48# “(在)国度”表示在真理所在的教会。这从“国度”的含义清楚可知，在圣言中，“国度”是指天堂和教会。“国度”表示真理方面的教会，或真理所在的地方，是因为主的王权表示从主发出的神性真理，因此“王”表示真理(参看前面的说明，AE31节)。说它是真理方面的教会，这教会是指源于良善的真理方面的教会；原因在于，真理没有良善是不可能的，因为真理从良善拥有自己的生命。一个未处于良善的人所拥有的真理本身的确是真理，但它们不是在他里面的真理，这一点可参看《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》中的充分说明(NJHD11–27节)。
在圣言中，“国度或国”表示真理方面的天堂和教会，这一点从圣言中的许多经文明显看出来，我引用其中的一部分。因此，在马太福音：
惟有本国的子民要被赶到外边黑暗里去。(马太福音8:12)
此处“本国的子民”是指那些属于真理不掌权，而是虚假掌权的教会之人。同一福音书：
凡听见天国的话却不理会的，那恶者就来，把撒在他心里的夺了去。这就是那撒在路旁的。田地就是世界；种子就是天国之子。(马太福音13:19, 38)
“听见天国的话”是指听见教会的真理；由于“种子”表示真理，所以那些接受真理的人被称为“天国之子”。“种”是指教会的真理(参看《属天的奥秘》，3038, 3373, 3671, 10248, 10249节)。又：
神的国必从你们夺去，赐给那能结果子的民族。(马太福音21:43)
此处“神的国”表示真理方面的教会，因而也表示教会的真理，这一点从经上说它“必从他们夺去，赐给那能结果子的民族”清楚看出来；“果子”表示良善。又：
在时代的完结，民族要起来攻击民族，国家要起来攻击国家。(马太福音24:3, 7)
时代的完结是指教会的末期，“民族攻击民族”是指邪恶攻击良善，“国家攻击国家”是指虚假攻击真理。“民族”是指教会的良善，在反面意义上是指教会的邪恶(参看《属天的奥秘》，1059, 1159, 1258–1260, 1416, 1849, 6005节)。
由此明显可知主祷文中的“国”表示什么：
愿你的国降临，愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。国度，权柄，荣耀，全是你的。(马太福音6:10, 13)
“愿你的国降临”表示愿真理被接受；“愿你的旨意行(出)”表示愿它能被那些行神旨意的人接受；“国度，权柄，荣耀，全是你的”表示唯独来自神的神性真理；经上还说“权柄，荣耀”，是因为神性真理拥有一切权柄或能力和荣耀(参看AE33节)。由此可见在圣言的许多经文中，“神的国”表示什么，即表示真理方面的教会，以及天堂，在至高意义上表示神性人身方面的主。“国”在至高意义上表示神性人身方面的主，是因为一切神性真理都从祂发出；“国”表示天堂，是因为天堂与天使并不来自其它源头，只来自从主的神性人身发出的神性真理(参看《天堂与地狱》，7–12, 78–86, 126–140节)。
48. In the kingdom. That this signifies, in the church where truths are, is evident from the signification of kingdom in the Word, as denoting heaven and the church. The reason why it denotes the church as to truth, or where truths are, is, because by the royalty of the Lord is signified the Divine truth proceeding from Him, and hence by kings are signified truths. (See above, n. 31.) It is said the church as to truth, by which is meant the church as to truths from good; the reason is, that truths are not possible without good, for truths have life from good; the truths which a man has who is not in good, are indeed actually in themselves truths, but they are not truths in him (as may be seen fully proved in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 11-27).
[2] That kingdom in the Word signifies heaven and the church as to truths, is evident from many passages in the Word, of which I will adduce some. Thus in Matthew:
"The sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness" (Arcana Coelestia 1059, 1159, 1258, 1260, 1416, 1849, 6005.)
[3] It is evident from these things what is meant by kingdom in the Lord's prayer,
"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on the earth. Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory" (33). From these considerations it may be seen that the kingdom of God signifies, in many other passages of the Word, the church as to truths, also heaven, and, in the highest sense, the Lord as to the Divine Human. The reason why kingdom, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human is, that all Divine truth proceeds from Him; and the reason why kingdom signifies heaven is, that heaven, with the angels, is from no other source than the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human (see in the work, Heaven and Hell 7-12, 78-86, 126-140).
48. And in the kingdom, signifies in the church where truths are. This is evident from the signification of "kingdom" in the Word, as being heaven and the church. It means the church in respect to truth, or where truths are, because by the royalty of the Lord is signified Divine truth proceeding from Him, and therefore by "kings" are signified truths (See what is shown above, n. 31). It is said the church in respect to truth, by which is meant the church in respect to truths from good; and for the reason that there are no truths without good, for truths have their life from good. Truths with a man who is not in good are indeed truths in themselves, but they are not truths in him (as may be seen abundantly shown in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, 11-27).
[2] That "kingdom" in the Word signifies heaven and the church in respect to truths, is evident from many passages in the Word, some of which I will cite.
Thus in Matthew:
The sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness (Arcana Coelestia 1059, 1159, 1258-1260, 1416, 1849, 6005)
[3] From this it is plain what is meant by "kingdom" in the Lord's prayer:
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also upon the earth. Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory (33). From all this it can be seen what "the kingdom of God" signifies in very many passages in the Word, namely, the church in respect to truths, and also heaven, and in the highest sense the Lord in respect to the Divine Human. "Kingdom," in the highest sense, signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, because from Him all Divine truth proceeds; and "kingdom" signifies heaven, because heaven with the angels is from no other source than from the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 7-12, 78-86, 126-140).
48. "In regno." Quod significet in ecclesia ubi vera, constat ex significatione "regni" in Verbo, quod sit caelum et ecclesia; quod sit ecclesia quoad Verum, seu ubi vera, est quia per regium Domini significatur Divinum Verum procedens ab Ipso, et inde per "reges" significantur vera (ut ostensum videatur supra, n. 31). Ecclesia quoad verum dicitur, et intelligitur ecclesia quoad vera ex bono. Causa est quia non dantur vera absque bono, vera enim habent vitam ex bono; vera apud hominem qui non in bono est, sunt quidem in se vera, sed non sunt vera in illo (ut pluribus ostensum videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 11-27).
[2] Quod "regnum" in Verbo significet caelum et ecclesiam quoad vera, constat ex pluribus locis in Verbo, quorum aliqua velim afferre:
- Ut apud Matthaeum,
"Filii regni ejicientur in tenebras exteriores" (8:12);
"filii regni" ibi sunt qui ab ecclesia ubi non vera sed falsa regnant.
Apud eundem,
"Qui audit verbum regni et non attendit, venit malus, et rapit quod seminatum est in corde (ejus); hic est qui juxta viam seminatus est... Ager est mundus, semen (bonum) sunt filii regni" (13:19, 38);
audire "Verbum regni" est vera ecclesiae; et quia "semen" significat Vera, ideo illi qui recipiunt vera dicuntur "filii regni."
(Quod "semen" sit verum ecclesiae, videatur n. 3038, 3373, 3671, 10248, 10249.)
Apud eundem,
Ideo auferetur a vobis regnum Dei, et dabitur genti facienti fructum" (21:43);
quod "regnum Dei" ibi significet ecclesiam quoad vera, ita quoque vera ecclesiae, patet, quoniam dicitur quod auferetur eis, "et dabitur genti facienti fructum"; "fructus" est bonum.
Apud eundem,
In consummatione saeculi "excitabitur gens contra gentem, et regnum contra regnum" (24 [3,] 7);
"consummatio saeculi" est ultimum tempus ecclesiae; "gens contra gentem" est malum contra bonum; et "regnum contra regnum" est falsum contra verum.
(Quod "gens" sit bonum ecclesiae, et in opposito sensu malum ibi, videatur n. 1059, 1159, 1258, (1259,) 1260, 1416, 1849, 6005.)
[3] Ex his patet quid per "regnum" intelligitur in Oratione Dominica,
"Adveniat regnum tuum, et fiat voluntas tua sicut in caelo etiam in terra Tuum est regnum, potentia et gloria" (Matthaeus 6:10, 13);
"Adveniat regnum tuum", significat ut recipiatur verum; "fiat voluntas tua", significat quod recipiatur ab illis qui faciunt voluntatem Dei; "Tuum est regnum, potentia et gloria", significat Divinum Verum a Deo solo; dicitur etiam "potentia et gloria", quia Divino Vero est omnis potentia et gloria (videatur supra, n. 33 1
). Ex his videri potest quid significat "regnum Dei" in perplurimis locis in Verbo, quod nempe ecclesiam quoad vera, et quod caelum, ac in supremo sensu Dominum quoad Divinum Humanum: quod in supremo sensu per "regnum" significetur Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum, est quia ab Ipso omne Divinum Verum procedit; et quod per "regnum" significetur caelum, est quia caelum apud angelos non aliunde est quam ex Divino Vero quod procedit a Divino Humano Domini (videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 7-12, 78-86, 126-140).
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.