Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 528Lord in respect to royalty, which is Divine truth in the spiritualheaven, which is the second heaven. So in Luke:The angel said to Mary, He shall be great, and shall be called theSon of the Most High, and the Lord shall give unto Him the throne ofHis father David (1:32).And in Isaiah:Unto us a child is born, unto as a Son is given, and thegovernment shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be calledWonderful, Counselor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.Of the multiplication of His government and peace there shall be noend; upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish itin judgment and in righteousness, from henceforth and even to eternity(9:6, 7).It is clear that here is not meant David, and his throne, on whichthe Lord was to sit; for the Lord’s kingdom was not on earth but inheaven; by “the throne of David,” therefore, heaven in respect toDivine truth is meant (see above, n. 205). The meaning is similarin the Psalm of David, where the Lord speaks of His throne andHis kingdom; as in the whole of Psalm 89, in which are also thesewords:I have sworn unto David My servant: Thy seed will I establish forever; and thy throne to generation and generation. Judgment andrighteousness are the foundation of thy throne: will establish his throneas the days of the heavens (verses 3, 4, 14, 29).That the Lord is here meant by David, see above n. 205). The likeis signified by “the throne of glory” where the Lord is spoken of, for“glory” signifies Divine truth. As in Matthew:When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holyangels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His glory (25:31).(That “glory” signifies Divine truth in heaven, see Arcana Coelestia,n. 4809, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429; and above, n. 33.) This showswhat is signified by “the throne of glory” in Jeremiah: