575. And the dragon gave it its power, its throne, and great authority. This symbolically means that this heresy prevails and reigns as a result of its acceptance by the laity.

The dragon symbolizes this heresy, as explained in no. 537. The beast here symbolizes the laity (no. 567), who do not speak on their own, but quote their teachers, and because the laity constitute the populace, it is apparent that this heresy prevails and reigns owing to their acceptance of it.

This, then, is what is symbolized by the power, throne and great authority that the dragon gave this beast, and by the following statement in verse 4, "Then they worshiped the dragon which gave authority to the beast."

The dragon prevails and reigns through these people, especially through this dogma of their religion, that the intellect must be held captive in obedience to faith; that faith is something that is not understood; and that in spiritual matters, a faith in something that is understood is an intellect-oriented faith, which is not justifying.

When this faith prevails among the laity, the clergy have power, veneration, and a kind of worship on account of the Divine things which they are believed by the laity to know, and which the laity soak up on their authority.

Power symbolizes influence, a throne government, and great authority dominion.