554. And their faces were as the faces of men.- That this signifies that they appear to themselves as spiritual affections for truth, is evident from the signification of faces, as denoting the interiors of the mind and affection; see above (n. 412); and from the signification of man, as denoting the spiritual affection for truth, and thence intelligence and wisdom; see above (n. 280). And because faces are types of the interiors of man, they therefore signify the same as men themselves, namely, affections of truth. But in the present case it is said that they appear to themselves as affections for truth, and thence to be intelligent and wise, because it is stated of the locusts that their faces were seen as the faces of men.

[2] The locusts appeared with such faces, on account of the strong persuasive [power] which sensual men possess who are in falsities from evil, and who are signified by the locusts, the persuasive [power] itself presenting such appearance, but this only before themselves, and before such others as are also in falsities from evil, but not before the angels of heaven. The reason of this is, that the angels are in the light of heaven, and whatsoever they see, they see from that light; and the light of heaven, because it is Divine Truth, dissipates everything that is imaginative originating in the persuasive [power]. Sensual men appear to themselves to be such, because sensual men persuade themselves that they are in truths from good above others, although they are in falsities from evil; for they cannot view anything interiorly from heaven, but only outwardly from the world, and those who see from the world alone see only from an illusory light, from which they imagine themselves to be wiser and more intelligent than others, not knowing wherein intelligence and wisdom consist, and whence they come. It is from this persuasive faith that they believe themselves to be in the spiritual affection for truth, this therefore is signified by the faces of the locusts appearing like the faces of men.

[3] But these things must be illustrated by experience from the spiritual world. All in the heavens, are men as to their faces and the other parts of the body, for they are in the spiritual affection for truth, and the spiritual affection for truth is itself in form a man, because this affection is from the Lord, who is the only Man, and because from Him the entire heaven conspires to the human form; hence it is that the angels are the forms of their own affections, which also appear from their faces. But these things are amply explained in Heaven and Hell 59-102). But in hell, where all are external and sensual, because in falsities from evil, they also appear to themselves as men, even as to their faces, but only amongst their own; but when they are seen in the light of heaven, they appear as monsters, with horrible faces, and sometimes in place of the face only something hairy, or with a horrible grate of teeth, and sometimes ghastly pale, as though dead, in which there is not any living human faculty, for they are forms of hatred, revenge, and cruelty, in which there is spiritual death, because in opposition to the life which is from the Lord. That they appear amongst themselves with a face like men, is the result of fantasy and persuasion therefrom. Concerning these appearances see also in Heaven and Hell 553).

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.