629. "And give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come." This symbolizes an acknowledgment and confession that all the Word's truth which makes the church a church comes from the Lord, and that everyone will be judged in accordance with it.

To give glory to Him means, symbolically, to acknowledge and confess that every truth comes from the Lord, as may be seen in no. 249 above; and because every truth that makes the church a church is drawn from the Word, it is the Word's truth that is meant. "For the hour of His judgment has come" means symbolically that everyone will be judged in accordance with the Word's truth. This is the symbolic meaning because to give glory to Him means, symbolically, to acknowledge and confess that the Word's truth all comes from the Lord, and we are told next, "for the hour of His judgment has come," the word "for" entailing this as the cause.

That everyone will be judged by the Word's truth may be seen in 233, 273 above. And that the church is founded on the Word, and that its character is such as its understanding of the Word, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 76-79.

It is apparent from this that the spiritual meaning of these words is as stated. It is as stated because angels in heaven perceive glory to mean nothing else than Divine truth; and because all Divine truth comes from the Lord, they perceive giving glory to Him to mean an acknowledgment and confession that all truth comes from Him. For all glory in the heavens springs from no other origin, and to the extent that any society in heaven is governed by Divine truth, to the same extent everything in it is radiant, and the angels are surrounded by a commensurate glorious radiance.

[2] That glory means Divine truth can be seen from the following passages:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of Jehovah... The glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it...." (Isaiah 40:3, 5)

...shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon you... Jehovah will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1-2 to the end)

I will... give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles..., and My glory I will not give to another... (Isaiah 42:6, 8)

For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it... And I will not give My glory to another. (Isaiah 48:11)

They shall fear... His glory from the rising of the sun... The Redeemer will come to Zion... (Isaiah 59:19-20)

...your light shall break forth like the morning...; the glory of Jehovah shall gather you. (Isaiah 58:8)

...He will come to gather all nations and tongues, that they may... see My glory. (Isaiah 66:18)

(Jehovah said,) "I live, and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah." (Numbers 14:21)

The whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:1-3)

In the beginning was the Word..., and the Word was God... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men... That was the true Light... And the Word became flesh..., and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father... (John 1:1, 4, 9, 14)

These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory... (John 12:41)

And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with... glory. (Matthew 24:3, 30)

The heavens shall declare the glory of God... (Psalms 19:1)

Then the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth Your glory, because (He) built up Zion, (and) He appeared in His glory. (Psalms 102:15-16)

...the glory of God (will illuminate the Holy Jerusalem) and the Lamb is its light. And the nations (which) are saved shall walk in its light... (Revelation 21:23-25)

...the Son of Man (will come) in His glory...(to) sit on the throne of His glory. (Matthew 25:31, cf. Mark 8:38)

That the glory of Jehovah filled and covered the Tabernacle: Exodus 40:34-35, Numbers 14:10-12; 16:19; 16:42.

That it filled the house of Jehovah: 1 Kings 8:10-11.

And so on elsewhere as in Isaiah 24:23; Ezekiel 1:28; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18-19; 11:22-23; Luke 2:32; 9:26; John 2:11; 7:18; 17:24.

923. 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. This symbolically means that those who enter the New Jerusalem will bring with them a confession, acknowledgment and faith that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and that every truth of the church and every good of religion comes from Him.

To bring glory and honor into the city means, symbolically, to confess the Lord and attribute to the Lord all the goodness that people possess, as may be seen in no. 921 above. The symbolism is the same here, with the difference that before it was people meant by the kings of the earth who would bring it with them, while here it is people meant by the nations. For we are told that they will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it, and nations symbolize people who live a good life and believe in the Lord (no. 920). The verse also refers to the reception of those who possess truths that spring from the goodness of love from the Lord, as said in no. 922 above. It follows, therefore, that the people's bringing the glory and the honor of the nations into the city means, symbolically, that those who enter will bring with them a confession, acknowledgment and faith that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and that every truth of the church and every good of religion comes from Him.

Almost the same symbolism occurs in the following verse in Isaiah:

...I will spread peace over (Jerusalem)..., and the glory of the nations like a... stream. (Isaiah 66:12)

We say the truth of the church and the good of religion because the church is one thing and religion another. The church is called a church because of its doctrine, and religion is called religion because of its life in accordance with doctrine. Every teaching of doctrine is called truth, and the good of doctrine is also truth, because doctrine only teaches it. But every effect of a life in accordance with what doctrine teaches is what we call good. Putting the truths of doctrine into practice is also good. This is the distinction between the church and religion. But still, where there is doctrine and not life, neither the church nor religion can be said to exist, because doctrine regards life as united with it, altogether like truth and good, faith and charity, wisdom and love, and intellect and will. Consequently, where there is doctrine and not life, the church does not exist.