Apocalypse Explained#651
651. And shall overcome them, and kill them.- That this signifies the destruction thence of all the good and truth of the church, is evident from the signification of overcome and killing the two witnesses, as denoting to destroy those things which the two witnesses signify, which are the good of love and of charity, and the truth of doctrine and of faith. That the affections of the natural man separated from the affections of the spiritual man, which are evil desires of every kind arising from infernal loves, will destroy those things, is signified by the beast coming up out of the abyss; that it was predicted that this will come to pass at the end of the church, when the Last Judgment takes place, has been stated above. To kill, in the Word, signifies to kill spiritually, which is here to destroy the good of love and truth of doctrine, as may be seen above (n. 315).
Revelation第13章:11-18
11
I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.
12
He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13
He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people.
14
He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.
15
It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16
He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads;
17
and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18
Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
