1020. That these things are meant becomes clear from the fact that everything put together as history from Genesis 1 down to Eber in Chapter 11 means something different from what appears in the letter, and from the consideration that the historical narratives there are purely made-up history customary among the most ancient people. When attesting the truth of some matter they would say that 'Jehovah said it'. Here however 'God' is used because the subject is the spiritual Church. And they did the same when anything true was being, or had been, put into effect.

648. Verses 7, 8. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their bodies shall be upon the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

7. "And when they shall have finished their testimony," signifies in the end of the church, when the Divine of the Lord is no longer acknowledged, and thence there is no longer any good of love or truth of doctrine n. 649; "the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them," signifies assault from infernal love n. 650; "and shall overcome them and kill them" signifies the consequent destruction of every good and truth of the church (n. 651).

8. "And their bodies shall be upon the street of the great city," signifies their extinction by the evils and falsities of doctrine n. 652; "which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt," signifies through the evils of the love of self, and the falsities therefrom (n. 653, 654); "where also our Lord was crucified," signifies by which, namely, by evils and falsities therefrom springing from infernal love, the Lord was rejected and condemned n. 655.