944. [verse 7] 'Behold I am coming quickly, blessed is he who keeps the words of this prophecy' signifies that the Lord is certainly going to come, and will give eternal life to those who protect and do the truths or precepts of the doctrine of this book now opened by the Lord. 'Behold I am coming quickly' signifies that the Lord is certainly going to come; by 'quickly' is signified certainly (n. 4, 943), and by 'to come' is signified that He is going to come, not in Person but in the Word, in which He will appear to all who will be of His New Church. That this is His Coming 'in the clouds of heaven' may be seen above (n. 24, 642, 820). Blessed is he who keeps the words of this book' signifies that He is going to give eternal life to those who protect and do the truths or precepts of the doctrine of this book now opened by the Lord. By 'blessed' is signified one who accepts eternal life (n. 639, 852). By 'to keep' is signified to protect and do the truths and precepts. 'The words' are the truths and precepts. By 'the prophecy of this book' is signified the doctrine of this book now opened by the Lord, 'prophecy' being doctrine (n. 8, 133, 943). [2] He who considers can see that to keep the words of the prophecy of this book is not understood, but that what is signified is to keep, that is, to protect and do the truths or precepts of doctrine that have been opened in this book now expounded. For in the Apocalypse unexpounded there are few things that can be kept, for they are prophetical things not understood up to this time. Take these for example: the things cannot be kept that are recorded in chap. vi concerning the horses going forth out of the book; in chap. vii concerning the twelve tribes; in chaps. viii and ix concerning the seven angels sounding [trumpets]; in chap. x concerning the little book eaten up by John; in chap. xi concerning the two witnesses who, having been slain, revived; in chap. xii concerning the woman and the dragon; in chaps. xiii and xiv concerning the two beasts; in chaps. xv and xvi concerning the seven angels having the seven plagues; in chaps. xvii and xviii concerning the woman sitting on the scarlet beast and concerning Babylon; in chap. xix concerning the white horse and the great supper; in chap. xx concerning the last judgment; and in chap. xxi concerning the New Jerusalem as a city. From these considerations it is plain that it is not understood that they are blessed who keep those words of prophecy, for they are closed, but that they are blessed who keep, that is, protect and do the truths or precepts of doctrine that are contained in them and have now been opened. That these [truths or precepts] are derived from the Lord may be seen in the Preface.