Like other common verbs, the meaning of "give" in the Bible is affected by context: who is giving what to whom? In general, though, giving relates to the fact that the Lord provides us all with true teachings for our minds and desires for good in our hearts, and for the fact that we need to accept those gifts while acknowledging that they come from the Lord, and not from ourselves. One of the most common and significant uses of "give" in the Bible is the repeated statement that the Lord had given the land of Canaan to the people of Israel. This springs from the fact that Canaan represents heaven, and illustrates that the Lord created us all for heaven and will give us heaven if we will accept the gift.

856. 20:7 Then, when the thousand years have been completed, Satan will be released from his prison. This symbolically means that after the Lord raised into heaven those who previously had been hidden away and protected in the lower earth, and the New Christian Heaven was increased by their number, all those who had confirmed themselves in falsities of faith were let loose.

When the thousand years have been completed means, symbolically, after the Lord raised into heaven those who previously had been hidden away and protected in the lower earth. When the thousand years have been completed has this symbolic meaning because the sole subject in the preceding verses 4-6 is the salvation of people who worshiped the Lord and lived in accordance with His commandments, and this period of time is what is meant by the thousand years.

We are in fact not told that the people were raised from the lower earth, but it is nevertheless apparent from chapter 6, 6:9-11, where they were seen under the altar, and under the altar means in a lower earth. That is why they are also called here in verse 6 priests of God and of Christ (see no. 854 above).

That the New Christian Heaven was increased by their number is also something we are not told here, yet it is nevertheless apparent from chapter Revelation 14 where the subject is the New Christian Heaven, as may be seen from the explanations there, especially in nos. 612, 613, 626, 631, 647, 659, 661.

Satan's being set loose from his prison means, symbolically, that those people were let go who had confirmed themselves in faith alone as regards their doctrine, because the dragon here is called Satan, and not at the same time the Devil, as in verse 2 above; and as the Devil, the dragon means people who were caught up in evils in the way they lived, and as Satan, people caught up in falsities as regards their faith, as may be seen in no. 841 above. But the character of the one and the other will be seen in the following number. ¹

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