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 (n. 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 xiv. 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" (xi. 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.
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