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فكلم ارميا كل الشعب الرجال والنساء وكل الشعب الذين جاوبوه بهذا الكلام قائلا
Apocalypse Revealed #597
597. And causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal injury was healed. This symbolically means that in this way, by supporting arguments, the clergy have established that it be acknowledged as a sacred tenet of the church that because no one can do any good work of himself and fulfill the law, the only means of salvation is faith in the righteousness and merit of Christ, who suffered for mankind and thereby took away the condemnation of the law.
We skip an explanation of these words because their meanings follow from the explanations above in nos. 566, 577, 578, 579, 580, 581, 582. The earth and those who dwell in it symbolize the Protestant Reformed Church, as before. To worship means, symbolically, to acknowledge as a sacred tenet of the church, as before too. That is what is meant here by the beast from the sea whose mortal injury was healed, and it is something we explained above.
Matthew 16:1-4
1
The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
2
But he answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'
3
In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times!
4
An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah." He left them, and departed.
