8331. 'Jehovah will reign for ever and ever' means that the Lord alone is Lord of heaven and earth. This is clear from the consideration that of Jehovah, that is, the Lord, it can be said that 'He will reign for ever and ever'. Of angels it can be said that they will indeed reign, but in the Lord's strength, so that nevertheless it is the Lord alone reigning by means of them. Among the ancients belonging to the Church it was customary to use the saying 'God reigns' or else 'God will reign forever', by which they meant that all is well with the Church because goodness and truth coming from the Divine reside there. In general that saying meant that Jehovah is the only God; and to those who were well informed about the Lord's Corning it meant that the Lord is the only Lord of heaven and earth. Since it was customary among the ancients in the Church to say 'God will reign', several Psalms in David have as their inscription Jehovah will reign', as in Psalms 93:1; Psalms 97:1; Psalms 99:1. And in the same author,

Jehovah will reign for ever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. ¹ Hallelu-Jah! Psalms 146:10.

In Isaiah.

How beautiful ² on the mountains are the feet of Him who is bringing good tidings, saying to Zion, Your God will reign. Isaiah 52:7.

This refers to the Lord. In John,

The kingdoms of the world have become those of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever. ³ Revelation 11:15.

And in the same author,

I heard the voice of [a great multitude] saying, Alleluia! For the Lord God reigns. Revelation 19:6.

From these quotations it is also evident that the words of this saying were words of joy, which accounts for the exclamation Alleluia! and for the declaration 'How beautiful, are the feet of Him who is bringing good tidings, saying Your God reigns'. The truth that the Lord is Lord of heaven and earth is clear in Matthew,

Jesus said to the disciples, All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Matthew 28:18.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1672. 'And the kings who were with him' means the apparent truth that goes with that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'kings' in the Word. Kings, kingdoms, and peoples in the historical and prophetical sections of the Word mean truths and the things that belong to truths, as may be confirmed from many places. In the Word a careful distinction is made between people and nation, 'people' meaning truths, 'nation' goods, as shown already in 1259, 1260. Kings have reference to peoples, and not so much to nations. The children of Israel, before they sought to have kings, were 'a nation' and represented good, or that which is celestial; but after they desired a king and received one, they became 'a people' and represented not good or that which is celestial, but truth or that which is spiritual, and this was the reason why this was ascribed to them as a fault in 1 Samuel 8:7-end. This, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be explained elsewhere. In the present verse, since 'Chedorlaomer' is referred to, and then the phrase 'the kings who were with him' is added, both good and truth are meant - good by 'Chedorlaomer' and truth by 'the kings'. But what kind of good and truth it was when the Lord's temptations first began has been stated above.