732# “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。这从“一千二百六十天”的含义清楚可知，“一千二百六十天”是指从开始到结束，因而是指完全(对此，参看AE 636节)；因为这个数字涉及三年半，“三个半”，无论是年还是日，都表示完全(参看AE 532, 658节)。“叫他们养活她”这么多天，表示直到它成长到完全，因为这一点从前面的经文可知，即“妇人就逃到旷野，在那里有神给她预备的地方”，这表示“妇人”所指的新教会一开始在少数人当中，但在此期间，可能会规定它在许多人或更多人当中；所以才补充说，直到它成长到完全；此外，“养活”表示维持生命并成长。
有几个原因可以解释为何这个被称为圣耶路撒冷的新教会首先要在少数人中开始，然后在许多人或更多人中间，最后成长直到完全。首先，它的教义，也就是对主之爱和对邻之仁的教义只能被那些从内层受真理影响的人承认和接受，而只有那些能看见真理的人才从内层受真理影响，只有那些培育自己的智力官能，没有因对自我和世界的爱而在自己里面摧毁它的人才看见真理。第二个原因是，新教会的教义只能被那些没有通过教义，同时通过生活确认唯信的人承认，从而接受；只通过教义确认不会阻止接受，但通过生活确认却会阻止；因为这些人不知道什么叫对主之爱，也不知道什么叫对邻之仁，他们也不想知道。
第三个原因是，地上的新教会照着它在灵人界的增长而成长，因为来自灵人界的灵人与世人同在，他们来自那些活在地上时就处于其教会的信仰之人；在这些人当中，只有那些对真理拥有一种属灵情感的人才接受教义；只有这些人与该教义所在的天堂结合，并且他们将天堂与世人结合。在灵界，这些人的数量现在天天增长；因此，在地上被称为新耶路撒冷的教会也照着他们的增长而增长。这些也是主离世之后的基督教会在欧洲增长如此缓慢，没有达到它的完全，直到一个时代逝去的原因。
732. That there they may nourish her a thousand and two hundred and sixty days.- That this signifies until it grows to fulness is evident from the signification of a thousand two hundred and sixty days, as denoting from beginning to end, and thus fulness (concerning which see above, n. 636), for this number includes three and a half years; and three and a half, whether years or days, signify fulness, as may be seen above (n. 532, 658). "That they may nourish her" so many days, signifies while it grows to fulness, because this follows from what precedes, namely, that the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, which signifies that a new church, meant by the woman, is at first among a few, that in the mean time provision may be made for it among many, therefore it is added, until it grows to fulness; moreover to nourish signifies to sustain life and to grow.
[2] There are several reasons why the New Church, which is called the Holy Jerusalem, is to have its beginning with a few, afterwards to be with many, and at last grow to its full state. First its doctrine, which is the doctrine of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, can be acknowledged and thus received only by those who are interiorly influenced by truths, and those only are interiorly influenced by truths who are able to see them, and those alone see truths who have cultivated their intellectual faculty, and have not destroyed it in themselves by the loves of self and of the world. A second reason is, that the doctrine of that church can be acknowledged, thus received, only by those who have not confirmed themselves by doctrine, and at the same time by life, in faith alone. Confirmation by doctrine alone does not prevent reception, but confirmation by life does prevent; for such persons do not know what love to the Lord is, nor what charity towards the neighbour is, nor do they wish to know.
[3] The third reason is, that a new church on earth grows according to its increase in the world of spirits. For spirits from that world are with men, and they are from those who were in the faith of their church while they lived on earth; and of such, only those receive the doctrine who have a spiritual affection for truth; for these alone are conjoined to heaven where that doctrine is, and they conjoin heaven to man. The number of these in the spiritual world now increases daily, therefore according to their increase does the church called the New Jerusalem increase on earth. These also were the reasons why the Christian church, after the Lord had left the world, increased so slowly in Europe, and did not arrive at its fulness until an age had elapsed.
732. That there they may nourish her a thousand and two hundred and sixty days, signifies until it grows to fullness. This is evident from the signification of "a thousand two hundred and sixty days," as being from beginning to end, and thus fullness (of which above, n. 636; for this number involves three and a half years, and "three and a half," whether years or days, signifies fullness (See above, n. 532, 658). "That they may nourish her" so many days signifies until it grows to fullness, because this follows from what precedes, namely, that "the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God," which signifies that the New Church, which is meant by "the woman," is at first amongst a few, that in the meantime provision may be made for it among more; therefore it is added, until it grows to fullness; moreover, "to nourish" signifies to sustain life and to grow.
[2] There are several reasons why this New Church that is called the Holy Jerusalem will first begin with a few, afterwards to be with more, and finally to reach fullness. First, its doctrine, which is the doctrine of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor, cannot be acknowledged and thus received except by those who are interiorly affected by truths, and those only can be interiorly affected by truths who have the ability to see them, and those only see truths who have cultivated their intellectual faculty, and have not destroyed it in themselves by the loves of self and of the world. A second reason is that the doctrine of that church cannot be acknowledged and thence received but by those who have not confirmed themselves by doctrine and at the same time by life in faith alone; confirmation by doctrine alone does not prevent reception, but confirmation by life also does prevent, for such do not know what love to the Lord is, nor what charity towards the neighbor is, nor are they willing to know.
[3] A third reason is that the New Church on the earth grows according to its increase in the world of spirits, for spirits from that world are with men, and they are from such as while they lived on earth were in the faith of their church, and none of these receive the doctrine but those who have been in the spiritual affection of truth; these only are conjoined to heaven where that doctrine is, and they conjoin heaven to man. The number of these in the spiritual world now increases daily, therefore according to their increase does that church that is called the New Jerusalem increase on earth. These also were the reasons why the Christian Church, after the Lord had left the world, increased so slowly in Europe, and did not attain to its fullness until an age had elapsed.
732. "Ut ibi alant eam diebus mille ducentis sexaginta." - Quod significet usque dum crescit in plenum, constat ex significatione "dierum mille ducentorum sexaginta", quod sit a principio ad finem, et sic plenum (de qua supra, n. 636); ille numerus enim involvit tres annos et dimidium, ac "tres et dimidium", sive anni sive dies, significant plenum (videatur supra, n. 532, 658): quod "ut alant illam" tot diebus, significet usque dum crescit in plenum, est quia hoc sequitur a praecedentibus, quae sunt, quod "mulier fugerit in desertum, ubi habet locum praeparatum a Deo", per quae significatur quod nova ecclesia, quae per "mulierem" intelligitur, primum 1
sit apud paucos, ut interea provideatur inter plures; inde nunc sequitur, usque dum crescit in plenum; et praeterea per "alere" significatur sustentare vitam et crescere.
[2] Quod nova haec ecclesia, quae vocatur sancta Hierosolyma, primum incohatura sit apud paucos, postea apud plures, et denique impleatur, sunt plures causae: prima, quod doctrina ejus, quae est doctrina amoris in Dominum et charitatis erga proximum, non agnosci et inde nec recipi possit quam ab illis qui interius afficiuntur veris, qui non alii sunt quam qui videre illa possunt; et illi solum vident qui facultatem suam intellectualem excoluerunt, et non illam per amores sui et mundi apud se destruxerunt. Altera causa [est] , quod doctrina illius ecclesiae non agnosci et inde non recipi possit, quam ab illis qui doctrina et simul vita non confirmaverunt se in sola fide; si modo doctrina, non obstat; at si simul vita, obstat; nam hi non sciunt quid amor in Dominum, nec quid charitas erga proximum, nec volunt scire.
[3] Tertia causa est, quod nova ecclesia in terris crescat secundum incrementum ejus in mundo spirituum; spiritus enim exinde sunt apud homines, ac sunt ex illis qui in fide ecclesiae suae fuerunt dum vixerunt in terris; et non alii ex illis doctrinam recipiunt quam qui in affectione veri spirituali fuerunt; hi solum conjuncti sunt caelo, ubi illa doctrina est, et conjungunt caelum homini: horum numerus in mundo spirituum nunc indies crescit; quare secundum incrementum illorum crescit ecclesia illa, quae Nova Hierosolyma vocatur, in terris. Illae quoque causae fuerunt, quod Ecclesia Christiana, postquam Dominus reliquit mundum, in orbe Europaco tam lente creverit, et ad plenum suum non nisi quam post saeculum venerit.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.