563. So the serpent spewed water out of its mouth like a river after the woman, that it might cause her to be swept away by the river. (12:15) This symbolizes a multitude of reasonings flowing from falsities in order to destroy the church.

The serpent symbolizes, here as above, the dragon leading astray. The woman symbolizes the New Church (no. 533). Water symbolizes truths, and in an opposite sense, falsities (no. 50, 409). A river symbolizes truths in abundance, and in an opposite sense, falsities in abundance (no. 409). Coming out of the mouth of the serpent symbolizes reasonings. So then, its spewing out water like a river symbolizes a multitude of reasonings flowing from falsities.

The reasonings of people meant by the dragon all arise from misconceptions and appearances, and if they are defended, they seem superficially to be true, but inwardly they contain a multitude of falsities.

I can relate this fact, that people in the church who affirm faith alone in themselves cannot afterward turn away from it without serious repentance, because they unite themselves with followers of the dragon who are currently in the world of spirits and in a state of agitation, being driven by their hatred for the New Church to harass all whom they encounter there. Moreover, because they unite with people on earth, as we said, they do not allow those who have once been captivated by their reasonings to withdraw from them; for they hold them as though bound in chains, and then shut their eyes so that they are no longer capable of seeing any truth clearly.