923. 'And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it' signifies that those who enter will bring with them the confession, acknowledgment and faith that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that every truth of the Church and every good of religion is from Him. That by 'to bring glory and honour into it' is signified to confess the Lord and to attribute to Him all the good that is with them, may be seen above (n. 921). Here similar things are signified, with the difference that there those who are understood by 'the kings of the land' should bring it with them, [but] here that it is those who are understood by 'the nations' for it is said 'they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it', and by 'the nations' are signified those who are in good of life and believe in the Lord (n. 920); and it also treats of the reception of those who are in truths derived from the good of love from the Lord, just above (n. 922). It follows therefore that by 'they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it' is signified that those who enter will bring with them the confession, acknowledgment and faith that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that every truth of the Church and every good of religion is from Him. Almost the same things are signified by these words in Isaiah:-
I will extend peace over Jerusalem. the glory of the nations like a torrent Isa. lxvi 12.
It is said 'the truth of the Church' and 'the good of religion' because the Church is one thing and religion another. The Church is termed 'the Church' by virtue of a doctrine and religion is termed 'religion' by virtue of a life in accordance with a doctrine. Everything of a doctrine is called a truth, and the good thereof is also truth because it only teaches it; but everything of a life in accordance with the things that the doctrine teaches is called good. In fact to do the truth of a doctrine is good. In this way the Church and religion are distinguished. Nevertheless, where there is doctrine and not life there cannot be said to be either the Church or religion, because doctrine regards life as one with itself, exactly as truth and good, as faith and charity, wisdom and love, and as understanding and will; and therefore where there is doctrine and not life the Church does not exist.