919. 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its lamp. This symbolically means that people of the New Church will not be caught up in self-love and their own intelligence and so possess a natural sight only, but from the Word's Divine truth will possess a spiritual light from the Lord alone.

The sun here symbolizes natural love divorced from spiritual love, which is self-love. And the moon symbolizes a natural intelligence and faith divorced from a spiritual intelligence and faith, which is one's native intelligence and a self-made faith. This is the love and the intelligence and faith symbolized by the sun and moon here, which people of the Lord's New Church will have no need of to light their sight.

The glory of God which illumines the city symbolizes the Word's Divine truth (no. 629), and because that illumination or enlightenment comes from the Lord, we are told as well that the Lamb is its lamp.

The symbolism here is similar to that found in the following verses in Isaiah:

You shall call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but Jehovah will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon wane; for Jehovah will be your everlasting light... Your people shall all be righteous. (Isaiah 60:18-21)

The sun and moon that will no longer give light mean self-love and one's native intelligence. And the sun and moon that will no longer go down mean love from the Lord for the Lord, and an intelligence and faith from Him. That Jehovah will be an everlasting light has the same symbolic meaning as what is said here, that the glory of God will illumine the city and the Lamb be its lamp.

That the sun symbolizes love for the Lord, and in an opposite sense self-love, may be seen in nos. 53 and 414 above. And that the moon symbolizes intelligence from the Lord and faith from Him, in nos. 332, 413, 414. Thus the moon in an opposite sense symbolizes one's native intelligence and a self-made faith.

Since the sun in an opposite sense symbolizes self-love, and the moon one's native intelligence and a self-made faith, therefore it was an abomination to worship the sun, moon and stars, as may be seen in Jeremiah 8:1-2.

249. And when the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne. (4:9) This symbolically means that the Word ascribes all truth and good and all worship to the Lord, who is about to judge.

The living creatures are the Word, as we have shown. Glory and honor referring to the Lord mean that all truth and good belong to Him and spring from Him. Thanks means all worship. He who sat on the throne is the Lord in relation to judgment, as before. Hence it is apparent that the statement, "when the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne," symbolically means that the Word ascribes all truth and good and all worship to the Lord, who is about to judge.

To give glory and honor to the Lord has no other meaning in the Word than to acknowledge and confess that all truth and good come from Him, thus that He alone is God; for glory belongs to Him owing to His Divine truth, and honor owing to His Divine good.

[2] Glory and honor have these symbolic meanings in the following places:

Jehovah made the heavens. Glory and honor are before Him. (Psalms 96:5-6)

Jehovah... God, You are very great; You are clothed with glory and honor. (Psalms 104:1)

Great are the works of Jehovah... Glory and honor are His work... (Psalms 111:2-3)

Glory and honor You will place upon him... blessings to eternity. (Psalms 21:5-6, said in reference to the Lord.)

Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One in... glory and... honor. In Your honor mount up, ride upon the word of truth... (Psalms 45:3-4)

You have made him a little less than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor. (Psalms 8:5)

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the honor of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of Jehovah, (and) the honor of our God. (Isaiah 35:2)

All of this is said in reference to the Lord, and also elsewhere, as in Psalms 145:4-5, 12 and Revelation 21:24, 26.

Moreover, where the Word speaks of Divine truth, it uses the term glory (no. 629), and where it speaks of Divine good, it uses the term honor.