660. And those who have the victory over the beast, over its image and over its mark and over the number of its name. This symbolizes people who rejected faith alone and its accompanying doctrine, and so did not acknowledge or become imbued with its falsities, and did not falsify the Word.

The beast symbolizes the dragon's faith among the laity, which was the subject of chapter 13:1-10, because its image was made then (13:14). Its image symbolizes doctrine (nos. 602, 634, 637). Its mark symbolizes an acknowledgment of that faith (nos. 605, 606, 634, 637, 679). The number of its name symbolizes a falsification of the Word (no. 610).

It is apparent from this that these words symbolize people who rejected faith alone and its accompanying doctrine, and so did not acknowledge or become imbued with its falsities, and did not falsify the Word.

679. In people who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. This symbolically means, in those clergy who live faith alone and accept the doctrine teaching it.

To have the mark of the beast means, symbolically, to acknowledge faith alone, to affirm it in oneself, and to live in accordance with it. And to worship its image means, symbolically, to accept the doctrine teaching it (see no. 602 above, also numbers634, 637).

To live in accordance with faith alone and to accept its doctrine means to attach no importance to living for the sake of salvation, and to attach no importance to the truth, believing that if people only pray to God the Father to have pity for the sake of the Son, they are saved.

The people who do this are especially those who know and acknowledge the interior tenets of the doctrine, as they are the subject here (see no. 677 just above).