722. That when she had brought forth, he might devour her child.- That this signifies that they might destroy the doctrine of that church at its first beginning, is evident from the signification of the child which the woman was about to bring forth, as denoting the doctrine of the church, for that this is meant by the male child whom she brought forth will be seen in the following article; and from the signification of devouring as denoting to destroy. For predicates follow their subjects, and when the dragon is the subject, then to devour is the predicate; but when the doctrine of the church is the subject, then to destroy is the predicate, therefore to devour here signifies to destroy. To destroy it at its first beginning is signified, because it is said that when the woman had brought forth, he might devour her child. That to devour and to eat also in other passages of the Word signify to destroy, when used in reference to wild beasts, which signify falsities and evils, is plain in Ezekiel:

"One of the whelps" of the lion "rose up, it became a young lion, it learned to seize the prey; it devoured man" (19:3, 6).

To devour man signifies to destroy the understanding of truth and intelligence.

In Hosea:

"I will meet them as a bear bereaved, and I will devour them as a fierce lion, a wild beast of the field shall tear them" (13:8).

In Daniel:

"Lo, a beast like a bear," which "had three ribs in the mouth between the teeth," it was said to it, "Rise, devour much flesh" (7:5).

Moreover, in the Hebrew, to devour is put in many passages for consuming, ruining, and destroying, as in Jeremiah:

"They have devoured Jacob, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitations" (10:25; and elsewhere).

1989. That 'Abram' means the Lord in that state and at that age is clear from what has been stated already about Abram. In the internal sense Abram represents the Lord, for when mentioned in the Word no other Abram is meant in heaven. People who have been born inside the Church and have heard of him from the Word do indeed know of Abram when they enter the next life, but because he is no different from any other human being and cannot be of any help to them, they are no longer interested in him. Furthermore they are informed that in the Word 'Abram' has been used to mean no one other than the Lord. Indeed angels, who possess heavenly ideas but form no image of any man with them, know nothing at all about Abram. Consequently when the Word is read by man and Abram is mentioned they perceive no one other than the Lord. And in the statement made here they perceive the Lord passing through that state and that age, for here Jehovah is talking to Abram, that is, to the Lord.