705.启16:15.“看哪，我来像贼一样；那儆醒，看守衣服的，有福了”表主的到来，以及那时那些仰望主，坚定不移地照其诫命，也就是圣言的真理生活之人当中的天堂。“像贼一样来”当论及主时，表示祂的降临，那时那些生活良善会拥有天堂，那些生活邪恶的人拥有地狱（参看164节）。凡接受永生的人都被称为“有福”（639节）。“儆醒”表示过属灵的生活，也就是处于真理，照真理生活，并仰望主（158节）；“看守衣服”表示坚持留在真理中，直到生命结束；因为“衣服”表示包裹的真理（166，212，328节），因而表示主在圣言中的诫命，因为这些就是真理。这些事照次序是由前面的事造成的；因为前面的事涉及主的降临和新教会，还涉及那些属旧教会的人对新教会的攻击。由于冲突即将发生，故那些处于出自圣言真理的人被告诫要坚持留在真理中，免得他们在争战中败下阵来，如下一节所述。
705. 16:15 "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and preserves his garments." This symbolizes the Lord's advent and heaven then for people who look to Him and remain steadfast in a life in accordance with His precepts, which are the Word's truths.
To come as a thief, when said of the Lord, symbolizes His advent, and heaven then for people who have lived a good life, but hell for those who have lived an evil life, as may be seen in no. 164 above. That person is called blessed who receives eternal life (no. 639). To watch means, symbolically, to live spiritually, that is, to possess truths and live in accordance with them and look to the Lord (no. 158). And to preserve one's garments means, symbolically, to remain steadfast in those truths to the end of one's life. For garments symbolize truths that clothe (nos. 166, 212, 328), thus the Lord's precepts in the Word, because these are truths.
This meaning now follows in sequence from the preceding ones, for the subject before was the Lord's advent and a new church, and then an attack on that church by people of the former church; and because the conflict is at hand, those people who possess truths from the Word are admonished to remain steadfast in them, lest they succumb in the battle that is the subject of the following verse.
705. [verse 15] 'Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he who is awake and takes care of his garments' signifies the Lord's coming, and heaven then with those who look to Him and remain constant in a life in accordance with His precepts, which are the truths of the Word. That 'to come as a thief,' when [said] of the Lord, signifies His coming, and heaven then with those who have lived well, and hell with those who have lived wickedly, may be seen above (164). That he is termed 'blessed' who receives eternal life (639). That 'to be awake' signifies to live spiritually, that is, to be in truths and in a life in accordance with them, and to look to the Lord (158). And that 'to take care of his garments' signifies to remain constant in those [truths] even to the end of life, for garments signify truths clothing (166, 212, 328), thus the Lord's precepts in the Word, because these are truths. These things now follow in an order resulting from those that precede; for [something] precedes concerning the Lord's coming and the New Church, also concerning an attack against it by those who are of the old Church. And because a fight is imminent, those who are in truths out of the Word are admonished to remain constant in them lest they succumb in the battle mentioned in the verse following.
705. Verse 15. Behold, I come as a thief; happy is he that is awake and keepeth his garments, signifies the Lord's coming, and then heaven to those who look to Him, and remain in a life according to His commandments, which are truths of the Word. That "to come as a thief," when said of the Lord, signifies His advent, and then those will have heaven who have lived well, and those who have lived wickedly will have hell, see above, (164). That he is called "happy" who receives eternal life, (639). "To watch" signifies to live spiritually, that is, to be in truths and in a life according to them, and to look to the Lord, (158); and "to keep his garments" signifies to remain therein even to the end of life; for "garments" signify investing truths, (166, 212, 328), thus the Lord's commandments in the Word, for these are truths. Now these things follow in their order from what precedes; for what precedes relates to the Lord's advent, and to the New Church; as also to the opposition it will meet with from those who are of the Old Church; and inasmuch as combat is at hand, they who are in truths from the Word are admonished to remain in them, lest they succumb in battle, spoken of in the next verse.
705. (Vers. 15.) "Ecce venio sicut fur; beatus qui vigilat et servat vestimenta sua" significat Adventum Domini, et tunc Caelum illis qui spectant ad Ipsum, et permanent in vita secundum praecepta Ipsius, quae sunt vera Verbi. - Quod "venire sicut fur," cum de Domino, significet Adventum Ipsius, et tunc Caelum illis qui bene vixerunt, ac Infernum illis qui male vixerunt, videatur supra (164); quod "beatus" dicatur qui vitam aeternam accipit (639); quod "vigilare" significet spiritualiter vivere, hoc est, in veris esse et in vita secundum illa, et spectare ad Dominum (158); et quod "servare vestimenta sua" significet permanere in illis usque ad finem vitae, "vestimenta" enim significant vera investientia (166, 212, 328), ita praecepta Domini in Verbo, quia haec sunt vera. Haec nunc sequuntur in ordine ex illis quae praecedunt; nam praecedit de Adventu Domini, et de Nova Ecclesia; tum de impugnatione ejus ab illis qui e veteri Ecclesia sunt; et quia pugna instat, admonentur qui in veris sunt ex Verbo ut in illis permaneant, ne in praelio (de quo in versu sequente) succumbant.