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758. He persecuted the woman who brought forth the male child.- That this signifies that those who are meant by the dragon would from hatred and enmity reject and slander the church which is the New Jerusalem, because it holds the doctrine of life, is evident from the signification of persecuting, when said of those who are meant by the dragon, as denoting from hatred and enmity to reject and slander (concerning which we shall speak presently); from the signification of the woman, as denoting the church which is called the New Jerusalem (concerning which see above, n. 707, 721, 730); and from the signification of the male child, as denoting the doctrine of that church, which is the doctrine of life (concerning which see above, n. 724, 725). It is therefore plain that the dragon persecuting the woman who brought forth the male child signifies that those who are meant by the dragon will, from hatred and enmity, reject and slander the church, which is the New Jerusalem, because it holds the doctrine of life. That to persecute signifies here, from hatred and enmity to reject and slander, follows from what is previously said concerning the dragon, that he stood near the woman who was about to bring forth that he might devour her child; also that he fought with Michael and his angels; that when he was cast out unto the earth he had great anger; that from this anger, which signifies hatred, he persecuted the woman. That his anger signifies hatred may be seen above (n. 754). His hatred is further described, by his casting out of his mouth water as it were a flood after the woman, that it might swallow her up; and at last, when all attempts were in vain, by his going away full of anger, to make war with the rest of her seed.
[2] Those who are meant by the dragon have such an intense hatred against those who are signified by the woman, because those who are in faith separated from charity have such hatred against those who are in charity, and as those who are in such separated faith have conjunction with the hells, therefore their hatred is like that of the hells against the heavens. The source of this hatred shall here be briefly explained. All who are in the hells are in the loves of self and the world, but all who are in the heavens are in love to the Lord and towards the neighbour; and these loves are diametrically opposite. Those who are in the loves of self and the world love nothing but their own proprium; and man's proprium is nothing but evil. But those who are in love to the Lord and towards the neighbour do not love their proprium, for they love the Lord more than themselves, and the neighbour disinterestedly; they are also withheld from their proprium, and retained in the Lord's proprium, which is Divine. Moreover, all the delights of [a man's] life are delights of [his] loves. The delights of the loves of self and of the world are the delights of various kinds of hatred, but the delights of love to the Lord and of love towards the neighbour are the delights of various kinds of charity; and these are diametrically opposite to each other. And as those who are in the hells act in everything from the delights of their loves, which, as has been said, are the delights of various kinds of hatred, it is therefore evident why the dragon had such hatred against the woman; for by the dragon are meant those who are in the love of self, therefore he is called the great red dragon, the term "great red" being used in reference to that love. He is also called the devil and Satan, the devil signifying all evil which is from hell, and Satan all falsity therefrom; and evil is in hatred against good, and falsity is in hatred against truth. He is also called the old serpent, which means the Sensual, the ultimate of man's life, and in that Sensual all such hatred has its seat. Similar is the hatred of those who are in faith separated from charity against those who are in charity; and this hatred is not made manifest in this world, but in the spiritual world, when they become spirits. That this is a deadly hatred, and the essential delight of the life of evil spirits, may be seen above (n. 754); but that such delight is turned into what is direfully infernal, may be seen in Heaven and Hell 485-490).
758. He persecuted the woman that brought forth the male, signifies that those who are meant by "the dragon" would from hatred and enmity reject and revile the church which is the New Jerusalem, because it has the doctrine of life. This is evident from the signification of "persecuting," as being, in reference to those who are meant by "the dragon," to reject and revile from hatred and enmity (of which presently); also from the signification of "the woman," as being the church that is called the New Jerusalem (of which above, n. 707, 721, 730); also from the signification of "the male," as being the doctrine of that church, which is the doctrine of life (See above, n. 724, 725). From this it is clear that "the dragon persecuting the woman that brought forth the male" signifies that those who are meant by the dragon will from hatred and enmity reject and revile the church which is the New Jerusalem, because it has the doctrine of life. That "to persecute" signifies here to reject and revile from hatred and enmity follows from what precedes, that "the dragon stood near the woman who was about to bring forth, that he might devour her offspring," and that "he fought with Michael and his angels," and that when he was cast unto the earth "he had great anger," and that from this anger, which signifies hatred, "he persecuted the woman;" that his "anger" signifies hatred see above n. 754. His hatred is further described in what follows by the words, "he cast out after the woman out of his mouth water as a river, that it might swallow her up;" and at last, when he had tried all in vain, "he was wroth, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed."
[2] Those who are meant by "the dragon" have such hatred against those who are meant by "the woman," because those who are in faith separated from charity have such hatred against those who are in charity, and as those who are in separated faith have conjunction with the hells, their hatred is like that of the hells against the heavens. The source of this hatred shall also be briefly explained. All who are in the hells are in the loves of self and the world, but all who are in the heavens are in love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor, and these loves are direct opposites. Those who are in the loves of self and of the world love nothing but what is their own [proprium], and what is man's own is nothing but evil; but those who are in love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor do not love what is their own, for they love the Lord above self, and the neighbor beyond self. Moreover, they are withheld from what is their own, and are held in the Lord's own [proprium], which is the Divine. Furthermore, all the delights of life are delights of loves; the delights of the loves of self and of the world are the delights of various kinds of hatred, but the delights of love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor are the delights of various kinds of charity, and the former are the direct opposites of the latter; and as those who are in the hells act in all their activities from the delights of their loves, which, as has been said, are the delights of various kinds of hatred, it is evident why the dragon has such hatred against the woman; for "the dragon" means those who are in the love of self; and this is why he is called "the great red dragon," "great red" signifying that love. He is also called "the devil" and "Satan," "the devil" meaning every evil that is from hell, and "Satan" every falsity therefrom, and evil is in hatred against good, and falsity is in hatred against truth. He is also called "the old serpent," which means the sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, and in that sensual all such hatred has its seat. Those who are in faith separated from charity have a like hatred against those who are in charity; which hatred is not manifested in this world, but in the spiritual world when they become spirits. That this is a deadly hatred, and that it is the very delight of the life of evil spirits, may be seen above n. 754; but that such delight is turned into what is direfully infernal may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 485-490.
758. "Persecutus est mulierem quae peperit masculum." - Quod significet quod illi, qui per "draconem" intelliguntur, ex odio et inimicitia rejicerent et calumniarentur ecclesiam, quae est Nova Hierosolyma, quia ei doctrina vitae, constat ex significatione "persequi", cum de illis qui per "draconem" intelliguntur, quod sit ex odio et inimicitia rejicere et calumniari (de qua sequitur); ex significatione "mulieris", quod sit ecclesia quae Nova Hierosolyma vocatur (de qua supra, n. 707, 721 [a] 730 [a]); et ex significatione "masculi", quod sit doctrina illius ecclesiae, quae est doctrina vitae (de qua supra, n. 724 [a] , 725): inde constat quod "draco persecutus sit mulierem quae peperit masculum", significet quod illi, qui per "draconem" intelliguntur, ex odio et inimicitia rejicient et calumniabuntur ecclesiam, quae Nova Hierosolyma, quia ei doctrina vitae.
Quod "persequi" hic significet ex odio et inimicitia rejicere et calumniari, sequitur ex praecedentibus his, quod "draco steterit juxta mulierem parituram, ut devoraret fetum ejus"; tum quod "pugnaverit cum Michaele et angelis ejus", et quod "cum projectus est in terram, iram magnam habuerit", et quod ex hac ira, per quam significatur odium, "persecutus sit mulierem"; quod per "iram" ejus significetur odium, videatur supra (n. 754); et porro describitur odium ejus in sequentibus, per quod "ex ore suo ejecerit aquam tanquam flumen post mulierem, ut illam absorberet", et demum, cum omnia incassum tentatus est, quod "iratus abiverit facere bellum cum reliquis seminis ejus."
[2] Quod tale odium sit illis qui per "draconem" intelliguntur, contra illos qui per "mulierem", est quia tale odium est illis qui in fide separata sunt contra illos qui in charitate sunt; et quia illi qui in fide separata sunt conjunctionem cum infernis habent, inde simile odium est illis quale est infernis contra caelos. Unde hoc odium est, paucis dicetur. Omnes qui in infernis sunt, in amoribus sui et mundi sunt; at omnes qui in caelis, in amoribus in Dominum et erga proximum sunt; et hi amores sunt illis prorsus oppositi. Qui in amoribus sui et mundi sunt, non amant nisi quam suum proprium, et proprium hominis non est nisi quam malum; at qui in amoribus in Dominum et erga proximum sunt, non amant suum proprium, nam amant Dominum supra se, et proximum extra se; etiam detinentur a suo proprio, ac tenentur in proprio Domini, quod est Divinum. Praeterea omnia jucunda vitae sunt jucunda amorum; jucunda amorum sui et mundi sunt jucunda odii varii generis, at jucunda amorum in Dominum et erga proximum sunt jucunda charitatis varii generis, et haec sunt illis e diametro opposita; et quia illi qui in infernis sunt, omnia quae agunt ex jucundis amorum suorum agunt, quae, ut dictum est, sunt jucunda odii varii generis, inde patet unde tale odium draconi sit contra mulierem; nam per "draconem" intelliguntur qui in amore sui sunt: quare vocatur "draco magnus rufus"; per "magnum rufum" significatur ille amor; et quoque vocatur "diabolus et satanas"; per "diabolum" intelligitur omne malum quod ex inferno, et per "satanam" omne falsum inde, ac malum est in odio contra bonum, et falsum est in odio contra verum; et quoque vocatur "serpens antiquus", per quem intelligitur sensuale, quod est ultimum vitae hominis, et in illo sensuali residet omne tale. Simile odium est illis qui in fide separata sunt contra illos qui in charitate, quod odium non manifestatur in hoc mundo, sed in mundo spirituali, quando spiritus facti sunt. Quod odium illud sit internecinum, et quod sit ipsum jucundum vitae spirituum malorum, videatur supra (n. 754) sed quod tale jucundum vertatur in dirum infernale, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno, (n. 485-490).