958. 22:19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. This symbolically means that people who read and know the doctrinal truths in this book now laid open by the Lord, and yet acknowledge some other God than the Lord, and some other faith than faith in the Lord, by taking away something in order to destroy these two tenets, cannot perceive or acquire for themselves anything from the Word or be received into the New Jerusalem, or have their lot with people in the Lord's kingdom.

The symbolic meaning here is similar to that above, only here it applies to people who take away from these words, while there it applies to people who add to them. The warning accordingly applies to people who, either by adding to them or taking away from them, destroy these two truths.

To take away a person's part from the Book of Life means, symbolically, that it is impossible for him to perceive or assimilate into himself anything from the Word. The Book of Life is the Word, and also the Lord in relation to the Word (nos. 256, 469, 874, 925). That is because the Lord embodies the Word, for the Word has the Lord alone as its subject, as we have fully shown in two Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, one Regarding the Lord, and the other Regarding the Sacred Scripture. Therefore people who do not turn directly to the Lord cannot see any truth emerging from the Word.

To take away a person's part from the holy city means, symbolically, from the New Church, the Holy Jerusalem. For no one is accepted into it who does not turn to the Lord alone.

To take away a person's part from the things which are written in this book means, symbolically, that he does not have his lot with people in the Lord's kingdom. For everything written in this book looks forward to a new heaven and a new church, which constitute the Lord's kingdom, as the end result, and the end result is that to which everything written in the book has relation.

469. He had in his hand a little book open. (10:2) This symbolizes the Word in respect to this point of doctrine there, that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and that His humanity is Divine.

It may be seen in nos. 256, 259, and 295ff. above that the book which the Lamb took from Him who sat on the throne, the seals of which the Lamb loosed (Revelation 5:1, 7; 6:1ff.), means the Word. Consequently the little book in the hand of the angel, who also is the Lord (no. 465), means nothing else here than the Word in respect to some essential in it; and it is apparent from the particulars in this and the following chapter in the spiritual sense, and also from the natural sense in chapter 11, verses 15-17, that the essential is this point of doctrine in the Word, that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and that His humanity is Divine.

[2] The little book is said to be open because this point of doctrine is plainly evident in the Word and is apparent to anyone who reads it, if he pays attention.

This is the subject now because it is the essential doctrine of the New Church. That is because everyone's salvation depends on a conception and acknowledgment of God. For the case is as stated in the Preface, that "heaven in its entirety is founded on a right idea of God, and so, too, the entire church on earth, and all religion in general," inasmuch as "that idea leads to conjunction, and through conjunction to light, wisdom, and eternal happiness."

[3] Now because the Lord is the one God of heaven and earth, therefore no one is admitted into heaven if he does not acknowledge Him, for heaven is the Lord's body. Instead the person remains below and is bitten by serpents, that is, by hellish spirits, from whose bite there is no cure but the one the children of Israel obtained by their looking at the bronze serpent (Numbers 21:1-9). That the bronze serpent means the Lord in respect to His Divine humanity is apparent from the following verses in John,

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)