Chapter XVI - The Apocalypse
Spiritual idea revealed
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maculate Jesus, and John saw in those days the spiritual
maculate Jesus, and John saw in those days the spiritual
idea as the Messiah, who would baptize with the Holy
Ghost, – divine Science. As Elias presented
the idea of the fatherhood of God, which Jesus
afterwards manifested, so the Revelator completed this
figure with woman, typifying the spiritual idea of God's
motherhood. The moon is under her feet. This idea
reveals the universe as secondary and tributary to Spirit,
from which the universe borrows its reflected light, sub-
stance, life, and intelligence.
Spiritual idea crowned
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The spiritual idea is crowned with twelve stars. The
The spiritual idea is crowned with twelve stars. The
twelve tribes of Israel with all mortals, – separated by
belief from man's divine origin and the true
idea, – will through much tribulation yield to
the activities of the divine Principle of man in the har-
mony of Science. These are the stars in the crown of
rejoicing. They are the lamps in the spiritual heavens
of the age, which show the workings of the spiritual idea
by healing the sick and the sinning, and by manifesting
the light which shines "unto the perfect day" as the night
of materialism wanes.
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Revelation xii. 2. And she being with child cried, travail-
Revelation xii. 2. And she being with child cried, travail-
ing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Travail and joy
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Also the spiritual idea is typified by a woman in tra-
Also the spiritual idea is typified by a woman in tra-
vail, waiting to be delivered of her sweet promise, but re-
membering no more her sorrow for joy that
the birth goes on; for great is the idea, and the
travail portentous.
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Revelation xii. 3. And there appeared another wonder in
Revelation xii. 3. And there appeared another wonder in
heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads
and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
The dragon as a type
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Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a
Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a
diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal.
We may well be astonished at sin, sickness, and
death. We may well be perplexed at human
fear; and still more astounded at hatred, which lifts
its hydra head, showing its horns in the many inventions
of evil. But why should we stand aghast at nothingness?
The great red dragon symbolizes a lie, – the belief
that substance, life, and intelligence can be material.
This dragon stands for the sum total of human error.
The ten horns of the dragon typify the belief that mat-
ter has power of its own, and that by means of an
evil mind in matter the Ten Commandments can be
broken.
The sting of the serpent
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The Revelator lifts the veil from this embodiment of
The Revelator lifts the veil from this embodiment of
all evil, and beholds its awful character; but he also
sees the nothingness of evil and the allness of
God. The Revelator sees that old serpent,
whose name is devil or evil, holding untiring watch, that
he may bite the heel of truth and seemingly impede the
offspring of the spiritual idea, which is prolific in health,
holiness, and immortality.
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Revelation xii. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the
Revelation xii. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the
stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the
dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be
delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Animal tendency
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The serpentine form stands for subtlety, winding its
The serpentine form stands for subtlety, winding its
way amidst all evil, but doing this in the name of good.
Its sting is spoken of by Paul, when he refers
to "spiritual wickedness in high places." It
is the animal instinct in mortals, which would impel