1416. I will make thee into a great nation. That this signifies the kingdom in the heavens and on the earth, is evident from the signification of a "nation," as being in the internal sense the celestial of love and the derivative good, thus all in the universe in whom is the celestial of love and of charity; and as in the internal sense the Lord is here treated of, there is meant all the celestial and all the derivative good, thus His kingdom, which is with those who are in love and charity. In the supreme sense the Lord is Himself the "great nation," because He is the celestial itself, and good itself; for all the good of love and of charity is from Him alone; and therefore the Lord is His kingdom itself, that is, He is the all in all of His kingdom, as is also acknowledged by all the angels in heaven. Hence now it is evident that "I will make thee into a great nation," signifies the Lord's kingdom in the heavens and on earth.
[2] That in the internal sense, where the Lord and the celestial things of love are treated of, a "nation" signifies the Lord and all celestial things, is evident from the things adduced above concerning the signification of a "nation," and of "nations" (n. 1258, 1259). This may also be further confirmed by the following passages. Concerning Abraham it is said:
Thy name shall not any more be called Abram, and thy name shall be Abraham, for the father of a multitude of nations have I given thee (Gen. 17:5).
The letter h in "Abraham" was taken from the name Jehovah, on account of his representation of Jehovah or the Lord. In like manner it is said of Sarai:
Thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and also give thee a son of her; thus I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall be of her (Gen. 17:15-16);
where "nations" denote the celestial things of love, and "kings of peoples" the spiritual things of faith thence derived, which belong to the Lord alone.
[3] Concerning Jacob in like manner:
Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name, and He called his name Israel: and God said, I am God the thunderer; increase and multiply; a nation and a congregation of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall go forth out of thy loins (Gen. 35:10-11);
where "Israel" denotes the Lord, and that He Himself is "Israel" in the supreme sense, is well known to some; and when He is "Israel," it is evident that "a nation" and "an assemblage of nations," and "kings out of His loins," are the celestial and the spiritual things of love, and therefore all who are in the celestial and the spiritual things of love. Concerning Ishmael, Abram's son by Hagar, it is said:
The son of the handmaid I will make him into a nation, because he is thy seed (Gen. 21:13, 18).
What is represented by Ishmael will be seen in its place; the "seed" of Abram is love itself, and from this the term "nation" is used for those begotten of Ishmael.
[4] That a "nation" signifies the celestial things of love, is evident in Moses:
If hearing ye will hear My voice, and will keep My covenant, ye shall also be a peculiar treasure unto Me out of all peoples, and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (Exod. 19:5, 6);
where "a kingdom of priests," which is the Lord's kingdom in the heavens and on earth, being so named from the celestial things of love, is manifestly called "a holy nation;" whereas the Lord's kingdom from His kingly function was named from the spiritual things of love, and is called "a holy people;" and for this reason "kings out of the loins," in the passage quoted above, are spiritual things. In Jeremiah:
If these statutes have departed from before Me, saith Jehovah, the seed of Israel also shall cease, that it be not a nation before Me all the days (Jer. 31:36);
"the seed of Israel" denotes the celestial of charity; and when this ceases, there is no longer a nation before the Lord.
[5] In Isaiah:
The people that walk in darkness have seen a great light; Thou hast multiplied the nation (Isa. 9:2-3).
This is said of the church of the nations specifically; but in general of all who are in ignorance and live in charity; these are a "nation," because they are of the Lord's kingdom. In David:
That I may see the good of Thy chosen; that I may be glad in the gladness of Thy nation, that I may glory in Thine inheritance (Ps. 106:5).
Here "nation" plainly denotes the Lord's kingdom. As the signification of "nation" is the celestial of love and the derivative good, there originated, from a perception of this signification, the fact that the men of the Most Ancient Church were distinguished into households, families, and nations; and thereby they perceived the Lord's kingdom, and consequently the celestial itself. From this Perceptive arose the Significative, and from this the Representative.