Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 13:11
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AR 594
. Verse 11. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, signifies the clergy in the churches of the Reformed who are in the doctrine and faith of the dragon concerning God and salvation. What the faith of the dragon is and its quality, may be seen in (n. 537). That it is the laity that are meant by "the beast which came up out of the sea," and the clergy by "the beast which came up out of the earth," because by "the sea" is signified the external of the church, and by "the earth" its internal (n. 398, 567); and the laity are in the externals of the doctrine of the church, and the clergy are in its internals. That the clergy are now described, appears from all the particulars which follow, when understood in the spiritual sense; and manifestly from this, that this beast is also called "the false prophet" (Apoc. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10); and especially from the following passage:--
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that did signs before him, by which he seduced them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that adored his image (Apoc. 19:20).
That this beast did signs before the other, by which he seduced them, is said in this chapter in these words:--
And he doeth great signs, and he seduceth them that dwell on the earth, on account of the signs which it was given him to do before the beast, saying to them to make an image to the beast, and adore it (Apoc. 13:13-15).
AR 595
. And he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake like the dragon, signifies that they speak, teach, and write from the Word, as if it were from the Lord’s Divine truth, and yet it is truth falsified. By "horns" is signified power (n. 270, 443), here the power of speaking, teaching, and writing, thus of reasoning and arguing. The horns were seen "like a lamb," signifies that they propagate these their notions as though they were the Lord‘s Divine truths, because they are from the Word; for by "a lamb" is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, and also as to the Word, which is the Divine truth from the Divine good; hence it is that upon this beast, which is also the false prophet (n. 594), there appeared two horns like a lamb; but that they were Divine truths falsified, is signified by "be spake like a dragon." That all the truths of the Word are falsified by those who are in the faith of the dragon concerning God and salvation, may be seen in (n. 566). That these two things are signified by this beast had "two horns like a lamb and he spake like a dragon," appears evidently from these words of the Lord in Matthew:--
If anyone shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not; for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall give great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they shall lead into error the elect; behold I have told you before (Matthew 24:23-25).
By "Christ" is signified the same as here by "lamb"; namely the Lord as to the Divine truth of the Word; therefore their saying, "Lo, here is Christ," signifies that they would say that this is the Divine truth of the Word; but that it is that falsified is signified by these words: "If anyone shall say unto you, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets." That these are they concerning whom the Lord prophesied, is plain from this, that it is said they would give great signs and wonders, and would if possible lead into error the elect; the same as is said of the beast, which is the false prophet (verses 13, 14). The things which the Lord foretold in that chapter of Matthew relate to the last time or state of the church, which is there meant by "the consummation of the age."
REVELATION 13:11
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