"Ishmael" - (Old Hebrew) - "will hear God," "was heard by God," or "listens, understands God.

The name "Ishmael" reflects the activity of man, his moral and spiritual characteristic, and also contains the prophecy that in the future the descendants, the followers of the Faith of Ishmael, will "hear, understand God", i.e. will turn to the true knowledge and fulfillment of the Will of the One God Jehovah, and so God will "hear" his descendants.

"Ishmael," being the son of Abraham and Hagar, represents the image of the followers of a false religion, who were contemptuous and arrogant toward the true doers and evangelists of the Will of God displayed in the image of "Isaac."

 Ishmael is an image of a man who also displays the moral and spiritual characteristic of the spiritual-image community of people called "Earth's Jerusalem," that is, those who are in "captivity to the Letter" of Scripture and do not understand its Spirit, its true, spiritual meaning.      

Ishmael physically and spiritually persecuted Isaac, a man of true worldview and righteous living, just as the orthodox Jews persecuted Jesus Christ and His followers.

"Ishmael" i.e., the people of "Earth Jerusalem" - those who inherit the thinking and way of life of "Ishmael," are now also persecuting true servants of God, i.e., persecuting ministers of "High Jerusalem.