489.“他们要践踏圣城四十二个月”表它要驱散圣言的一切真理，直至荡然无存。“圣城”表示圣耶路撒冷，“圣耶路撒冷”表示处于教义真理的新教会，因为“圣”（holy）论及神性真理（173节）；“城”表示教义（194节）；因此，“践踏”这城或城市表示驱散其教义的真理；“四十二个月”表示直到结束，就是荡然无存之时；教义的真理是指出于圣言的真理，因为教会的教义，以及与教会相关的一切皆源于此。如今那些处于教会内在的人就是如此驱散圣言的真理，因而驱散教会的教义，以及教会的一切事物；这一点在本章以“从无底坑里上来的兽”来描述，因为他“杀了两个见证人”（7节），也可从附于每一章末尾的灵界记事看出来。
“四十二个月”表示甚至到结束，并且直到教会的真理与良善荡然无存，因为“四十二”与“六周”表示同样的事物，六乘以七就是四十二，而“六周”表示完整到结束之物；因为“六”就具有这种含义，“一周”表示状态，“第七周”表示一个神圣状态，也就是当主开始掌权时，教会的一个新状态。在以下经文中，“四十二”具有同样的含义：
又赐给从海里上来的兽说夸大亵渎话的口，又有权柄赐给他，可以继续四十二个月。（启示录13:5，参看｛583节）
“六”之所以表示完整到结束之物，是因为“三”就具有这种含义（n. 505），“六”是“三”的两倍；一个数字翻倍后仍具有和原数一样的含义；此外，“四十二”这个数字和“三个半”所表相同，因为“四十二个月”相当于三年半。经上之所以提到“月”，是因为“一个月”表示一个完全的状态（如以赛亚书66:23；启示录22:1，2；创世记29:14；民数记11:18-20；申命记21:11，13）。
489. "And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months." This symbolically means that the church has dispelled every truth of the Word to the point that none remains.
The holy city means the Holy Jerusalem, and the Holy Jerusalem means the New Church which possesses doctrinal truths, as holiness is predicated of Divine truth (no. 173). A city, moreover, symbolizes doctrine (no. 194). Consequently to tread that city underfoot means, symbolically, to dispel its doctrinal truths. Forty-two months mean, symbolically, to the end when nothing remains.
Doctrinal truths mean truths from the Word, because that is the source of the church's doctrine and every particular of it.
People concerned with the internal elements of the church today have thus dispelled the Word's truths and the church's doctrine from it. All of this is described in the present chapter by the beast ascending from the bottomless pit, which killed the two witnesses (verse 7); and it may also be seen from the accounts from the spiritual world appended to each chapter.
[2] Forty-two months mean, symbolically, to the end when nothing of the church's truth and goodness remains, because the number forty-two has the same symbolic meaning as six weeks, inasmuch as forty-two is the product of six multiplied by seven, and six weeks symbolizes a period complete to the end. For that is the symbolic meaning of the number six, and a week symbolizes a state, and the seventh week a holy state, which is the new state of the church when the Lord begins His reign.
The number forty-two has the same symbolic meaning in the following verse:
(The beast rising up out of the sea) was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and it was given the power to do this for forty-two months. (Revelation 13:5, no. 583)
The number six symbolizes a period complete to the end because that is the symbolic meaning of the number three, six being that number doubled; and doubled or not, in the case of numbers the symbolism is the same.
Furthermore, this number has the same symbolic meaning as the number three and a half, because forty-two months is equivalent to three and a half years.
The period is expressed in terms of months because a month symbolizes a complete state, as in Isaiah 66:23, Revelation 22:1-2, Genesis 29:14, Numbers 11:18-20, Deuteronomy 21:11, 13.
489. 'And they shall trample upon the holy community forty-two months' signifies that it shall have dispersed every truth of the Word to such an extent that nothing is left. By 'the holy community' or city is understood the holy Jerusalem, and by 'holy Jerusalem' is understood a New Church that is in truths of doctrine, for 'holy' is predicated of Divine Truth (173); and 'a city' signifies doctrine (194); and therefore by 'to trample upon that community' or city is signified to disperse the truths of its doctrine; by 'forty-two months' is signified even to the end when there is nothing left. By 'truths of doctrine' truths derived from the Word are understood, because the doctrine of the Church and everything of it is therefrom. That they who are in the internals of the Church at this day shall in this manner have dispersed the truths of the Word and of the doctrines of the Church therefrom and everything of it is described in this chapter by 'the beast coming up out of the deep' killing the two witnesses (verse 7). This can also be seen from the MEMORABLE OCCURRENCES out of the spiritual world, which have been added to several of the chapters.
[2] By 'forty-two months' is signified even to the end when there is not anything true and good of the Church left, because by 'forty-two' the like is signified as by six weeks, for six times seven are forty-two, and by 'six weeks' is signified what is complete even to the end. For the number 'six' signifies this, and 'a week' signifies a state, and 'seven weeks' a holy state, which is the new state of the Church when the Lord begins His reign. The like is signified by this number in the things following (583):
There was given to the beast coming up out of the sea a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and there was given him the authority for doing this forty-two months. Revelation 13:5.
'Six' signifies what is complete to the end, because 'three' signifies this (505) and six is the double thereof, and the double and simple in numbers are of the same signification. Moreover the like is signified by this number as by 'three and a half' because 42 months make 3 1/2 years. Mention is made of 'months' because by 'a month' a full state is signified, as in Isaiah 66:23; Revelation 22:1-2; Genesis 29:14; Numbers 11:18-20; Deuteronomy 21:11, 13.
489. And the holy city shall they trample forty-two months, signifies that it would disperse every truth of the Word, even so that nothing would remain. By "the holy city" is meant the holy Jerusalem; and by "the holy Jerusalem" is meant the New Church which is in truths of doctrine, for "holy" is predicated of the Divine truth, (173); and "a city" signifies doctrine, (194); therefore by "trampling" that metropolis or city is signified to disperse the truths of its doctrine; by "forty-two months" is signified until there is an end, when there is nothing left; by truths of doctrine are meant truths from the Word, because the doctrine of the church, and all that relates to it, is thence derived. That they who are, at this day, in the internals of the church, have so dispersed the truths of the Word, and thence the doctrines of the church, and everything of it, is described in this chapter by "the beast coming up out of the abyss," in that "he killed the two witnesses" (verse 7), and may also be seen from the Relations from the spiritual world, annexed to each chapter.
[2] By "forty-two months" is signified even to the end, and till no truth and good of the church is left, because the same thing is signified by forty-two and by six weeks, for six times seven is forty-two, and by "six weeks" is signified what is complete even to the end; for "six" has this signification, and "a week" signifies state, and "the seventh week" a holy state, which is a new state of the church, when the Lord begins His reign. This number has a similar signification in the following passage:
And there was given unto the beast which came up out of the sea a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue forty-two months, (Revelation 13:5)(see 583).
The reason why "six" signifies what is complete to the end, is, because "three" has that signification, (505), and "six" is double that number, and a number doubled has the same signification as the simple number; besides, the same is signified by this number as by three and a half, because "forty-two months" make three years and a half. "Months" are mentioned because by "a month" is signified a full state (as in Isaiah 66:23; Revelation 22:1-2; Genesis 29:14; Numbers 11:18-20; Deuteronomy 21:11, 13).
489. "Et Civitatem sanctam conculcabunt mensibus quadraginta duobus," significat quod disperserit omne verum Verbi usque ut non aliquid supersit. - Per "sanctam civitatem" seu urbem, intelligitur sancta Hierosolyma, et per "sanctam Hierosolymam" intelligitur Nova Ecclesia quae in veris doctrinae est, "sanctum" enim praedicatur de Divino Vero (173), et "urbs" significat doctrinam (194); quare per "conculcare" illam civitatem seu urbem, significatur dispergere vera doctrinae ejus; per "menses quadraginta duos" significatur usque ad finem dum non aliquid superest: per vera doctrinae intelliguntur vera ex Verbo, quia inde est doctrina Ecclesiae et omne ejus. Quod illi qui in internis Ecclesiae hodie sunt, ita disperserint vera Verbi et inde doctrinae Ecclesiae, et omne ejus, describitur in hoc capite per "Bestiam ascendentem ex abysso," quod "occiderit binos Testes," (vers. 7); et quoque videri potest ex Memorabilibus e mundo spirituali, quae singulis capitibus annexa sunt. Quod per "menses quadraginta duos" significetur usque ad finem dum non aliquod verum et bonum Ecclesiae superest, est quia per "quadraginta duo" simile significatur quod per sex septimanas, sexies enim septem sunt quadraginta duo, et per "sex septimanas" significatur completum usque ad finem; numerus enim sex id significat, ac "septimana" statum, et "septima septimana" statum sanctum, qui est status novus Ecclesiae, quando Dominus init Regnum. Simile significatur per hunc numerum in sequentibus:
Datum Bestiae ascendenti ex mari "os loquens magna et blasphemias, et data est illi potestas faciendi illud menses quadraginta duos," (Apocalypsis 13:5);
((videatur) 583). Quod "sex" significent completum ad finem, est quia "tria" id significant (505); et "sex" sunt duplum eorum, ac duplum et simplex in numeris, ejusdem significationis sunt; praeterea simile significatur per hunc numerum, quod per tria et dimidium, quia "menses quadraginta duo" faciunt annos tres et dimidium. Quod dicantur "menses," est quia per "mensem" significatur status plenus (Ut Esaias 66:23; Apocalypsis 22:1-2; Genesis 29:14; Numeri 11:18, 19, 20; Deuteronomius 21:11, 13).