764. "For she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen and am not a widow, and will not see grief.'" This symbolically means that this is the lot of those Roman Catholics, because owing to their elation of heart over their dominion, and exultation of spirit over their riches, they possess the confidence and conviction that they will dominate forever and defend themselves, and that they can never lose what they have.

To say in her heart means, symbolically, to possess confidence owing to their elation of heart over their dominion, and a conviction owing to their exultation of spirit over their riches. Her saying, "I sit as queen," means symbolically that they will have dominion, in this case forever, because the declaration follows, "I will not see grief." Her saying, "I am not a widow," means symbolically that they will defend themselves. A widow, being without a man, symbolizes someone without protection. The terms queen and widow are used, and not king or man, because the reference is to Babylon as the church. And her saying, "I will not see grief," means symbolically that they can never lose these two, dominion and riches. That from this arises their grief after death may be seen just above in no. 763.

[2] Almost the same statements are made of Babylon in Isaiah:

...you shall no longer be called The Lady of Kingdoms... You said (in your heart), "I shall be a lady forever," ...saying in your heart, "I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children." But these two things shall come to you... in one day: the loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you... because of the multitude of your sorceries, and the great abundance of your enchantments. You have trusted in your wickedness. You have said, "No one sees me." Your wisdom... led you astray, when you have said in your heart, "I am, and there is no one else besides me." Therefore... devastation shall come upon you suddenly... (Isaiah 47:5, 7-11)

A widow in the Word means someone without protection, for in the spiritual sense a widow symbolizes someone who possesses goodness and no truth, for a man symbolizes truth, and his wife goodness. Thus a widow symbolizes goodness without truth, and goodness without truth lacks protection, for it is truth that protects goodness. A widow has this symbolism in the Word where one is mentioned, as in Isaiah 9:14-15, 17; 10:1-2; Malachi 3:5; Psalms 68:5; 146:7-9; Exodus 22:21-24; Deuteronomy 10:18; 27:19; Matthew 23:14; Luke 4:25; 20:47.

843. 20:3 And he cast it into the bottomless pit, and shut it up, and set a seal on it, so that it should not lead the nations astray any more. This symbolically means that the Lord removed entirely those who were caught up in faith alone and took away all their communication with the rest, to keep them from inspiring any of their heresy in people who were being raised into heaven.

The dragon here means people caught up in falsities as regards their faith, as in no. 842 just above. We are told that the dragon was laid hold of, bound, cast into the bottomless pit, and shut up, and had a seal set on it; and this symbolically means that it was entirely removed and kept from having any communication with the rest. Its being laid hold of means, symbolically, that the people meant by it were brought together and detained. Its being bound means, symbolically, that the people were forcibly drawn away and separated. Its being cast into the bottomless pit means, symbolically, that the people were sent down in the direction of hell. Its being shut up means, symbolically, that the people were entirely removed. A seal's being set on it means, symbolically, that communication with the rest was completely taken away.

[2] The dragon was entirely removed for a time in order that the people who had been hidden away by the Lord might be raised from the lower earth (the subject of verses 4-6) without being led astray by the dragon-people as they were being raised. Consequently the text also says, "so that it should not lead the nations astray any more," which symbolically means, to keep them from inspiring any of their heresy in those other people.

This event occurred in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and it took place because in that world evil people have dealings with the good while the good are being prepared for heaven and the evil for hell, and the good there are tried and tested by having some association with the evil and being explored as to their character and constancy.

The good are meant by the nations that the dragon-people were kept from leading astray. That nations mean people who are good in the way they live, and in an opposite sense people who are evil, may be seen in no. 483 above.

It can be seen from this that the dragon's being cast into the bottomless pit, shut up, and having a seal set on it, symbolically means that the Lord removed entirely those who were caught up in falsities as regards their faith, and took away from them any communication with the rest, to keep them from inspiring any of their heresy in people being raised into heaven.