8900. It has been shown just above in 8897 that the Lord is meant by 'father' and His kingdom by 'mother'. But in case there is any lingering doubt that in the internal sense 'mother' is used to mean the Lord's kingdom or heaven, let the following be added to what has been stated above. In the Word 'mother' is used to mean the Church, 289, 4257, 5581, which is also therefore called at one time the Lord's bride, at another His wife. And since the Lord's kingdom is the same as the Church, the only difference being that the Lord's kingdom on earth is called the Church, His kingdom too is meant by 'mother'. Consequently the sons or children born from that mother are truths, and they are called 'the sons of the kingdom', Matthew 13:38, see 3373. The Lord's kingdom is also the native land of all who are there; and native land is meant by 'mother' in a natural sense, as the Church is in the spiritual sense.

289. 'Wife' is used to mean the Church, in the universal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth. This too has been shown already, while the fact that 'mother' as well has the same meaning follows from this. In the Word the Church is commonly called 'mother', as in Isaiah,

Where is your mother's bill of divorce? Isaiah 50:1.

In Jeremiah,

Your, mother has been utterly shamed, she who bore you is covered with shame. Jeremiah 50:12.

In Ezekiel,

[You are] your mother's daughter who loathes her husband and her sons. Your mother is a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Ezekiel 16:45.

Here 'husband' (vir) stands for the Lord and everything celestial, 'sons for truths of faith, 'Hittite' for falsity, and 'Amorite' for evil. In the same prophet,

Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful, full of branches by reason of many waters. Ezekiel 19:10.

Here 'mother' stands for the Ancient Church. The Most Ancient Church is pre-eminently called a 'mother' because it was the first Church, and the only one to be celestial. For that reason it was the Lord's beloved more than any other.