The Bible

 

Revelation 13

Study

   

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and Six.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #795

Study this Passage

  
/ 1232  
  

795. Because in the preceding articles the existence of faith from charity is treated of, it shall also be briefly explained which is prior and which is later. It has been shown that charity produces faith as good produces truth, and as affection produces thought, also as fire produces light; it is therefore speaking altogether contrary to order, and inversely, to say that faith produces charity or the goods thereof, which are called good works. It must be known, however, that charity, which in its essence is the affection of knowing, understanding, willing, and doing truth, does not come into any perception that a man has, before it has formed itself in the thought - this being from the understanding; for then it presents itself under some form or appearance, by virtue of which it comes before the interior sight; for thought that a thing is so in truth, is called faith. It is therefore evident that charity is actually prior and faith later; just as good is actually prior and truth later; or as the producing principle is essentially prior to the product; and as being (esse) is prior to manifestation (existere). For charity is from the Lord, and is also first formed in the spiritual mind. But because charity does not appear to man before it becomes faith, therefore it may be said, that faith is not in man before it becomes charity in form. Wherefore, concerning the existence of charity and faith with man, it may be said, that they both exist at the same moment. For although charity produces faith, still, because they make one, they can never exist separate the one from the other - so far as regards man's perception is concerned - neither as to degree, nor quality.

From these things it is also evident, that the conjunction of the Lord with man is like the conjunction of good with truth; good being from the Lord, and truths being with man; but nevertheless they are truths which do not as yet live. As man, however, receives good in truths, so he receives the Lord in himself, and is made alive. And he receives in proportion as he abstains from evils, and shuns and is averse to them from the Word; for so he shuns and is averse to them from the Lord, and not from himself.

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.