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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.