377. So he said to me, "These are ones who are coming out of the great tribulation." This symbolically means that they are people who have undergone temptations or trials, and have fought against evils and falsities.

To be shown that tribulation means an infestation by evils and falsities and a spiritual battle against them, which is a temptation or trial, see nos. 33, 95, 100, 101.

33. In the tribulation and kingdom and patient awaiting of Jesus Christ. This symbolically means, which in the church have been infested by evils and falsities, but which will be removed by the Lord when He comes.

The state of the church is meant by tribulation, when there are no longer any goods of charity and truths of faith, but evils and falsities instead. The church is meant by kingdom. And the patient awaiting of Jesus Christ means the Lord's advent. Consequently these words, "in the tribulation and kingdom and patient awaiting of Jesus Christ," when condensed into a single meaning, symbolically mean, when the goods and truths of the church have been infested by evils and falsities, but ones which the Lord will remove when He comes.

That tribulation means the state of the church when it has been infested by evils and falsities is apparent from the following statements:

(At the end of the age) they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you... ...there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world..., nor shall be... ...after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven... (Matthew 24:9, 21, 29, cf. Mark 13:19, 24)

We will see in subsequent explanations that a kingdom symbolizes the church.