103. And hast not failed, signifies so far as they could. This is evident from the signification of "not failing," in reference to those who are eager for the knowledges of truth and good, as being so far as they could; for in what now follows, a life according to these knowledges is treated of. Those who are in a life according to these go forward and do not fail; but those who are as yet in knowledges alone, go forward as far as they can, but do not yet have the light of life, from which is vigor.

593. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. This symbolically means that through the temptations or trials occasioned by these falsities a person of the Lord's New Church is examined to discover his character in respect to his life and faith.

Patience here symbolizes endurance in temptations or trials, and an examination then of a person's character in respect to his living in accordance with the Lord's commandments and to his faith in the Lord. Hence the statement, "Here is the patience and faith." Saints symbolize people who belong to the Lord's New Church, specifically people who are governed by the Divine truths in it (no. 586).

Patience is predicated of the temptations or trials by which a person's character is examined also in other places in the book of Revelation, as in Revelation 1:9; 2:2-3, 19; 3:10. That it is a person's life in accordance with the Lord's commandments and his faith in the Lord that is examined, is apparent from the following verses in that book:

...they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image... Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:11-12)