685. And he shall reign unto the ages of the ages, signifies His dominion by means of Divine truth to eternity. This is evident from the signification of "to reign," as being in reference to the Lord to have dominion by means of Divine truth (of which presently); also from the signification of "unto the ages of the ages," as being to eternity. "Unto the ages of the ages" means to eternity because the sense of the letter of the Word is natural, and to it the spiritual sense corresponds. The natural sense of the Word consists of such things as are in nature, which in general have reference to times and spaces and to places and persons, and "the ages of the ages" belong to times to which eternity corresponds in the spiritual sense. It is similar with "generation of generations," where the propagation of faith and charity in the church is treated of.

[2] "To reign" signifies in reference to the Lord to have dominion by means of Divine truth, because dominion is predicated of good, and to reign of truth, for the Lord is called "Lord" [Dominus] from Divine good, and "king" from Divine truth. This is why here and there in the Word, both terms, dominion and kingdom, or to have dominion and to reign, are used, as in the following passages. In Micah:

Thou, O hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall come and shall return the former dominion, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem (Micah 4:8).

Because "the daughter of Zion" signifies the celestial church, the essential of which is the good of love, "dominion" is predicated of it, while "kingdom" is predicated of "the daughter of Jerusalem" because that signifies the spiritual church, the essential of which is the truth of doctrine.

[3] In David:

Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages, and thy dominion to every generation and generation (Psalms 145:13).

In Daniel:

To the Son of man there was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. His dominion is a dominion of an age, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:14).

In the same-

The kingdom and the dominion and the majesty of kingdoms shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High (Daniel 7:27).

In these passages "dominion" is predicated of good, because from good the Lord is called "Lord," and "kingdom" is predicated of truth, because from truth the Lord is called "King," as in Revelation:

He who sat upon the white horse had on His garment and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).

"King of kings" is said to be the name "on the garment," and "Lord of lords" the name "on the thigh," for "garment" signifies truth, here Divine truth, since the Lord is meant, and "thigh" signifies good, here the Divine good of the Divine love. The like is true as applied to men, in David:

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers consulted together (Psalms 2:2).

From this it can be seen what is signified in particular by "reigning unto the ages of the ages." That "kingdom" signifies heaven and the church in respect to the truth of doctrine may be seen above n. 48; therefore "to reign" belongs to the Lord alone, and when it is said of men it means to be in truths from good from the Lord, and to have power therefrom to resist the falsities from evil n. 333.

100. And hast tried them that say that they are apostles and they are not, and hast found them liars, signifies also falsities, so far as they are able to search them out. This is evident from the signification of "to try," as being to inquire into and search out; and from the signification of "apostles," as being those who teach the truths of the church, and in a sense abstracted from persons, the truths themselves that are taught (of which in what follows); also from the signification of "and are not, and are found liars," as being not truths but falsities; for a "lie" and a "liar" signify falsity (Arcana Coelestia 8908, 9248). From this and what precedes it is evident that "I know that thou canst not bear the evil, and hast tried them that say they are apostles and they are not, and hast found them liars," signifies that they reject evils, and falsities also, so far as they are able to search them out. For in the things written to this church those who are in the knowledges of truth and good, thus in the knowledges of such things as are of heaven and of the church, are treated of (See above, n. 93); here, therefore, it is first said of them that they put away evils, and falsities also, so far as they are able to search them out; for those who are in the knowledges of the holy things of the church need first to know in general what good and truth are, also what evil and falsity are, for upon this knowledge all other knowledges are founded. (For this reason also The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem first of all treats of Good and Truth, n 11-27, and from these it can also be seen what evil and falsity are.)

[2] By "apostles" those who teach the truths of the church are signified, because the apostles [those sent] were so called from their having been sent to teach and to preach the Gospel concerning the Lord and the drawing nigh of the kingdom of God through Him; thus to teach the truths of the church, by which the Lord is known and the kingdom of God is brought nigh. The kingdom of God on the earth is the church. From this it is evident what is meant by "apostles" in the spiritual sense of the Word, namely, not the twelve apostles who were sent by the Lord to teach concerning Him and His kingdom, but all who are in the truths of the church, and in a sense abstracted from persons, the truths themselves. For in the Word it is customary to speak of persons; but those who are in its spiritual sense, as angels are, do not think of persons at all, but their thought is abstracted from persons, and has respect therefore solely to things. The reason is, that it is material to think of persons, but spiritual to think apart from the idea of persons; for instance, where the "disciples" are mentioned in the Word, or "prophets," "priests," "kings," "Jews," "Israel," "the inhabitants of Zion," and of "Jerusalem," and so on. (Moreover, the very names of persons and places are changed with angels into things, see Arcana Coelestia 768, 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, 4310, 4442, 5095, 5225, 6516, 10216, 10282, 10329, 10432; and that the thought of angels is abstracted from persons, n. 8343, 8985, 9007)

[3] That the disciples of the Lord were called apostles from their having been sent to teach concerning Him and His kingdom is clear in Luke:

Jesus sent His twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God. And the apostles, when they were returned, declared unto Him what things they had done. And Jesus spake to them of the kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-2, 9:10-11).

In the same:

When it was day, Jesus called His disciples; and He chose from the twelve, whom also He named apostles (Luke 6:13).

In the same:

I will send unto them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute (Luke 11:49).

They are called "prophets and apostles," because by "prophets," as well as by "apostles," are meant those who were sent to teach truths; but by "prophets" those of the Old Testament, and by "apostles" those of the New. (That "prophets" in the Word signify those who teach truths and in a sense abstracted from persons the truths themselves, see Arcana Coelestia 2534.) As the "twelve apostles" signify the truths themselves of the church, it is said in Revelation:

The wall of the New Jerusalem had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:14).

(That by the "New Jerusalem" is meant the church in respect to doctrine, see in the small work on The New Jerusalem and its Doctrine 6 ; that by its "wall" are signified the truths of doctrine for defense, see Arcana Coelestia 6419; by the "foundations of the wall" are signified the knowledges of the truth, on which doctrine is founded, n. 9643; by "twelve" are signified all truths in the complex, n. 577, 2089, 2129-2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. From this it is clear why it is said that in the foundations of the wall were the "names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.")