The sun and moon have been blackened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining. Jehovah has uttered His voice before His army because His camp is very great, for those doing His Word are innumerable Joel ii 10, 11.

I will encamp about My house because of the army Zech. ix 8.

God has scattered the bones of those encamping against thee, because God has rejected them Ps. liii 5 [H.B. 6].

The angel of Jehovah encamps around those fearing Him, and delivers them Ps. xxxiv 7 [H.B. 8].

The angels of God were meeting Jacob, and Jacob said, This is God's camp, therefore he called the name of the place Mahanaim (the two camps) Gen. xxxii 1, 2 [H.B. 2, 3];

besides elsewhere, as Isa xxix 3; Ezek. i 24; Ps. xxvii 3. That by 'an army' in the Word are signified the truths and goods of the Church, also its untruths and evils, may be seen (n. 447, 826, 833); therefore [this] also [is signified] by 'a camp'.

[2] Since by 'the sons of Israel' and their twelve tribes is signified the Church as to all its truths and goods (n. 349, 350) those tribes were called 'the armies of Jehovah' (Exod. vii 4; xii 41, 51), and where they used to halt assembled together they were called 'the camp' (as in Lev. iv 12; viii 17; xiii 46; xiv 8; xvi 26, 28; xxiv 14, 23; Num. i, ii, iii, iv 5 seq.; v 2-4; ix 17 to the end; x 1-28; xi 31, 32; xii 14, 15; xxi 10-15; xxxiii 1-49; Deut. xxiii 9-14 [H.B. 10-15]; Amos iv 10). From these considerations it is now plain that by 'they surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city' is signified that they would endeavour to destroy all the truths and goods of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, and also its doctrine concerning the Lord and concerning Life. A similar thing is signified by these words in Luke:-

When you shall see Jerusalem encompassed by armies, then know that the devastation is near: at length Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the nations until the times of the nations shall be fulfilled Luke xxi 20, 24.

These things are concerning the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the Church. By 'Jerusalem' here also is signified the Church. That 'Gog and Magog', that is, those who are in external worship separate from internal worship, are then going to invade the Church and endeavour to destroy it is said also in Ezekiel (xxxviii 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16; xxxix 2), and that then there will be the New Church from the Lord (xxxix 17 to the end).