1058. When they behold the beast, which was, and is not. That this signifies the knowledge that the Word was received, but still rejected, is evident from the signification of seeing, as denoting to know and cognise (concerning which see (n. 260, 529); and from the signification of the beast, as denoting the Word (see n. 1038); and from the signification of, which was, and is not, as denoting that it was received, and yet rejected (concerning which see (n. 1054, 1055, 1056).

Concerning the third kind of Profanation:-

[2] In this kind of profanation are those who adore Divine things with devout gestures and pious lips, and yet in heart and spirit deny them, thus, who outwardly and before the world venerate the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, and yet, at home and in secret, deride them. Such persons, when they are in a holy external, whether they teach in the temple or speak with the common people, do not know but that what they say is so, but as soon as they return into themselves, they think the contrary. Because these are such, they can counterfeit angels of light, although they are angels of darkness. It is therefore evident that this kind of profanation is a hypocritical one. They are not unlike gilded images made of dirt; fruits inwardly putrified, but beautiful in the skin; or nuts inwardly consumed by worms, but whole in the shell. From which it is evident that their internal is diabolical, and consequently their holy external profane.

[3] Such are many of the rulers in the Babylon of the present day, and many of a certain society therein, as they themselves know, who claim to themselves dominion over the souls of men, and over heaven. For to believe, as they do, that power is granted to them to save and admit into heaven, and to acknowledge in heart that there is a God, are two opposites. The reason is, that a man must look to the Lord, and supplicate Him, in order to be saved and admitted into heaven. But the man who believes that that power is given to him looks to himself, and believes the things that are the Lord's to be in himself. And to believe this, and at the same time to believe that there is a God, or that God is in him, is not possible. To believe that God is in him, while he thinks that he is above the holy things of the church, and heaven in his power, is to be like Lucifer. He who is inflamed with the fire of ruling over all things, if he thinks that God is in him, cannot but think this from himself; and to think from himself that God is in him, is to think that God is not in him, but that he himself is God; as also is said of Lucifer in Isaiah (14:13, 14), by whom is there meant Babylon, as is clear from verses 4 and 22 of the same chapter.

[4] Such a man also of himself shows what he is. He breaks out when power is given him, and this by degrees according to his elevation. Hence it is evident that such persons are atheists, some avowedly, some clandestinely, and some ignorantly. And as they regard domination as an end, and the holy things of heaven and the church as means, they counterfeit angels of light in face, gestures, and discourse, and thus profane holy things.

Water generally represents “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas, then, it follows that a sea represents a huge agglomeration of such natural truths -- usually all of the natural truth a person has, or all the natural truth a church has. Water in the sea mixes freely, and is easily stirred up by winds and currents. This is also true of the concepts we hold about natural things -- they are not all related to each other, and when relationships do exist they usually can change without damaging the concepts themselves. Many of the concepts are easily disputed, and arguments can arise like waves on the ocean -- generally with little effect other than a mixing of waters. But the sea also offers great bounty. We draw fish from it (spiritual food), float ships (doctrinal systems) on it, bathe in it (using true concepts to purify ourselves), and the water that evaporates from it and falls as rain (purer forms of truth that can attach to desires for good) makes life possible.