Apocalypse Revealed # 284
284. "And we shall reign on the earth." This symbolically means, and they will dwell in His kingdom, He in them and they in Him.
To reign on the earth means nothing other than to be in the Lord's kingdom and to be united with Him in it, according to these words of the Lord:
...that all (those who believe in Me) may be one; (and one) as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us... The glory which You gave Me I have given to them, that they may be one as We are one, I in them, and You in Me..., that they also... may be with Me where I am... (John 17:20-24)
So then, since they are thus one with the Lord, and together with the Lord form the kingdom that is called the kingdom of God, it is apparent that nothing else is symbolically meant by reigning.
Reigning is mentioned because of the prior statement, "You have made us kings and priests;" and because kings symbolize people who are governed by wisdom springing from Divine truths from the Lord, and priests symbolize people who are governed by love springing from Divine good from Him (no. 20).
It is because of this that the Lord's kingdom is also called a kingdom of saints (Daniel 7:18, 27); and of the Apostles it is said that with the Lord they will judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28), even though it is the Lord alone who judges and reigns. For He judges and reigns from Divine good by means of Divine truth, which they have in them as well from Him. But anyone who believes that what they have from the Lord is something of their own, is expelled from the kingdom, that is, from heaven.
Reigning has the same symbolic meaning in the following places in the book of Revelation:
...they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6, cf. 20:4)
And of those who will come into the New Jerusalem, it is said:
(The Lamb) gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5 [cf. Revelation 21:23])
Exodus 24
1
He said to Moses, "Come up to Yahweh, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance.
2
Moses alone shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near, neither shall the people go up with him."
3
Moses came and told the people all the words of Yahweh, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do."
4
Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5
He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to Yahweh.
6
Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7
He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that Yahweh has spoken will we do, and be obedient."
8
Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words."
9
Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.
10
They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness.
11
He didn't lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.
12
Yahweh said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the tables of stone with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them."
13
Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God's Mountain.
14
He said to the elders, "Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them."
15
Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16
The glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17
The appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18
Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
