wrath and anger are attributed to the Lord, when yet they are with those who are in evil, or who are in anger against the Divine (AC 5798, 6997, 8284, 8483). That in like manner evils, punishments, and vastations are attributed to the Lord, when yet in the Lord there is nothing but love and mercy, (AC 2447, 6071, 6559, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7877, 7926, 8214, 8223, 8226-8228, 8282, 8632); also that the evil devastate themselves, and cast themselves into damnation and hell by endeavoring to destroy what is good and true, (AC 7643, 7679, 7710, 7926, 7989); as also that the Lord appears to everyone according to his quality, (AC 1861, 6832, 8197). That the zeal of the Lord denotes love and mercy, and that when the Lord protects the good against the evil, it appears as hostility and also as anger, is evident from the following passages in the Word.

[3] That the zeal of the Lord denotes love and mercy, in Isaiah:--

where zeal denotes mercy, which is the yearning of the bowels, and is predicated of good; for it is said Thy zeal and Thy mighty deeds, where zeal is said of good, and mighty deeds of truth; in like manner the yearning of the bowels is said of good, and cœcompassions is said of truth; so likewise the habitation of holiness denotes the heaven where they are who are of the celestial kingdom, and the habitation of comeliness, the heaven where they are who are of the spiritual kingdom. From this it is also evident that in the Word where mention is made of good, mention is also made of truth, on account of the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth, in every detail of the Word, as in the case of the two names of the Lord, Jesus and Christ," which signify the Divine marriage that is in the Lord (AC 683, 793, 801, 2516, 4138, 5138, 5502, 6343, 7945, 8339).

[4] In the same:--Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and He called His name Wonderful, Counselor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. To the multiplying of His government and peace there shall be no end. The zeal of Jehovah shall perform this (Isa. `ix. 6, 7). This is said of the Lord and of His coming; the zeal of Jehovah shall perform this, denotes that He will do it from the ardent love of saving the human race. Again:--

the zeal of Jehovah shall perform this denotes that He will do it from love and mercy.

[5] In Ezekiel:--

where being zealous denotes to have compassion. In David The zeal of Thy house hath eaten me up (Ps. 69:9); speaking of the Lord; the zeal of the house of Jehovah denotes His love toward those who receive good and truth, for these are the house of Jehovah.

[6] That when the zeal or mercy of the Lord protects the good it appears as hostility, is manifest in Isaiah:--

In Joel:--

[7] That the zeal of the Lord is called anger and wrath because mercy so appears to the evil, is manifest in these passages:--

In like manner the zeal of Jehovah is described as anger" in (Ps. 38:1; Ezek. 16:42; 23:25; 38:19). From all this it can be see what is meant by the zeal of Jehovah, or what by a zealous God;" namely, that in the genuine sense are meant love and mercy; but in a sense not genuine, such as appears to those who are in evils and falsities, anger and vastation are signified.

[8] Be it known that Jehovah, that is, the Lord, is especially called zealous, or an avenger, when that is corrupted which ought to reign universally with the man of the church, namely, the Divine, which must be loved, or thought of, or feared, above all things. When this has been corrupted or destroyed, then instead of heavenly light mere thick darkness usurps its place, for there is no longer any influx of this light from the Divine, because there is no reception. For this reason it is said, I am Jehovah thy God, a zealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the thirds and upon the fourths of then) that hate Me, and this in case they worshiped other gods or made unto themselves a graven image or likenesses for these things corrupt the Divine which ought to reign universally.

[9] Therefore it is declared in like manner elsewhere in Moses:--

This was so severely forbidden in the case of the Israelitish nation because the adoration of other gods, of graven things, and of images, was destructive of every representative of the church among them; for in heaven Jehovah, that is, the Lord, is the universal regnant; His Divine fills all things there, and makes the life of all. If anything had been worshiped instead of the Divine, every representative would have perished, and thus the communication with heaven.

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