712# 启12:3–4.天上又现出迹象来；看哪，有一条大红龙，七头十角，七头上戴着七个冠冕。他的尾巴拖拉着天上星辰的第三部分，把它们摔在地上；龙就站在那将要生产的妇人面前，等她生产之后，要吞吃她的孩子。
“天上又现出迹象来”表示关于给新教会的教义受攻击、被谁攻击的神性启示(713节)；“看哪，有一条大红龙”表示所有因对自我和世界的爱而纯属世和感官化，却又从圣言和由此而来的教义，以及讲道中获得或多或少的知识，认为只通过脱离生活的知识或科学就会得救的人(714节)；“七头”表示他们已经玷污的圣言圣物的知识或科学(715节)；“十角”表示大能(716节)；“七头上戴着七个冠冕”表示在秩序终端中的神性真理，也就是被玷污和亵渎的圣言字义的真理(717节)。
“他的尾巴拖拉着天上星辰的第三部分”表示对圣言的一切真理的歪曲和玷污(718, 719节)；“把它们摔在地上”表示它们的灭绝和毁灭(720节)；“龙就站在那将要生产的妇人面前”表示“龙”所指的那些人对那些将从主处于教义，并由此处于爱与仁之生活的人里面的教会的仇恨(721节)；“等她生产之后，要吞吃她的孩子”表示叫他们可以在该教会一开始出现时，就可以摧毁它的教义(722节)。
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 had brought forth he might devour her child.
"And there was seen another sign in heaven," signifies Divine revelation concerning the attack upon the doctrine which is for the new church, and by whom; "and, behold, a great red dragon," signifies all who, from the love of self and of the world, are merely natural and sensual, and still have more or less knowledge from the Word, from doctrine therefrom, and from preaching, and who think they will be saved by knowledge (scientia) alone without life; "having seven heads," signifies the knowledge (scientia) of the holy things of the Word, which they have adulterated; "and ten horns;" signifies much power; "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. "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven," signifies the falsification and adulteration of all the truths of the Word; "and cast them unto the earth" signifies their extinction and destruction; "and the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth," signifies the hatred of those meant by the dragon against the church in those who will be in the doctrine, and thus in the life of love and charity from the Lord; "that when she had brought forth he might devour her child," signifies that they might destroy the doctrine of that church at its first beginning.
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 [scientia] alone apart from life n. 714; "having seven heads," signifies the knowledge [scientia] 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).
712. VERSUS 3, 4.
"Et visum est aliud signum in caelo; et ecce draco magnus rufus, habens capita septem, et cornua decem, et super capitibus suis diademata septem. Et cauda sua traxit tertiam partem stellarum caeli, et projecit illas in terram; et draco stetit coram muliere futura parere, ut postquam pepererit, fetum ejus devoraret."
3. "Et visum est aliud signum in caelo", significat revelationem Divinam de impugnatione doctrinae quae pro nova ecclesia, et a quibus [n. 713] ; "et ecce draco magnus rufus", significat omnes qui mere naturales et sensuales sunt ex amore sui et mundi, et usque sciunt plura aut pauciora ex Verbo, ex doctrina inde, et praedicatione, et putant per solam scientiam absque vita salvari [n. 714] ; "habens Capita septem", signi ficat scientiam sanctorum Verbi quae adulteraverunt [n. 715] ; "et cornua decem", significat multam potentiam [n. 716] ; "et super capitibus suis diademata septem", significat Divina vera in ultimo ordinis, quae sunt vera sensus litterae Verbi, adulterata et profanata [n. 717] .
4. "Et cauda sua traxit tertiam partem stellarum caeli", significat falsificationem et adulterationem omnium veritatum Verbi [n. 718, 719] : "et projecit illas in terram", significat exstinctionem et destructionem illarum [n. 720] ; "et draco stetit coram muliere futura parere", significat odium illorum qui per "draconem" intelliguntur, contra ecclesiam apud illos qui in doctrina et inde vita amoris et charitatis a Domino erunt [n. 721] ; "ut postquam pepererit, letum ejus devoraret", significat ut destruerent doctrinam illius ecclesiae in primo ejus ortu [n. 722] .