1232. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.- That this signifies that the acknowledgment of the Lord and conjunction with Him is the life of all doctrine from the Word is evident from the signification of the testimony of Jesus, as denoting the acknowledgment of the Divine of the Lord, and the reception of the Divine Truth from Him (concerning which see just above, n. 1230), thus also conjunction with the Lord, for by the acknowledgment of Him and the reception of Divine Truth from Him conjunction takes place; and from the signification of the spirit of prophecy, which denotes the life of all doctrine from the Word. By spirit is signified life, because the Holy Spirit is meant, which is the Divine proceeding from the Lord, and that proceeding Divine is the very life of man; by prophecy is signified from the Word. That prophecy signifies doctrine from the Word may be seen above, n. 624, 999. That the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy signifies that acknowledgment of the Lord and conjunction with Him is the life of all doctrine from the Word, and that the spirit of prophecy means the Holy Spirit, this being that which testifies concerning the Lord, is evident from the Lord's words in John, Jesus said,
"When the Comforter (Paracletus) is come which I will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, it shall testify of me; ye also shall testify (xv. 26, 27).
By the Spirit of Truth, which is elsewhere called the Holy Spirit, is meant the Divine proceeding from the Lord, and by its testimony is meant enlightenment, preaching, confession, and acknowledgment, while the disciples who would testify signify all those who acknowledge and receive the Lord.
CHAPTER XX.*
EXPLANATION.
[CONTENTS OF EACH VERSE]
The dragon means all those in the reformed Christian world who do not approach the Lord immediately, and who do not shun evils as sins. That all such were removed (verses 1-3).
That those were taken up from the lower earth into heaven, who were hidden there on account of the dragon, lest they should be seduced (verses 4-6).
That afterwards those who had been merely in external but not in internal worship, were loosed in order that that they might be laid bare; these perished (verses 7-9).
That afterwards all those meant by the dragon were condemned (verse 10).
That the hells were reduced to order that they might correspond oppositely to the new heaven; but those only who lived after the coming of the Lord.
* The summary explanation of Chapter ix., here translated, is found at the end of the Photolithograph MS.; it was not contained in the previous edition of this volume. -Translator.
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