705. EXPOSITION. Verses 1, 2. And a great sign was seen in heaven; a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And being with child she cried out, travailing, and pained to bring forth. 1. "And a great sign was seen in heaven," signifies Divine attestation respecting the coming church and the reception of its doctrine, and by whom it will be assaulted (n. 706); "a woman arrayed with the sun," signifies the church with those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in love towards the neighbor (n. 707); "and the moon under her feet," signifies faith with those who are* in charity (n. 708); "and upon her head a crown of twelve stars," signifies the wisdom and intelligence of those who are of that church through doctrinals and the knowledges of all things of truth and good from the Word (n. 709). 2. "And being with child," signifies the nascent doctrine from the good of celestial love (n. 710); "and** she cried out, travailing, and pained to bring forth," signifies non-reception by those who are in the church, and the resistance of those who are in faith separated from charity (n. 711). * In No. 705 the words "who are natural and" are crossed out, but they are found in No. 708. ** the photolithograph as "and," which is not in the Greek.