Names in the Bible are not, according to Swedenborg, simply names; they represent the qualities of the people who bear them. So the various names of the Lord represent various aspects of the infinite love and infinite wisdom which are the Lord’s substance and form.
This is pretty straightforward when the Bible uses one of those names: “Jehovah,” “God,” “The Lord,” etc. But what the times when the Bible talks about the Lord’s “name” rather than using the name? There are many places where people do things “in the name of God,” or other versions of the same.
Swedenborg says this describes a state of worship — a state in which we think of the Lord’s many various qualities, the many ways the Lord affects us.
Passages from Swedenborg
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 943
943. And glorify thy name. That this signifies the worship of the Lord from the truths that are from that good, is evident from the signification of glorifying thename of the Lord, as denoting to worship Him from the truths that are from good. For by the name of the Lord are signified all those things by which He is worshipped; see above (n. 102, 135, 696, 815); and by glorifying Him, or giving glory to Him, is signified, to live according to His Divine truths; see above (n. 874); and to live according to His Divine truths, is to worship Him, as was said in the article just preceding.
Apocalypse Revealed (Whitehead) n. 527
527. And to them that fear Thy name, the small and the great, signifies who love the things which are of the Lord in a lesser and in a greater degree. By “fearing thename of the Lord” is signified to love the things which are of the Lord; “to fear” signifies to love, and “the name of the Lord” signifies all things by which He is worshiped (n. 81); by “the small and the great” are signified they who fear the Lord in a lesser and a greater degree.
True Christian Religion (Rose) n. 682
In the Word, the “name of the Lord Jesus Christ” means acknowledging him and living by his commandments. For the reason why his name has these meanings, see the explanation of the second of the Ten Commandments [297-300], “You are not to take the name of God in vain” [Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11]. This is precisely what the name of the Lord means in the following passages.
Jesus said, “You will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” (Matthew 10:22; 24:9)
Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)
As many as received him, he gave them power to be children of God, if they believed in his name. (John 1:12)
Many believed in his name. (John 2:23)
Those who do not believe have already been judged because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)
Those who believe will have life in his name. (John 20:31)
You have labored for my name’s sake and have not become worn out. (Revelation 2:3)
The phrase is used with the same meaning in other passages as well.
[2] Surely everyone can see that in these passages the name of the Lord does not mean just his name but also means acknowledging that he is the Redeemer and Savior, obeying him, and eventually coming to have faith in him.
In baptism babies receive the sign of the cross on their forehead and chest, which is a sign that they are being initiated into acknowledging and worshiping the Lord.
Our name also means our quality, because in the spiritual world all are named for the qualities they have. Therefore the name of being Christian means our quality of having faith in Christ and having goodwill toward our neighbor from Christ. This is what “name” means in the following passage in the Book of Revelation:
The Son of Humankind says, “You have a few names in Sardis who have not gotten their clothes dirty and who will walk in white clothes with me, because they are worthy.” (Revelation 3:4)
Walking in white clothes with the Son of Humankind means following the Lord and living by the truths of his Word.
[3] “Name” has a similar meaning in John:
Jesus said, “The sheep hear my voice and I call my sheep by name and lead them out. I walk in front of the sheep and they follow me, because they know my voice. They do not follow a stranger, however, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:3, 4, 5)
By name means by their quality as Christians; following him is hearing his voice, that is, obeying his commands. This is the “name” that all receive when they are baptized, in that it is part of the sign.
AE 696
[3] To fear Thy name signifies to worship the Lord, because to fear signifies to worship, and Thy name signifies the Lord; for in the preceding verse it is said, that the twenty-four elders gave thanks to the Lord God, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, therefore to fear Thy name means to worship the Lord. In the Word, both that of the Old and that of the New Testament, the expressions the name of Jehovah, the name of the Lord, the name of God, and the name of Jesus Christ are used, and in such cases name means all those things whereby He is worshipped, thus all things of love and of faith; and, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself is meant, because where He is, there also are all things of love and faith. That such is the signification of the name of Jehovah, of the Lord God, and of Jesus Christ, may be seen above (n. 102, 135, 224), and it is also evident from these words of the Lord:
“If two of you shall agree on earth in my name, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father, who is in the heavens; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. xviii. 19, 20).
Here to agree together in the name of the Lord, and to be gathered together in His name, does not mean in the name alone, but in those things that belong to the Lord, which are truths of faith and goods of love, by means of which He is worshipped.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 81
“‘And have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.'” This symbolizes their effort and work in acquiring for themselves and also teaching the constituents of religion and its accompanying doctrine.
The name of Jehovah or the Lord in the Word does not mean His name, but everything by which He is worshiped. And because He is worshiped in accordance with doctrine in the church, His name means everything pertaining to doctrine, and in the broadest sense, everything pertaining to religion.
These are the meanings of the name of Jehovah, and the reason is that in heaven the only names found are ones that reflect a person’s character, and God’s character includes everything by which He is worshiped.
One who is not aware of this symbolic meaning of a name in the Word can understand it only as a name; and in this alone there is nothing pertaining to worship and religion.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 102
102. And for my name’s sake hast laboured. That this signifies acknowledgment of the Lord, and of the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth which have regard to Him, is evident from the signification of the name of Jehovah, or of the Lord, as being, in the highest sense, His Divine Human (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia, n. 2628, 6887), and in the relative sense, all things of love and of faith by which the Lord is worshipped, because these are Divine things which proceed from His Divine Human (Arcana Coelestia, n. 2724, 3006, 6674, 9310). This is evident also from the signification of labouring as being earnest application of the mind, and study in order that those things may be known and acknowledged; for this is signified by labouring, when it is said of those who study the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good. From these considerations it follows, that by “and for my name’s sake hast laboured,” is signified acknowledgment of the Lord, and of the knowledges (cognitiones) which have regard to Him. The knowledges (cognitiones) which have regard to the Lord, are all those things which belong to love and faith.
In many passages of the Word, it is said, “for the sake of the name of Jehovah,” “for the sake of the name of the Lord,” “for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ,” and that the name of God should be hallowed, and similar expressions. Those who do not think beyond the sense of the letter are of opinion, that in these passages name alone is understood: but this is not so, but everything by which the Lord is worshipped, everything which has relation to love and faith. Hence by the name ofthe Lord in the Word, are meant all things of love and of faith by which He is worshipped, but, in this case, the acknowledgment of the Lord, and of the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth which have regard to Him, because this is said to those only who study those knowledges (cognitiones).
[2] The reason why by the name of Jehovah, or of the Lord, is not meant the name itself, but everything of love and faith, is found in the spiritual world. In that world, the names used on earth are not enunciated, but the names of the persons spoken of are formed from the idea of all those things that are known about them, which things are summed up in one expression. Such is the enunciation of names in the spiritual world; this is why names in that world, as well as all other things, are spiritual. Nor are the names of the Lord and of Jesus Christ uttered there as on earth, but, instead of them, a name is formed from the idea of all those things that are known and believed concerning Him, which idea is derived from everything of love and of faith in Him. The reason is, that these things in the aggregate are the Lord with them; for the Lord is present with every one in the goods of love and of faith that are from Him. This being the case, the character of every one as to his love and faith in the Lord is there immediately known, merely from his enouncing in a spiritual expression, or a spiritual name, “the Lord” or “Jesus Christ.” This is why those who have no love or faith towards Him, cannot utter His name, that is, they cannot form any spiritual name of Him. From these considerations it is now clear why it is that by the name of Jehovah, of the Lord, or of Jesus Christ, in the Word, is not meant the name, but the all of love and of faith by which He is worshipped.
Divine Providence (Dole) n. 230
The profanation of what is holy is referred to in the second of the Ten Commandments in the words, “You shall not profane the name of your God” [Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11]; and the Lord’s prayer is telling us that we must not profane what is holy when it says, “Hallowed be your name” [Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2]. Hardly anyone in all Christendom knows what “the name of God” means. This is because people do not know that people in the spiritual world do not have names the way we do in this physical world. Rather, each individual is named for her or his own love and wisdom. As soon as we enter a community or a gathering of people, we are immediately given a name that expresses our nature. We are named in a spiritual language that is essentially able to give a distinctive name to every individual thing, because every letter in its alphabet means something definite; and when many letters are combined into a single word, as happens with an individual’s name, they include the whole state of that object. This is just one of the marvels of the spiritual world.
[2] We can see from this that in the Word, “the name of God” means both God and everything divine that is in him and that emanates from him. Since the Word is a divine emanation, it is a name of God; and since all the divine gifts that we refer to as the spiritual gifts of the church come from the Word, they too are a name of God.
This enables us to see what “You shall not profane the name of your God” means in the second of the Ten Commandments, and what “Hallowed be your name” means in the Lord’s Prayer.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 440
‘Then they began to call on the name of Jehovah’ means that Church’s worship deriving from charity. This becomes clear from the fact that ‘calling on the name of Jehovah’ is a normal and common expression for all worship of the Lord. Its being worship deriving from charity is clear from the fact that the name, Jehovah’ is used here, ‘God’ in the previous verse. It is also clear from the fact that it is impossible to worship the Lord except from charity. Worship stemming from faith that has no connection with charity is not possible, because it is worship solely of the lips and not of the heart.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2724
‘And there he called on the name of [Jehovah,] the God of Eternity’ means worship from it. This is clear from the meaning of ‘calling on the name of God’ as worship, dealt with in 440. Those who belonged to the Ancient Church did not understand merely name by the word ‘name’ but the entire nature, see 144, 145, 340, 768, 1754, 1896, 2009. Thus by ‘the name of God’ they understood everything in one embrace by which God was worshipped, consequently everything of love and faith. But once the internal aspect of worship perished and only the external was left people began to understand nothing else by ‘the name of God’ than the name. Indeed they went so far as to worship the name itself, being quite indifferent to what the love and the faith were in which their worship was grounded. As a result of this nations began to identify themselves by the names of their gods, the Jews and Israelites setting themselves above the rest because they worshipped Jehovah. They made the utterance and the calling upon the name itself the essential feature of worship; but in fact worship of the name alone is not worship at all, for that practice may exist even among the worst of people who in worshipping the name alone become greater profaners.