955. 22:17 And the spirit and the bride say, "Come!" This symbolically means that heaven and the church long for the Lord's advent.

The spirit symbolizes heaven, the bride symbolizes the church, and saying "Come!" symbolizes a longing for the Lord's advent. It is clear from chapter 21:2, 21:9-10 that the church meant by the bride is the New Church, the Holy Jerusalem, as may be seen in nos. 881, 895. And the spirit means heaven because angelic spirits are meant, of whom the New Heaven consists, as symbolized in chapters 14:1-7; 19:1-9; 20:4-5.

The church, here called the bride, does not mean a church composed of people whose faith consists of falsities, but a church composed of people whose faith consists of truths, for it is the latter who long for light, thus who long for the Lord's advent. See no. 954 above.

895. 21:9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife." This symbolizes an influx and revelation from the Lord from the inmost of heaven regarding the New Church, which will be conjoined with the Lord through the Word.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues and who talked with John means the Lord flowing in from the inmost of heaven and speaking through the inmost of heaven, here revealing the things that follow. That this angel means the Lord is apparent from the exposition of chapter 15, verses 5-6, which says:

After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle... in heaven was opened. And out... came the seven angels having the seven plagues... (Revelation 15:5-6)

This symbolically means that the inmost of heaven appeared, where the Lord is present in His holiness and in the Law contained in the Ten Commandments, as may be seen in nos. 669, 670 above.

It is apparent also from the exposition of chapter 17:1, which says:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying..., "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot...." (Revelation 17:1)

This symbolizes an influx and a revelation from the Lord from the inmost of heaven about the Roman Catholic religion, as may be seen in nos. 718, 719 above.

It is apparent from this that one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues coming to John and talking with him means the Lord flowing in from the inmost of heaven; that coming to him and showing him symbolizes a revelation; and that the bride, the Lamb's wife, symbolizes the New Church, which will be conjoined with the Lord through the Word, as in no. 881.

This church is called a bride when it is being established, and a wife after it has been established. Here it is called a bride and wife because it is of a surety going to be established.