Page:A Compendium of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.djvu/498

402 them" (ver. 3); and by these: "And I saw no temple in the New Jerusalem; for the Lord God Omnipotent and the Lamb are the temple of it" (ver. 22). (A. R. n. 926.)

"A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet" (Rev. xii. 1), signifies the Lord's New Church in the heavens, which is the new heaven, and the Lord's New Church about to be on earth, which is the New Jerusalem. That by this woman the Lord's New Church is signified, appears from the particulars in this chapter understood in the spiritual sense. The church is signified by a woman in other parts of the Word also; and the church is signified because the church is called the bride and wife of the Lord. She appeared clothed with the sun because the church is in love to the Lord; for it acknowledges Him and does His commandments, and this is to love Him (John xiv. 21-24). The moon was seen under the feet of the woman because the church on earth is meant, which is not yet conjoined with the church in the heavens. The moon signifies intelligence in the natural man, and faith; and its appearing under the feet signifies that it is about to be on earth. Otherwise, when it is conjoined, that church itself is signified by the feet. (A. R. n. 533.)

"And upon her head a crown of twelve stars" signifies its wisdom and intelligence, from cognitions of Divine good and Divine truth from the Word. The crown upon her head signifies wisdom and intelligence; the stars signify cognitions of Divine good and Divine truth from the Word; and twelve signify all things of the church which relate to its good and truth. Thus the crown of twelve stars upon the woman's head signifies the wisdom and intelligence of the New Church, from cognitions of Divine good and Divine truth from the Word.

"And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered" (ver. 2), signifies the doctrine of the New Church about to come forth, and its difficult reception on account of the resistance of those who are meant by the dragon. To be with child signifies the doctrine about to come forth; because the child which was in the womb,—whose birth is spoken of in ver. 5,—signifies the doctrine of the New Church. For in the spiritual sense of the Word by being with child, travailing, and bringing forth, nothing is signified but the conception and bringing forth of things which are of spiritual life. "She cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered," signifies difficult reception of that doctrine, because of resistance from those who