722. 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness. This symbolizes John's being carried away in a spiritual state to people in whom everything of the church had been destroyed.

A wilderness symbolizes a church in which there is no longer any truth, thus where everything in it has been destroyed (no. 546). And to be in the spirit means, symbolically, to be in a spiritual state as a result of Divine influx, as said in no. 36 above. Consequently, John's being carried away in the spirit into the wilderness means symbolically that he was carried away in a spiritual state to people in whom everything having to do with the church was destroyed.

742. 17:13 "These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast." This symbolically means that Roman Catholics in France unanimously acknowledge that the only means of government and dominion over the church is through the Word.

To be of one mind means, symbolically, to unanimously acknowledge. To give power and authority to the beast means, symbolically, to assign government and dominion over the church to the Word. Government and dominion over the church are meant since, as the Word is the subject, the reference is to the church.

It is apparent from this that the ten kings being of one mind and giving their power and authority to the beast means symbolically that Roman Catholics in France unanimously acknowledge that the only means of government and dominion over the church is through the Word.

Roman Catholics in France do indeed acknowledge the Pope as head of the church, but view his government and dominion over the church as being not like that of the head over the body, but like something supreme above the body, which does not govern and rule of itself, but from God by means of the Word, and which is then to be obeyed. Consequently, interpretation of the Word is not the Pope's alone as he may decide, which is the case, because the Word's Divine authority is thus perverted and perishes.