13 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.-Revelation 13:1-18 Bible, King James Version
Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
771.
... And I stood upon the sand of the sea, signifies continuation of the state of those who are signified by "the dragon."...for where such dwell in the spiritual world nothing is seen but heaps of stones and also sand, and rarely any grass or shrub...
773. EXPOSITION Verse 1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads a name of blasphemy. 1. "And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea," signifies reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life [or from charity] (n. 774); "having seven heads," signifies knowledge of holy things, which are falsified and adulterated (n. 775); "and ten horns," signifies much power (n. 776); "and upon his horns 773-1 ten diadems," signifies power from the appearances of truth in abundance (n. 777); "and upon his heads a name of blasphemy," signifies the falsifications of the Word (n. 778).
775. ...When man becomes a spirit, whether good or evil; then his whole spiritual body, from head to foot, is wholly such as his mind is. If the mind is heavenly, the whole spirit, even as to its body, is heavenly. If the mind is infernal, the whole spirit, even as to its body, is infernal; and in consequence such a spirit appears in a direful form like a devil, while the former spirit appears in a beautiful form like an angel of heaven...
779. Verse 2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 2. "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard," signifies reasonings that are discordant, and yet appear as if they cohere [or are logically consistent] (n. 780); "and his feet were as of a bear," signifies from natural things, which are fallacies (n. 781); "and his mouth as the mouth of a lion," signifies reasonings from falsities destroying the truths of the Word (n. 782); "and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority," signifies that those who separate faith from life [or charity] support and corroborate their doctrinals by reasonings from fallacies, and thus powerfully seduce (n. 783).
781. And his feet were as of a bear, signifies from natural things which are fallacies... But what pertaining to heaven or to hell is signified can be best known from representatives in the spiritual world, where also beasts appear, all of which are appearances representing such things as angels or spirits are thinking from their affections, inclinations, appetites, pleasures, and desires. These things are presented before their eyes in various forms, as gardens, forests, fields, plains, and also fountains; likewise palaces and houses, and chambers therein, in which are decorative and useful things; also tables are seen upon which are various kinds of food. They are also exhibited in the forms of animals of the earth, the flying things of heaven, and creeping things, in an infinite variety; not only in the forms of such animals and flying things as are upon our earth, but in forms composite from several forms, which nowhere exist on earth, many of which it has been granted me to see. When these appear, their spiritual origin and thus what they signify is at once known. But as soon as the spirit or angel ceases from his thought and meditation these animals and birds instantly vanish...
783. ...All the evil who flock out of this world are first separated from the goods and truths that they have merely known from memory... and when they have been separated from these their interiors appear, which consist of nothing but masses of falsities from evils. And when they are in these, because they no longer have any power they fall down headlong into hell...
784. Verse 3. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death; and the stroke of his death was healed, and the whole earth wondered after the beast. 3. "And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death," signifies the discordance of their doctrinals with the Word, in which "love," "life," and "works," which do not at all agree with that religious principle, are so often mentioned (n. 785); "and the stroke of his death was healed," signifies the discordance apparently cleared away by means of devised conjunctions of works with faith (n. 786); "and the whole earth wondered after the beast," signifies the acceptance of these by the more learned in the church, and the reception from afar by the less learned (n. 787).
785. Verse 3. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death, signifies the discordance of their doctrinals with the Word, in which "love," "life," and "works," which do not at all agree with that religious principle, are so often mentioned... The above is evident also from the signification of "being wounded to death," as being in disagreement with the Word; for doctrine which disagrees with the Word is dead... [2] The discordance is that they separate the life of love, which is good works, from faith, and make faith alone justifying and saving, and they take away everything of justification and salvation from the life of love or from good works; and as loving and doing are mentioned in the Word in a thousand passages, and it is declared that man is to be judged according to his deeds and works, and as this does not agree with that religious principle, therefore this is what is signified by the death-stroke of the head of this beast... "One of the heads wounded to death;" ...this stroke is wholly incurable unless man lives according to the precepts of the Word by doing them... It is not faith separated from good works that saves, but faith from good works and with them. For he who does good works has faith, but he who does them not has no faith.
787. And the whole earth wondered after the beast, signifies the acceptance of these by the more learned in the church, and the reception from afar by the less learned... Into this error most of those in the Christian world have fallen, for the reason that faith alone has been received as the chief means, yea, as the only means of salvation...
788. Verse 4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave authority unto the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? 4. "And they worshipped the dragon which gave authority unto the beast," signifies the acknowledgment of salvation and justification by faith alone, established and corroborated... and thus received in doctrine (n. 789) "and they worshipped the beast," signifies the acknowledgment of the reasonings by which the disagreement with the Word is seemingly cleared away (n. 790); "saying, Who is like unto the beast?" signifies the confession that nothing is more true (n. 791); "who is able to make war with him?" signifies that it can in no wise be impugned [or disputed] (n. 792)...
792. ...Who is able to make war with him? signifies that it can in no wise be impugned [or disputed.] ...That their persuasion is so strong that they believe that nothing is more true is clearly evident from the reception of this dogma in Christian churches. For they say, Who is able to do good of himself? and thus they omit it... Man continues after death such as his life has been in the world. It has been granted me to speak with some who lived ages ago, and it was found that their life was still such as it is described in history with respect to them. It has also been granted me to speak with some who believed that they had faith but had not lived the life of faith, which is charity; and it was found that they had been shut out from heaven. Moreover, it has often been declared out of heaven that his life awaits the man, and that faith separated from life is nothing.
793. Verses 5, 6. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given unto him authority to work for forty-two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven. 5. "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies," signifies the doctrine destroying utterly the goods of the Word and its truths (n. 794); "and there was given unto him authority to work forty-two months," signifies its destruction even until nothing or good and truth remained (n. 796). 6. "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God," signifies the falsification of Divine truth, thus of the Word, which is from the Lord and which is the Lord (n. 797); "to blaspheme His name," signifies by falsifying all its quality (n. 798); "and His tabernacle" signifies all the doctrine of the church and worship therefrom (n. 799); "and them that dwell in heaven," signifies spiritual goods and truths...
796. ...The doctrine of faith separated destroys the church in respect to all its goods and truths. That this is so has been made abundantly evident to me from the state of such persons after death with whom I have talked. The followers and defenders of faith separate, who have cleansed the outside only of the cup and the platter and not the inside, when they have fulfilled their time reject all things they have said and believed in the world to be of their faith; and they acknowledge as gods either themselves or others who excel in power and in the arts known in hell; and they even laugh at the truths of the Word which in the world they had called holy...
801. Verse 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation. 7. "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them," signifies combat with those who are in truths from good...; "and there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation," signifies domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and over the doctrine of faith and love (n. 803).
803. And there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation, signifies domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and over the doctrine of faith and love... Most people at this day believe that they will come into heaven if they have faith, live piously, and do goods; and yet they do not turn away from evils because they are sins, consequently they either do them or believe them to be allowable; and those who believe them to be allowable do them when opportunity is given. But let them know that their faith is not faith, that their pious things are not pious, and that their goods are not goods; for they flow from the impurities that lie inwardly concealed with man... This has been proved to me by a thousand examples in the spiritual world. I have there heard that it has been granted to many to recall the actions of their life in the world, and to enumerate the goods they had done; but when their internal was opened it was found to be full of every evil and the falsity therefrom; and it was then disclosed to them that the goods they had enumerated had been done from self, because for the sake of self and the world, and that they were full of evils from their interiors; and on this account they appeared either as if scorched with fire, or as if sooty. [4] But it was otherwise with those who from the Word had abstained from doing evils, and had afterwards shunned them and turned away from them because they were sins and were opposed to love to God and to charity towards the neighbor. Although there was a similar perception to them that their works were done as if from self, yet they were all good, and appeared in the light of heaven like white snow and wool (Isaiah 1:12-18)... Where faith and love are, there is heaven, and where faith and love are not, there is hell...
804. Verses 8, 9. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone hath an ear let him hear. 8. "And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him," signifies the necessity of acknowledgment by those who have been born within the church (n. 805); "whose names are not written in the book of life," signifies by all who have not become spiritual by regeneration by the Lord (n. 806); "slain from the foundation of the world," signifies whose Divine in His Human has not been acknowledged from the first establishment of this church (n. 807). 9. "If anyone hath an ear let him hear," signifies reception by those who are in the understanding of truth and the consequent perception of good (n. 808).
805. Verse 8. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, signifies the necessity of acknowledgment by those who have been born within the church... Those that have been born within the church are meant, because everyone adopts the religion of his native land, in the first place because be is educated in it, and is afterwards confirmed in it by preachings, and particularly because there are but few who study the doctrine of the church and the interior meaning of the Word, believing that such things transcend their comprehension, and also that they are not to be seen or understood, but only to be believed. This is the reason for the necessity of acknowledgment by those who have been born within the church, which is signified by "all that dwell on the earth shall worship the beast." ...The learned of the church, when they come after death into the spiritual world, are in so many falsities as scarcely to know a single genuine truth. But it is otherwise with those who have not confirmed these falsities with themselves, and have lived at the same time in some measure the life of faith, which is charity. These can be instructed in the truths of faith, and when they have been instructed can be received among the angels in heaven....
807. Slain from the foundation of the world, signifies whose Divine in His Human has not been acknowledged from the first establishment of this church...
808.Verse 9. If anyone hath an ear let him hear, signifies the reception by those who are in the of truth, and the consequent perception of good...
809. Verse 10. If anyone shall lead into captivity he shall go into captivity; if anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 10. "If anyone shall lead into captivity be shall go into captivity," signifies that those who have shut out others from truths are shut out from the Divine truths in the Word (n. 810, 811); "if anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword," signifies that those who have imbued others with falsities are imbued with falsities from hell (n. 812). "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints," signifies that through these comes temptation and afterwards the implantation of truth with those who are made spiritual by the Lord (n. 813).
812. If anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword, signifies that those who imbue others with falsities are imbued with falsities from hell... Such are imbued with falsities from hell because they have shut heaven against themselves by falsities; and when heaven is shut against anyone then hell is open to him... For there are various kinds of falsities, for instance, falsities of ignorance, falsities of religion, and falsities from misunderstanding the Word; in a word, the falsities that lead to a life of evil, or that proceed from a life of evil, because they are from hell close heaven... Those who are signified by this "beast," who are such as by reasonings confirm the separation of faith from life [of faith, which is charity,]... imbue others with falsities, and are themselves imbued with falsities from hell, because the dogma of faith alone shuts out all truths and rejects all goods. Faith alone shuts out all truths because such insist that we are saved solely by this, "That the Lord endured the cross for our sins, and thereby took away the condemnation of the law, and that He thus redeemed us." And as they hold that this alone, which they call faith itself, saves, they make no effort to learn truths, although truths are what teach man how he must live... thus the essential goods of love to God and the goods of charity towards the neighbor are made of no account...
814. Verse 11. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 11. "And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth," signifies confirmations from the... letter of the Word in favor of faith separated from life [of faith, which is charity,] and the consequent falsifications of the truth of the church (n. 815); "and he had two horns like a lamb," signifies the power as if from the Lord of persuading that there is... faith separate (n. 816); "and he spake as a dragon," signifies with a similar affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching, as belong to those who separate faith from the life of faith, which is charity (n. 817)...
816. And he had two horns like a lamb, signifies a power as if from the Lord, of persuading that there is... faith separate... [2] Such a power of persuading and confirming any heresy whatever from the Word is well known in the Christian world from the many heresies there, everyone of which is confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word and thus they are persuaded. The reason is that the sense of the letter of the Word is accommodated to the apprehension of the simple, and therefore consists in large part of appearances of truth; and it is the nature of appearances of truth to be capable of being adapted to confirm anything that anyone may adopt as a principle of religion and thence of doctrine, thus even when it is false. Consequently those who place genuine truth itself in the sense of the letter of the Word only, are open to many errors unless they are in enlightenment from the Lord, and in that enlightenment form doctrine for themselves that will serve them as a lamp... Thence it is also evident how dangerous it is to falsify the Word even to the destruction of the Divine truth that is in its spiritual sense; for by so doing heaven is closed to man...
818. Verse 12. And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him; and he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose stroke of death was healed. 12. "And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him," signifies the connection of the reasonings from the natural man with... the letter of the Word, by which the religion of faith separate is strengthened (n. 819); "and he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast," signifies in consequence of which those in the church who are in falsities and in evils therefrom in heart acknowledge the agreement (n. 821); "whose stroke of death was healed," signifies and thus the discordance was removed by devised conjunctions [or connections by reasonings] of works with faith (n. 822).
819. Verse 12. And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him, signifies the connection of the reasonings from the natural man with the... letter of the Word, by which the religion of faith separate is strengthened... Faith without works is not spiritual; for it is without its soul, and faith without its soul is a dead faith. (3) It is also a reasoning from the natural man that faith was made the means of salvation because man cannot do good of himself. (4) It is also a reasoning from the natural man that those who are merely in faith are in God and in a state of grace, even so that nothing can condemn them. From this it is believed by many that it is not necessary to live a Christian life, which is according to the Lord's commandments; for they say to themselves, Why should I give any thought to works, when good works do not save and evil works do not condemn? I have faith that the Lord suffered the cross for the sins of the world, and delivered us from the condemnation of the law; what more is necessary?... The natural man, separated from the spiritual, regards only self and the world, and not the Lord and heaven; and thus he is conjoined to hell, which is the source of all falsities; and these can never be dissipated except by the prevalence of heavenly love and by genuine truths which are from that love...
... And I stood upon the sand of the sea, signifies continuation of the state of those who are signified by "the dragon."...for where such dwell in the spiritual world nothing is seen but heaps of stones and also sand, and rarely any grass or shrub...
773. EXPOSITION Verse 1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads a name of blasphemy. 1. "And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea," signifies reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life [or from charity] (n. 774); "having seven heads," signifies knowledge of holy things, which are falsified and adulterated (n. 775); "and ten horns," signifies much power (n. 776); "and upon his horns 773-1 ten diadems," signifies power from the appearances of truth in abundance (n. 777); "and upon his heads a name of blasphemy," signifies the falsifications of the Word (n. 778).
775. ...When man becomes a spirit, whether good or evil; then his whole spiritual body, from head to foot, is wholly such as his mind is. If the mind is heavenly, the whole spirit, even as to its body, is heavenly. If the mind is infernal, the whole spirit, even as to its body, is infernal; and in consequence such a spirit appears in a direful form like a devil, while the former spirit appears in a beautiful form like an angel of heaven...
779. Verse 2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 2. "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard," signifies reasonings that are discordant, and yet appear as if they cohere [or are logically consistent] (n. 780); "and his feet were as of a bear," signifies from natural things, which are fallacies (n. 781); "and his mouth as the mouth of a lion," signifies reasonings from falsities destroying the truths of the Word (n. 782); "and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority," signifies that those who separate faith from life [or charity] support and corroborate their doctrinals by reasonings from fallacies, and thus powerfully seduce (n. 783).
781. And his feet were as of a bear, signifies from natural things which are fallacies... But what pertaining to heaven or to hell is signified can be best known from representatives in the spiritual world, where also beasts appear, all of which are appearances representing such things as angels or spirits are thinking from their affections, inclinations, appetites, pleasures, and desires. These things are presented before their eyes in various forms, as gardens, forests, fields, plains, and also fountains; likewise palaces and houses, and chambers therein, in which are decorative and useful things; also tables are seen upon which are various kinds of food. They are also exhibited in the forms of animals of the earth, the flying things of heaven, and creeping things, in an infinite variety; not only in the forms of such animals and flying things as are upon our earth, but in forms composite from several forms, which nowhere exist on earth, many of which it has been granted me to see. When these appear, their spiritual origin and thus what they signify is at once known. But as soon as the spirit or angel ceases from his thought and meditation these animals and birds instantly vanish...
783. ...All the evil who flock out of this world are first separated from the goods and truths that they have merely known from memory... and when they have been separated from these their interiors appear, which consist of nothing but masses of falsities from evils. And when they are in these, because they no longer have any power they fall down headlong into hell...
784. Verse 3. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death; and the stroke of his death was healed, and the whole earth wondered after the beast. 3. "And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death," signifies the discordance of their doctrinals with the Word, in which "love," "life," and "works," which do not at all agree with that religious principle, are so often mentioned (n. 785); "and the stroke of his death was healed," signifies the discordance apparently cleared away by means of devised conjunctions of works with faith (n. 786); "and the whole earth wondered after the beast," signifies the acceptance of these by the more learned in the church, and the reception from afar by the less learned (n. 787).
785. Verse 3. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death, signifies the discordance of their doctrinals with the Word, in which "love," "life," and "works," which do not at all agree with that religious principle, are so often mentioned... The above is evident also from the signification of "being wounded to death," as being in disagreement with the Word; for doctrine which disagrees with the Word is dead... [2] The discordance is that they separate the life of love, which is good works, from faith, and make faith alone justifying and saving, and they take away everything of justification and salvation from the life of love or from good works; and as loving and doing are mentioned in the Word in a thousand passages, and it is declared that man is to be judged according to his deeds and works, and as this does not agree with that religious principle, therefore this is what is signified by the death-stroke of the head of this beast... "One of the heads wounded to death;" ...this stroke is wholly incurable unless man lives according to the precepts of the Word by doing them... It is not faith separated from good works that saves, but faith from good works and with them. For he who does good works has faith, but he who does them not has no faith.
787. And the whole earth wondered after the beast, signifies the acceptance of these by the more learned in the church, and the reception from afar by the less learned... Into this error most of those in the Christian world have fallen, for the reason that faith alone has been received as the chief means, yea, as the only means of salvation...
788. Verse 4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave authority unto the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? 4. "And they worshipped the dragon which gave authority unto the beast," signifies the acknowledgment of salvation and justification by faith alone, established and corroborated... and thus received in doctrine (n. 789) "and they worshipped the beast," signifies the acknowledgment of the reasonings by which the disagreement with the Word is seemingly cleared away (n. 790); "saying, Who is like unto the beast?" signifies the confession that nothing is more true (n. 791); "who is able to make war with him?" signifies that it can in no wise be impugned [or disputed] (n. 792)...
792. ...Who is able to make war with him? signifies that it can in no wise be impugned [or disputed.] ...That their persuasion is so strong that they believe that nothing is more true is clearly evident from the reception of this dogma in Christian churches. For they say, Who is able to do good of himself? and thus they omit it... Man continues after death such as his life has been in the world. It has been granted me to speak with some who lived ages ago, and it was found that their life was still such as it is described in history with respect to them. It has also been granted me to speak with some who believed that they had faith but had not lived the life of faith, which is charity; and it was found that they had been shut out from heaven. Moreover, it has often been declared out of heaven that his life awaits the man, and that faith separated from life is nothing.
793. Verses 5, 6. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given unto him authority to work for forty-two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven. 5. "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies," signifies the doctrine destroying utterly the goods of the Word and its truths (n. 794); "and there was given unto him authority to work forty-two months," signifies its destruction even until nothing or good and truth remained (n. 796). 6. "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God," signifies the falsification of Divine truth, thus of the Word, which is from the Lord and which is the Lord (n. 797); "to blaspheme His name," signifies by falsifying all its quality (n. 798); "and His tabernacle" signifies all the doctrine of the church and worship therefrom (n. 799); "and them that dwell in heaven," signifies spiritual goods and truths...
796. ...The doctrine of faith separated destroys the church in respect to all its goods and truths. That this is so has been made abundantly evident to me from the state of such persons after death with whom I have talked. The followers and defenders of faith separate, who have cleansed the outside only of the cup and the platter and not the inside, when they have fulfilled their time reject all things they have said and believed in the world to be of their faith; and they acknowledge as gods either themselves or others who excel in power and in the arts known in hell; and they even laugh at the truths of the Word which in the world they had called holy...
801. Verse 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation. 7. "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them," signifies combat with those who are in truths from good...; "and there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation," signifies domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and over the doctrine of faith and love (n. 803).
803. And there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation, signifies domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and over the doctrine of faith and love... Most people at this day believe that they will come into heaven if they have faith, live piously, and do goods; and yet they do not turn away from evils because they are sins, consequently they either do them or believe them to be allowable; and those who believe them to be allowable do them when opportunity is given. But let them know that their faith is not faith, that their pious things are not pious, and that their goods are not goods; for they flow from the impurities that lie inwardly concealed with man... This has been proved to me by a thousand examples in the spiritual world. I have there heard that it has been granted to many to recall the actions of their life in the world, and to enumerate the goods they had done; but when their internal was opened it was found to be full of every evil and the falsity therefrom; and it was then disclosed to them that the goods they had enumerated had been done from self, because for the sake of self and the world, and that they were full of evils from their interiors; and on this account they appeared either as if scorched with fire, or as if sooty. [4] But it was otherwise with those who from the Word had abstained from doing evils, and had afterwards shunned them and turned away from them because they were sins and were opposed to love to God and to charity towards the neighbor. Although there was a similar perception to them that their works were done as if from self, yet they were all good, and appeared in the light of heaven like white snow and wool (Isaiah 1:12-18)... Where faith and love are, there is heaven, and where faith and love are not, there is hell...
804. Verses 8, 9. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone hath an ear let him hear. 8. "And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him," signifies the necessity of acknowledgment by those who have been born within the church (n. 805); "whose names are not written in the book of life," signifies by all who have not become spiritual by regeneration by the Lord (n. 806); "slain from the foundation of the world," signifies whose Divine in His Human has not been acknowledged from the first establishment of this church (n. 807). 9. "If anyone hath an ear let him hear," signifies reception by those who are in the understanding of truth and the consequent perception of good (n. 808).
805. Verse 8. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, signifies the necessity of acknowledgment by those who have been born within the church... Those that have been born within the church are meant, because everyone adopts the religion of his native land, in the first place because be is educated in it, and is afterwards confirmed in it by preachings, and particularly because there are but few who study the doctrine of the church and the interior meaning of the Word, believing that such things transcend their comprehension, and also that they are not to be seen or understood, but only to be believed. This is the reason for the necessity of acknowledgment by those who have been born within the church, which is signified by "all that dwell on the earth shall worship the beast." ...The learned of the church, when they come after death into the spiritual world, are in so many falsities as scarcely to know a single genuine truth. But it is otherwise with those who have not confirmed these falsities with themselves, and have lived at the same time in some measure the life of faith, which is charity. These can be instructed in the truths of faith, and when they have been instructed can be received among the angels in heaven....
807. Slain from the foundation of the world, signifies whose Divine in His Human has not been acknowledged from the first establishment of this church...
808.Verse 9. If anyone hath an ear let him hear, signifies the reception by those who are in the of truth, and the consequent perception of good...
809. Verse 10. If anyone shall lead into captivity he shall go into captivity; if anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 10. "If anyone shall lead into captivity be shall go into captivity," signifies that those who have shut out others from truths are shut out from the Divine truths in the Word (n. 810, 811); "if anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword," signifies that those who have imbued others with falsities are imbued with falsities from hell (n. 812). "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints," signifies that through these comes temptation and afterwards the implantation of truth with those who are made spiritual by the Lord (n. 813).
812. If anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword, signifies that those who imbue others with falsities are imbued with falsities from hell... Such are imbued with falsities from hell because they have shut heaven against themselves by falsities; and when heaven is shut against anyone then hell is open to him... For there are various kinds of falsities, for instance, falsities of ignorance, falsities of religion, and falsities from misunderstanding the Word; in a word, the falsities that lead to a life of evil, or that proceed from a life of evil, because they are from hell close heaven... Those who are signified by this "beast," who are such as by reasonings confirm the separation of faith from life [of faith, which is charity,]... imbue others with falsities, and are themselves imbued with falsities from hell, because the dogma of faith alone shuts out all truths and rejects all goods. Faith alone shuts out all truths because such insist that we are saved solely by this, "That the Lord endured the cross for our sins, and thereby took away the condemnation of the law, and that He thus redeemed us." And as they hold that this alone, which they call faith itself, saves, they make no effort to learn truths, although truths are what teach man how he must live... thus the essential goods of love to God and the goods of charity towards the neighbor are made of no account...
814. Verse 11. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 11. "And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth," signifies confirmations from the... letter of the Word in favor of faith separated from life [of faith, which is charity,] and the consequent falsifications of the truth of the church (n. 815); "and he had two horns like a lamb," signifies the power as if from the Lord of persuading that there is... faith separate (n. 816); "and he spake as a dragon," signifies with a similar affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching, as belong to those who separate faith from the life of faith, which is charity (n. 817)...
816. And he had two horns like a lamb, signifies a power as if from the Lord, of persuading that there is... faith separate... [2] Such a power of persuading and confirming any heresy whatever from the Word is well known in the Christian world from the many heresies there, everyone of which is confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word and thus they are persuaded. The reason is that the sense of the letter of the Word is accommodated to the apprehension of the simple, and therefore consists in large part of appearances of truth; and it is the nature of appearances of truth to be capable of being adapted to confirm anything that anyone may adopt as a principle of religion and thence of doctrine, thus even when it is false. Consequently those who place genuine truth itself in the sense of the letter of the Word only, are open to many errors unless they are in enlightenment from the Lord, and in that enlightenment form doctrine for themselves that will serve them as a lamp... Thence it is also evident how dangerous it is to falsify the Word even to the destruction of the Divine truth that is in its spiritual sense; for by so doing heaven is closed to man...
818. Verse 12. And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him; and he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose stroke of death was healed. 12. "And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him," signifies the connection of the reasonings from the natural man with... the letter of the Word, by which the religion of faith separate is strengthened (n. 819); "and he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast," signifies in consequence of which those in the church who are in falsities and in evils therefrom in heart acknowledge the agreement (n. 821); "whose stroke of death was healed," signifies and thus the discordance was removed by devised conjunctions [or connections by reasonings] of works with faith (n. 822).
819. Verse 12. And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him, signifies the connection of the reasonings from the natural man with the... letter of the Word, by which the religion of faith separate is strengthened... Faith without works is not spiritual; for it is without its soul, and faith without its soul is a dead faith. (3) It is also a reasoning from the natural man that faith was made the means of salvation because man cannot do good of himself. (4) It is also a reasoning from the natural man that those who are merely in faith are in God and in a state of grace, even so that nothing can condemn them. From this it is believed by many that it is not necessary to live a Christian life, which is according to the Lord's commandments; for they say to themselves, Why should I give any thought to works, when good works do not save and evil works do not condemn? I have faith that the Lord suffered the cross for the sins of the world, and delivered us from the condemnation of the law; what more is necessary?... The natural man, separated from the spiritual, regards only self and the world, and not the Lord and heaven; and thus he is conjoined to hell, which is the source of all falsities; and these can never be dissipated except by the prevalence of heavenly love and by genuine truths which are from that love...
823. Verses 13, 14. And he doeth great signs, so that he even maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men; and he seduceth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs that were given him to do before the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which hath the stroke of the sword and did live. 13. "And he doeth great signs," signifies testifications [or testimony] and persuasions (n. 824); "so that he even maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men," signifies the love of falsity from evil arising from the pride of self-intelligence as if it were the love of truth from good which is in the church from the heavens (n. 825). 14. "And he seduceth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs that were given him to do before the beast," signifies to persuade those who are in the church by testifications [or testimony] from the Word joined to reasonings from the natural man (n. 826); "saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast," signifies an established decree that all in the church should teach and believe nothing whatever except these things (n. 827); "which hath the stroke of the sword and did live," signifies the nature of those natural things by which the things taken from the natural sense of the Word for confirmation were conjoined [joined; combined.] (n. 829).
826. Verse 14. And he seduceth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs that were given him to do before the beast, signifies to persuade those who are of the church that these are truths, by testifications [or testimony] from the Word joined to reasonings from the natural man... With one who is not enlightened fallacies prevail, and the reasonings are from fallacies. But one who is enlightened sees from spiritual and from natural light at the same time; and the natural light with him is illumined by the spiritual; but one who is not enlightened sees from natural light only, separated from spiritual light, and such a light is in spiritual things not light but thick darkness. And yet this thick darkness, when falsities have been confirmed, appears to be as it were the light of truth, but it is like the light in the hells, which in the sight of those who are there appears as light; but as soon as light from heaven enters the light there is turned into mere thick darkness, and their thought grows dull... From this it is clear that the light of the confirmation of falsity even to the destruction of the Divine truth which is in heaven, is infernal light. [2] ...All who are in love to the Lord from the Lord are in the third or inmost heaven; and they are such as have truths written in the life, and not, like the angels of the lower heavens, in the memory; and this is why those who are in the third heaven never talk about truths, but only listen to others speaking about them, and reply either that it is so, or that it is somewhat so, or that it is not so. For they see in themselves whether what they hear is true or not... For with them all truths are written on their affections, and these derive their essence from celestial love, which is love to the Lord. Thus with them truths make one with their affections. And as these angels are in love to the Lord from the Lord, their interior life consists of mere affections of good and truth from that love. For this reason they do not speak about truths, but do truths, that is, good works... Those who imbibe the laws of life from the Word and live according to them, and who worship the Lord, become angels of the third heaven.
827. Saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, signifies an established decree that all in the church should teach and believe nothing whatever except these things... "To make that image" signifies to make a decree or to determine that they should teach and believe only in this way; also that this has been done in the churches where the doctrine of faith separate has been accepted. This is the signification of the "image," because in the spiritual world all spiritual things may be exhibited by means of images, also by means of idols; and by these the particulars of doctrine may be portrayed, which I have also seen done... With those who belonged to the ancient churches images were made representative of their doctrine and the worship therefrom; but the sons of Israel, on account of the proclivity of their mind to idolatrous worship, were forbidden to make them, as is evident from the Word...
830. Verse 15. And it was given unto him to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast may both speak and may cause that as many as do not worship the image of the beast be killed. 15. "And it was given unto him to give breath to the image of the beast," signifies that by being conjoined with the Word there was something of spiritual life therein (n. 831); "that the image of the beast may both speak," signifies that consequently an agreement flowed in from heaven into the thought nearest to the speech excited and enkindled by natural love (n. 832); "and may cause that as many as do not worship the image of the beast be killed," signifies threats of eternal death to those that do not believe everything and all things that are so established (n. 833).
831. Verse 15. And it was given unto him to give breath to the image of the beast, signifies that by being conjoined with the Word there was something of spiritual life therein... [2] As celestial love in which are the angels of the third heaven has been treated of in what precedes, I will now say something about spiritual love, in which are the angels of the second heaven. Spiritual love is the love of truth, and in the highest sense the love of the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; thus it is also love to the Lord, but in a lower degree than that in which the celestial angels are. The celestial angels are in love to the Lord from the reception of Divine good from Him, while the spiritual angels are in love to the Lord from the reception of Divine truth from Him. The difference is like that between love in the will and love in the understanding, or like that between a flame and its light. Moreover light with the angels of the third heaven is derived from what is flaming, while the light of the angels of the second heaven is derived from what is bright white (but for more respecting this see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 126-140). Their life differs in like manner. The life of the angels of the third heaven consists in the affections of good, and the life of the angels of the second heaven in the affections of truth. The difference is such that they are easily distinguished by their faces and by their speech. As spiritual love is love of truth, and spiritual angels in respect to their life are affections of truth, they speak about the holy things of heaven and the church, unlike the angels of the third heaven, who cannot speak about these things, as has been said above. And as the celestial angels are perfected in wisdom by hearing, there are intermediate angels, who are called celestial-spiritual angels, who preach and teach truths in their temples, which are called houses of God, and are of wood. [3] Spiritual angels, from the spiritual love that constitutes their life, are affections of truth, and not affections of good, because they are reformed and regenerated and become angels in a way different from that of celestial angels. For spiritual angels admit truths first into the memory, and from that into the understanding, which is thus formed by these truths; and then they are perfected so far as they are spiritually affected by Divine truths, that is, on account of them and for the sake of a life according to them. But celestial angels do not first admit truths into the memory, but immediately into the will, and through acts into the life; consequently they are not able to speak about Divine truths, but they simply will and do them; while spiritual angels speak about Divine truths, because with them they are inscribed on the memory; and thought speaks from the memory. [4] And yet spiritual angels admit no truth into the memory and from it into the understanding with themselves unless they see it; for the angels in that heaven see truths from the light of truth, thus by enlightenment from the Lord; for in the heavens truths are spiritual objects, and appear more clearly before the angels there than natural objects do before men in the world; consequently they... 831-1 cannot at all comprehend how a faith in anything that is not seen or understood can exist in anyone, for in that case a man does not know whether it be true or false, and faith in what is false is harmful. From this it is clear that with spiritual angels intellectual sight is spiritual sight. These angels are perfected in understanding so far as they are in the love of truth for the sake of life and its genuine uses... Again, the angels of the second heaven, like the angels of the third heaven, dwell in distinct societies, but the societies of the third heaven are above those of the second, because celestial love flows into spiritual love; for spiritual love derives its essence from celestial love by influx mediate and immediate from the Lord. [6] In the spiritual heaven there are magnificent palaces, in which all things within shine with precious stones and decorations in such forms as cannot be equaled by any painting in the world, nor expressed in words... For art there, especially that of architecture, is in its own art. From that heaven many arts in the world derive their laws and harmonies, from which come their forms of beauty. The silver that is found among those who dwell beneath these heavens is given by the Lord from that heaven, but the gold from the third heaven; for silver corresponds to spiritual good, which is in its essence truth; and gold corresponds to celestial good. The spiritual angels are clothed in garments of fine linen and silk, generally in shining garments. And as the spiritual heavens correspond to the eyes, there are paradisiacal scenes, as also in many places rainbow colored appearances and these also are of ineffable beauty. They know nothing there about the sense of the letter of the Word, but only about its spiritual sense, for they have the Word in that sense, which is read by everyone. In that heaven, justice, integrity, verity, chastity, and the other praiseworthy virtues of moral life reign. These heavens constitute the royalty of the Lord, while the higher heavens, where the celestial angels are, constitute the priesthood of the Lord; for His royalty is Divine truth, and His priesthood is Divine good.
832. That the image of the beast may speak, signifies that consequently an agreement flowed in from heaven into the thought nearest to the speech excited and enkindled by natural love... For all things of the Word and every particular of it communicate with the heavens, and from it there flows a holiness into the person speaking or preaching... And this is why such can speak and preach like those who are spiritual, although they have no spiritual affection, but only natural affection... [2] The sense of the letter of the Word communicates with heaven, because each and every thing therein contains a spiritual sense... I have heard some recite words from the sense of the letter of the Word and have perceived that immediately they had communication with some society of heaven; for the spiritual sense which was in the words then recited from the sense of the letter penetrated to that society. Sometimes this communication is abused by evil spirits to acquire for themselves favor from the heavens... [5] ...Love with man, and his life from it, do not become spiritual by merely knowing and understanding truths unless he also wills and does them. For... an evil man, whose love is infernal, can know and understand truths just as well as a good man whose love is heavenly; therefore the evil believe that because of their knowledges and their understanding of verities they will not only come into heaven but will also be among the intelligent there, of whom it is said that "they shall shine as the stars," and yet, if they do not also love, that is, will to do the truths that they know and understand, they come after death among those who are in hell, from whom all truths are taken away. For after death everyone comes to be his own love... [6] There are three degrees of life with man, the third degree in which are the angels of the third heaven; the second degree in which are the angels of the second heaven; and the first degree in which are the angels of the first... heaven. There is also a lowest degree, which is corporeal and material, which man has while he lives in the world. These degrees are opened with man according to the reception of Divine truth in his life; and Divine truth is received in the life by willing and doing truth according to the knowledge and understanding of it. And as the love and the life of man make one, it follows that there are as many degrees of love as there are of life. The love in which the angels of the third heaven are is called celestial love; the love in which the angels of the second heaven are is called spiritual love; and the love in which the angels of the first heaven are is called spiritual-natural love, also celestial-natural. As their love is, such is their wisdom and intelligence. Those who are in the third degree of love and of wisdom thence live in an atmosphere as it were purely ethereal; those who are in the second degree of love and thence of intelligence live in an atmosphere as it were purely aerial; and those who are in the first degree of love and thence of knowledge live in an atmosphere as it were purely aqueous. And as the purity of their life is in a similar degree as their love, it is evident that those who are in the third heaven and in the love and life of that heaven cannot be approached by those who are in the second and first; for to ascend from the second heaven into the third would be like a bird's flying above its own atmosphere into the ether; and to ascend from the first heaven into the second would be like elevating a fish into the air, in which it would suffocate and suffer direful things...
833. And may cause that as many as do not worship the image of the beast be killed, signifies threats of eternal death to those who do not believe everything and all things that are so established... It is well known that this is so, for salvation, thus life eternal, is declared to all those who believe in that doctrine, and damnation and eternal death are denounced against those who do not believe.
834. As celestial love and spiritual love have been treated of, it now remains to say something about the spiritual-natural love in which are the angels of the first... heaven. This love is what is properly called charity towards the neighbor. As these angels are nearly alike in respect to the understanding as men in the world are, and as they are natural, their understanding is raised but little above what it was while they were in the world; therefore they do not see truths in the light as the angels of the second heaven do; but they receive, acknowledge, and believe truths from doctrine, in which they are instructed before they are admitted into heaven. For this reason only the more intelligent of them know what charity towards the neighbor is, the simple there believing that every man is the neighbor, and that charity is to assist the needy, and to do good to the poor, the sojourner, and so on. For the most part they consider persons and what they say, and not the interiors which are the source of what they say.
835. Verses 16, 17. And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads; and that no one be able to buy or to sell if he hath not the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. 16. "And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond," signifies the lower and the higher, the wise and the simple, both those who think from themselves and those who think from others (n. 836); "that there be given them a mark upon their right hand and upon their foreheads," signifies an attestation of the acknowledgment that they are of the church, and are in the so-called truths and goods of that faith (n. 838). 17. "And that no one be able to buy or to sell if he hath not the mark of the beast," signifies forbidding anyone to learn or teach anything but what has been acknowledged and thence accepted in doctrine (n. 840); "or the name of the beast or the number of his name," signifies either what is like it in respect to life, or what is like it in respect to faith (n. 841).
836. Verse 16. And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, signifies the lower and the higher, the wise and the simple, both those who think from themselves and those who think from others. This is evident from the signification of "all, the small and the great," as being the lower and the higher, or the more common and the more eminent; also from the signification of "the rich and the poor," as being the wise and the simple. (That those are called "rich" who possess many knowledges of good and truth... and that those are called "poor" who have no knowledges of good and truth because they do not have the Word... So also from the signification of "the free and the bond," as being those who think from themselves and those who think from others. To think from oneself is to see from oneself whether a thing be true or false, and thus to choose the one and reject the other. These are they who are made spiritual by the Lord, and are thence in the light of heaven, and from the Lord they see and are led; for to think and live from the Lord is freedom; and to think and live from hell is bondage... From this it follows that by "the bond" those are meant who think not from themselves but from others, and who do not see whether a thing is true or false and yet acknowledge it to be true...
837. ...(1) Every man after death comes to be his own love, and the spirit of man is nothing but the affection that is of his love; when therefore a man becomes a spirit he thinks and thence speaks from his affection; he also wills and thus acts from his affection; and he desires and imbibes the things that are of his affection or love... And in fact, his face gradually becomes the face of his affection or love, from which he is then known, as he is also known from his speech, the tone of which is the tone of his affection. In a word, a man after death becomes his love or his affection in form; and consequently when anyone speaks against the affection which is of his love, or assaults it, his face is changed, and he himself goes away or suddenly vanishes. As all men after death are the substances and forms of their love, therefore the whole heaven, which consists of angels who have been men, is divided into societies according to the... affections, thus according to all the differences and varieties of the affections. And hell, also, which consists of spirits who have been men, is divided into societies according to the affections opposite to heavenly affections, and according to all the differences and varieties of these in general and in particular. That man after death is his love, or his affection which is of the love, has been heretofore unknown in the world; for the world has believed that affection does nothing and that thought does everything... But whoever is wise can know his affections by his thoughts; for the affections manifest themselves in the thoughts whenever a man is in the freedom of his spirit and is alone with himself; for he then thinks from the affection which belongs to his love. Nor is thought anything else than affection made visible in various forms by the influx of light; therefore if you take away affection the thought immediately perishes, just as light does if you take away the flame. From this it is clear how important it is to acquire for oneself heavenly love or affection. How this is acquired shall be told in what follows. But it is to be known that by affection love in its continuity is meant. (2) [2] That the whole life of man is the life of his love, and that the love and the life make one and are one with man, can be seen from what has been said above, namely, that everyone appears in the spiritual world with a face according to his love, that he speaks according to it, thinks, wills, desires, lusts, rejoices, and is sad, according to it, and these are the things that constitute his life, and that proceed from it. That this is so is clearly evident in the case of spirits and angels, who are all men both in face and in body; for as soon as the love of one of them is assaulted he vanishes with his whole body, even though he were sitting shut up in a room; and this I have frequently seen; and thus it was made clear that an angel or spirit is not only an affection in a human form, but also that his whole life from the head to the sole of the foot, or from cap to shoe, is nothing but affection which is of love; otherwise he could not have wholly vanished from the eyes of those sitting by him. When inquiry was made whether his corporeal form with its members is also affection which is of the love, it was found that each thing and all things of these were so; for the reason that the universal heaven, which... is divided and formed into societies according to all the differences and varieties of the affections, has a relation to one man, and from this all angels and spirits are human forms; therefore as heaven is a complex of all affections, so, too, is an angel and a spirit, who are least forms of heaven. This arcanum was thus made clear to me, and it was also confirmed from heaven, that all things and everything of man, both of his mind and of his body, are forms of love in a wonderful series, and that the organs of the brain and of the face, as also the members and viscera of the body, are perpetual contextures corresponding to those affections of heaven in which its societies are. And from this still another arcanum was made clear to me, namely, that the affections of the mind and the thoughts therefrom spread out and pour themselves forth into all things of the body... For it is similar as with the affections and thoughts therefrom of the angels, in that they pour themselves forth in every direction into heaven and its societies; and according to their extension is the wisdom of the angels. (But on this see further in the work on Heaven and Hell, namely, that all angels are images of heaven, and thus are as it were heavens in the least form, n. 51-58; that the universal heaven has a relation to one man; and that thence angels and spirits are human forms, n. 59-102; that all thought from affection proceeding from angels has extension into the societies of heaven according to the quality of their love and wisdom, n. 200-212.)... Something shall now be said respecting faith. (10) [10] The ancients did not know what faith is; but in place of faith they had truth; for when truth is perceived or is seen in the understanding, and thus acknowledged, it is believed on its own account... This is why the angels of the third heaven, since they perceive truths from good, are unwilling even to mention faith, and in fact, do not know that it exists; and why angels of the second heaven, since they see truths from the light of truth by which their understanding is enlightened, do not acknowledge the word faith. They wonder and laugh when they hear anyone saying that the understanding is to be held captive under obedience to faith, and that one should have faith in what is not perceived and seen; and they say that in this way what is false may be believed... [11] When the world could no longer see truths from the love of them and from their light, because men had become natural and external, then faith began to be mentioned, and everything of faith began to be called truth, although it was not perceived or seen but only asserted by some leader and confirmed by passages of the Word not understood. This is the condition of the churches in the Christian world at this day, in every one of which the doctrinals of their faith are believed to be truths, and this for the sole reason that these are held by the church of their native land... [12] So long as faith was joined with works, and charity was acknowledged in an equal degree with faith, or above it, the church was in truths from the Word, but only in a few, because they did not see them. But as soon as faith was separated from charity the church fell from truths into falsities, and at length into a faith that has destroyed all the truths of the church. This faith is a faith in justification and salvation by the merit of the Lord with the Father. For if man is saved by this faith alone, and this faith also is separated from the goods of life, which are good works, what need is there of truths, which teach the way to heaven and lead to it? Live and believe in any way you wish, and merely hold that faith, and you will be saved. But let me tell you, my reader, that all who live that faith are in natural love separated from spiritual love; and natural love separated from spiritual love is the love of self and the world, and thus the love of all evils and of all falsities from evils... [13] ...From this it is clear that faith without works... is a dead faith, such as reigns in hell.
838. That there be given them a mark upon their right hand and upon their foreheads, signifies an attestation of the acknowledgment that they are of the church, and are in the so-called truths and goods of that faith. This is evident from the signification of a "mark," as being a sign or attestation of acknowledgment, here that they are of that church; also from the signification of "right hand," as being the truth of faith in its power (see above, n. 298); also from the signification of "forehead," as being the good of love (see also above, n. 427). So here "the right hand and the forehead" signify the so-called truths and goods of that faith, which, nevertheless, are either not truths and goods or are falsities and evils. The acknowledgment of these as truths and goods however is signified by "giving and receiving a mark upon their right hand and upon their foreheads." A "mark" signifies a sign of acknowledgment also in the following passages in Revelation, 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4. Moreover, a "mark" has a similar meaning as... the "sign" in Moses: Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might. Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be for frontlets before thine eyes (Deut. 6:5, 8; 11:18).
840. Verse 17. And that no one be able to buy and 840-1 to sell if he hath not the mark of the beast, signifies forbidding anyone to learn and teach anything but what has been acknowledged and thence accepted in doctrine... It is evident also from the signification of a "mark," as being an attestation and sign of acknowledgment that those who are in these so-called truths and goods of that faith are of the church (see just above, n. 838). From this it is clear that "to cause that no one be able to buy and to sell save he that hath the mark of the beast" signifies forbidding anyone to learn and to teach anything but what has been acknowledged and also accepted in doctrine... [3] In Matthew: The prudent virgins said to the foolish, Go ye rather to them that sell, and buy oil for yourselves; but while they went away to them to buy the bridegroom came (25:9, 10). "The prudent virgins" signify those in the church with whom faith is conjoined to charity, and "the foolish" signify those in the church with whom faith is separated from charity; for "lamps" signify the truths of faith, and "oil" signifies the good of love; therefore "to go to them that sell and to buy" signifies to those who teach, and to learn or acquire for oneself. But as such had not acquired for themselves the good of love, and vivified by that means the truths of faith, while they lived in the world, but had acquired them afterwards, and as no one can acquire for himself the good of love after death and retain it, so these foolish virgins, by whom all who separate the good of love or the good of charity from the truths of faith are signified, were not admitted to the marriage feast nor received by the bridegroom. "The marriage feast" signifies heaven, and "the bridegroom" the Lord...
841. Or the name of the beast, or the number of his name, signifies either what is like it in respect to life or what is like it in respect to faith...
842. ...If a man's works appear good in external form, and yet he is interiorly evil, it follows that he has a faith in falsity, however much he may talk about truth with the mouth, for the truth is contaminated with evil from within; and thus his deeds are according to the description of them by the Lord: They are like the cleansed outside of the cup and the platter, whose inside is full of extortion and excess; and are like unto whited sepulchers which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness (Matt. 23:25, 27, 28).
843. Verse 18. Here is wisdom. He that hath intelligence let him count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred sixty-six. 18. "Here is wisdom," signifies that this is their doctrine in all its complex, which is thought to be wisdom, although it is insanity (n. 844). "He that hath intelligence let him count the number of the beast," signifies that those who are in enlightenment may inquire into the quality of the faith of that religion (n. 845); "for it is the number of a man," signifies its quality, as if it were from the understanding of truths such as the men of the church must have (n. 846); "and his number is six hundred sixty-six," signifies that its quality, nevertheless, is from all falsities and all evils therefrom in the complex (n. 847).
844. Verse 18. Here is wisdom, signifies that this is their doctrine in all its complex, which is thought to be wisdom, although it is insanity. This is evident from the signification of "here is wisdom," as being that all those things that have been said of the dragon and his two beasts is the doctrine of those who have separated faith from life, which however is not wisdom, as it is reputed, but insanity. That this is the meaning of "here is wisdom" follows from what precedes, that "no one is able to buy 844-1 and sell save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name," which signifies that no one should learn or teach anything else but what had been acknowledged, and thus accepted in doctrine. From this it can be concluded that "wisdom" here means wisdom in their own eyes; which, nevertheless, is insanity appearing to them to be wisdom. Insanity is meant by "wisdom," because those who are in falsities, when they have confirmed their falsities believe themselves to be wiser than others. The evil do the like when they are in their evils and are contriving devices by which they may do evil to the good; they then appear to themselves to be ingenious, yea even wiser than others, and yet before the eyes of angels they appear crazy. And this is why their insanity when they are in falsities is called in the Word "wisdom and intelligence," as in the following passages: O Lord God, Thou hast hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and hast revealed them unto babes (Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21). Woe to the wise in their own eyes, and the intelligent before their own faces (Isa. 5:21)...
847. And his number is six hundred sixty-six, signifies that its quality nevertheless is from all falsities and all evils therefrom in the complex [doctrine.] This is evident... from the signification of "six hundred sixty-six" as being all falsities and all evils therefrom in the complex [doctrine.] This is the signification of that number, because "six" signifies all things, and is predicated of truths and of goods therefrom, and in the contrary sense of falsities and of evils therefrom; for that number is composed of the numbers two and three multiplied together, and the number two is predicated of goods, and in the contrary sense of evils; and the number three of truths, and in the contrary sense of falsities; and a composite number has a similar signification as the simple numbers of which it is composed... That all these may be signified to the full, that number is tripled; and by triplication the number 666 arises. For a thing triplicated signifies completeness and fullness from beginning to end; so here it signifies that nothing whatever of truth and good remains. [2] That every number in the Word signifies something pertaining to a thing or state, and that its quality is determined by the numbers added, may be seen above (n. 203, 429, 574, 841). That larger numbers composed of the smaller have a similar signification as the smaller and simple numbers from which they arise by multiplication may be seen above (n. 430)... From this it is clear that the number "six hundred sixty-six," which is said to be "the number of a man," and "to count" which is said to be a matter of intelligence, signifies the quality of faith separated from good works, that it is composed of all falsities and of all evils therefrom in the complex [doctrine.] Its being said to be a matter of intelligence to count that number does not signify that it is a matter of intelligence to know or find out the signification of that number, but that it is a matter of intelligence to inquire into and see the falsities and evils that make up the quality of faith separated from life [of charity.]...
Arcana Coelestia, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1749-56], tr. by John F. Potts [1905-10], at sacred-texts.com
487.
487.
...The most ancient people had their numbers, by which they signified various things relating to the church, as the numbers "three" "seven" "ten" "twelve" and many that were compounded of these and others, whereby they described the states of the church; wherefore these numbers contain arcana [or secrets] which would require much time to explain. It was an account or reckoning of the states of the church. The same thing occurs in many parts of the Word, especially the prophetical...
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...[6] ...by "number" is signified the quality of a thing and of a state, and the quality is determined by the adjoined number... This is signified by "number" in John: He causeth that he give to all a mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads, and that no one can buy or sell save he that hath the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath intelligence count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; namely, the number six hundred and sixty-six (Rev. 13:16-18). [7] The subject treated of in this chapter is the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth; by the "beast out of the sea" is meant the truth of the church falsified by means of memory-knowledges which are from the world; and by the "beast out of the earth" is meant the truth of the church falsified by means of the literal sense of the Word applied to favor the evils of the loves of self and of the world; for the "earth" denotes the church as to good and truth (see the places cited in n. 9325; and the "sea" denotes memory-knowledge in general, n. 28, 2850, 2120). "To have his mark upon the hand and upon the forehead" denotes to acknowledge all things no matter what they may be; for the "forehead" signifies love (n. 9936); and a "name" signifies all the quality of that which is being treated of (n. 3006, 3421, 6674, 8274, 1930). [8] "To count the number of the beast" denotes to explore and know these falsified truths of the church; "the number of a man" signifies the subject and the state of the church; "six hundred and sixty-six" signifies its quality as to all truths falsified from evil, and also the profanation of what is holy, and likewise the end. To know these things, and to explore them, is the part of a wise and intelligent man, and therefore it is said, "this is wisdom, let him that hath intelligence count its number;" for the number "six" signifies the same as the number "twelve," because it is the half of it (n. 3960, 7973, 8148); and "twelve" signifies all the truths and goods of the church in the complex (n. 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913, 7973), hence also in the opposite sense it signifies all falsities and evils in the complex. The trebling of the number six also involves the end, and the end is when truth is completely profaned. [9]From all this it is very evident that numbers in the Word involve things and states, and signify quality according to the numbers fixed upon, as also in the following words in John: The angel measured the wall of the holy Jerusalem a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (Rev. 21:17); by the number fixed upon in this passage are also signified all truths and goods in the complex, for "a hundred and forty-four" signifies the same as "twelve" (n. 7973), for it arises from twelve multiplied into itself; and therefore it is here said that its "measure is the measure of a man," as above that this number is "the number of a man;" but as truths from good are here signified, it is added that this measure is also "the measure of an angel," for "an angel" in the Word signifies truths from good, because he is a recipient of Divine truth from the Lord (see n. 8192).
...[6] ...by "number" is signified the quality of a thing and of a state, and the quality is determined by the adjoined number... This is signified by "number" in John: He causeth that he give to all a mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads, and that no one can buy or sell save he that hath the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath intelligence count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; namely, the number six hundred and sixty-six (Rev. 13:16-18). [7] The subject treated of in this chapter is the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth; by the "beast out of the sea" is meant the truth of the church falsified by means of memory-knowledges which are from the world; and by the "beast out of the earth" is meant the truth of the church falsified by means of the literal sense of the Word applied to favor the evils of the loves of self and of the world; for the "earth" denotes the church as to good and truth (see the places cited in n. 9325; and the "sea" denotes memory-knowledge in general, n. 28, 2850, 2120). "To have his mark upon the hand and upon the forehead" denotes to acknowledge all things no matter what they may be; for the "forehead" signifies love (n. 9936); and a "name" signifies all the quality of that which is being treated of (n. 3006, 3421, 6674, 8274, 1930). [8] "To count the number of the beast" denotes to explore and know these falsified truths of the church; "the number of a man" signifies the subject and the state of the church; "six hundred and sixty-six" signifies its quality as to all truths falsified from evil, and also the profanation of what is holy, and likewise the end. To know these things, and to explore them, is the part of a wise and intelligent man, and therefore it is said, "this is wisdom, let him that hath intelligence count its number;" for the number "six" signifies the same as the number "twelve," because it is the half of it (n. 3960, 7973, 8148); and "twelve" signifies all the truths and goods of the church in the complex (n. 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913, 7973), hence also in the opposite sense it signifies all falsities and evils in the complex. The trebling of the number six also involves the end, and the end is when truth is completely profaned. [9]From all this it is very evident that numbers in the Word involve things and states, and signify quality according to the numbers fixed upon, as also in the following words in John: The angel measured the wall of the holy Jerusalem a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (Rev. 21:17); by the number fixed upon in this passage are also signified all truths and goods in the complex, for "a hundred and forty-four" signifies the same as "twelve" (n. 7973), for it arises from twelve multiplied into itself; and therefore it is here said that its "measure is the measure of a man," as above that this number is "the number of a man;" but as truths from good are here signified, it is added that this measure is also "the measure of an angel," for "an angel" in the Word signifies truths from good, because he is a recipient of Divine truth from the Lord (see n. 8192).
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