731# “在那里有神给她预备的地方”表示教会的状态，在此期间，可能会规定它在许多人或更多人中间。这从“地方”和“神预备”的含义清楚可知：“地方”是指状态(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“神预备”是指主提供，因为人所做的事是预备的，而主所做的事是提供的。此外，提供论及“地方”所表示的状态，而“预备”论及“地方”。它表示在此期间的状态可以在许多人或更多人中提供，因为妇人逃到旷野表示这教会还在少数人当中，因是在那些没有处于良善，因而没有处于真理的人当中，这可见于前文(AE 730a节)。由此可知，这句话，即“在那里有神给妇人预备的地方”表示教会的状态，在此期间，可能会规定它在许多人或更多人中间；接下来的话，即“叫他们在那里养活她一千二百六十天”表示直到它成长到完全(参看AE 732节)。不过，本章接下来的经文更充分地论述了妇人在旷野的“地方”所指的教会的这种状态，因为经上说：“有大鹰的两个翅膀赐给妇人，叫她能飞到旷野，到自己的地方，在那里被养活一时，数时和半时，躲避那蛇的面。”此外还有其它许多情况。
“地方”表示状态，因为在灵界，空间、地方和距离在其起源上就是生命状态。事实上，这些在那里看起来和在这个世界上一样；然而，它们在这方面是不同的，即：每个人的品质都可从他所住的地方得知，而他所住的地方可从他是什么得知；因此，它总体上照着方位与所有人的地方有关，具体地与社群里的地方有关，更具体地或个体地与家里、甚至房间里的地方有关。由此清楚可知，地方与状态的品质行如一体，这是因为在灵界，出现在眼前的一切事物，甚至陆地，都是属灵事物的对应；这就是为何“地方”表示状态。空间、地方和距离在其起源上是状态，因此在圣言中表示状态(参看《天堂与地狱》，191–199节，标题是关于天堂的空间)。由于同样的原因，在我们的世界，用地方来标明状态是一种习俗，如“建在高处”、“在显赫之地”、“在尊贵之地”就是用来表示一种崇高、显赫或尊贵状态的词语。
由此明显可知，主对祂的门徒所说的这些话是什么意思：
在祂父的家里，有许多住处，祂要去为他们预备地方；祂若去为他们预备了地方，就必来接他们到祂自己那里去。(约翰福音14:2, 3)
“为他们预备地方”表示照着各人的生命状态为各人提供天堂，因为“门徒”表示所有将要属于祂的教会之人。路加福音：
污灵从人里面出来，走遍干旱之地，寻找安息之所。(路加福音11:24)
“污灵从人里面出来”表示将邪恶，由此将虚假从一个悔改的人那里移除；他因寻找安息之所而走遍的“干旱之地”表示属于其生命的邪恶和虚假的状态。在提到一个地方和数个地方的圣言的其它部分也是如此。
731. Where she hath a place prepared by God.- That this signifies its state, that in the meantime provision may be made for it among many, is evident from the signification of place, as denoting state (concerning which we shall speak presently); and from the signification of being prepared by God, as denoting to be provided by the Lord, for what is done by man is prepared, but what is done by the Lord is provided. Also to be provided is said of the state that is signified by place, while to be prepared is said of place. It signifies that the state in the meantime may be provided among many, because by the woman fleeing into the wilderness is signified that the church is as yet among few, because among those who are not in good, and consequently not in truths, as may be seen in the preceding article (n. 730). It therefore 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 many; and that also the words, "that they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days" signify until it grows to fulness, of which below (n. 732). But this state of the church meant by the place of the woman in the wilderness is more fully dealt with in what follows in this chapter; for it is said that to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she should be nourished a time and times and half a time from the face of the dragon; besides other circumstances,
[2] The reason why place signifies state is that spaces, places, and distances in the spiritual world are in their origin states of life. These indeed appear there just as in this world, yet they differ in this respect, that the quality of every one is known from the place where he dwells, and the place where any one dwells is known from what he is. Thus it is in general in regard to the places of all according to the quarters, and in particular as to their places in societies, and also individually as to their places in houses, and even in rooms. It is evident from this that place and quality of state make one, and this for the reason that all the things in the spiritual world that appear before the eyes, even the lands (terroe), are correspondences of things spiritual. This is why place signifies state. That spaces, places, and distances are, in their origin, states, and thus, in the Word, signify states, may be seen in Heaven and Hell 191-199), in the article on space in heaven. For the same reason also it is customary in our world to designate state by place; as, for example, "to be established in a high place," "in an eminent place," and "in a distinguished place," are terms used for "a high, an eminent and distinguished state."
[3] From these things it is evident what is meant by the Lord's saying 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 that if He went and prepared a place for them, He would come and take them to Himself (John 14:2, 3).
To prepare a place for them signifies to provide heaven for every one according to the state of his life, for by the disciples are meant all those who were to be of His Church. And in Luke,
"When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man, he wandereth through dry places seeking rest" (11:24).
The unclean spirit going out of a man signifies the removal of evils and the falsities thence from a man who repents; the dry places through which he wanders seeking rest, signify the states of evil and falsity that belong to his life. So in other parts of the Word where place and places are mentioned.
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.
731. "Ubi habet locum praeparatum a Deo." - Quod significet statum ejus ut interea provideatur apud plures, constat ex significatione "loci", quod sit status (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "praeparari a Deo", quod sit provideri a Domino; nam quod ab homine fit, hoc praeparatur; quod autem a Domino, hoc providetur: de statu etiam qui significatur per "locum", dicitur provideri, dum de loco, "praeparari." Quod significetur ut status interea provideatur apud plures, est quia per quod "mulier fugerit in desertum" significatur quod ecclesia adhuc inter paucos, quia apud illos qui non in bono sunt et inde nec in veris videatur mox praecedens articulus, n. 730 [a]); inde sequitur quod per haec, nempe, "ubi mulier habet locum praeparatum a Deo", significetur status ecclesiae ut interea provideatur inter plures, et quod per adhuc sequentia, nempe, "ut alant eam diebus mille ducentis sexaginta", significetur usque dum crescit in plenum (de quo mox infra, n. 732). Sed de hoc statu ecclesiae, qui intelligitur per "locum mulieris in deserto", in sequentibus hujus capitis amplius agitur; dicitur enim quod "mulieri datae sint duae alae aquilae magnae, ut volaret in desertum in locum suum, ubi aleretur tempus et tempora et dimidium temporis a facie draconis"; praeter plura.
[2] Quod "locus" significet statum, est ex eo, quod spatia, loca, distantiae in mundo spirituali sint in sua origine status vitae: apparent quidem illa prorsus sicut in hoc mundo; sed usque differunt in eo, quod quisque ex loco ubi habitat noscatur qualis est, et quisque ex quali suo noscatur ubi habitat; ita in communi quoad loca omnium secundum plagas, ac ita in particulari quoad loca in societatibus, et quoque in singulari quoad loca in domibus, immo in cameris: inde patet quod locus et quale status unum agant, et hoc ex causa quia omnia quae in spirituali mundo sunt, quae coram oculis apparent, usque ad terras, sunt correspondentiae spiritualium; inde est quod "locus" significet statum. (Quod spatia, loca et distantiae in sua origine sint status, ac inde in Verbo significant status, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 191-199, ubi De Spatio in Caelo actum est.) Inde quoque est quod in nostro mundo receptum sit statum vocare locum; ut quod constitutus sit "in loco celso", "in loco eminenti", et "in loco illustri", pro in statu celso, eminenti et illustri.
[3] Ex his constare potest quid intelligitur per quod Dominus dixerit discipulis,
Quod in domo Patris sui mansiones multae sint, et quod abeat ad paran dum illis locum, et si abiverit et paraverit illis locum quod venturus et assumpturus illos ad Se Ipsum (Johannes 14:2, 3):
per "parare illis locum" significatur providere caelum cuivis secundum statum vitae ejus; nam per "discipulos" intelliguntur omnes qui ab ecclesia Ipsius futuri sunt. Et apud Lucam,
"Quando immundus spiritus exit ab homine, peragrat sicca loca quaerens requiem" (11:24):
per "immundum spiritum exeuntem ab homine" intelligitur remotio malorum et inde falsorum ab homine qui paenitentiam agit; per "sicca loca" quae peragrat quaerens requiem, significantur status mali et falsi qui sunt vitae ejus. Praeter alibi in Verbo, ubi "locus" ac "loca" dicuntur.