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.

95. "'And tribulation, and poverty.'" This symbolically means that they are caught up in falsities and so are not engaged in good practices.

Knowing their tribulation means, symbolically, seeing that they are caught up in falsities, and knowing their poverty means, symbolically, seeing that they are not engaged in good practices. For tribulation in the Word is predicated of falsities, as in no. 33 above, while poverty is predicated of the absence of goods. That is what spiritual poverty is. The Word quite often speaks of the poor and needy, and in the spiritual sense a poor person means someone who is lacking in truths, and a needy person someone who is lacking in goods.

Added to the verse are also these words, "But you are rich," though in parentheses, and this because they are not found in some codices.