747. "And make her desolate and naked." This symbolically means that Protestants will rid themselves of the falsities and evils of the Roman Catholic religion.

To make her desolate means, symbolically, to rid themselves of the Roman Catholic religion's falsities, and to make her naked means, symbolically, to rid themselves of its evils, for they make it desolate and naked in themselves. Desolation in the Word is predicated of truths and falsities, while nakedness is predicated of goods and evils, as can be seen from what we have presented regarding nakedness in nos. 213, 706 above.

It can be seen from this that their making her desolate and naked means symbolically that they will rid themselves of all that religion's falsities and evils. People know that this is what Protestants or the Reformed have done.

139. "'I will kill her sons with death.'" (2:23) This symbolically means that truths from the Word with them will all be turned into falsities.

Sons in the Word symbolize truths, and in an opposite sense falsities. To kill sons, therefore, symbolically means to turn truths into falsities, for thus the truths perish. Nothing else is meant by "the slain of Jehovah." ¹

To kill her sons with death also means, symbolically, to condemn those people's falsities.

Sons symbolize truths, and in an opposite sense falsities, because in the spiritual sense of the Word generations mean spiritual generations. The case is the same with blood relations and relations by marriage, and so with terms referring to these, such as father, mother, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, and the rest. No other sons or daughters are born of a spiritual generation than truths and goods (see nos. 542 and 543 below).

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