16
I came··near upon one of those who stood by, and sought from him the certainty concerning all this. And he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the thing.
Daniel 7:16
Apocalypse Revealed # 694
694. 16:10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast. This symbolizes influx into the people's faith.
The angel's pouring out his bowl means, symbolically, here as before, influx, and the throne of the beast means, symbolically, where faith alone reigns. A throne symbolizes a kingdom or realm, and the beast faith alone (nos. 567, 576, 577, 594, 601, 660).
That a throne is also mentioned in connection with the reign of evil and falsity is apparent from the following:
The dragon gave (the beast) its power, its throne, and great authority. (Revelation 13:2)
I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. (Revelation 2:13)
I watched till thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days was seated. (Daniel 7:9)
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and... the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. (Haggai 2:22)
(Lucifer said:) "I will exalt my throne above the stars... (Isaiah 14:13)
And elsewhere.
Apocalypse Revealed # 576
576. 13:3 And I saw one of its heads appearing as though fatally wounded. This symbolically means that this point of doctrine, which is at the head of all the rest, that a person is justified and saved by faith alone apart from works of the law, does not accord with the Word, in which works are so often commanded.
One of its heads symbolizes the principal and fundamental point of the entire doctrine of the Protestant Reformed Church; for the beast had seven heads, which symbolize irrationality resulting from absolute falsities (no. 568), thus also all their falsities in their entirety, inasmuch as the number seven in the Word symbolizes all (nos. 10, 390). And because their doctrinal falsities regarding salvation all depend on this one, that a person is justified and saved by faith alone apart from works of the law, that is the one symbolized here by one of the beast's heads.
Its appearing as though fatally wounded means symbolically that it does not accord with the Word, in which works are so often commanded. For every tenet of the church's doctrine that does not accord with the Word is not sound, but is sick with a deadly disease, inasmuch as the doctrine of the church must come from the Word and from nowhere else.
