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Revelation 13

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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.

   

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Apocalypse Explained #928

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928. Seven angels having the seven last plagues. That this signifies evils and falsities in their whole extent which have entirely devastated the church, as to all its goods and truths, made evident by Divine truth from the Lord, is clear from the signification of angels, as denoting Divine truths from the Lord (concerning which see above, n. 130, 302); from the signification of seven, as denoting all things completely (see n. 20, 24, 257, 300); and from the signification of plagues, as denoting the evils and falsities that have devastated the church (concerning which see above, n. 584). And because seven denote all things completely, therefore by the seven plagues are signified evils and falsities in their whole extent, which entirely devastate the church. All evils in the complex pertaining to those who devastate are signified by the number one thousand six hundred (chapter 14:20, concerning which see n. 924); and all falsities in the complex pertaining to those who devastate are signified by the number six hundred and sixty-six (chapter 13:18, concerning which see n. 847); and from the signification of last, as denoting as to all goods and truths; for then is the last and what is consummated. From these things it is evident, that by the seven angels having the seven last plagues, are signified evils and falsities in their whole extent, that have entirely devastated the church, as to all its goods and truths, made evident by Divine truth from the Lord.

[2] How the evils and falsities that have entirely devastated the church were made evident by the Lord is described in the following parts of this chapter from verses 5 to 8. That the church is devastated as to all goods and truths, is evident from this, that the Christian Church, from its beginning, was divided into two, one of which is described in the Apocalypse by the dragon and the two beasts; but the other, by the whore sitting upon the scarlet beast, and by Babylon. That which is described by the dragon and his two beasts, is the church with the Reformed; and that which is described by the whore and by Babylon, is the church with the Papists. The church with the Reformed has been devastated by faith alone; and the church with the Papists, by dominion over the souls of men, and over heaven. The devastation of this latter church as to all goods and the truths therefrom is treated of in chapters 17 and 18; and the devastation of the church with the Reformed is described in chapters 12 and 13; and further in chapter 16, by the seven angels having vials full of the wrath of God.

[3] That both churches have been devastated as to all goods and truths by evils and falsities is perfectly clear from this, that hardly any one at this day knows that God is one, and that He is the Lord; also what love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are, and hence what are good works. Nor, indeed, is it known what faith is in its essence; and that what they call faith is not faith; nor, also, what is the nature of conscience, free will, regeneration, spiritual temptation, Baptism, the Holy Supper, Heaven and Hell, the Word, and several other things. And because these things are not known, goods and truths are hidden; and, in proportion as worldly and corporeal things are loved, in the same proportion they are lightly esteemed, indeed, are rejected; and then instead of goods, evils enter, and instead of truths, falsities enter. Thus the church is devastated.

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