731. Where she hath a place prepared by God.- That this signifies its state, that in the meantime provision may be made for it among many, is evident from the signification of place, as denoting state (concerning which we shall speak presently); and from the signification of being prepared by God, as denoting to be provided by the Lord, for what is done by man is prepared, but what is done by the Lord is provided. Also to be provided is said of the state that is signified by place, while to be prepared is said of place. It signifies that the state in the meantime may be provided among many, because by the woman fleeing into the wilderness is signified that the church is as yet among few, because among those who are not in good, and consequently not in truths, as may be seen in the preceding article (n. 730). It therefore follows that these words, namely, "where the woman hath a place prepared by God," signify the state of the church, that in the meantime provision may be made for it among many; and that also the words, "that they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days" signify until it grows to fulness, of which below (n. 732). But this state of the church meant by the place of the woman in the wilderness is more fully dealt with in what follows in this chapter; for it is said that to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she should be nourished a time and times and half a time from the face of the dragon; besides other circumstances.

[2] The reason why place signifies state is that spaces, places, and distances in the spiritual world are in their origin states of life. These indeed appear there just as in this world, yet they differ in this respect, that the quality of every one is known from the place where he dwells, and the place where any one dwells is known from what he is. Thus it is in general in regard to the places of all according to the quarters, and in particular as to their places in societies, and also individually as to their places in houses, and even in rooms. It is evident from this that place and quality of state make one, and this for the reason that all the things in the spiritual world that appear before the eyes, even the lands (terroe), are correspondences of things spiritual. This is why place signifies state. That spaces, places, and distances are, in their origin, states, and thus, in the Word, signify states, may be seen in Heaven and Hell 191-199), in the article on space in heaven. For the same reason also it is customary in our world to designate state by place; as, for example, "to be established in a high place," "in an eminent place," and "in a distinguished place," are terms used for "a high, an eminent and distinguished state."

[3] From these things it is evident what is meant by the Lord's saying to His disciples, that in his Father's house there are many mansions, and that He would go to prepare a place for them; and that if He went and prepared a place for them, He would come and take them to Himself (John 14:2, 3).

To prepare a place for them signifies to provide heaven for every one according to the state of his life, for by the disciples are meant all those who were to be of His Church. And in Luke,

"When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man, he wandereth through dry places seeking rest" (11:24).

The unclean spirit going out of a man signifies the removal of evils and the falsities thence from a man who repents; the dry places through which he wanders seeking rest, signify the states of evil and falsity that belong to his life. So in other parts of the Word where place and places are mentioned.

8313. 'Distress took hold of the inhabitants of Philistia' means despair of enlarging their dominion, on the part of those upholding faith separated from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'distress' as despair, because they could not any longer enlarge their dominion, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the inhabitants of Philistia' as those who uphold faith alone separated from the good of charity, dealt with in 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413, 8093, 8096, 8099. They are distinguished from the Egyptians by the fact that they rule out the good deeds of charity, in the belief that a person is saved without them by faith. This main tenet in their doctrine gives birth to a large number of errors, such as these: Salvation is attributable to mercy, irrespective of the life the person has been leading; all his sins and evils are washed away through faith, enabling him to walk as someone who has been made righteous; his salvation can be accomplished in an instant, even through faith and truth attained at the final hour of his death; consequently it is not the affection belonging to heavenly love that makes heaven in a person. People subscribing to these errors are Philistines; and they are called 'uncircumcised' because of the evils of self-love and love of the world in which their life consists.

[2] The reason why 'distress' here means despair is that extreme distress should be understood, or pain like that suffered by women in labour. The word in the original language also means that kind of pain. Despair or the extremes of distress are actually described in the Word as 'the pain of a woman in labour', for example in David,

The kings assembled themselves. Terror seized them, pain as of a woman in labour. Psalms 48:4, 6.

In Jeremiah,

O dweller in Lebanon, having a nest in the cedars, how much grace will you find when distresses come to you, pain as of a woman in labour? Jeremiah 22:23.

In the same prophet,

The king of Babel has heard the report about them, consequently his hands have become feeble; anguish has taken hold of him, pain as of a woman in labour. Jeremiah 50:43.

In Isaiah,

The day of Jehovah is near, like devastation from Shaddai. Therefore all hands are feeble, and every human heart melts, and they are terrified; pangs and distresses take hold of them, they are in labour, like a woman giving birth. Isaiah 13:6-8.

[3] In Jeremiah,

behold, a people coming from the land of the north, and a mighty nation will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear; it is cruel and they do not have any pity. Their voice resounds like the sea, and they ride on horses, [every one] prepared as a man for battle against you, O daughter of Zion. We have heard the report about it, our hands have grown feeble. Anguish has laid hold on us, pain as of a woman in labour. Jeremiah 6:22-24.

This refers to truth being laid waste as experienced by those ruled by evil. 'A people from the land of the north' stands for those steeped in falsities arising from evil. 'A mighty nation from the uttermost parts of the earth' stands for those steeped in evils which are altogether opposed to good. 'They lay hold on bow and spear' stands for the fact that they draw on false teachings when they engage in conflict. 'Their voice resounds like the sea' stands for reasoning based on those teachings. 'They ride on horses' stands for arguments seemingly based on understanding. 'Prepared as a man for battle' stands for the desire to attack truth. 'Daughter of Zion' stands for the Church where good exists. 'Anguish has laid hold' stands for distress, because truths might undergo molestation. 'Pain as of a woman in labour' stands for despair, because good might suffer harm. From all this it is evident that 'pain' in this instance means despair on account of harm that might be done to good.

[4] The reason why 'distress took hold of the inhabitants of Philistia' means despair or lack of hope of enlarging their dominion is that the Philistines, that is, those who suppose that salvation comes as a result of faith alone without the good deeds of charity, in the next life strive unceasingly after dominion, fighting against others. They do not stop until they undergo vastation of their knowledge of cognitions or matters of faith. Every person in the next life retains the tenets of the faith he possessed during his lifetime; and no other people exchange them for truths except those who have done what is good in life, since good desires truth and welcomes it freely because it is of a similar nature. But those who have done what is bad in life do not exchange them. Those people are so to speak hard, and also they reject truths. Furthermore they live in obscurity, so that they cannot even see them. They see only whatever endorses the ideas they have adopted and nothing whatever that goes against them. Such people also imagine that they have more intelligence than everyone else; yet they know nothing except to use reasonings based on the ideas they have adopted. This is why they are people who attack charity very strongly, consequently are people who wish to dominate. For those who are governed by charity are humble, and wish - as though lowest in rank - to serve all. But those who are ruled by faith without charity are haughty, and wish - as though highest in rank - to be served by all. This also is why they consider heaven to consist in the glory of dominion, imagining - because they suppose that they have more intelligence than all others - that they will be archangels and that very many others will for that reason serve them, a supposition also in keeping with the words in Daniel,

Those who have intelligence will shine like the brightness of the expanse, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever. ¹ Daniel 12:3.

But instead of brightness theirs is darkness.

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