AC 10646 - Why the Lord Is Called "Jealous"

AC 10646 [1-2. 3]

The Lord is called “Jealous”
because as soon as another is worshiped,
all truth and good depart;
for a person is conjoined with the Lord
by means of the good and truth which are from Him;
and therefore as soon as another is worshiped,
disjunction takes place,
and then falsity succeeds in the place of truth,
and evil in the place of good.

That He is twice called “jealous”
is because by “Jehovah” is meant the Divine good,
and by “God” the Divine truth.

It is said that the Lord alone is to be worshiped.
The person who does not know how the case is
with the worship of the Lord,
may believe that the Lord loves to be worshiped,
and desires glory from a person,
just like a person,
who in order to be honored himself,
gives others what they ask for.
He who so believes has no knowledge of what love is,
and still less of what love Divine is.
Love Divine consists in desiring worship and glory,
not for the sake of itself,
but for the sake of a person and his salvation;
for he who worships the Lord
and gives glory to the Lord
is in humiliation;
and what is his own
departs from the man who is in humiliation;
and insofar as this departs,
so far the Divine is received;
for what is the person’s own,
because it is evil and false,
is that which alone obstructs the Divine.
This is the glory of the Lord;
and the worship of Him is for the sake of this end.
Glory for the sake of self is from the love of self,
and heavenly love differs from the love of self
as heaven differs from hell,
and infinitely more does the Divine love differ from it.