564.启12:16.“地却帮助妇人，那地开口吞了那龙从口吐出来的河”表由于组成新教会的米迦勒们所提出的以理性来理解的属灵真理，龙们所产生的源于大量虚假的推理都落空了。“帮助妇人”的“地”表示教会的教义（285节）；因为现在论述的是龙们所产生的源于虚假的推理，而“地”，也就是教会“帮助妇人”所用的工具就是出于圣言的真理。“开口”表示提出那些真理；“龙从口吐出来的河”表示源于大量虚假的推理（563节）；“吞”表示使它们落空。“米迦勒”表示新教会的人，“米迦勒”是指其中的智者，“他的使者”是指其余的人。
新教会拒绝接受这一信条：要抑制认知或理解力，以服从于信仰；取而代之的是接受以下信条：要明白教会的真理，以便能相信它（224节），并且由于真理只能以理性来看到或明白，所以这里才说“以理性来理解的真理”。人若在诸如属得救与永生的事上关闭自己的认知或理解力的话，怎能被主引领并与天堂联结呢？那接受启示和教导的，不就是认知或理解力吗？被宗教关闭的认知或理解力不就是一抹黑，就是诸如从自身拒绝启示之光的那种黑暗吗？再者，若不明白真理，谁能承认并持守它呢？不明白的真理不就是一句不理解的话吗？感官肉体人通常将这句话保存在记忆中，但智者却不会。事实上，智者会把空洞的话，也就是未经理解而进入的话从记忆中剔除；如这类话：就位格而言，一位神是三；自永恒所生的主和生在时间中的主不是那同一个，也就是说，这一位主是神，而另一个主不是。还有，包括好行为和悔改恶行的仁爱生活不会对得救产生任何影响。一个明智的人不明白这一切，因此会凭他的理性说：“难道宗教毫无效果吗？宗教不是让人避恶行善吗？教会的教义岂不是要教导这一点吗？正如人也当相信的，好叫他靠着神行出宗教的良善。
564. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth. (12:16) This symbolically means that the multitude of reasonings flowing from falsities that followers of the dragon put forward come to nothing in the face of the spiritual truths rationally understood that are advanced by the Michaels of whom the New Church is formed.
The earth that helped the woman symbolizes the church in respect to its doctrine (no. 285). And because the subject is the reasonings flowing from falsities that followers of the dragon put forward, truths from the Word are the means by which the earth, or rather the church, "helps the woman." To open the mouth means, symbolically, to advance those truths. The river that the dragon spewed out of its mouth symbolizes a multitude of reasonings flowing from falsities (no. 563). To swallow means, symbolically, to cause to come to nothing.
Michaels mean people of the New Church - Michael being those who are wise there, and his angels being the rest.
[2] Since in the New Church the dogma is rejected that the intellect should be held captive in obedience to faith, and accepted instead is the tenet that the church's truth must be seen to be believed (no. 224), and because truth can be seen only when it is seen rationally, therefore we say, "in the face of the spiritual truths rationally understood."
How can anyone be led by the Lord and affiliated with heaven if he closes up his intellect in such matters as have to do with salvation and eternal life? Is it not the intellect that must be enlightened and instructed? What else is the intellect that has been closed up by religion but a mass of darkness, and the kind of darkness that deflects away from itself any illuminating light?
Who, moreover, can acknowledge any truth and retain it if he does not see it? What is truth not seen but a word without meaning, which sensual, carnal people are accustomed to retain in memory, but which the wise cannot? Indeed, wise people cast empty words out of the memory, namely, words which have not entered from an understanding of them - as for example, that the one God is three in respect to persons, or that the Lord born from eternity is not identical with the Lord born in time, so that one Lord is God and not the other; or further, that a life of charity, which consists in good works and at the same time in repentance from evil works, contributes nothing to salvation. A wise person does not understand this, and consequently because of his rationality says, "Religion in that case accomplishes nothing. Is it not an article of religion to refrain from evil and do good? Is this not what the church's doctrine teaches, and what a person is also meant to believe, so that he does the goods of religion from God?"
564. [verse 16] 'And the land helped the woman, and the land opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon cast forth out of his mouth' signifies that the reasonings that the dragonists produce derived from plentiful untruths fall to nothing as a result of the spiritual truths rationally understood, which the Michaels of whom the New Church [consists] bring forward. By 'the land' that 'helped the woman' is signified the Church as to doctrine (285); and because it treats of the reasonings derived from untruths that the dragonists produce, the means by which 'the land,' that is, the Church, 'helps the woman' are truths out of the Word. By 'to open the mouth' is signified to bring those truths forward; by 'the river that the dragon cast forth out of his mouth' reasonings derived from plentiful untruths are signified (563); by 'to swallow up' is signified to make them fall to nothing. By 'Michaels' are understood men of the New Church, by 'Michael' the wise ones there, and by 'his angels' the rest.
[2] Since in the New Church the dogma that the understanding is to be held captive under obedience to faith is rejected, and in its place it is received that the truth of the Church is to be seen in order that it may be believed (224), and because truth cannot be seen otherwise than rationally, it is therefore said 'as a result of the truths rationally understood.' How can any man who closes his understanding to such things as are of salvation and eternal life be led by the Lord and conjoined with heaven? Is it not the understanding which will be enlightened and taught? And what is an understanding closed by religion but thick-darkness, such a thick-darkness as rejects the enlightening light away from itself? Again, who can acknowledge any truth and hold on to it unless he sees it? What is a truth unseen but a word not understood, which with sensual corporeal men is usually retained in the memory, but with the wise cannot be [so retained]? In fact the wise cast empty words out of the memory, that is, words that have not entered by virtue of understanding; such as, that the one God is three in respect to Persons, also that the Lord born from what is eternal is not one and the same with the Lord born in time, that is, that one Lord is God but not the other. Then again, that the life of charity, consisting in good works and also in repentance from evil works, effects nothing towards salvation. A wise man does not understand this, and therefore by virtue of his rationality says, 'Does religion then effect nothing? Is it not religion to shun evil and do good? Will not the doctrine of the Church teach this, as also what a man is going to believe, so that he may do the goods of religion from God?'
564. Verse 16. And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of her mouth, signifies that reasonings from falsities in abundance, which the dragonists produce, fall to nothing before the spiritual truths rationally understood, which the Michaels, of whom the New Church consists, bring forward. By "the earth," which helped the woman, is signified the church as to doctrine, (285); and because the reasonings from falsities, which the dragonists produce, are treated of, they are truths from the Word, by which "the earth," that is, the church, "helps the woman;" by "opening her mouth," is signified to adduce those truths; by "the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth," are signified reasonings from falsities in abundance, (563); by "swallowing up" is signified to make them fall to nothing; by the Michaels are meant the men of the New Church; by "Michael," the wise therein; and by "his angels," the rest.
[2] Since in the New Church this dogma is rejected, that the understanding is to be held captive under obedience to faith, and in the place of it, this is received, that the truth of the church should be seen, in order that it may be believed, (224); and since truth cannot be seen otherwise than rationally, therefore, it is said, from truths rationally understood. How can any man be led by the Lord, and conjoined with heaven, who shuts up his understanding in such things as relate to salvation and eternal life? Is it not the understanding which will be enlightened and taught? And what is the understanding closed by religion, but thick darkness, and such thick darkness as rejects from itself the illuminating light? Again, who can acknowledge any truth and retain it, unless he sees it? What is truth not seen but a voice not understood, which, with sensual corporeal men, is usually retained in the memory, but cannot be with the wise? The wise, indeed, cast out empty or unmeaning words from the memory, that is, such as have not entered from the understanding; as that one God consists of three Persons, also that the Lord, born from eternity, is not one and the same with the Lord born in time, that is, that one Lord is God and not the other; and again, that the life of charity, which consists in good works, and likewise in repentance from evil works, effects nothing to salvation; a wise man does not understand such things; therefore from his rationality he says, religion does not effect anything. Is not religion to shun evil and do good? Must not the doctrine of the church teach this, as also what a man should believe, that he may do the good works of religion from God?
564. (Vers. 16.) "Et adjuvit terra Mulierem, et aperuit terra os suum, et deglutivit flumen quod ejecit Draco ex ore suo, significat quod ratiocinationes ex falsis in copia, quas Draconici producunt, in nihilum cadant ex veris spiritualibus rationaliter intellectis, quae Michaeles, ex quibus Nova Ecclesia, adducunt. - Per "terram," quae adjuvit Mulierem, significatur Ecclesia quoad doctrinam (285); et quia agitur de ratiocinationibus ex falsis, quas Draconici producunt, sunt vera ex Verbo, per quae "terra," hoc est, Ecclesia, "adjuvat Mulierem;" per "aperire os" significatur adducere illa vera; per "flumen quod Draco ex ore suo ejecit" significantur ratiocinationes ex falsis in copia (563); per "deglutire" significatur facere ut cadant in nihilum: per Michaeles intelliguntur homines Novae Ecclesiae; per "Michaelem" sapientes ibi, et per "angelos ejus" reliqui.
Quoniam in Nova Ecclesia rejicitur hoc dogma, quod Intellectus captandus sit sub obedientia fidei, et loco ejus recipitur, quod Verum Ecclesiae videndum sit ut credatur (224), et quia verum non aliter videri potest quam rationaliter, ideo dicitur ex veris rationaliter intellectis. Quomodo potest aliquis homo duci a Domino, et conjungi Caelo, qui occlusit intellectum suum in talibus quae salutis et vitae aeternae sunt; estne intellectus qui illustrabitur et docebitur; et quid intellectus a religione occlusus, nisi caligo, et talis caligo quae a se rejicit lucem illustrantem: tum quis potest agnoscere aliquod verum et retinere illud nisi id videat; quid verum non visum nisi vox non intellecta, quae apud sensuales corporeos homines solet retineri memoria, sed non potest apud sapientes; imo sapientes ejiciunt e memoria voces vacuas, hoc est, voces quae non ex intellectu intraverunt; sicut, quod Deus unus sit tres quoad Personas, tum quod Dominus natus ab aeterno non sit unus idem cum Domino nato in tempore; hoc est, quod unus Dominus sit Deus, et non alter: tum etiam, quod vita charitatis, quae consistit in bonis operibus, et quoque in paenitentia a malis operibus, nihil faciat ad salutem: sapiens hoc non intelligit; quare ex rationalitate sua dicit, ergone nihil facit Religio; estne Religio fugere malum et facere bonum; doctrinane Ecclesiae docebit illud, ut et quid homo crediturus est, ut bona Religionis faciat a Deo.