1. Dat het Woord van het Oude Testament verborgenheden van de hemel bevat, en dat zowel het geheel als elke bijzonderheid daarvan op de Heer betrekking heeft, op Zijn hemel, op de Kerk, op het geloof en de dingen van het geloof, kan geen sterveling uit de letter opmaken. Uit de letter of uit de letterlijke zin ziet niemand iets anders, dan dat het in het algemeen gaat over de uiterlijke dingen van de Joodse Kerk, terwijl er overal een innerlijke zin is, dat nergens in het uiterlijke aan het licht komt, behalve dan het zeer weinige dat de Heer onthuld heeft en aan de apostelen heeft ontvouwd; zo bijvoorbeeld, dat de offeranden de Heer betekenen, het land Kanaän en Jeruzalem en ook het Paradijs, de hemel betekenen, waarom dan ook van het hemelse Kanaän en Jeruzalem gesproken wordt.

683. Saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's, signifies all things in the heavens and on earth subject to the Lord, when the evil have been separated from the good, and that then the Divine good and Divine truth proceeding from the Lord are clearly received. This is evident from the signification of "the kingdoms of the world when they have become the Lord's," as being that the Divine proceeding from the Lord is received in love and faith (of which presently); also from the signification of "the Lord and His Christ," as being the Lord in relation to the Divine good of the Divine love, and in relation to the Divine truth proceeding from that love. That the Lord is called "Lord" from Divine good, and "Christ" from Divine truth, will be seen below.

[2] That "the kingdom of the Lord" means the reception of Divine good and Divine truth, thus with those who receive, can be seen from this, that with the angels of heaven and with the men of the church the Lord reigns through that which proceeds from Him, which is commonly called Divine good and Divine truth, likewise justice and judgment, also love and faith. It is through these that the Lord reigns, consequently these are strictly the Lord's kingdom with those who receive them; for when these reign with angels and men then the Lord Himself reigns, for the things that proceed from Him are Himself. The Lord in heaven is no other than the Divine proceeding.

[3] The Lord indeed not only rules those that receive Divine celestial and spiritual things from Him, but also those that do not receive, as all who are in hell; still it cannot be said that the Lord's kingdom is in hell, since those there are altogether unwilling to be ruled by the Divine that proceeds and according to the laws of its order; they even deny the Lord and turn themselves away from Him; yet the Lord does rule them, not like subjects and citizens of His kingdom, but like those who are refractory and rebellious, holding them in bonds that they may not do evil to one another, and especially to those who belong to His kingdom.

[4] That the Lord's kingdom is that which proceeds from Him and is received can be seen from passages in the Word where "the kingdom of God" is mentioned, as in the Lord's Prayer:

Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven so also upon the earth (Matthew 6:10).

"Kingdom" evidently means here the reception of Divine good and Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and in which the Lord is with the angels of heaven and the men of the church, for it is added, "Thy will be done, as in heaven so also upon the earth," and the will of God is done when these are received in heart and soul, that is, in love and faith.

[5] And elsewhere:

Seek ye first the kingdom of the heavens ¹ and His righteousness and all things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

"The kingdom of the heavens" means in the spiritual sense Divine truth, and "righteousness" Divine good, therefore it is said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of the heavens and His righteousness." But in the highest sense "the kingdom of the heavens" means the Lord, since He is the all of His kingdom, and in the same sense "righteousness" signifies the Lord's merit. And as a man who is ruled by the Lord desires and loves only such things as are of the Lord, he is, unknown to himself, forever led to felicities; and this is why it is said that "all things shall be added to him," meaning that all things that tend to his salvation shall come to pass according to his desire.

[6] Since heaven is heaven from the reception of Divine truth from the Lord, likewise the church, so in a general sense heaven and the church are meant by "the kingdom of God" and "the kingdom of the heavens;" therefore those who receive Divine truth are called by the Lord "sons of the kingdom," in Matthew:

The field is the world, the seed are the sons of the kingdom, the tares are the sons of the evil one (Matthew 13:38).

It is evident that those who receive Divine truth are meant by "the sons of the kingdom," for it is said, "the seed are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one," "seed" meaning Divine truth, and "tares" infernal falsity; such are called "sons" because in the spiritual sense of the Word "sons" signify truths, and in the contrary sense falsities (See above, n. 166).

[7] Moreover, "the kingdom of God" signifies the church in respect to truths from good, and also heaven (as may be seen above, n. 48; and "the kingdom of God" with man signifies to be in truths from good from the Lord, thus in wisdom, and consequently in the power to resist falsities and evils, therefore "to reign" belongs to the Lord alone (See also above, n. 333.

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