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 sense of 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 of works with faith n. 822.

6862. 'And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me' means compassion on those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cry' as a calling for help, dealt with in 6801, and consequently when it says that the cry came to Jehovah or the Lord, much the same is implied by it as by 'hearing' ('hearing' means bringing the help of His mercy, or having compassion, see 6852); and from the meaning of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6637.