6
After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon its back; and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it.
Daniel 7:6
Apocalypse Explained #685
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.
Revelation 11
1
And there was given to me a reed like a staff, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship in it.
2
And the court which [is] without the temple cast out, and measure it not; because it has been given [up] to the nations, and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty-two months.
3
And I will give [power] to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
4
These are the two olive trees and the two lamps which stand before the Lord of the earth;
5
and if any one wills to injure them, fire goes out of their mouth, and devours their enemies. And if any one wills to injure them, thus must he be killed.
6
These have power to shut the heaven that no rain may fall during the days of their prophecy; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth as often as they will with every plague.
7
And when they shall have completed their testimony, the beast who comes up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and shall conquer them, and shall kill them:
8
and their body [shall be] on the street of the great city, which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
9
And [men] of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations see their body three days and a half, and they do not suffer their bodies to be put into a sepulchre.
10
And they that dwell upon the earth rejoice over them, and are full of delight, and shall send gifts one to another, because these, the two prophets, tormented them that dwell upon the earth.
11
And after the three days and a half [the] spirit of life from God came into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon those beholding them.
12
And I heard a great voice out of the heaven saying to them, Come up here; and they went up to the heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them.
13
And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand names of men were slain in the earthquake. And the remnant were filled with fear, and gave glory to the God of the heaven.
14
The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe comes quickly.
15
And the seventh angel sounded [his] trumpet: and there were great voices in the heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world of our Lord and of his Christ is come, and he shall reign to the ages of ages.
16
And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17
saying, We give thee thanks, Lord God Almighty, [He] who is, and who was, that thou hast taken thy great power and hast reigned.
18
And the nations have been full of wrath, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead to be judged, and to give the recompense to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to those who fear thy name, small and great; and to destroy those that destroy the earth.
19
And the temple of God in the heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.
