572. 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard. This symbolizes their heresy destructive of the church, being founded on the Word's truths falsified.

Animals in general symbolize people in respect to their affections (no. 567), and a leopard symbolizes an affection or penchant for falsifying the Word's truths. Moreover, because it is a fierce beast and slaughters harmless animals, it also symbolizes a heresy destructive of the church.

A leopard symbolizes the Word's truths falsified because of its black and white spots, its black spots symbolizing falsities, and the whiteness between them symbolizing truth. Consequently, because it is a fierce and savage beast, it symbolizes the Word's truths falsified and so destroyed.

A leopard has a similar symbolism in the following places:

Shall an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Then you also can do good who have been taught to do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23)

...a lion from the forest slew (the great men), a wolf in the fields shall devastate them; a leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out... shall be torn in pieces, because... their apostasies have become mighty. (Jeremiah 5:6)

A leopard lying watching their cities is to ambush doctrinal truths - a city being doctrine (no. 194).

(Because) they forgot Me... I have become to them like a lion, and like a leopard by the path I will watch them. (Hosea 13:5-7)

A path, too, symbolizes truth (no. 176).

The wolf shall tarry with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat... (Isaiah 11:6)

The subject there is the Lord's kingdom to come. The young goat is genuine truth in the church, and the leopard is that truth falsified.

(The third beast that came up from the sea) was like a leopard, which had on its back four wings... (Daniel 7:6)

On the four beasts seen by Daniel, see no. 574.

471. And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. (10:3) This symbolizes a grievous lamentation that the church was taken from Him.

That to cry aloud as when a lion roars symbolizes a grievous lamentation over the church, which was taken from Him, is apparent from the explanations in the preceding chapter, where the states of life of people in the church were examined and exposed, states that were lamentable. It is apparent also from the following declaration in this chapter, that the angel swore by Him who lives forever and ever that there should be no more time, which symbolically means that there would be no more church. And in the next chapter as well, that the beast ascending from the bottomless pit killed His two witnesses. Especially is it apparent from the fact that people do not acknowledge the Lord and turn to Him, even though He is God of heaven and earth.

A lamentation over this is what the angel's roaring like a lion symbolizes; for a lion roars when it sees its enemies and is attacked by them, and when it sees its young or its prey carried off. The same is comparatively the case with the Lord when He sees His church carried off by devils.

[2] That this is the symbolic meaning of roaring like a lion can be seen from the following passages:

As a lion roars, and a young lion over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds comes against him..., so Jehovah of Hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion... (Isaiah 31:4)

...the anger of Jehovah is kindled against His people... His roaring is like that of a lion, He roars like young lions; He growls and lays hold of the prey... (For) behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened in its ruins. (Isaiah 5:25-30)

Jehovah will roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His habitations. (Jeremiah 25:30)

Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem. (Joel 3:16)

I will not... destroy Ephraim... They shall go after Jehovah. He will roar like a lion, for He will roar... (Hosea 11:9-10)

A lion roars. Who does not fear? The Lord Jehovih has spoken. Who will not prophesy? (Amos 3:8)

(God) roars with His voice; He thunders with His majestic voice... (Job 37:4-5)

That roaring symbolizes a grievous lamentation is clear from the following passages:

...my bones grew old through my roaring all the day long. (Psalms 32:3)

I am feeble and worn; I have roared because of the roaring of my heart. (Psalms 38:8)

...my sighing comes before bread, and my roarings pour out like water. (Job 3:24)