255. The meaning of the woman's seed as faith in the Lord is established by the symbolism of a woman as the church. Her seed is nothing else but faith. Its faith in the Lord is what causes the church to be a church and to be called one.

Faith is called God's seed in Malachi:

Jehovah has stood as witness between you and the wife of your youthful days. And did he not make [them] one? And is there no spirit in what remains? And why does the one seek God's seed? But keep watch in your spirit, to keep [anyone] from betraying the wife of your youthful days. (Malachi 2:14-15)

The wife of one's youthful days is the ancient church and the earliest church. Its seed, or faith, is what is being discussed. In Isaiah:

I will pour water out on thirsty land, and streams on dry ground; I will pour my spirit out on your seed and my blessing on those descended from you. (Isaiah 44:3)

This is also about the church. In Revelation:

The dragon was enraged against the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her seed — those who were keeping God's commands and who possess Jesus Christ's testimony. (Revelation 12:17)

And in David:

I struck a pact with my chosen one; I swore to David my servant, "I will establish your seed forever, and I will make his seed everlasting and his throne like the days of the heavens. His seed will exist forever, and his throne like the sun before me." (Psalms 89:3-4, 29, 36)

Here David means the Lord; the throne, his kingdom; the sun, love; and the seed, faith.