705. CHAPTER 12.

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

2. And she being with child, cried out, travailing, and in pain 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 had brought forth he might devour her child.

5. And she brought forth a male child, who is to tend all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child 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 any more in heaven.

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

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

11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.

12. Therefore 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 out to the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the male child.

14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, unto 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 of his mouth, after the woman, water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.

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

17. And the dragon was wroth 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. And I stood upon the sand of the sea.

EXPLANATION.

Verses 1, 2. And a great sign was seen in heaven; a woman encompassed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she being with child, cried out, travailing, and in pain to bring forth.

"And a great sign was seen in heaven," signifies Divine testification concerning the future church, and the reception of its doctrine, and as to those by whom it will be assaulted; "a woman encompassed with the sun," signifies the church with those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in love towards the neighbour; "and the moon under her feet," signifies faith with those who are in charity; ["and upon her head a crown of twelve stars," signifies the wisdom and intelligence of those of that church through doctrinals and the knowledges of all things of truth and good from the Word.] ¹ "And she being with child," signifies doctrine in its birth from the good of celestial love; "cried out, travailing in birth, and in pain to bring forth," signifies non-reception by those who are in the church, and the resistance of those who are in faith separated from charity.

Fußnoten:

662. 'Everything that is on the earth will breathe its last' means those belonging to that Church who became such. This becomes clear from the fact that 'the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world but only those people who belonged to the Church, as shown already. No flood of any kind is meant here therefore, let alone a flooding of the whole world, but instead the decease or choking to death of those people there who when cut off from remnants, and so from things connected with the understanding of truth and with the will for good, were consequently cut off from the heavens. In addition to places already quoted from the Word, let the following also serve to confirm the fact that 'earth' means that area where the Church is, and therefore those who are there. In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, The whole earth will be desolate, yet I will not bring it to a close. For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black. Jeremiah 4:27-28.

Here 'the earth' stands for people living where the Church is that has been vastated. In Isaiah,

I will jolt heaven, and the earth will be shaken out of its place. Isaiah 13:13.

'Earth' stands for mankind which is to be vastated where the Church is. In Jeremiah,

The slain ¹ of Jehovah on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. Jeremiah 25:33.

Here 'the end of the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world, only that area where the Church was, and consequently where members of the Church were. In the same prophet,

I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. A clamour is coming even to the end of the earth, for Jehovah's controversy is against the nations. Jeremiah 25:29, 31.

Nor is the whole world meant here, only the area where the Church is, and consequently where the inhabitant or member of the Church is. 'The nations' here stands for falsities. In Isaiah,

Behold, Jehovah is coming out of His place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth. Isaiah 26:21.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,

Do you not hear? Has it not been pointed out to you from the beginning? Do you not understand the foundations of the earth? Isaiah 40:21.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah who creates the heavens, the God who forms the earth and makes it, the Same establishes it. Isaiah 45:18.

'Earth' stands for the member of the Church. In Zechariah,

The Word of Jehovah who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Zechariah 12:1.

'The earth' obviously stands for the member of the Church. The earth is different from the ground in the way that the member of the Church is different from the Church itself, or as love and faith are different.

Fußnoten: