253. It is by virtue of a heavenly and angelic Own that the church is called a "woman," and also a "wife," a "bride," a "virgin," and a "daughter." She is called a "woman" in the Revelation:—
A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And the dragon persecuted the woman who brought forth the man child (xii. 1, also 4 to 13).
In this passage by a "woman" is meant the church; by the "sun," love; by the "moon," faith; by "stars," as before, the truths of faith, all of which evil spirits hate, and persecute to the utmost. The church is called a "woman," and also a "wife," in Isaiah:—
Thy Maker is thy Husband, Jehovah of Armies is His name, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth is He called; for as a woman forsaken and afflicted in spirit hath Jehovah called thee, and as a wife of youth (adolescentiarum) (liv. 5, 6),
where the "Maker" is called also the "husband," because united to the Own; and a "woman afflicted," and a "wife of youth," signify specifically the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches. Likewise in Malachi:—
Jehovah hath borne witness between thee and the wife of thy youth (adolescentiarum) (ii. 14).
She is called a "wife" and a "bride" in the Revelation:—
I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband: come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife (xxi. 2, 9).
The church is called a "virgin" and a "daughter" throughout the Prophets.
254. That by the "seed of the serpent" is meant all infidelity, is evident from the signification of a "serpent," as being all evil; "seed" is that which produces and is produced, or that which begets and is begotten; and as the church is here spoken of, this is infidelity. In Isaiah, in reference to the Jewish Church in its perverted state, it is called a "seed of evil doers," a "seed of adultery," a "seed of falsehood:"—
Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, sons that are destroyers; they have forsaken Jehovah, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves backward (i 4).
