4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. -Revelation 12:3-4 Bible, King James Version (KJV)
[The Churches which separated themselves at the Reformation from the Roman Catholic Church are composed of those who call themselves Evangelicals and Reformed, likewise Protestants or, from their leaders, Lutherans and Calvinists. Among these the Church of England holds a middle place. -Brief Exposition of Doctrine #18]
Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
Apocalypse Revealed, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1766], tr. by John Whitehead [1912], at sacred-texts.com
And behold, a great red dragon, signifies those in the church of the Reformed...
[The Churches which separated themselves at the Reformation from the Roman Catholic Church are composed of those who call themselves Evangelicals and Reformed, likewise Protestants or, from their leaders, Lutherans and Calvinists. Among these the Church of England holds a middle place. -Brief Exposition of Doctrine #18]
Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
712.
Verses 3, 4. And there was seen another sign in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them unto the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that when she brought forth he might devour her offspring. 3. "And there was seen another sign in heaven," signifies Divine revelation respecting the attack upon the doctrine that is for the New Church, and by whom (n. 713); "and behold, a great red dragon," signifies all who are merely natural and sensual from the love of self and of the world, and yet have more or less knowledge from the Word, from doctrine therefrom, and from preaching, and think to be saved by knowledge alone apart from [the life of charity.] (n. 714); "having seven heads," signifies the knowledge of the holy things of the Word, which they have adulterated (n. 715); "and ten horns," signifies much power (n. 716); "and upon his heads seven diadems," signifies Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word adulterated and profaned (n. 717). 4. "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven," signifies the falsification and adulteration of all the truths of the Word (n. 718, 719); "and cast them unto the earth," signifies their extinction and destruction (n. 720); "and the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth," signifies the hatred of those who are meant by the "dragon" against the church with those who will be in the doctrine and thence in the life of love and charity from the Lord (n. 721); "that when she brought forth he might devour her offspring," signifies that they might destroy the doctrine of that church at its first rise (n. 722).
713.
Verses 3, 4. And there was seen another sign in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them unto the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that when she brought forth he might devour her offspring. 3. "And there was seen another sign in heaven," signifies Divine revelation respecting the attack upon the doctrine that is for the New Church, and by whom (n. 713); "and behold, a great red dragon," signifies all who are merely natural and sensual from the love of self and of the world, and yet have more or less knowledge from the Word, from doctrine therefrom, and from preaching, and think to be saved by knowledge alone apart from [the life of charity.] (n. 714); "having seven heads," signifies the knowledge of the holy things of the Word, which they have adulterated (n. 715); "and ten horns," signifies much power (n. 716); "and upon his heads seven diadems," signifies Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word adulterated and profaned (n. 717). 4. "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven," signifies the falsification and adulteration of all the truths of the Word (n. 718, 719); "and cast them unto the earth," signifies their extinction and destruction (n. 720); "and the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth," signifies the hatred of those who are meant by the "dragon" against the church with those who will be in the doctrine and thence in the life of love and charity from the Lord (n. 721); "that when she brought forth he might devour her offspring," signifies that they might destroy the doctrine of that church at its first rise (n. 722).
713.
Verse 3. And there was seen another sign in heaven, signifies Divine revelation respecting the attack upon the doctrine that is for the New Church, and by whom... Who they are who are meant by "the dragon" will be told in the following article; here let it be said merely that they are... such as have, while living in the world, an external communication with heaven, which communication they have from the reading of the Word, from preaching therefrom, and from external worship according to the ordinances of their church, but who nevertheless are not in a life according to the Lord's commandments; from this such have communication with heaven, but not an internal communication...
714.
714.
And behold a great red dragon, signifies all who are merely natural and sensual from the love of self, and yet have more or less knowledge from the Word, from doctrine therefrom or from preaching, and think to be saved by knowledge alone without the life of charity... This is evident from the signification of "dragon," as being a man who is merely natural and sensual, and yet has a knowledge of things in themselves spiritual, whether from the Word or from preaching or from religion... One who knows the things taught in the Word or in doctrine or by a preacher, and does not live according to them, however learned... he may appear, is nevertheless not spiritual but natural, and even sensual, for knowledge and the ability to reason do not make man spiritual, but the life itself. This is so because knowledge and the faculty of reasoning are merely natural, and can therefore also be with evil men, even with the worst of men; but truths from the Word with a life according to them are what make man spiritual... [4] Since in the rest of this chapter and also afterwards "the dragon" is treated of, it shall be told what sort of persons, in general and in particular, it signifies. In general it signifies those who are more or less natural, and yet are in a knowledge of spiritual things from the Word. But in particular it signifies those who have confirmed themselves by doctrine and life in a faith separated from charity. These constitute the head of the dragon. But those who from self-intelligence hatch out for themselves dogmas from the Word constitute its body, while those who study the Word without doctrine constitute its external parts. All these also falsify and adulterate the Word, since they are in the love of self, and thence in the pride of self-intelligence, from which they become merely natural, yea, even sensual, and the sensual man is unable to see the genuine truths of the Word because of fallacies, obscurity of perception, and the evils of the body... [5] (1) In the first place, "the dragon" means in general those who are more or less natural, and yet are in a knowledge of spiritual things from the Word, because "serpents" signify in general the sensual things in man, and thence sensual men; therefore "the dragon," which is a flying serpent, signifies the sensual man who yet flies towards heaven in that he talks and thinks from the Word or from doctrine from the Word. For the Word itself is spiritual, because it is in itself Divine, and is therefore in heaven. But since the mere knowledge of spiritual things from the Word does not make man spiritual, but a life according to those things that are in the Word, therefore all of those who are in knowledge from the Word and are not in a life according to that knowledge are natural and even sensual. [6] The sensual who are meant by "the dragon" are those who do not see anything from the light of heaven, but only from the light of the world, and who from that light alone... talk about Divine things, and... reason keenly and readily about them; but yet they are unable to see whether these things be truths or not, calling that truth which they have imbibed from childhood from a master or preacher, and then from doctrine, and which they have afterwards confirmed by some passages of the Word not interiorly understood. Because they see nothing from the light of heaven they do not see truths, but in place of them falsities, which they call truths; for truths themselves can be seen only in the light of heaven, and not in the light of the world unless that light is illuminated by the light of heaven... The interiors of such are filthy and crowded with evils of every kind, which close up every way for the influx of the light... of heaven; consequently they are inwardly devils and satans, however much they may appear to be spiritual and to be Christians by their talk and simulated gestures. Such are merely sensual, for while they are able to talk outwardly about the holy things of the church, inwardly they believe nothing; and those who think they believe have only a historical and thence a persuasive belief derived from some teacher or from self-intelligence... [7] (2) Those that have reference in particular to the head of the dragon are those who have confirmed themselves both by doctrine and by life in faith alone, which is faith separated from charity. These refer to the head of the dragon because most of them are... learned; for they have confirmed themselves in the belief that they are saved by simply thinking what the church teaches, which they call believing. But what their doctrine is and what their life is shall be told. Their doctrine is, that God the Father sent His Son, born from eternity, into the world, that He... would intercede and save... as a medium of... salvation...; lastly, that these things are the Lord's merit, by which alone man can be saved... They teach that... good itself in act contributes nothing to salvation, but faith alone does this, and that then nothing of evil condemns him, because he is in grace and is justified... They [do not] know that faith without the life of charity is not faith, and that man ought to shun evils and do good... [9] Such is the doctrine and the life with those who form the head of the dragon, who for the most part are the... leaders, but few are from the common people; and for the reason that the leaders regard these things as secrets of theology that cannot be comprehended by the common people... These belong to the head of the dragon for the reason also that they pervert and falsify all the things of the Word which teach love, charity, and life; for the Word, viewed in itself, is simply the doctrine of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor, and nowhere the doctrine of faith separate from charity. Such falsify the Word... Moreover, they admit these principles no further than into the memory, and therefrom into the thought... in which there is nothing spiritual, and this thought does not inquire whether a thing is true; therefore they guard against the entrance of anything into the interior sight which is of the understanding, being unwilling to know that all these things respecting their faith said above are contrary to an enlightened understanding, as they are contrary to the genuine sense of the Word. This is why those who constitute the head of the dragon have no genuine truth, for from a false principle, such as faith alone, nothing can flow forth except falsities in a continual series; nor indeed can there be any such thing as faith alone, for faith apart from charity is not faith, since charity is the soul of faith, therefore to speak of faith alone is to speak of what is without a soul, thus without life, which in itself is dead. [10] (3) That those constitute the body of the dragon who have hatched out for themselves from self-intelligence dogmas from the Word can be seen from this, that all of such who study the Word and are in the love of self are also in the pride of self-intelligence, and all who are in this pride and at the same time excel in cleverness... hatch out dogmas therefrom for themselves; this is the origin of all the heresies and all the falsities in the Christian world... They gather up and hatch out such things from the Word as favor their loves and the evils that flow from them, and such things as are contrary to their dogmas, which are truths from good, they either do not see or they pervert but all who are in the spiritual affection of truth, that is, who love truth because it is truth and because it is serviceable to eternal life and to the life of men's souls, have intelligence from the Lord. It is said that their intelligence is not from their own but from the Lord, because when such read the Word they are elevated above what is their own and even into the light of heaven, and are enlightened; in that light truth appears from truth itself, because the light of heaven is Divine truth. But they who are in the love of self and in the pride of self-intelligence therefrom cannot be elevated out of their own, for they look to self continually... These, therefore, constitute the body of the dragon. The heart of this body is the love of self, and the breath of its respiration, or of its spirit, is the pride of self-intelligence... (4) Those who study the Word without doctrine and are at the same time in the love of self, constitute the externals of the draconic body... like the skins, the scales, and the prominences on every part. Such constitute the externals of the dragon's body because they are without the intelligence of the spiritual things of the Word; for they only know the Word in respect to the sense of its letter, which is such that, unless doctrine lights the way, it may lead into errors and falsities of every kind; consequently those who study the Word without doctrine are able to confirm as many heresies as they will, and also to embrace them, and also to protect them by the loves of self and of the world and the evils arising therefrom. For [them] the sense of the letter of the Word is the ultimate sense of Divine truth... consequently unless it is read and viewed from doctrine, as from a lamp, it carries the mind away into darkness respecting many things that pertain to heaven and the church. And yet such believe themselves to be wise above all others, when in fact they are not wise at all. [12] (5) All those who constitute the dragon adore God the Father... [13] (6) From this it can now be seen that the "tail" of the dragon means the falsification and adulteration of the Word by those who constitute its head, its body, and its extremities... therefore it is said that "the dragon with his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them unto the earth;" "the stars of heaven" signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, thence the truths from good therefrom, and "to cast them unto the earth" signifies to pervert and adulterate and thus destroy them. [14] That those above described constitute the dragon, and that the adulteration and destruction of the truths of the Word are meant by "his tail," it has been given me to see in the spiritual world two or three times, for in that world all things that are seen are representative of things spiritual. When such persons are seen in the light of heaven they are seen as dragons with a long tail... and that tail is also seen to draw down as it were the stars from heaven and cast them unto the earth...
715.
Having seven heads, signifies the knowledge of the holy things of the Word, which they have adulterated... and... craftiness... [3] "The head of the dragon" also signifies craftiness, because... they are crafty above the others; but this craftiness does not manifest itself in the world as it does afterwards when they become spirits, for in the world they cover over the craftiness with external piety and feigned morality which conceal it; but as the craftiness abides in their spirit it is plainly manifest when externals are removed, as is done in the spiritual world. But it is to be known that the craftiness signified by "the head of the dragon" is a craftiness in perverting the truths and goods of the Word by means of reasonings from fallacies and... also from things persuasive... thus by inducing upon falsities the appearance that they are true... The dragon is also called "the old serpent that seduceth the whole world," in the ninth verse of this chapter.
716.
And ten horns, signifies much power. This is evident from the signification of "horn," as being the power... falsity against truth and good; also from the signification of "ten," as being all persons and all things, likewise many persons and many things; which shows that "ten horns" signify much power... [2] "The dragon" had such power because "the dragon" means such as have separated faith from the goods of charity, which are works, and have confirmed this by the sense of the letter of the Word, which they thus twist from its genuine sense, and as it were draw it down from heaven; and because at the end of the church, which Revelation treats of, there is no charity, therefore the dragon then has power; for at the end of the church everyone wishes to live for himself, for the world, and according to his own bent, and few wish to live for the Lord, for heaven and eternal life...
717.
And upon his heads seven diadems [or precious stones,] signifies Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, here these truths adulterated and profaned... These "heads" signify insanity in spiritual things and yet craftiness in deceiving and leading astray... [2] "Precious stones," which are "diadems," signify Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, because a "stone" signifies truth, therefore "precious stones" signify Divine truths. They mean Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, because these are transparent, having in them a spiritual sense, and in that sense there is the light of heaven... [3] Diadems were seen upon the seven heads of the dragon, because the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word shine wherever they are, as well with the evil as with the good, for the spiritual light that is in them is not extinguished by their being with the evil, for heaven still flows into those truths. But the evil adulterate them, and thence see nothing of the light of heaven in them, but yet believe them to be holy because they apply them to confirm the falsities of their religion, so from the faith they have in their holiness the truths still shine before them... [4] That the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word appear as diadems is evident from the diadems in the spiritual world. In the palaces of angels in heaven there are many things that shine with precious stones... [5] From this it can now be seen what "diadems or precious stones" signify in the following passages... [6] Because "the city of the New Jerusalem" signifies the doctrine of the New Church, and "the foundations of its wall" signify ultimate Divine truths, and "gates" introductory Divine truths, therefore the foundations are described by twelve precious stones, and the gates by pearls, in Revelation: The foundations of the wall of the city the New Jerusalem were adorned with every precious stone; the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate was [one] pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass (Rev. 21:19-21). These "twelve precious stones" constituting the foundations, and "the twelve pearls" constituting the gates signify ultimate Divine truths, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, upon which the doctrine of that church is founded, and by which man is introduced as by gates. The foundations are said to be "of precious stones," and the gates "of pearls," because the sense of the letter of the Word contains in it the spiritual sense, thus the light of heaven, which makes the sense of the letter of the Word to be pellucid [or transparent,] as those stones are from light and from fire... [7] The precious stones of which the breastplate of judgment called Urim and Thummim was made, which was upon the ephod of Aaron, and also those that were set upon the shoulders of the ephod have a similar signification... (Exod. 28:6-30). What these things involve no one can know unless he knows what Aaron represented, and thus what his garments signified... As to Aaron himself, he represented the Lord in relation to the priesthood, which is the Lord's celestial kingdom; while "his garments" in general represented the spiritual kingdom... For there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. That is called the celestial kingdom where the Divine good proceeding from the Lord is received, and that is called the spiritual kingdom where Divine truth is received; therefore Divine truth is signified by "the garments of Aaron" in general, and Divine truth in ultimates by the "ephod," since this was the outmost vestment... This shows that "the twelve stones in the breastplate of the ephod" signified Divine truths in ultimates...; that both of these signify in the Word the truths of the church... [8] This breastplate was composed of precious stones, under which were the names of the twelve sons of Israel, that by means of it they might receive answers from heaven, which were exhibited in the breastplate and from it by variegations of the colors shining forth from those stones... Because a "precious stone" signifies Divine truth in ultimates transparent from interior truths, the luminary of the city New Jerusalem is described in Revelation as: Like unto a precious stone, as it were a jasper stone, bright like crystal (Rev. 21:11) Again, since "the white horse" there signifies the understanding of the Word, and "He that sat upon the horse" the Lord in relation to the Word: There were seen upon the head of Him who sat upon the white horse many diadems, and His name is called the Word of God (Rev. 19:12, 13)...
718.
Verse 4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, signifies the falsification and adulteration of all truths of the Word... Such is the signification because "the dragon" means in general all who acknowledge the Word and read it and yet do not live according to it, and this because they separate life, which is charity, from faith, and believe that it is sufficient merely to think those things that are in the Word, and to persuade themselves that they are saved by thinking and talking about certain things from the Word with trust and confidence, and that faith alone justifies and saves, and not anything of life or work... To confirm their dogmas from the Word they bring forward passages in which faith is mentioned and in which faith is treated of; but the passages in which charity and love are mentioned, and doing is spoken of, they pervert by applying them to faith alone, and thus they falsify the Word, which from beginning to end is the doctrine of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbor. This falsification and adulteration of the truths of the Word is meant by "drawing down with the tail the third part [of the stars] of heaven."...
719.
It is said that the sensual falsifies and adulterates the truths of the Word; but it needs to be known how it can falsify and adulterate the truths of the Word, for those who do not know how this is done and what is the nature of the Word, might think that because the truths of the Word are truths, and are plainly extant [or visible] in the sense of its letter, they cannot become falsities. But to illustrate this take an example from nature, such as the natural man can clearly perceive. It appears before the eyes as if the sun were each day carried about the earth, also at the same time once each year; therefore it is said in the Word that the sun rises and sets...; and yet the sun stands unmoved, while the earth revolves daily and is carried about the sun yearly, and the progression of the sun is only an appearance and thence a fallacy... It is the same with every particular of the Word in the sense of its letter... for... most things in it are appearances of truth, and unless these are perceived at the same time from a spiritual, that is, from an enlightened understanding, they become falsities... But it is otherwise when they are perceived understandingly and spiritually; then all things of the Word become true, in the genuine sense actually true and in the sense of the letter apparently true, as was said above respecting the sun. From this it can be seen how innumerable things in the Word are falsified and adulterated; as that God tempts, that He is angry, that He does evil, that He casts into hell...; with other things that are truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, but which become falsities if they are not perceived at the same time from an enlightened understanding...
720.
And cast them unto the earth, signifies their extinction and destruction. This is evident from the signification of "casting to the earth," when said of the "stars" by which is signified the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, thus truths; here it means to extinguish and destroy, for truths are extinguished and destroyed when they are falsified and adulterated... It is to be known that those who live in evil, and yet say that they are saved because they have faith, have scarcely any genuine truth, however many things they know and draw forth from the sense of the letter of the Word... That such have scarcely any genuine truth was ascertained with some in the spiritual world who had confirmed faith alone by doctrine and life, who it was found did not know and acknowledge a single genuine truth; angels investigated it and were surprised...
721.
And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, signifies the hatred of those who are meant by "the dragon" against the church with those who will be in the doctrine, and thence in the light of love and charity from the Lord. This is evident from the signification of the "dragon," as being those who have a knowledge of the... truth from the sense of the letter of the Word, and are not in a life according to it; and from the signification of "the woman," as being the church that is in the doctrine and thence in the life of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor. The hatred of those who are signified by "the dragon" against that church and its doctrine, is meant by "standing before the woman about to bring forth and wishing to devour the offspring." Also from the signification of "bringing forth," as being to bring forth such things as pertain to the church, which are doctrinals, here respecting love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor, for "the son, a male" that the woman brought forth signifies the doctrine of that church...
722.
That when she brought forth he might devour her offspring, signifies that they might destroy the doctrine of that church at its first rise. This is evident from the signification of "the offspring" that the woman was about to bring forth, as being the doctrine of the church...
715.
Having seven heads, signifies the knowledge of the holy things of the Word, which they have adulterated... and... craftiness... [3] "The head of the dragon" also signifies craftiness, because... they are crafty above the others; but this craftiness does not manifest itself in the world as it does afterwards when they become spirits, for in the world they cover over the craftiness with external piety and feigned morality which conceal it; but as the craftiness abides in their spirit it is plainly manifest when externals are removed, as is done in the spiritual world. But it is to be known that the craftiness signified by "the head of the dragon" is a craftiness in perverting the truths and goods of the Word by means of reasonings from fallacies and... also from things persuasive... thus by inducing upon falsities the appearance that they are true... The dragon is also called "the old serpent that seduceth the whole world," in the ninth verse of this chapter.
716.
And ten horns, signifies much power. This is evident from the signification of "horn," as being the power... falsity against truth and good; also from the signification of "ten," as being all persons and all things, likewise many persons and many things; which shows that "ten horns" signify much power... [2] "The dragon" had such power because "the dragon" means such as have separated faith from the goods of charity, which are works, and have confirmed this by the sense of the letter of the Word, which they thus twist from its genuine sense, and as it were draw it down from heaven; and because at the end of the church, which Revelation treats of, there is no charity, therefore the dragon then has power; for at the end of the church everyone wishes to live for himself, for the world, and according to his own bent, and few wish to live for the Lord, for heaven and eternal life...
717.
And upon his heads seven diadems [or precious stones,] signifies Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, here these truths adulterated and profaned... These "heads" signify insanity in spiritual things and yet craftiness in deceiving and leading astray... [2] "Precious stones," which are "diadems," signify Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, because a "stone" signifies truth, therefore "precious stones" signify Divine truths. They mean Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, because these are transparent, having in them a spiritual sense, and in that sense there is the light of heaven... [3] Diadems were seen upon the seven heads of the dragon, because the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word shine wherever they are, as well with the evil as with the good, for the spiritual light that is in them is not extinguished by their being with the evil, for heaven still flows into those truths. But the evil adulterate them, and thence see nothing of the light of heaven in them, but yet believe them to be holy because they apply them to confirm the falsities of their religion, so from the faith they have in their holiness the truths still shine before them... [4] That the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word appear as diadems is evident from the diadems in the spiritual world. In the palaces of angels in heaven there are many things that shine with precious stones... [5] From this it can now be seen what "diadems or precious stones" signify in the following passages... [6] Because "the city of the New Jerusalem" signifies the doctrine of the New Church, and "the foundations of its wall" signify ultimate Divine truths, and "gates" introductory Divine truths, therefore the foundations are described by twelve precious stones, and the gates by pearls, in Revelation: The foundations of the wall of the city the New Jerusalem were adorned with every precious stone; the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate was [one] pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass (Rev. 21:19-21). These "twelve precious stones" constituting the foundations, and "the twelve pearls" constituting the gates signify ultimate Divine truths, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, upon which the doctrine of that church is founded, and by which man is introduced as by gates. The foundations are said to be "of precious stones," and the gates "of pearls," because the sense of the letter of the Word contains in it the spiritual sense, thus the light of heaven, which makes the sense of the letter of the Word to be pellucid [or transparent,] as those stones are from light and from fire... [7] The precious stones of which the breastplate of judgment called Urim and Thummim was made, which was upon the ephod of Aaron, and also those that were set upon the shoulders of the ephod have a similar signification... (Exod. 28:6-30). What these things involve no one can know unless he knows what Aaron represented, and thus what his garments signified... As to Aaron himself, he represented the Lord in relation to the priesthood, which is the Lord's celestial kingdom; while "his garments" in general represented the spiritual kingdom... For there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. That is called the celestial kingdom where the Divine good proceeding from the Lord is received, and that is called the spiritual kingdom where Divine truth is received; therefore Divine truth is signified by "the garments of Aaron" in general, and Divine truth in ultimates by the "ephod," since this was the outmost vestment... This shows that "the twelve stones in the breastplate of the ephod" signified Divine truths in ultimates...; that both of these signify in the Word the truths of the church... [8] This breastplate was composed of precious stones, under which were the names of the twelve sons of Israel, that by means of it they might receive answers from heaven, which were exhibited in the breastplate and from it by variegations of the colors shining forth from those stones... Because a "precious stone" signifies Divine truth in ultimates transparent from interior truths, the luminary of the city New Jerusalem is described in Revelation as: Like unto a precious stone, as it were a jasper stone, bright like crystal (Rev. 21:11) Again, since "the white horse" there signifies the understanding of the Word, and "He that sat upon the horse" the Lord in relation to the Word: There were seen upon the head of Him who sat upon the white horse many diadems, and His name is called the Word of God (Rev. 19:12, 13)...
718.
Verse 4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, signifies the falsification and adulteration of all truths of the Word... Such is the signification because "the dragon" means in general all who acknowledge the Word and read it and yet do not live according to it, and this because they separate life, which is charity, from faith, and believe that it is sufficient merely to think those things that are in the Word, and to persuade themselves that they are saved by thinking and talking about certain things from the Word with trust and confidence, and that faith alone justifies and saves, and not anything of life or work... To confirm their dogmas from the Word they bring forward passages in which faith is mentioned and in which faith is treated of; but the passages in which charity and love are mentioned, and doing is spoken of, they pervert by applying them to faith alone, and thus they falsify the Word, which from beginning to end is the doctrine of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbor. This falsification and adulteration of the truths of the Word is meant by "drawing down with the tail the third part [of the stars] of heaven."...
719.
It is said that the sensual falsifies and adulterates the truths of the Word; but it needs to be known how it can falsify and adulterate the truths of the Word, for those who do not know how this is done and what is the nature of the Word, might think that because the truths of the Word are truths, and are plainly extant [or visible] in the sense of its letter, they cannot become falsities. But to illustrate this take an example from nature, such as the natural man can clearly perceive. It appears before the eyes as if the sun were each day carried about the earth, also at the same time once each year; therefore it is said in the Word that the sun rises and sets...; and yet the sun stands unmoved, while the earth revolves daily and is carried about the sun yearly, and the progression of the sun is only an appearance and thence a fallacy... It is the same with every particular of the Word in the sense of its letter... for... most things in it are appearances of truth, and unless these are perceived at the same time from a spiritual, that is, from an enlightened understanding, they become falsities... But it is otherwise when they are perceived understandingly and spiritually; then all things of the Word become true, in the genuine sense actually true and in the sense of the letter apparently true, as was said above respecting the sun. From this it can be seen how innumerable things in the Word are falsified and adulterated; as that God tempts, that He is angry, that He does evil, that He casts into hell...; with other things that are truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, but which become falsities if they are not perceived at the same time from an enlightened understanding...
720.
And cast them unto the earth, signifies their extinction and destruction. This is evident from the signification of "casting to the earth," when said of the "stars" by which is signified the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, thus truths; here it means to extinguish and destroy, for truths are extinguished and destroyed when they are falsified and adulterated... It is to be known that those who live in evil, and yet say that they are saved because they have faith, have scarcely any genuine truth, however many things they know and draw forth from the sense of the letter of the Word... That such have scarcely any genuine truth was ascertained with some in the spiritual world who had confirmed faith alone by doctrine and life, who it was found did not know and acknowledge a single genuine truth; angels investigated it and were surprised...
721.
And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, signifies the hatred of those who are meant by "the dragon" against the church with those who will be in the doctrine, and thence in the light of love and charity from the Lord. This is evident from the signification of the "dragon," as being those who have a knowledge of the... truth from the sense of the letter of the Word, and are not in a life according to it; and from the signification of "the woman," as being the church that is in the doctrine and thence in the life of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor. The hatred of those who are signified by "the dragon" against that church and its doctrine, is meant by "standing before the woman about to bring forth and wishing to devour the offspring." Also from the signification of "bringing forth," as being to bring forth such things as pertain to the church, which are doctrinals, here respecting love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor, for "the son, a male" that the woman brought forth signifies the doctrine of that church...
722.
That when she brought forth he might devour her offspring, signifies that they might destroy the doctrine of that church at its first rise. This is evident from the signification of "the offspring" that the woman was about to bring forth, as being the doctrine of the church...
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