The term name and names themselves come up over and over again in scripture and it is the subject we will uncover in this episode today.
I will offer examples from sacred scriptures to illustrate the universality of the ancient Word and its allegorical nature, as provided through the infinite love and wisdom of our Creator.
It is commonly known that a person’s name carries meaning and that historically names were significant for this very purpose. In western culture today, children are no longer named on the basis of the meaning, but on the basis of popularity factors. Nevertheless, names in sacred scripture, to any student of Divine Truth, are important precisely because they hold a meaning, which in turn points to their allegorical significance and that of the message that envelopes it.
Let me give a couple of examples, but then I want to move onto the allegorical significance of the term name – not the meaning of the various names themselves.
I will give you three examples:
Israel
The meaning of Israel can be all of: “he who wrestles with God”, “He who perseveres with God” and “May God prevail”.
Jacob’s name was change to Israel in Genesis 35:10 (chapter 35, verse 10) and this is where the Israelites get their name from. It gives an understanding why “God’s people” are referred to as “Israelites” and where the nation Israel gets its name from.
Through the allegory of ‘Israel’ and ‘Israelites’ we can therefore see that it is NOT the current nation and its earthly location that is Holy and Spiritually significant, but the representation and correspondence it holds about the importance of a spiritual quality – which is being a person of God of putting what is Good and True as most important and ahead of ourselves and our own ego.
‘And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel.’ – Genesis 35:10
Bethlehem
The birthplace of Jesus Christ, who called himself the “Bread of Life” was born in the city of Bethlehem, which is literally translated as “House of Bread”.
‘And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’ – John 6:35
In future courses we will deal with the allegories of ‘house’ and ‘bread’, which will uncover the significance of these.
There are no accidents and the meaning of a name goes well and truly beyond a basic definition or description of a person or place.
Jehovah
Jehovah or Yahweh, while simply translated in English as LORD, quite literally means “he who will be, is, and has been” in other words, the name of our Creator in our scripture means: “Is, was, being”. This can also be read as meaning “the One who exists. (or who has life).”
This is highlighted further in Exodus chapter 3, verse 14
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”.
And he said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.” – Exodus 3:14
And in the first chapter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End”, says the Lord, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8
Moving to the Allegorical sense
Clearly in everyday life, we use a name to describe someone or something. For example a business or a product in which we embed certain values, hopes and essence of a particular quality. The name, or brand, is the effective medium to carry reputation and the essentials of its character.
So you can start to see that there is more to a name than it merely being a description. It can relate the nature or essential quality of something or someone.
In our sacred scriptures this allegory and parabolic distinction holds true also.
Here are three quick examples where the term Name is used indicating some significance to it.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” – Revelation 2:17
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. – Genesis 5:2
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18:20
The principles behind the allegorical nature of divine revelation are ultimately derived from the principles of creation itself. All we need to do is to look for these spiritual principles by discounting the finite (or natural) elements, such as space and time.
It should be familiar to you right now that, when focussing on meaning in sacred scripture, that this means being reflective of inner qualities, which apply to our own mind and spiritual state. It is in this sense that we must proceed.
I think it is pretty clear, with what we’ve discussed so far, that name corresponds to the essential quality or character. In other words a state of being or otherwise still, our inner nature.
Emanuel Swedenborg
Swedenborg uses the term Correspondence for the allegories, because any visual object or element in the natural world, directly corresponds to a spiritual cause – being a spiritual quality or process.
I would like to share a couple of quotes from Emanuel Swedenborg where he discusses the term Name.
“That to “call by name” signifies to know the quality, is because the ancients, by the “name” understood the essence of a thing, and by “seeing and calling by name” they understood to know the quality.” – Emanuel Swedenborg, Arcana Coelestia 144
Thou shalt not take the name of thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless who taketh His name in vain (Exod. 20:7; Deut. 5:11); where to “take the name of God in vain” does not signify the name, but all things in general and particular that are from Him, and therefore all things in general and particular that belong to the worship of Him, none of which are to be despised, still less blasphemed and contaminated with what is filthy.
In the Lord’s Prayer:
Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come Thy will be done, as in heaven so also in the earth (Luke 11:2);
where also by “name” is not meant the name, but all things of love and faith; for these are God’s or the Lord’s, and are from Him; and as these are holy, the Lord’s kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as in the heavens when they are held to be so. – Emanuel Swedenborg, True Christian Religion 682
And also
“And as the “name” signifies the quality, the name comprehends in one complex whatever is in the man. For in heaven no attention is paid to anyone’s name; but when anyone is named, or when the word name is spoken, there is presented the idea of the person’s quality, that is, of all things that are his, that are connected with him, and that are in him; hence in the Word “name” signifies quality.” – Emanuel Swedenborg, Arcana Coelestia 2009
A brief word on representations and correspondence:
So far we have talked about allegories as being correspondent, because they exist as a result of a spiritual cause to which they correspond. This is true. However, in this series, names begin to refer to characters – people – in scripture. This introduces another dimension – representation.
The best way to explain it is that while a person’s name in scripture may have a particular meaning or the actions they perform being correspondent to Divine Providence, the historical person may not per se have been of the character his name represents.
Eg Abram – was renamed Abraham, the H corresponding to what is of Jehovah (Yah).
In the stories, his character in recorded scripture is representative of the Lord and the way He leads and guides us. However, Abraham was NOT the Lord!
While the change of name corresponds to the way God guides us to change our nature, the role Abraham played was not correspondent (except insofar it highlights the Lord’s Divine Providence) but was representative, because it was not Abraham itself that is leading us nor his actions being immediately significant for us today. No. The character of Abraham in the story only represents the Lords role, Abraham did not himself directly correspond to the Divine.
Swedenborg also expresses this in Arcana Coelestia, where he says that “name” signifies the quality:
“Be it known however that in representations it matters not what a man’s quality is, for in them no attention is paid to the person, but to the thing which he represents.” – Emanuel Swedenborg, Arcana Coelestia 2010
In other words – the historical person is irrelevant. What is relevant is the quality the character represents.
Now, let us have a look at a couple of passages from scripture to highlight our allegory, for the moment only focusing on our topic for today: Name
Your Exercise:
“Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20
now replace name with essential quality
Where two or three are gathered together in My essential quality, there am I in the midst of them.
“By those who are “gathered together in the name of the Lord,” are here signified those who are in the doctrine of faith concerning love and charity, and thus who are in love and charity. Those who put was is good and true as the first most principle share that essential divine quality from the Lord and thus give effect to the Lord’s Divine Providence in those moments.
Exercise 2
“But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. – Deuteronomy 12:5
now again replace name with essential quality
But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His essential quality for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.
Swedenborg describes it better than I could, when he summarises:
by “putting His name,” and “making His name dwell there,” is not signified the name, but the worship, and thus the quality of Jehovah or the Lord by reason of which He is to be worshiped. His quality is the good of love and the truth of faith; and “the name of Jehovah dwells” with those who are in these.
Homework:
Why don’t you test this out for yourself too? I’ll leave you with a couple of quotes from scripture.
All the peoples will walk everyone in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God forever and to eternity
(Micah 4:5);
If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it. If ye love Me, keep My commandments
