547. Where she has a place prepared by God, that they may feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. This symbolizes the state of that church then, that in the meantime provision may be made for it to exist among more people, until it grows to its appointed state.

A place symbolizes a state (no. 947), and to feed means, symbolically, to provide for the church's growth, for thus is a church fed. Consequently, having a place prepared by God, that they may feed her, symbolizes the state of the church, that in the meantime provision may be made for it to exist among more people. One thousand two hundred and sixty days means, symbolically, to the end and a new beginning (no. 491), namely, to the end of the previous church and the beginning of a new one, having the same meaning as "time and times and half a time" in verse 14 (no. 562). Thus it means also to its appointed state, that is, until it comes into being as provided.

It is of the Lord's Divine providence that the church be at first among few and that it gradually grow to be among more, because the falsities of the previous church must first be removed. For truths cannot be accepted before then, inasmuch as truths accepted and implanted before falsities have been removed do not remain, and they are also expelled by followers of the dragon. The case is the same as with the Christian Church and its gradual growth from few to many.

A second reason is that the New Heaven that must function together with the church on earth has to first be formed. Consequently we read that John saw a new heaven, and the holy Jerusalem descending from God out of heaven (Revelation 21:1-2).

One thing is certain, that the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, will come into being, because it is foretold in the book of Revelation, chapters 21, 22. And it is also certain that the falsities of the previous church have to be removed before then, because that is the subject dealt with in the book of Revelation up through chapter 20.

947. 22:10 And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand." This symbolically means that the meaning of the book of Revelation shall not remain hidden, but must be disclosed, and that this is necessary at the end of the church for anyone to be saved.

Not sealing the words of the prophecy of this book means, symbolically, that the meaning of the book of Revelation shall not remain hidden, but must be disclosed, as will be explained below. "For the time is at hand" symbolically means that this is necessary for anyone to be saved. Time symbolizes state (nos. 476, 562), here the state of the church as being such as to make it necessary. To be at hand symbolizes necessity, because to be at hand does not mean nearness or immediacy in time, but nearness in state, and nearness in state means necessity. Plainly it does not mean immediacy in time, because the book of Revelation was written at the beginning of the first century, and the Lord's advent at the time of the Last Judgment and the New Church - meant here by the time being at hand, by things which must shortly take place (verse 6), and by the Lord's coming quickly (verses 7 and 20) - has only now, after seventeen centuries, appeared and come into being.

The same words as these are found in chapter 1 - "things which must shortly take place" (Revelation 1:1) and "the time is near" (Revelation 1:3) - which may be seen explained in nos. 4 and 9 above, where they have similar meanings.

[2] That to be at hand does not mean nearness or immediacy in time, but nearness in state, shall be illustrated. In its purely spiritual sense the Word does not contain anything derived from an idea of time or from an idea of space, because although intervals of time and space in heaven seem like intervals of time and space in the world, still these do not exist there. Consequently it is impossible for angels to measure intervals of time and space there, which are appearances, except in terms of state as these progress and change.

It can be seen from this that in a purely spiritual sense immediacy and nearness do not mean an immediacy and nearness in time, but an immediacy and nearness in state.

This can admittedly seem to be without reality. That is because every idea of people's lower thought, which is merely natural, contains something derived from time and space. Not so any idea of their higher thought, which people employ when they ponder natural, civic, moral and spiritual matters in the light of their inner, rational sight. For at those times a spiritual light flows in and enlightens, a light that is independent of time and space.

You may test this and be convinced if you wish. Simply attend to your own thoughts, and you, too, will then be convinced that you have a higher and lower thought, since a single line of thought is incapable of viewing itself, but can be viewed only by a higher one. Moreover, if a person did not have a higher and lower thought, he would not be human but an animal.

[3] Not sealing the words of the prophecy of this book means, symbolically, that the meaning of the book of Revelation shall not remain hidden, but must be disclosed, because to seal means to close up, and so not to seal means to open, and the time being at hand means, symbolically, that it is necessary. For the book of Revelation is a book sealed or closed as long as it remains unexplained. Furthermore, as shown in no. 944 above, the words of the prophecy of this book mean the doctrinal truths and precepts contained in this book, now laid open by the Lord.

That this is necessary at the end of the church for anyone to be saved may be seen in no. 9 above.

It can be seen from this that not sealing the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand, means, symbolically, that the book of Revelation shall not remain hidden, but must be disclosed, and that this is necessary at the end of the church for anyone to be saved.