944. 22:7 "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." This symbolically means that the Lord will surely come and give eternal life to people who keep and obey the doctrinal truths or precepts in this book, now laid open by the Lord.

"Behold, I am coming quickly!" means, symbolically, that the Lord will surely come. Quickly symbolically means surely (nos. 4, 943), and coming symbolically means that He will come - not in person, but in the Word, in which He will be visible to all those people who will be part of His New Church. This is the meaning of His coming in the clouds of heaven, as may be seen in nos. 24, 642, 820 above.

"Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book" means, symbolically, that the Lord will give eternal life to people who keep and obey the doctrinal truths or precepts in this book, now laid open by the Lord. One who is blessed symbolizes a person who receives eternal life (nos. 639, 852). To keep symbolically means to keep and obey truths or precepts. The words are truths and precepts. The prophecy of this book symbolizes the doctrine in this book now laid open by the Lord, prophecy being doctrine (nos. 8, 133, 943).

[2] Anyone who weighs the matter can see that to keep the words of the prophecy of this book does not mean to preserve them, but to maintain them, that is, to keep and obey the doctrinal truths or precepts in this book that are now explained and laid open. Indeed, if not explained, the book of Revelation contains few things that can be kept, as they are prophecies previously not understood. Take for example the following:

It is impossible to keep what is related in chapter 6 regarding the horses emerging from the book. In chapter 7 regarding the twelve tribes. In chapters 8, 9 regarding the seven angels sounding their trumpets. In chapter 10 regarding the little book that John ate. In chapter 11 regarding the two witnesses that were killed and lived again. In chapter 12 regarding the woman and the dragon. In chapters 13, 14 regarding the two beasts. In chapters 15, 16 regarding the seven angels having the seven plagues. In chapters 17, 18 regarding the woman sitting on a scarlet beast and regarding Babylon. In chapter 19 regarding the white horse and the great supper. In chapter 20 regarding the Last Judgment. And in chapter 21 regarding the New Jerusalem as a city.

It is apparent from this that the verse does not mean that those people are blessed who preserve the words of the prophecy, for the meanings of the words are hidden, but it means that those people are blessed who maintain them, that is, who keep and obey the doctrinal truths or precepts that are contained in those words and are now laid open. That the explanations originate from the Lord may be seen in the Preface.

666. "For You alone are holy." This symbolically means that the Lord embodies the Word, truth, and enlightenment.

That the Lord alone is holy may be seen in no. 173 above, and that He is the Divine truth called holy, in nos. 173, 586. Moreover, because the Word is Divine truth, and the Lord embodies Divine truth, and because Divine truth enlightens spiritually, being the light in heaven, but emanating from the Lord, therefore the declaration, "For You alone are holy," symbolically means that the Lord embodies the Word, truth, and enlightenment.

Since the Word is Divine truth, and Divine truth enlightens spiritually, therefore people say that Jehovah dictated the Word through the agency of the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit enlightens a person and instructs him. But who does not know that God is omnipresent, and that holiness emanates from Him and enlightens wherever it is received? Who, then, cannot but conclude that the Holy Spirit is not God per se, distinguishable from Jehovah or the Lord as one person is from another, but that it is Jehovah Himself or the Lord? Anyone who acknowledges the Divine omnipresence must also acknowledge this.

That the Holy Spirit in the Word means the Lord's Divine life, thus Himself, and in particular the life of His Divine wisdom called Divine truth, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 50-53 where we demonstrated this from the Word.

That the Lord embodies the Word may be seen in John 1:1, 14. That He embodies the truth, John 14:6. That He embodies the light and thus enlightenment, John 12:34-36.