Thy mother is like a vine in thy likeness, planted near the waters; she was fruitful and full of leaves because of many waters (xix. 10).
Here "mother" denotes the Ancient Church. The term "mother" is more especially applicable to the Most Ancient Church, because it was the first church, and the only one that was celestial, and therefore beloved by the Lord more than any other.
290. That she was called the "mother of all living" in consequence of possessing faith in the Lord, who is Life itself, is also evident from what has been already shown. There cannot be more than one Life, from which is the life of all, and there can be no life, which is life, except through faith in the Lord, who is the Life; nor can there be faith in which is life, except from Him, consequently unless He is in it. On this account, in the Word, the Lord alone is called "Living," and is named the "Living Jehovah" (Jer. v. 2; xii. 16; xvi. 14, 15; xxiii. 7; Ezek. v. 11); "He that liveth to eternity" (Dan. iv. 34; Rev. iv. 10; v. 14; x. 6); the "Fountain of life" (Ps. xxxvi. 9); the "Fountain of living waters" (Jer. xvii. 13). Heaven (which lives by or from Him) is called the "Land of the living" (Isa. xxxviii. 11; liii. 8; Ezek. xxvi. 20; xxxii. 23-27, 32; Ps. xxvii. 13; lii. 5; cxlii. 5). And those are called "Living" who are in faith in the Lord; as in David:—
Who putteth our soul among the living (Ps. lxvi. 9).
And those who possess faith are said to be "in the Book of lives" (Ps. lxix. 28), and "in the Book of life" (Rev. xiii. 8; xvii. 8; xx. 15). Wherefore also those who receive faith in Him are said to be "made alive" (Hos. vi. 2; Ps. lxxxv. 6). On the other hand it follows that those who are not in faith are called "dead;" as in Isaiah:—
The dead shall not live; the Rephaim shall not rise again, because Thou hast visited and destroyed them (xxvi. 14),
meaning those who are puffed up with the love of self; to "rise again" signifies to enter into life. They are also said to be "pierced" (Ezek. xxxii. 23-26, 28-31). They are also called "dead" by the Lord (Matt. iv. 16; John v. 25; viii. 21, 24, 51, 52). Hell also is called "death" (Isa. xxv. 8; xxviii. 15).
