747. "And make her desolate and naked." This symbolically means that Protestants will rid themselves of the falsities and evils of the Roman Catholic religion.

To make her desolate means, symbolically, to rid themselves of the Roman Catholic religion's falsities, and to make her naked means, symbolically, to rid themselves of its evils, for they make it desolate and naked in themselves. Desolation in the Word is predicated of truths and falsities, while nakedness is predicated of goods and evils, as can be seen from what we have presented regarding nakedness in nos. 213, 706 above.

It can be seen from this that their making her desolate and naked means symbolically that they will rid themselves of all that religion's falsities and evils. People know that this is what Protestants or the Reformed have done.

545. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. This symbolizes the Lord's protection of the doctrine, because it was to be for the New Church, and its being guarded by angels in heaven.

This symbolizes the Lord's protection of the doctrine because we are told that the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born, and the child, or male child, symbolizes doctrine for the New Church (nos. 542, 543). It symbolizes also the doctrine's being guarded by angels in heaven because we are told that the child was caught up to God and His throne, and His throne symbolizes the angelic heaven (nos. 14, 221, 222).