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.

8897. 'Honour your father and your mother' means love for goodness and truth, in the highest sense for the Lord and His kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'honouring' as loving, for in the spiritual sense 'honour' is love, because in heaven one loves another, and in loving him also honours him since love is present within honour (honour without love there is rejected, indeed spurned, because it is devoid of life from good); from the meaning of 'father' as goodness, dealt with in 3703, 5581, 5902, 6050, 7833, 7834, and in the highest sense as the Lord in respect of Divine Goodness, 15, 1729, 2005, 2803, 3704, 7499, 8328 (the reason why 'Father' in the highest sense is the Lord is that He imparts new life to the person, so that this life may make that person a son and heir of His kingdom); and from the meaning of 'mother' as truth, dealt with in 3703, 5581, and in the highest sense the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, thus His kingdom since Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord makes heaven. The reason why the Lord's Divine Truth makes heaven is that in the next life the Lord in respect of Divine Good is the Sun, and in respect of Divine Truth is the Light. This Divine Light radiating from the Lord as the Sun is what enlightens angelic minds and fills them with intelligence and wisdom, causing them to be angels of light. Divine Good is present within Divine Truth, even as heat from the sun is present within the light in springtime and summer in the world.