Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 7401

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7401. That thou mayest know that there is none like Jehovah our God. That this signifies that there is one God, and none besides Him, is evident from the fact that when in the historical sense it is said that "there is none like Jehovah God," in the internal sense it is meant that there is no God besides Him, and because there is none besides Him, that there is one God. In the Word it is sometimes said that "there is none like Jehovah God," and also that "there is no God like Him." It was so said in the Word, because at that time in the land where the church was, as also in the lands where the church was not, they worshiped many gods, and everyone preferred his own god to the god of another. They distinguished these gods by names, and the God of the Israelites and Jews by the name "Jehovah." The Jews and Israelites themselves also believed that there were many gods, but that Jehovah was greater than the rest on account of the miracles; and therefore when the miracles ceased, they at once fell away into the worship of other gods, as is manifest from the historical parts of the Word. That there is one God and none besides Him, they indeed said with the mouth, but did not believe with the heart. This then is the reason why it is said in the Word that "Jehovah is greater than the other gods," and "there is none like Him," as in David:

Who is a great God like Thee? Thou art the God that doest wonders (Ps. 77:13-14). Who is like unto Jehovah our God? (Ps. 113:5.) Jehovah is a great God, and a great king above all gods (Ps. 95:3). Jehovah is great and greatly to be praised, He is to be feared above all gods (Ps. 96:4). Therefore also Jehovah is called God of gods, and Lord of lords (Ps. 136:2-3; Dan. 2:47). That this nevertheless means in the internal sense that there is one God, and none besides Him, is plain in Isaiah:

Remember the former things from an age, for I am God, and there is no God else, and there is none like Me (Isa. 46:9).


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