33. “In affliction and in the kingdom and in patient awaiting of Jesus Christ,” signifies the things in the church that are infested with evils and falsities, but which the Lord will remove when He comes.
“Affliction” means the condition of the church when there are no longer any goods of charity or truths of faith, but there are evils and falsities in their place. “Kingdom” means the church, and “patient awaiting of Jesus Christ” means the arrival of the Lord. This is why these words, “in affliction and in the kingdom and in patient awaiting of Jesus Christ,” brought together into one meaning, signify when the goods and truths of the church are infested with evils and falsities, which, however, will be removed by the Lord when He comes. It is clear that “affliction” means the condition of the church when it is infested with evils and falsities, from these words:
In the conclusion of the age, “they will hand you over into affliction, and they will kill you. There will be a great affliction, such as there has not been since the beginning of the world, nor shall be. After the affliction of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven” (Matthew 24:9, 21, 29; Mark 12:19, 24).
It will be shown in what follows that “kingdom” signifies the church.
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