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.

48. And in the kingdom, signifies in the church where truths are. This is evident from the signification of "kingdom" in the Word, as being heaven and the church. It means the church in respect to truth, or where truths are, because by the royalty of the Lord is signified Divine truth proceeding from Him, and therefore by "kings" are signified truths (See what is shown above, n. 31). It is said the church in respect to truth, by which is meant the church in respect to truths from good; and for the reason that there are no truths without good, for truths have their life from good. Truths with a man who is not in good are indeed truths in themselves, but they are not truths in him (as may be seen abundantly shown in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, 11-27).

[2] That "kingdom" in the Word signifies heaven and the church in respect to truths, is evident from many passages in the Word, some of which I will cite.

Thus in Matthew:

The sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness (Matthew 8:12);

the "sons of the kingdom" here are those of the church where truths do not prevail, but falsities.

In the same:

He that heareth the Word of the kingdom, and giveth not heed to it, the evil one cometh, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the wayside. The field is the world; the seed are the sons of the kingdom (Matthew 13:19, 38).

"To hear the Word of the kingdom" is to hear the truths of the church; and because "seed" signifies truths, they who receive truths are called "sons of the kingdom." (That "seed" is the truth of the church, see Arcana Coelestia 3038, 3373, 3671, 10248, 10249.)

In the same:

Therefore the kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth fruit (Matthew 21:43).

It is evident that "the kingdom of God" here signifies the church in respect to truths, thus also the truths of the church, from its being said that "it should be taken away from them, and given to a nation bringing forth fruit;" "fruit" is good.

Again in the same:

In the consummation of the age, nation shall be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (24:[3], 7).

The consummation of the age" is the last time of the church, "nation against nation" is evil against good, and "kingdom against kingdom" is falsity against truth. (That "nation" is the good of the church, and in the opposite sense the evil there, see Arcana Coelestia 1059, 1159, 1258-1260, 1416, 1849, 6005)

[3] From this it is plain what is meant by "kingdom" in the Lord's prayer:

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also upon the earth. Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory (Matthew 6:10, 13).

"Thy kingdom come" is a prayer that truth may be received; "Thy will be done," that it may be received by those who do God's will; "Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory," means Divine truth from God alone; it is also said "power and glory," because Divine truth has all power and glory (See above, n. 33). From all this it can be seen what "the kingdom of God" signifies in very many passages in the Word, namely, the church in respect to truths, and also heaven, and in the highest sense the Lord in respect to the Divine Human. "Kingdom," in the highest sense, signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, because from Him all Divine truth proceeds; and "kingdom" signifies heaven, because heaven with the angels is from no other source than from the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 7-12, 78-86, 126-140).