n e w c h u r c h l i f e : m ay / j u n e 2 0 1 6
(533) This passage refers to the Gospel
of John, where the Lord says, “He who
has My commandments and keeps
them, it is he who loves Me.” (14: 21)
So the image of the woman
clothed with the sun is just a picture
of us taking this simple teaching fully
to heart – choosing to keep the Lord’s
commandments. The power of the sun
that surrounds the New Church – and
can surround us if we choose to be a
part of this church – is the power of
living the Lord’s truth. It is the power
of a willingness to say, “this is what
the Lord has taught, so I will humble
myself and do it.” Not “if I want to,” not “when the magic inspiration strikes”
– but “in this moment.”
The brilliance of that sun is the brilliance of the Lord’s teachings fulfilling
their purpose, doing what they are supposed to do – which is to bring His
blessings, the warmth of that sun, to everyone they can touch.
If there were just one thing we remember about the woman clothed with
the sun, hopefully it would be this – that she represents living the truths the
Lord teaches. But we’ll look now at two other aspects of this story, teachings
that help us understand more fully what it is to be the woman clothed with
the sun.
The first is the fact that the woman is juxtaposed against the great red
dragon. The second is the idea of having clothes of sun, or of love, since, as
we read, clothing usually represents something having more to do with truth.
(Arcana Coelestia 5248)
The dragon is the dead opposite of the woman clothed with the sun. It’s
a picture of what we’re heading toward if we choose to be anything but the
woman clothed with the sun. The woman represents people who live the Lord’s
truth; so the dragon represents people who choose to live a life of evil even
though they know truth from the Word. The woman is living the truth; the
dragon is knowing the truth but living something else.
A lot of New Church teaching emphasizes the fact that the dragon
represents the doctrine of faith alone – the doctrine that we are saved because
we believe something, and that the way we live has nothing to do with our
salvation. It’s important to recognize that yes, the doctrine of faith alone is
the most perfect expression of this thing represented by the dragon – but the
dragon itself is something broader. (See Apocalypse Explained 714.4,5)
If there were just one
thing we remember
about the woman
clothed with the sun,
hopefully it would
be this – that she
represents living the
truths the Lord teaches.
238