849. 'And they lived and reigned with Christ for the thousand years' signifies who had already been in conjunction with the Lord and His kingdom for some time. Those who 'lived with Christ' signify those who have been in conjunction with the Lord, because they are living. Those who 'reigned with Christ' signify those who have been in His kingdom, concerning which [something] follows. That by 'for the thousand years' is signified for some time may be seen above (n. 842). These things were said of those who its their life in the world worshipped the Lord and lived in accordance with His precepts in the Word, and after deaths were guarded lest they should be led astray by the dragonists, thus who already for some time had been conjoined with the Lord and in association with the angels of heaven as to interior things. That 'to reign with the Lord is not to reign with Him but to be in His kingdom by conjunction with Him may be seen above (n. 284). For Only the Lord reigns, and every one in heaven who is in any function performs a duty in his own society, just as in the world, but under the Lord's auspices. They indeed act from themselves, but because they have regard to uses its the first place they act from the Lord, from Whom is every use.