567. REVELATION: CHAPTER 13

1. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on its horns ten jewels, ¹ and on its heads a blasphemous name.

2. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, whose feet were like those of a bear, and its mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave it its power, its throne, and great authority.

3. And I saw one of its heads appearing as though fatally wounded, and its mortal injury was healed. And all the earth went marveling after the beast.

4. Then they worshiped the dragon which gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who can fight against it?"

5. And it was given a mouth speaking great and blasphemous things, and it was given authority to do so for forty-two months.

6. Then it opened its mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and against His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

7. It was granted it to make war with the saints and overcome them. And it was given authority over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

8. All who dwell on the earth will worship it, all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9. If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

10. Anyone who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; anyone who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

12. And it exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal injury was healed.

13. It also performs great signs, so as to even make fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men,

14. and to lead astray those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs which it was granted to do in the presence of the beast, telling those dwelling upon the earth to make an image of the beast that was injured by the sword and lived.

15. It was also granted it to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might speak and cause whoever does not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

16. And it causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive from it a mark on their right hand and on their foreheads,

17. so that no one can buy or sell if he does not have the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of its name.

18. Here is wisdom: let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and its number is 666.

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING

The Contents of the Whole Chapter

The dragon continues to be the subject in this chapter, which describes the doctrine and faith meant by the dragon. The character of that doctrine and faith among the laity, and then its character among the clergy. The beast rising up out of the sea describes the doctrine and faith among the laity (verses 1-10), and the beast coming up out of the earth the doctrine and faith among the clergy (verses 11-17).

Lastly it describes the clergy's falsification of the Word's truth (verse 18).

The Contents of the Individual Verses:

THE EXPOSITION

13:1

And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. This symbolizes the laity in the Protestant Reformed churches who are caught up in the doctrine and faith of the dragon regarding God and salvation.

The nature and character of the faith of the dragon may be seen in no. 537. The same faith continues to be the subject in this chapter, and the beast here that John saw rising up out of the sea means that faith among the laity, whereas the beast from the earth, described in verse 11, means that faith among the clergy.

That the dragon continues to be the subject here is apparent from the following statements in this chapter: that the dragon gave to the beast rising up out of the sea its power, its throne, and great authority (verse 2); that they worshiped the dragon which gave authority to the beast (verse 4); and, concerning the beast coming up out of the earth, that it spoke like a dragon (verse 11); and that it exercised all the authority of the first beast in the presence of the dragon (verse 12).

The laity are the people meant by the beast from the sea, and the clergy those meant by the beast from the earth, because the sea symbolizes the outer aspect of the church, and the land its inner aspect (no. 398 and elsewhere); and the laity are concerned with the external elements of the church's doctrine, while the clergy are concerned with its internal elements. That is why the beast from the earth is later called a false prophet. ³

That they are people in the Protestant Reformed churches is because the Protestant Reformed are the subject to the end of chapter 16, while Roman Catholics are the subject in chapters 17, 18. Then the subject after that is the Last Judgment and finally the New Church.

[2] These people were seen as beasts because the dragon is a beast, and because a beast in the Word symbolizes a person in respect to his affections - harmless and useful beasts a person in respect to good affections, and harmful and useless ones a person in respect to evil affections. People of the church are in general called sheep, therefore, and a company of them a flock, and one who teaches is called a shepherd.

That is also why the Word in respect to its power, affection, understanding and wisdom is described above in chapter four by four living creatures - a lion, a calf, an eagle and a human being - and an understanding of the Word by horses in chapter six.

The reason is that in the spiritual world a person's affections look at a distance like animals, as we have often said before; and regarded in themselves, animals are no more than embodiments of natural affections, while people are embodiments not only of natural affections, but also at the same time of spiritual affections.

[3] That animals mean people in respect to their affections can be seen from the following passages:

You... will cause to fall a kindly rain. You will confirm Your inheritance... The beast, Your congregation, ⁴ shall dwell in it. (Psalms 68:9-10)

...every wild beast of the forest is Mine, the beasts on a thousand mountains. I know every bird of the mountains; the beast of My fields is with Me. (Psalms 50:10-11)

...Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon... ...its height was exalted... All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs, and under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young, and in its shade all great nations made their home. (Ezekiel 31:3-6, cf. 31:10, 31:13, Daniel 4:10-16)

In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens... And I will betroth you to Me forever. (Hosea 2:18-19)

Rejoice and be glad! ...Do not be afraid, you beasts of My fields, for the habitations of the wilderness have become grassy meadows. (Joel 2:21-23)

In that day there shall be a great tumult... Judah... will fight against Jerusalem... And such also shall be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, and the donkey, and every beast... And it shall come to pass that the remnant... shall go up (to Jerusalem). (Zechariah 14:13-16)

Birds shall abominate him, and every beast of the earth shall disdain him. (Isaiah 18:6)

...you, son of man..., "Say to every winged bird and to every beast of the field, '...Gather together... to My sacrifice... on the mountains of Israel... (Thus) I will set My glory among the nations.'" (Ezekiel 39:17-21)

(Jehovah) gathers the outcasts of Israel... Every beast of My fields, come... (Isaiah 56:8-9)

(Jehovah) will destroy Assyria... There shall lie down in her midst every wild beast of the nation, both the desert owl and the screech owl in her pomegranates... (Zephaniah 2:13-14)

(The sheep) were scattered without a shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast of the field... (Ezekiel 34:5, cf. 34:8)

I will cast you out on the face of the field, and cause to dwell on you every bird of the heavens. And with you I will satiate the wild beasts of the whole earth. (Ezekiel 32:4; see also 5:17; 29:5; 33:27; 39:4, Jeremiah 15:3; 16:4; 19:7; 27:5-6)

An enemy reproaches Jehovah... Do not deliver the life of (the) turtledove to the beast! (Psalms 74:18-19)

"I saw in... vision... four... beasts coming up from the sea... The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings... ...a second, like a bear... ...(a third) like a leopard... ...and a fourth..., dreadful... (Daniel 7:2-7)

...the Spirit drove (Jesus) out into the wilderness. And He was... with the beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. (Mark 1:12-13)

[4] He was not with beasts, but with devils, who are here meant by beasts.

So also in other places where beasts and wild beasts are mentioned, such as Isaiah 35:9; 43:20; Jeremiah 12:4, 8-10; Ezekiel 8:10; 34:23, 25, 28; 38:18-20; Hosea 4:2-3; 13:8; Exodus 23:28-30; Leviticus 26:6; Deuteronomy 7:22; 32:24. Beasts in these places symbolize people in respect to their affections.

[5] Man and beast mentioned together in the following passages symbolize a person in respect to his spiritual affection and in respect to his natural affection: Jeremiah 7:20; 21:6; 27:5; 31:27; 32:43; 33:10-12; 36:29; 50:3; Psalms 36:6; Numbers 18:15.

All the animals that were sacrificed symbolized good affections. So, too, animals that were eaten. And the converse animals that were not to be eaten (Leviticus 20:25-26).

Poznámky pod čarou:

9258. 'And you would cease from removing [it] for him' means not receiving truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'ceasing from removing' as not giving instruction and correcting, at this point not being able to receive instruction, and so not receiving truth since what is said refers to falsity which does not accord with the Church's good, and that falsity is such. The fact that 'removing' has this meaning in the spiritual sense is evident from this consideration, that words are used with reference to the matter under discussion. Thus 'removing' is used in the sense of the letter with reference to the burden under which the ass lies, and in the internal sense with reference to the falsity that is not in accord with the Church's good. In the internal sense therefore not removing from falsity by means of correction is meant, thus also not receiving truth brought about through such correcting or removing. There are falsities which are in accord with the Church's good, and there are falsities which are not in accord with it. The falsities that are in accord are ones which have good lying hidden within them, and which for that reason can be brought by the good nearer to truths. But the falsities that are not in accord with the Church's good are ones which have evil lying hidden within them, and which for that reason cannot be brought nearer to truths.

[2] As regards the good which lies within authentic truths, or else within unauthentic truths, which have been called falsities immediately above, and as regards the evil within falsities and even within truths, that good or evil is like the reproductive germ of life in the seed of a fruit. When the fruit starts to grow all its fibres fix their attention on the germ in the seed; they nourish it with juice passing through them and form it. But once it has been formed the fibres forsake it and convey the juice away from the seed. As a consequence the flesh of the fruit deteriorates and goes rotten, and then it serves the germ as its soil. The same applies to the seed itself when the germ in it begins a new phase of development in the ground. The germ of life in new shoots corresponds to the good within a person; the seed itself corresponds to the inward parts of his being; and the flesh around the seed corresponds to the outward parts. When the inward part of a person is formed anew or regenerated, the factual knowledge and truths belonging to the external man are like the fibres of a fruit through which juice is transported to the inward part. And afterwards, when the person has been regenerated, they are separated and serve as the soil [for the inward part]. Something similar happens in the person's inward part to which the seed corresponds. The good which has been formed in that manner gives rise to a new person, just as the germ within the seed develops into a new tree or new shoot. In this way all things are made new, after which they multiply and remain fruitful for evermore. So it is that the new person becomes like a garden, a paradise garden, to which also he is compared in the Word.

[3] This is the meaning of the Lord's words in Matthew,

The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a person took and sowed in his field, which is the smallest of all seeds. But when it has grown it is the greatest of all plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. Matthew 13:31-32.

These words make clear what the situation is with authentic truths and unauthentic truths which have good within them, namely this: When the good has been formed it gives rise to truths such as are in accord with good. Even if they are unauthentic truths they are accepted as though they were authentic ones because they savour of good; for they derive their very being and life from it. Good germinates and develops by means of truths, and while it is developing it is constantly endeavouring to give birth to new good which holds a like ability to germinate. It acts in much the same way as the seed's reproductive germ does in a new shoot or tree when this comes up out of the ground and exists to produce new fruit and new seeds. But there are endless varieties, the different natures of which are determined by the kinds of good that have been formed through a charitable life led in keeping with the commandments of faith.

[4] By contrast one can see also what the situation is with falsities which have evil within them, namely that they are like trees which bear bad fruit, which must be uprooted and thrown into the fire, in accordance with the Lord's words in Matthew,

Every good tree bears good fruit, but a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:17-20; 12:33.

And in John,

Jesus said, As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you cannot do anything. If a person does not abide in Me he will be cast forth as a branch and be withered; and they gather it and throw it into the fire, and it is burned. John 15:4-6.

From this it is evident that all good which is going to bear any fruit begins in the Lord, and unless it comes from Him it is not good.