563.启12:15.“蛇就在妇人后面，从口中吐出水来像河一样，要使这河吞没她”表旨在摧毁新教会的源于大量虚假的推理。“蛇”在此和前面一样，表示那迷惑人的“龙”；“妇人”表示新教会（533节）。“水”表示真理，在反面意义上表示虚假（50，409节）；“河”表示大量真理，在反面意义上表示大量虚假（409节）；“从蛇的口中吐出”表示推理。因此，“吐出水来像河一样”表示源于大量虚假的推理。“龙”所表示的那些人的推理全都源自谬误和表象，如果确认这些谬误和表象，那么表面上看，它们就像真理，其实里面隐藏着大理虚假。我可以郑重声明：在教会，凡今后自行确认唯信者若不通过彻底悔改，就无法从中退出。这是因为他们把自己与如今那些在灵人界大肆鼓动的龙们联结起来，这些龙们在那里出于对新教会的仇恨侵扰所遇见的所有人；而且，他们因与地上的世人联结，如前所述，所以不会容许那些已经被他们的推理所迷惑的人从中退离；因为这些龙们仿佛用锁链把他们捆绑起来，然后关闭他们的眼睛，以致他们再也不能在光明中看见任何真理。
563. So the serpent spewed water out of its mouth like a river after the woman, that it might cause her to be swept away by the river. (12:15) This symbolizes a multitude of reasonings flowing from falsities in order to destroy the church.
The serpent symbolizes, here as above, the dragon leading astray. The woman symbolizes the New Church (no. 533). Water symbolizes truths, and in an opposite sense, falsities (no. 50, 409). A river symbolizes truths in abundance, and in an opposite sense, falsities in abundance (no. 409). Coming out of the mouth of the serpent symbolizes reasonings. So then, its spewing out water like a river symbolizes a multitude of reasonings flowing from falsities.
The reasonings of people meant by the dragon all arise from misconceptions and appearances, and if they are defended, they seem superficially to be true, but inwardly they contain a multitude of falsities.
I can relate this fact, that people in the church who affirm faith alone in themselves cannot afterward turn away from it without serious repentance, because they unite themselves with followers of the dragon who are currently in the world of spirits and in a state of agitation, being driven by their hatred for the New Church to harass all whom they encounter there. Moreover, because they unite with people on earth, as we said, they do not allow those who have once been captivated by their reasonings to withdraw from them; for they hold them as though bound in chains, and then shut their eyes so that they are no longer capable of seeing any truth clearly.
563. [verse 15] 'And the serpent cast forth after the woman out of his mouth water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the river' signifies reasonings derived from plentiful untruths for the purpose of destroying the Church. By 'the serpent,' here as above, is signified the dragon leading astray; by 'the woman' the New Church (533). Truths are signified by 'water,' and in the opposite sense untruths (50, 409); by 'a river' plentiful truths are signified, and in the opposite sense plentiful untruths (409); by 'out of the serpent's mouth' reasonings are signified. Consequently then by 'cast forth water as a river' are signified reasonings derived from plentiful untruths. The reasonings of those who are understood by 'the dragon' are all derived from fallacies and appearances, which if confirmed appear from without like truths, but within they conceal plentiful untruths. I can place on record that those in the Church who from now on confirm faith alone with themselves are unable to recede from it except by earnest repentance. This is because they conjoin themselves with the dragonists who now are in the world of spirits and in great agitation, and there out of hatred against the New Church molest all whom they meet. And because they are conjoined with the men of the earth, as was said above, they do not suffer those who have once been taken in by their reasonings to recede from them, for they hold them as if bound in chains, and they then shut their eyes so that they can no longer see any truth in the light.
563. Verse 15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a river after the woman, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the river, signifies reasonings from falsities in abundance, to destroy the church. By "the serpent" is here signified, as above, the dragon which seduces; by "the woman," the New Church, (533); by "water" are signified truths, and, in the opposite sense, falsities, (50, 409); by "a river" truths in abundance are signified, and in the opposite sense, falsities in abundance, (409); "out of the mouth of the serpent," signifies reasonings; therefore by "casting out water as a river" are signified reasonings from falsities in abundance. The reasonings of those who are meant by "the dragon," are all from fallacies and appearances, which, if confirmed, appear outwardly like truths, but within they conceal falsities in abundance. This I can declare, that those in the church, who hereafter confirm themselves in faith alone, cannot recede from it, except by serious repentance, because they conjoin themselves with the dragonists, who now are in the world of spirits, and are tumultuous, and there out of hatred against the New Church, they infest all whom they meet; and as they are conjoined with men on the earth, as observed above, they will not suffer those who have once been caught by their reasonings to recede from them; for they hold them bound in chains, as it were, and then shut their eyes so that they can no longer see any truth in light.
563. (Vers. 15.) "Et ejecit Serpens post Mulierem et omne suo aquam tanquam flumen, ut illam a flumine absorptam faceret," significat ratiocinationes ex falsis in copia ad destruendum Ecclesiam. - Per "Serpentem" significatur, hic ut supra, Draco seducens; per "Mulierem" nova Ecclesia (533); per "aquam" significantur vera, et in opposito sensu falsa (50, 409); per "flumen" significantur vera in copia, et in opposito sensu falsa in copia (409); (per) "ex ore serpentis" significantur ratiocinationes; inde nunc per "ejicere aquam sicut flumen" significantur 1ratiocinationes ex falsis in copia.
Ratiocinationes illorum, qui per "Draconem" intelliguntur, sunt omnes ex fallaciis et apparentiis, quae si confirmantur, apparent extrinsecus sicut vera, sed intus recondunt falsa in copia. Hoc possum referre, quod illi in Ecclesia, qui posthac confirmant solam Fidem apud se, non possint recedere ab illa nisi per seriam paenitentiam, quia conjungunt se cum Draconicis, qui nunc in Mundo spirituum sunt, et tumultuantur, ac ibi ex odio contra Novam Ecclesiam infestant omnes quos offendunt; et quia illi conjuncti sunt cum hominibus telluris, ut supra dictum est, non patiuntur ut ab illis recedant, qui semel a ratiociniis illorum capti sunt; tenent enim illos sicut vinctos catenis, ac tunc occludunt eorum oculos, ut non aliquod verum in luce amplius possint videre.
Footnotes:
1. significantur pro "significatur"