AR pre-532 - a male Child; AR 547 - growth of the New Church

AR pre-532

She bore a male Child

--- The doctrine of the New Church,

who would shepherd all all nations with a rod of iron.

--- which by truths drawn from the literal sense of the Word,

together with rational arguments

in accord with people's natural sight,

will convince all those willing to be convinced

whose worship is a lifeless worship

owing to their divorcing faith from charity.

And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

--- The Lord's protection of the doctrine

and its being guarded by angels in heaven.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness,
 ---The church being at first among few.

where she has a place prepared by God,

that they may feed her there

one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 
--- The state of that church then,

that in the meantime provision may be made for it

to exist among more people,

until it grows to its appointed state.

(Revelation 12:5-6)

AR 547

It is of the Lord's Divine providence

that the church be at first among few

and that it gradually grow to be among more,

because the falsities of the previous church

must first be removed.

For truths cannot be accepted before then,

inasmuch as truths accepted and implanted

before falsities have been removed

do not remain . . . .