705. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 12.

1. And a great sign was seen in heaven; a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

2. And being with child she cried out, travailing, and pained to bring forth.

3. And there was seen another sign in heaven; and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.

4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them unto the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that when she brought forth he might devour her offspring.

5. And she brought forth a son, a male who is to tend all the nations with an iron rod; and her offspring was caught up unto God and His throne.

6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days.

7. And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels.

8. And they prevailed not; and their place was not found anymore in heaven.

9. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, that seduceth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10. And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, that accuseth them before our God day and night.

11. And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb, and through the word of their testimony: and they loved not their soul even unto death.

12. For this rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea, for the devil is come down unto you, having great anger, knowing that he hath but a short time.

13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the son.

14. And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15. And the serpent cast out after the woman out of his mouth water as a river, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the river.

16. And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17. And the dragon was angry against the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

18. ¹ And I stood upon the sand of the sea.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1003. To go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle, signifies to excite dissensions and combats against truths with all who are of the church. This is evident from the signification of "kings," as being those who are in truths from good, and in an abstract sense truths from good (See n. 29, 31, 553, 625); also from the signification of "the earth and the world," as being the church as to truth and good, thus the whole church (See n. 741; also from the signification of "battle," as being dissension respecting truths and goods, and spiritual combats (See n. 573, 734). All this makes clear that "to go away unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle," signifies to excite dissensions and combats against truths with all who are of the church.

[2] That it was through faith alone that the church was brought into contentions in regard to truths and goods, and into combats against them, and finally into dissensions, is made clearly evident by the fact that when that faith was accepted no power was any longer given to the understanding to examine into goods and truths, for that faith involves that a thing must be believed, however it may appear to the understanding; and when the understanding is taken away from faith enlightenment also is taken away; and when that is taken away blindness and stupidity enter into everything of the church; and in that state mere contentions arise about the meaning of the Word, which is capable of being turned to confirm whatever one pleases. This is why the church has been divided into so many churches, and in these so many heresies have arisen. That these dissensions and combats about truths and goods are from hell is signified by "the spirits of demons working signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle."

(Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment)

[3] From the goods enumerated and described that result from chaste marriages it may be concluded what the evils are that result from adulteries; for such evils are the opposites of such goods; that is, in place of the spiritual and celestial loves that those have who live in chaste marriages, there are the infernal and diabolical loves that those have who are in adulteries. So in place of the intelligence and wisdom that those have who live chastely in marriages there are the insanities and follies that those have who are in adulteries; in place of the innocence and peace that those have who live in chaste marriages there are the deceit and no peace that those have who are in adulteries; in place of the power and protection against the hells that those have who live chastely in marriages there are the very Asmodean demons and the hells that those have who live in adulteries; in place of the beauty that those have who live chastely in marriages there is the deformity that those have who live in adulteries, which is monstrous according to their quality. Their final lot is that from the extreme impotence to which they are at length reduced they become emptied of all the fire and light of life, and dwell alone in deserts as images of the slothfulness and weariness of their own life.