Apocalypse Explained # 728
728. And her child was caught up unto God and His throne.- That this signifies the protection of the doctrine by the Lord, because it is for the New Church, is evident from the signification of the child or male child, which was brought forth by the woman who was encompassed with the sun, under whose feet was the moon, and on whose head was a crown of twelve stars, as denoting doctrine from the Word, and in fact the doctrine of truth, that is, the doctrine of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour, and lastly of faith; and from the signification of being caught up unto God and His throne, as denoting protection by the Lord from the dragon, that stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, with the intention and desire of devouring that which should be brought forth. Such protection by the Lord against those who are meant by the dragon is signified here by these words. And as that doctrine is to be the doctrine of the church which is called the New Jerusalem, therefore it is said to be protected because it is for the New Church. It is said, "Caught up unto God and His throne," God meaning the Lord, and His throne heaven; it is caught up unto the Lord and to heaven, because that doctrine is from the Lord, and heaven is in that doctrine.
[2] An expression is also used of Enoch, the son of Jared, similar to that applied here to the child born of the woman, which it is said "was caught up unto God," but in these words "Enoch walked with God, and was no more, because God took him" (Genesis 5:24). Who are meant by this Enoch, and what Enoch signifies has been disclosed to me from heaven, namely, that they were those of the Most Ancient Church who collected together the representatives and correspondences of natural things with spiritual. For the men of the Most Ancient Church had a spiritual understanding and perception of all things which they saw with their eyes, and thus from the objects in the world they clearly perceived the spiritual things to which they corresponded. And because the Lord foresaw that this spiritual perception would perish with their posterity, and with this perception also the knowledge of correspondences, through which the human race has conjunction with heaven, therefore the Lord provided that some of those who lived among the most ancient people should make a compilation of correspondences and reduce them to book form (in codicem conferrent); these are meant by Enoch, and it is this book that is here signified. Because this book was to furnish the coming churches, to be established by the Lord after the deluge, with a knowledge (scientia) and cognition of what is spiritual in natural things, therefore it was preserved by the Lord for their use, and also guarded lest the final posterity of the Most Ancient Church, who were evil, should do injury to it. This therefore is the signification, in the spiritual sense, of Enoch being no more, because God took him. From these things it is evident what is signified by the child of the woman being caught up unto God and His throne.
Exodus 7:1-21
1
Yahweh said to Moses, "Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.
2
You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
3
I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4
But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
5
The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I stretch forth my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
6
Moses and Aaron did so. As Yahweh commanded them, so they did.
7
Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
9
"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a miracle!' then you shall tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'"
10
Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11
Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments.
12
For they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
13
Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.
14
Yahweh said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.
15
Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river's bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand.
16
You shall tell him, 'Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:" and behold, until now you haven't listened.
17
Thus says Yahweh, "In this you shall know that I am Yahweh. Behold, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
18
The fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river."'"
19
Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"
20
Moses and Aaron did so, as Yahweh commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
21
The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn't drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.
