750. "Until the words of God are fulfilled." This symbolically means, until all the things foretold about them have been fulfilled.

To be fulfilled means, symbolically, to be brought to completion, and the words of God symbolize the things that have been foretold in the Word. Because we are also told they are to be fulfilled, it symbolically means, until they all are. This is said in reference to Protestants and the fact that they will give their kingdom to the beast, which is to say, that they will acknowledge the Word and found the church upon it, as just said in no. 749 above.

But though Protestants acknowledge the Word indeed, and say that the church is founded on it, they nevertheless found the doctrine of their church on a single saying of Paul, that "a person is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:28), which they completely misunderstand (no. 417).

Because the text says here, "until the words of God are fulfilled," we will also say what the Lord's last words to His disciples symbolized, when He said:

Go... and make disciples of all nations..., teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Even to the end of the age means even to the end of the church (no. 658); and if people then do not turn to the Lord Himself, and live in accordance with His commandments, they are forsaken by the Lord, and people forsaken by the Lord become as pagans, having no religion. The Lord then is present only with people who will be those of His New Church.

This is the symbolic meaning of the declarations, "until the Words of God are fulfilled," and "even to the end of the age."

749. 17:17 "For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose, and to be of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast." This symbolizes a judgment among Protestants from the Lord that they should utterly repudiate and renounce the Roman Catholic religion and expunge and eradicate it in themselves, and a unanimous judgment that they should acknowledge the Word and found the church on it.

Since the harlot symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion, and the ten horns that will hate the harlot symbolize Protestants, as in nos. 746-748 above, it is apparent that carrying out God's purpose means symbolically that they judged and concluded that they should utterly repudiated and renounce the Roman Catholic religion and expunge and eradicate it in themselves, as in no. 748 above. And it is apparent as well that to be of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast means, symbolically, to unanimously judge and conclude that they should acknowledge the Word and found the church on it. The beast symbolizes the Word, as it has everywhere before (see no. 723), and their kingdom symbolizes the church and government over it, about which we will say more here below. That God put it into their hearts means symbolically that their judgments came from the Lord.

[2] That a kingdom symbolizes the church can be seen from the following passages:

The children of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. (Matthew 8:12)

...the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom... (Matthew 13:38)

Someone who hears the Word of the kingdom, and does not heed it... (Matthew 13:19)

...the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. (Matthew 21:43)

No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62)

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

Jesus, John the Baptist, and the disciples preached that the kingdom of God was at hand (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7, Luke 10:11; 16:16), and they preached also the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14, Luke 8:1).

If I cast out demons by the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come to you. (Luke 11:20)

And so on in many other passages where the kingdom of God is mentioned.

So, too, in the following:

...if you will... obey My voice and keep My covenant... you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests... (Exodus 19:5-6)

You, O tower of the flock, the ascent of the daughter of Zion, to you shall return... the former kingdom..., the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. (Micah 4:8)

The saints... shall (afterward) receive the kingdom, and establish the kingdom..., even forever... (Daniel 7:18, cf. 7:22)

The kingdom and dominion, and the majesty of the kingdoms under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the saints...(whose) kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall worship and obey Him. (Daniel 7:27)

To (the Son of Man) was given... a kingdom (which shall not be destroyed), and all peoples, nations, and languages shall worship Him. (Daniel 7:14)

And so on elsewhere.

A kingdom symbolizes the church because the Lord's kingdom exists in heaven and on earth, and His kingdom on earth is the church. That, too, is why the Lord is called King of kings.