Apocalypse Explained # 685
685. And he shall reign unto the ages of the ages, signifies His dominion by means of Divine truth to eternity. This is evident from the signification of "to reign," as being in reference to the Lord to have dominion by means of Divine truth (of which presently); also from the signification of "unto the ages of the ages," as being to eternity. "Unto the ages of the ages" means to eternity because the sense of the letter of the Word is natural, and to it the spiritual sense corresponds. The natural sense of the Word consists of such things as are in nature, which in general have reference to times and spaces and to places and persons, and "the ages of the ages" belong to times to which eternity corresponds in the spiritual sense. It is similar with "generation of generations," where the propagation of faith and charity in the church is treated of.
[2] "To reign" signifies in reference to the Lord to have dominion by means of Divine truth, because dominion is predicated of good, and to reign of truth, for the Lord is called "Lord" [Dominus] from Divine good, and "king" from Divine truth. This is why here and there in the Word, both terms, dominion and kingdom, or to have dominion and to reign, are used, as in the following passages. In Micah:
Thou, O hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall come and shall return the former dominion, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem (Micah 4:8).
Because "the daughter of Zion" signifies the celestial church, the essential of which is the good of love, "dominion" is predicated of it, while "kingdom" is predicated of "the daughter of Jerusalem" because that signifies the spiritual church, the essential of which is the truth of doctrine.
[3] In David:
Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages, and thy dominion to every generation and generation (Psalms 145:13).
In Daniel:
To the Son of man there was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. His dominion is a dominion of an age, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:14).
In the same-
The kingdom and the dominion and the majesty of kingdoms shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High (Daniel 7:27).
In these passages "dominion" is predicated of good, because from good the Lord is called "Lord," and "kingdom" is predicated of truth, because from truth the Lord is called "King," as in Revelation:
He who sat upon the white horse had on His garment and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).
"King of kings" is said to be the name "on the garment," and "Lord of lords" the name "on the thigh," for "garment" signifies truth, here Divine truth, since the Lord is meant, and "thigh" signifies good, here the Divine good of the Divine love. The like is true as applied to men, in David:
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers consulted together (Psalms 2:2).
From this it can be seen what is signified in particular by "reigning unto the ages of the ages." That "kingdom" signifies heaven and the church in respect to the truth of doctrine may be seen above n. 48; therefore "to reign" belongs to the Lord alone, and when it is said of men it means to be in truths from good from the Lord, and to have power therefrom to resist the falsities from evil n. 333.
Revelation 6
1
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as a voice of thunder, Come [and see].
2
And I saw: and behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon it having a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and that he might conquer.
3
And when it opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come [and see].
4
And another, a red horse, went forth; and to him that sat upon it, to him it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another; and there was given to him a great sword.
5
And when it opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come [and see]. And I saw: and behold, a black horse, and he that sat upon it having a balance in his hand.
6
And I heard as a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenixes of barley for a denarius: and do not injure the oil and the wine.
7
And when it opened the fourth seal, I heard [the voice of] the fourth living creature saying, Come [and see].
8
And I saw: and behold, a pale horse, and he that sat upon it, his name [was] Death, and hades followed with him; and authority was given to him over the fourth of the earth to slay with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
9
And when it opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held;
10
and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O sovereign Ruler, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth?
11
And there was given to them, to each one a white robe; and it was said to them that they should rest yet a little while, until both their fellow-bondmen and their brethren, who were about to be killed as they, should be fulfilled.
12
And I saw when it opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as hair sackcloth, and the whole moon became as blood,
13
and the stars of heaven fell upon the earth, as a fig tree, shaken by a great wind, casts its unseasonable figs.
14
And the heaven was removed as a book rolled up, and every mountain and island were removed out of their places.
15
And the kings of the earth, and the great, and the chiliarchs, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains;
16
and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and have us hidden from [the] face of him that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;
17
because the great day of his wrath is come, and who is able to stand?
