787. And the whole earth wondered after the beast. That this signifies acceptance by the more learned in the church, and a remote reception by those who are less learned, is evident from the signification of wondering after the beast, when said of that discordance with the Word which is apparently removed by conjunctions concerning works with faith that have been devised, as denoting acceptance by the more learned, and reception by the less learned, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of earth, as denoting the church (concerning which see above, n. 29, 304, 417, 697, 741, 742, 752).

[2] The reason why the whole earth wondering after the beast signifies acceptance and reception is, that wondering exercises an attraction, and those whom it attracts follow it. In the Word mention is sometimes made of going and walking after God; also after other gods, after a leader, and after many; and this signifies to follow and acknowledge in heart; also to be and to live with them, and to be in fellowship with them, as in the following passages. In 1 Kings:

"David hath kept my precepts, and walked after me with all his heart, to do what is right in mine eyes" (14:8).

In 1 Samuel:

"The sons of Jesse went after Saul to the war" (17:13).

In Moses:

"Thou shalt not go after a multitude to evils; thou shalt not speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to pervert" (Exodus 23:2).

In Jeremiah:

Thou shalt not go "after other gods whom thou hast not known" (7:9).

Again:

"They went after other gods to serve them" (11:10; Deuteronomy 8:19).

Again:

"The man who goeth after Baal-peor, Jehovah thy God will destroy from the midst of thee" (Deuteronomy 4:3).

It is therefore evident that to go after any one signifies to follow him, to obey him, to act from him, and to live from him. To walk also signifies to live. From these things it is evident, that by wondering after the beast is signified acceptance and reception, from a persuasion that discordance with the Word is apparently removed.

[3] The reason why acceptance by the learned, and remote reception by the less learned is signified is, because the learned devised the conjunction of faith with its life, which produce good works; but the less learned, not being able to search inwardly into these discordances, received them, every one according to his apprehension. Hence the dogma that faith alone is the essential means of salvation has been received in the whole world or the Christian Church.

[4] It shall also be explained, in a few words, how the chief point of that religion, that salvation consists in faith alone, and not in good works, has been to all appearance removed, and is thence accepted by the learned. For the latter have devised degrees of the progression of faith to good works; these they call degrees of justification. The first degree they make to consist in hearing from masters and preachers; the second degree, information derived from the Word proving this. The third degree they make to be acknowledgment. Now, because nothing of the church can be acknowledged in heart, unless temptation precedes, therefore they adjoin temptation to this degree; and if the doubts, which are then presented, are dissipated from the Word, or by the preacher, and victory is obtained by this means, they say that the man has confidence, which is said to be a certainty of the truth of the thing, and also confidence that he is saved by the Lord's merit. But because the doubts which occur in temptations arise chiefly from not understanding the Word, where deeds, works, doing, and working, are so often mentioned, they say that the understanding is to be kept in obedience to faith. Hence follows the fourth degree, which is the endeavour to do good; and in this they come to a conclusion, saying that when man arrives at this degree he is justified, and that then all the actions of his life are accepted by God, the evils of his life not being seen by Him, because they are pardoned.

This conjunction of faith with good works has been devised by the learned, and also accepted by them, but it rarely extends to the common people. In the first place, because it is beyond the comprehension of some of them; and, secondly, because they are for the most part engaged in their business and employment, these diverting the mind from understanding the inner mysteries of this doctrine.

[5] The conjunction of faith with good works, and thereby an apparent agreement with the Word, is received in a different manner by those who are less learned. These know nothing about the degrees of justification, but believe that faith alone is the only means of salvation. And when they see from the Word, and hear from the preacher, that goods must be done, and that man is to be judged according to his works, they think that faith produces good works, for they suppose that to know those things which the preacher teaches, and thence to think that it is so, constitutes faith. And because this goes before, they believe that faith produces good works, which they call the fruits of faith, not knowing that such faith is a faith of the memory only, which, strictly considered, is historical faith, because derived from another, thus of that other with them, and that such faith can never produce any good fruit.

Into this error the majority of the Christian world has fallen in consequence of faith alone having been received as the chief, in fact, as the only means of salvation. But how faith and charity, or believing and doing, make one, shall be explained in what follows.

662. Because those two prophets tormented them that dwell upon the earth.- That this signifies anxiety of heart in the devastated church from these, is clear from the signification of the two witnesses, here called two prophets, as denoting the goods and truths of doctrine; from the signification of tormenting, as denoting anxiety of heart; and from the signification of them that dwell upon the earth, as denoting those who live in the church, in this case, in the devastated church. By these words therefore is signified anxiety of heart from the goods of love and truths of doctrine with those who are of the devastated church. For the subject here treated of is the end of the church, when the loves of self and of the world, and their lusts (concupiscentiae), and the evils and falsities of those lusts, have dominion; then men are tormented by the goods of love and truths of doctrine, for interiorly or in their hearts they hold these in hatred, howsoever they may profess them with their lips; and when that which a man holds in hatred enters, it interiorly torments him.

[2] But such a man of the church, during his abode in the world, does not know that he holds those two witnesses in such hatred, and that he is interiorly tormented by them, for he does not know the state of his interior thought and affection, but only the state of the exterior thought and affection that pass immediately into the speech. But when he comes into the spiritual world, his exterior thought and affection are laid asleep, and the interior opened, and then he feels such a repugnance from hatred of the goods of love and truths of doctrine, that he cannot bear to hear them. When such a man therefore enters any angelic society, where spiritual love and faith prevail, he is severely tormented, which is a sign of interior repugnance, from hatred of them. The signification of those two prophets tormenting them that dwell on the earth is evident from these things. By them that dwell on the earth are meant, in a good sense, those in the church who are in good as to life but here, those who are in evil, for such are interiorly tormented by the goods of love and truths of doctrine. That to dwell signifies to live, and thus life, is evident from those passages in the Word, where to dwell is mentioned, as Isaiah 9:2; 13:20; 37:16; Jeremiah 2:6; 51:13; Dan. 2:22; 4:12; Ezekiel 31:6; Hosea 9:3; Psalm 23:6; 27:4; 80:1; 101:7; Zeph. 3:6; and elsewhere.