22. 20. (The Lord is described as to the Word appearing above the expanse of the cherubim (Ezekiel 1:26-28), and is called the Lord Jehovih (Ezekiel 2:4; 3:11, 27; 4:14; 5:7-8, 11; 6:3, 11; 7:2, 5; 8:1 seq.). Then he is called the God of Israel (8:4, especially 11:22-23).

I will raise up one shepherd over them, who shall feed them, My servant David. I, Jehovah, will be a God to them, and My servant David a prince in the midst of them. Then will I destroy for them the covenant of peace (Ezekiel 34:23-25).

My servant David shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd. And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will set My sanctuary in the midst of them to eternity. Thus shall My habitation be with them; and I will be God to them, moreover they shall be a people to Me (Ezekiel 37:24-25). Throughout the chapter the regeneration of man in the New Church is treated of, for this is meant by the dry bones, and by the two sticks which were one.

In that day will I make a covenant with the beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, and I will break war from the earth, and make them to lie down securely. And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever, and I will betroth thee unto Me in justice and in judgment and in mercy, and I will betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know Jehovah. And it shall be in that day that I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth (Hosea 2:18-21).

I have consecrated their gain, and their wealth unto the Lord of the whole earth (Micah 4:13).

(Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou art little among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me, that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity. Then shall he stand and feed in the strength of Jehovah, in the excellency of the name of his God; and they shall abide; for now shall he increase unto the ends of the earth (Micah 5:2-4). He will give them until the time, until the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the sons of Israel (verse 2). Concerning the New Church (4:5, seq.).)

731. Where she hath a place prepared by God, signifies the state of the church that in the meantime provision may be made for it among more. This is evident from the signification of "place," as being state (of which presently); also from the signification of "prepared by God," as being to be provided by the Lord, for what is done by man is prepared, but what is done by the Lord is provided. Moreover, to be provided is predicated of the state that is signified by "place," while "to be prepared" is predicated of "place." It signifies that the state in the meantime may be provided among more, because the woman's fleeing into the wilderness signifies that the church is as yet among few, because with those who are not in good and consequently not in truths (See the preceding article, n. 730; therefore it follows that these words, namely, "where the woman hath a place prepared by God" signify the state of the church, that in the meantime provision may be made for it among more; and what next follows, namely, "that they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days," signifies until it grows to fullness (See below, n. 732. But this state of the church that is meant by "the place of the woman in the wilderness" is more fully treated of in what follows in this chapter, for it is said that "there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she would be nourished a time and times and half a time from the face of the dragon," with many other things.

[2] "Place" signifies state because spaces, places, and distances, in the spiritual world, are in their origin states of life. These, indeed, appear there just the same as in this world, and yet they are different in this respect, that the quality of everyone is known from the place where he dwells, and where he dwells is known from what he is; thus it is in general in respect to the places of all according to quarters, and also in particular in respect to places in societies, and more particularly in respect to places in the houses, and even in the rooms. From this it is clear that place and quality of state act as one, and this for the reason that all things in the spiritual world that appear before the eyes, even to the lands, are correspondences of things spiritual; this is why "place" signifies state. (That spaces, places, and distances, are in their origin states, and thence in the Word signify states, see (Heaven and Hell 191-199) in the work on Heaven and Hell 191-199, in the article on Space in Heaven. ) For the same reason it is customary in our world to designate state by place, as to have a high place, an eminent place, and a distinguished place, for a high, eminent or distinguished state.

[3] From this it may appear what is meant by the Lord's words to His disciples:

That in His Father's house there are many mansions, and that He would go to prepare a place for them; and if He should go and prepare a place for them that He would come and take them to Himself (John 14:2, 3).

"To prepare a place for them" signifies to provide heaven for everyone according to the state of his life, for "the disciples" mean all who are to be of His church. And in Luke:

When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man he wandereth through dry places seeking rest (Luke 11:24).

"The unclean spirit going out of a man" signifies the removal of evils and the consequent falsities from man when he is repentant; the "dry places through which he wanders seeking rest" signify the states of evil and falsity that belong to his life. So elsewhere in the Word where place and places are mentioned.