63. Meanwhile the Lord is constantly fighting on his behalf against evils and falsities and by these conflicts is confirming him in truth and good. The hour of conflict is the hour when the Lord is at work, which is why in the Prophets a regenerate person is called 'the work of God's fingers'. Nor does He rest until love is playing the leading part, at which point conflict ceases. When that work has reached the point where faith has been joined to love, it is then called 'very good', for the Lord then moves him to be a likeness of Himself. At the end of the sixth day evil spirits go away and good ones take their place; then the person is led into heaven, or the heavenly paradise, which is the subject of the next chapter.

723. Verse 5. And she brought forth a male child, who is to tend (pascere) ¹ all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and his throne.

"And she brought forth a male child," signifies the doctrine of truth for the church which is called the New Jerusalem, "who is to tend all the nations with a rod of iron," signifies that this doctrine, by the power of natural from spiritual truth, will refute and convict those who are in falsities and evils, and yet are in the church, where the Word is; "and her child was caught up unto God and his throne," signifies protection of the doctrine by the Lord, because it is for the New Church.

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