683. Saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's, signifies all things in the heavens and on earth subject to the Lord, when the evil have been separated from the good, and that then the Divine good and Divine truth proceeding from the Lord are clearly received. This is evident from the signification of "the kingdoms of the world when they have become the Lord's," as being that the Divine proceeding from the Lord is received in love and faith (of which presently); also from the signification of "the Lord and His Christ," as being the Lord in relation to the Divine good of the Divine love, and in relation to the Divine truth proceeding from that love. That the Lord is called "Lord" from Divine good, and "Christ" from Divine truth, will be seen below.

[2] That "the kingdom of the Lord" means the reception of Divine good and Divine truth, thus with those who receive, can be seen from this, that with the angels of heaven and with the men of the church the Lord reigns through that which proceeds from Him, which is commonly called Divine good and Divine truth, likewise justice and judgment, also love and faith. It is through these that the Lord reigns, consequently these are strictly the Lord's kingdom with those who receive them; for when these reign with angels and men then the Lord Himself reigns, for the things that proceed from Him are Himself. The Lord in heaven is no other than the Divine proceeding.

[3] The Lord indeed not only rules those that receive Divine celestial and spiritual things from Him, but also those that do not receive, as all who are in hell; still it cannot be said that the Lord's kingdom is in hell, since those there are altogether unwilling to be ruled by the Divine that proceeds and according to the laws of its order; they even deny the Lord and turn themselves away from Him; yet the Lord does rule them, not like subjects and citizens of His kingdom, but like those who are refractory and rebellious, holding them in bonds that they may not do evil to one another, and especially to those who belong to His kingdom.

[4] That the Lord's kingdom is that which proceeds from Him and is received can be seen from passages in the Word where "the kingdom of God" is mentioned, as in the Lord's Prayer:

Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven so also upon the earth (Matthew 6:10).

"Kingdom" evidently means here the reception of Divine good and Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and in which the Lord is with the angels of heaven and the men of the church, for it is added, "Thy will be done, as in heaven so also upon the earth," and the will of God is done when these are received in heart and soul, that is, in love and faith.

[5] And elsewhere:

Seek ye first the kingdom of the heavens ¹ and His righteousness and all things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

"The kingdom of the heavens" means in the spiritual sense Divine truth, and "righteousness" Divine good, therefore it is said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of the heavens and His righteousness." But in the highest sense "the kingdom of the heavens" means the Lord, since He is the all of His kingdom, and in the same sense "righteousness" signifies the Lord's merit. And as a man who is ruled by the Lord desires and loves only such things as are of the Lord, he is, unknown to himself, forever led to felicities; and this is why it is said that "all things shall be added to him," meaning that all things that tend to his salvation shall come to pass according to his desire.

[6] Since heaven is heaven from the reception of Divine truth from the Lord, likewise the church, so in a general sense heaven and the church are meant by "the kingdom of God" and "the kingdom of the heavens;" therefore those who receive Divine truth are called by the Lord "sons of the kingdom," in Matthew:

The field is the world, the seed are the sons of the kingdom, the tares are the sons of the evil one (Matthew 13:38).

It is evident that those who receive Divine truth are meant by "the sons of the kingdom," for it is said, "the seed are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one," "seed" meaning Divine truth, and "tares" infernal falsity; such are called "sons" because in the spiritual sense of the Word "sons" signify truths, and in the contrary sense falsities (See above, n. 166).

[7] Moreover, "the kingdom of God" signifies the church in respect to truths from good, and also heaven (as may be seen above, n. 48; and "the kingdom of God" with man signifies to be in truths from good from the Lord, thus in wisdom, and consequently in the power to resist falsities and evils, therefore "to reign" belongs to the Lord alone (See also above, n. 333.

Poznámky pod čarou:

333. And we shall reign upon the earth, signifies the power that belongs to the Lord alone through Divine truth united to Divine good, and power and wisdom therefrom that those have who are of the Lord's spiritual and celestial kingdoms. This is evident from the signification of "to reign," as being to be in truths and goods, and thence to be from the Lord in the power to resist the evils and falsities which are from hell; and since truths and goods are from the Lord alone, and truths have all power from good, "to reign" signifies the power that belongs to the Lord alone through Divine truth united to Divine good, and the power therefrom that those have who are in the Lord's spiritual and celestial kingdoms. He who has no right understanding of the Word in the spiritual sense will suppose that such are to be like kings and priests, and are to reign with the Lord; but in the spiritual sense "kings" mean truths, and "priests" goods, abstractly from persons, that is, the truths and goods that are in persons from the Lord; from which it follows that it is truths from good that are to reign, thus the Lord alone from whom these are. The angels, indeed, are in great power, but not one of them from himself; yea, if anyone in heaven believes that he has power from himself he is instantly deprived of it, and then becomes wholly powerless. It is said in the sense of the letter that these are to reign, because the sense of the letter is personal; when therefore it is said in that sense that they are to be "kings and priests," it is also said that they are "to reign;" but in the spiritual sense everything of person is put off, and thus everything of dominion belonging to person, and dominion is left to the Lord alone.

[2] These are like those things that the Lord said to His disciples:

That they were to sit upon twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30);

so also what the Lord said to Peter:

That he had the keys of the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 16:19);

which does not mean that the disciples and Peter were to have that power, but the Lord alone, since in the spiritual sense the "twelve disciples" mean all the truths and goods of the church, which are from the Lord, and "Peter" means truth from good, which is from the Lord. (That "disciples" mean all truths and goods of the church, which are from the Lord, see above, n. 100, 122. That "Peter" signifies truth from good, which is from the Lord, see The Last Judgment, n.57; and above, n. 9, 206, 209. That all power belongs to truth from good, which is from the Lord, thus to the Lord alone, and that angels have power thence, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 228-233.) "We shall reign" also signifies that they have wisdom from the Lord, because "kings and priests" signify truths and goods, and all wisdom is from truths that are from good from the Lord. It is said that they shall reign upon the earth, because the "earth" means the Lord's church in the heavens and on the earth (See above, n. 304). It is clear, moreover, that "earth" here does not mean the earth, just as it is not meant that they were to be kings and priests. "To reign" signifies to be in truths from good, and thus in power and wisdom from the Lord, because "kingdom" signifies heaven and the church in respect to truths, and "king" truth from good. (That "kingdom" in the Word signifies heaven and the church in respect to truths, see above, n. 48; and "king" truth from good, also above, n. 31. "To reign" has a like signification in chap. Revelation 20:4, 6; 22:5.)