Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 12:14
previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Revelation  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

AR 561. Verse 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, signifies the Divine circumspection over that church, and its protection, while as yet among a few. By "the woman" is signified the New Church (n. 533); by "wings" is signified power and protection (n. 245); by "an eagle" is signified intellectual sight, and thought thence (n. 245); by "flying" is signified seeing and circumspection (n. 245); by "a wilderness" is signified the church desolated, and thus among a few (n. 546); by "place" is signified its state there. From these things it follows, that "there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place," is signified the Divine circumspection over the New Church, and its protection, while yet it is among a few.

AR 562. Where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time from the face of the serpent, signifies that by reason of the craftiness of seducers, provision is made with circumspection that it may come among many even until it increases to its appointed state. By "being nourished" when said of the New Church, is signified to provide that it may come among many, as in (n. 547); by "a time, and times, and half a time," is signified to the end and the beginning, thus while from a few to many, until it reaches its appointed state, as in (n. 547). By "the face of the serpent" is signified the subtle arts of seducers; by "the face," subtle artfulness; and by "the serpent," seducers. That by "the serpent" are signified seducers, is plain from the following passage in this chapter:--The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, which seduceth the whole globe of earth (verse 9). And again:--

The like is here meant as by the serpent which seduced Eve and Adam, of whom it is said:--

By "face," in the Word, is signified that which is interior in man, because the face is the type of his mind formed to correspondence; therefore, by "the face of the serpent" is signified anger, hatred, and subtlety. By "a time, and times, and half a time," is signified the same here, as by "a thousand two hundred and sixty-days," (verse 6), where it is said:--And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days; which may be seen explained in (n. 547). The same is also signified by "three days and a half" (Apoc. 11:9, 10); also by "the three years and six months" of famine (Luke 4:25); and in Daniel, by a stated time of stated times and a half when he shall have finished to scatter the hand of the people of holiness (Dan. 12:7).

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

www.BibleMeanings.info