818. Verse 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 death-stroke was healed.

"And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him," signifies, the connection of reasonings from the natural man with the sense of the letter of the Word, whereby the religion of faith separate is strengthened; "and he causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast," signifies, whence those who in the church are in falsities and evils therefrom, acknowledge the agreement thereof in heart; "whose death-stroke was healed," signifies, and so the disagreement removed by contrived conjunctions of works with faith.