120. (iii) The offspring of the Lord as husband and father and of the church as mother are all spiritual, and in the spiritual sense of the Word these are meant by sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law and other terms of relationship.
There is no need to prove that no other offspring is born to the Lord by means of the church, because it is plain for reason to see without proof. For it is the Lord from whom all good and truth comes forth, and the church which receives them and puts them to use. All spiritual things in heaven and the church have reference to good and truth. Hence 'sons and daughters' in the spiritual sense of the Word mean kinds of truth and goodness; 'sons' mean truths conceived in the spiritual man and born in the natural man, 'daughters' likewise kinds of goodness. Those therefore who are regenerated by the Lord are called in the Word 'sons of God,' 'sons of the kingdom,' and 'born of Him'; and the Lord called his disciples 'sons'. The 'male child' which the woman gave birth to, and which was snatched up to God (Rev. 12:5) has the same meaning (see THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 543). It is because 'daughters' mean the church's good deeds that the Word so frequently speaks of 'the daughter of Zion,' 'of Jerusalem', 'of Israel' and 'of Judah.' These do not mean anyone's daughter, but the affection for good which the church has (see THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 612). The Lord also calls 'brothers and sisters' those who belong to His church (Matt. 12:49; 25:40; 28:10; Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21).
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church