From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #252

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252. That by the “woman” is meant the church, is evident from what was said above (n. 155) concerning the heavenly marriage. Such is the nature of the heavenly marriage, that heaven, and consequently the church, is united to the Lord by its Own, insomuch that these are in their Own, for without their Own there can be no union. When the Lord in mercy insinuates innocence, peace, and good into this Own, it still retains its identity, but becomes heavenly and most happy (as may be seen at n. 164). The quality of a heavenly and angelic Own from the Lord, and the quality of an Own, which, because from self, is infernal and diabolical, cannot be told. The difference is like that between heaven and hell.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Revelation 12:3

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3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Faith #58

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58. This is what the twelfth chapter of Revelation says about the dragon:

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And being pregnant, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven gems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that they would feed her there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, and no place was found for them in heaven any longer. And when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she would be nourished for a time and times and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, to cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:1-8, 13-17)

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.