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.

876. And worship him who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water. That this signifies acknowledgment and confession of Him from whom is the all of heaven and the church, and from whom is Divine truth, or the Word, is evident from the signification of worshipping, as denoting to acknowledge in heart, thus to confess and worship; concerning which see above (n. 790, 805, 821); and from the signification of heaven and earth, as denoting the internal and external of the church; concerning which also see above (n. 304, 752). The reason why heaven and the church are signified is, that the internal of the church within man is heaven; for it is in conjunction with the angels, because it makes one with them; for, as said above, man's internal is formed to the idea and image of heaven; but his external, to the idea and image of the world. However, the church within man, while he lives in the world, is in his Natural, which is his external; but then it is the church within man in his Natural or external, only when the internal is opened; for the church cannot exist within any one unless he has heaven within, whence enlightenment and influx from the Lord may pass into the Natural or external which is beneath. The same is also evident from the signification of the sea, as denoting Divine truth in ultimates, thus the Word in the letter, this being Divine truth in ultimates. The reason why the sea has such a signification is, that seas, as it were, appear in the ultimates of heaven. For it is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord that forms the heavens and all things therein. The higher heavens appear to be in an ethereal atmosphere; the lower in an aerial atmosphere, and the lowest in a watery atmosphere; and this atmosphere appears like a sea to the eyes of those who stand afar off, but not to those who dwell there. Those who dwell there, are in the ultimates of Divine truth, which is such as the Word is in the sense of the letter. Hence it is that this is signified by the sea; but more may be seen above upon this subject (n. 275, 342, 511, 600).

The reason why the sea here signifies the Word in the letter is, that it is said the sea and the fountains of waters; and fountains of waters signify more interior Divine truth, such as is the Word in the spiritual sense. That a fountain of water has this signification is evident from the passages adduced from the Word and explained above (n. 483). That fountains of waters signify Divine truths from the Word is evident from this, that heaven and earth signify the internal and external of the church; and both are formed by Divine truth or the Word, as is said in John (1:1, 2, 14). The internal of the church [is formed] by means of Divine truth spiritual, and the external by Divine truth natural. Therefore fountains of waters are also here mentioned among the things made by the Lord.

[2] From these and many other things, it is evident how the spiritual ideas of angels differ from the natural ideas of men. The angels, whose ideas are spiritual, by worshipping Him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters, understand nothing but the acknowledgment and confession of the Lord, from whom is the all of heaven and the church; and from whom proceeds Divine truth, or the Word in the natural and spiritual senses. The reason why the angels thus understand these words is, that the heavens in which they are, and which appear to the eye entirely like our earth, but full of gardens, flower-beds, and shrubberies, are not permanent like the lands on our globe, but come into existence momentarily altogether, according to the reception of Divine truth by the angels. Therefore also the aspect of all things there is changed, as the state of reception is changed, and consequently the state of their intelligence and wisdom; thus, according to the states of the church within them, in such a way that so far as they have the church in them, so also all things exist correspondently before their eyes. When therefore the heavens and earth are mentioned, they cannot but have an idea of the church, because they derive all things therefrom. But men cannot have that spiritual idea when heaven and earth are mentioned, because they are ignorant of such things; but they have a natural idea, which is according to the sight of their eyes. For they see the permanent heaven and earth, which are not changed according to the reception of Divine truth, and thence of the church, as in the angelic heavens. By heaven, therefore, they understand nothing else but the visible heaven, and by earth, nothing else but the inhabited earth.

[3] The state of heaven and earth according to the state of the church was represented among the sons of Israel, by the face of the land of Canaan, where they dwelt, being changed according to the states of the church among them, only, however, as to the produce, that is, of the harvest, of the oil, the vine, the fruits, and as to the rains. But this was the case because all things with them were representative of heavenly things. This is why it is so often said in the Word, that the land should give its produce, if they would keep the statutes and do them. But the case is different at this day, now that the interior things of the church have been opened by the Lord, and externals, which were representative of the interiors, have ceased.

From these things it is also evident what a difference there is between the ideas of angels and the ideas of men, concerning the new heaven and the new earth. For the angels, from their ideas, perceive the destruction of the heavens and the earths in the spiritual world; but men, the destruction of the heavens and the earth in the natural world. The heavens and the earths in the spiritual world, upon which were those who had lived a moral life in externals, and not also a spiritual life from internals, have also perished, according to the predictions. But of these things more may be seen in the small work concerning the Last Judgment.