685# “祂要作王，直到时代的时代”表示祂藉着神性真理的权柄，直到永远。这从“作王”和“直到时代的时代”的含义清楚可知：“作王”当论及主时，是指藉着神性真理的权柄(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“直到时代的时代”是指直到永远。“直到时代的时代”表示直到永远，因为圣言的字义是属世的，灵义则与它相对应。圣言的属世意义是由诸如在自然界中的那类事物构成的，这些事物一般与时间和空间，以及地方和人有关；“时代的时代”属于时间，在灵义上对应于永恒。在论述信与仁在教会传播的地方，“代代”也一样。
“作王”当论及主时，表示通过神性真理拥有权柄，因为权柄论及良善，作王论及真理，主凭神性良善而被称为“主”，凭神性真理而被称为“王”。这就是为何圣言处处提到这两个词，即权柄和国，或拥有权柄和作王，如在以下经文中。弥迦书：
锡安女子的山冈哪，从前的权柄，就是耶路撒冷女子的国必回归与你。(弥迦书4:8)
由于“锡安女子”表示属天教会，属天教会的本质是爱之良善，所以“权柄”论及它，而“国”因表示属灵教会而适用于“耶路撒冷女子”，属灵教会的本质是教义真理。
诗篇：
你的国是所有时代的国，你的权柄直到代代。(诗篇145:13)
但以理书：
有权柄、荣耀、国度赐给人子。祂的权柄是一个时代的权柄，祂的国度必不毁灭。(但以理书7:14)
同一先知书：
国度、权柄和诸国的威严，必赐给至高者的圣民。(但以理书7:27)
在这些经文中，“权柄”论及良善，因为主凭良善而被称为“主”，“国度”论及真理，因为主凭真理而被称为“王”，如在启示录：
骑在白马上的有名字写在祂衣服和大腿上，就是万王之王，万主之主。(启示录19:16)
“万王之王”是指着“衣服”上的名字说的，“万主之主”是指着“大腿”上的名字说的，而“衣服”表示真理，在此表示神性真理，因为所指的是主；“大腿”表示良善，在此表示神性之爱的神性良善。在诗篇，这同样适用于人：
地上的君王都列阵，掌权的一同算计。(诗篇2:2)
由此可见，“要作王，直到时代的时代”具体表示什么。“国”表示在教义真理方面的天堂和教会(可参看AE 48节)；因此，“作王”只属于主，当论及人时，它表示从主处于来自良善的真理，并拥有由此而来的抵制来自邪恶的虚假的能力(AE 333节)。
685. And He shall reign unto the ages of the ages.- That this signifies His dominion to eternity by means of Divine Truth, is evident from the signification of reigning, when said of the Lord, as denoting to have dominion by means of Divine Truth, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of unto the ages of the ages as denoting to eternity. Unto the ages of the ages denotes to eternity, because the sense of the letter of the Word is natural, to which the spiritual sense corresponds. The natural sense of the Word consists of such things as are in nature, which have reference in general to times and spaces, and to places and persons; and the ages of the ages have relation to times, to which eternity corresponds in the spiritual sense. It is the same with generation of generations, where the extension of faith and charity in the church is treated.
[2] To reign, in reference to the Lord, signifies to have dominion by means of Divine Truth, because dominion is said 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 both terms are mentioned everywhere in the Word, namely, dominion and kingdom, or to have dominion and to reign, as in the following passages.
[3] In Micah:
"Thou O hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall come and return the former dominion, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem" (4:8).
Since the daughter of Zion signifies the celestial church, whose essential is the good of love, therefore dominion is said of it, and because the daughter of Jerusalem signifies the spiritual church, whose essential is truth of doctrine, therefore the term kingdom is applied to it.
[4] In David:
"Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages, and thy dominion to every generation and generation" (48). That to reign belongs to the Lord alone; and, that when said of men, it denotes to be in truths from good from the Lord, and to have power therefrom of resisting falsities from evil (n. 333).
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 (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.
685. "Et regnabit in saecula saeculorum. "Quod signicet dominium Ipsius Per Divinum Verum in aeternum, constat ex significatione "regnare", cum de Domino, quod sit dominari per Divinum Verum (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "in saecula saeculorum", quod sit in aeternum.
Quod "in saecula saeculorum sit in aeternum, est quia sensus litterae Verbi est naturalis, cui sensus spiritualis correspondet; sensus naturalis Verbi consistit ex talibus quae in Natura sunt, quae in genere se referunt ad tempora et spatia, adque loca et personas; ac "saecula saeculorum" sunt temporum, quibus in sensu spirituali correspondet aeternum: simile est cum "generatione generationum", ubi agitur de propagatione fidei et charitatis in ecclesia.
[2] Quod "regnare", cum de Domino, significet dominari per Divinum Verum, est quia "dominium" dicitur de bono, ac "regnare" de vero; nam Dominus dicitur "Dominus" ex Divino Bono, et "Rex" ex Divino Vero: inde est quod in Verbo passim dicatur utrumque, nempe "dominium" et "regnum", seu "dominari" et "regnare", ut in sequentibus locis:
- Apud Micham,
"Tu.... clive filiae Zionis, ad te veniet et redibit dominium prius, regnum filiae Hierosolymae" (4:8):
quia per "filiam Zionis" significatur ecclesia caelestis, cujus essentiale est bonum amoris, ideo de illa dicitur "dominium"; et quia per "filiam Hierosolymae" significatur ecclesia spiritualis, cujus essentiale est verum doctrinae, ideo de illa dicitur "regnum."
[3] Apud Davidem,
"Regnum tuum regnum omnium saeculorum, et dominium tuum in omnem generationem et generationem" (Psalms 145:13);
apud Danielem,
"Datum est" Filio hominis "dominium, gloria et regnum dominium Ipsius dominium saeculi, .... et regnum Ipsius quod non peribit" (7:14);
apud eundem,
"Regnum et dominium, et majestas regnorum...dabitur populo sanctorum altissimorum" (7:27):
in illis locis "dominium" dicitur de bono, quia ex hoc Dominus vocatur "Dominus", et "regnum" dicitur de vero, quia ex hoc Dominus vocatur "Rex": ut in Apocalypsi,
Qui insedit Equo albo "habebat super vestimento et super femore nomen scriptum, Rex regum et Dominus dominorum" (19:16):
"Rex regum" dicitur de nomine "super vestimento", et "Dominus dominorum" de nomine "super femore"; per "vestimentum" enim significatur verum, ibi Divinum Verum quia de Domino, et per "femur" bonum, ibi Divinum Bonum Divini Amoris. Similiter applicate ad homines, apud Davidem,
"Constiterunt reges terrae, et dominatores consultarunt una" (Psalms 2:2).
Ex his constare potest quid in specie significatur per "regnare in saecula saeculorum." Quod "regnum" significet caelum et ecclesiam quoad verum doctrinae, videatur supra (n. 48): et inde quod "regnare" sit solius Domini; et cum dicitur de homine, quod sit in veris ex bono esse a Domino, et inde in potentia resistendi falsis ex malo (n. 333).