according to their moral and spiritual life. Thus 'Gabriel' and 'Michael' are not the names of any two persons in heaven, but by those names are meant all in heaven who are in wisdom concerning the Lord and worship Him."[1]
By the name of God, then, is meant the quality of God,—all that constitutes his Divine quality, character, or nature. "By the name of God is meant all the quality by which God is worshiped, for God is in his own quality, and is his own quality. His essence is Divine love, and his quality is Divine Truth thence derived, united with Divine good; thus with us on earth it is the Word; wherefore also it is said in John, 'the "Word was with God, and the Word was God;' and hence also his quality is the doctrine of genuine truth and good derived from the Word, for according thereto is worship. Hence by profaning the name of God is meant not merely to profane the name itself, but his quality; and the quality of God or the Lord is all that is derived from Him, and by which he is worshiped. Hence it is, that in hell, inasmuch as not any Divine quality of the Lord is there acknowledged, he cannot be named, nor can his name be pronounced by any one in the spiritual world otherwise than as his Divine is acknowledged."[2]
We thus perceive that the Lord's name signifies his quality; and his quality, as perceived by our minds, is that from which we worship him. Essentially, love and wisdom is his name; hence, also goodness and truth; and moreover the Word, which is goodness
