That it is received and acknowledged as Divine, is chiefly owing to their religion being founded on the keys given to Peter, of which the Word treats. But that it is nevertheless rejected is known, for it is taken away from the common people, is not read in the temples, and an equal degree of sanctity and inspiration is attributed to the edicts of the Pope as to the Word. But because these disagree with the Word it is, in general, weakened, indeed, blasphemed, by making it allowable to alter it according to the state of the church. It is therefore evident that the truth, that the Word is Divine, is profaned by them.

[2] That these things are signified by these words is evident from this, that by the beast treated of in this chapter is signified the Word; and it is called the eighth king, and still is of the seven. The reason why it is called the eighth king is, that by king is signified truth, and by the number eight good, and by seven the truth of good profaned. For the Word is truth conjoined with good; wherefore there is in every particular of it a marriage of good and truth. When these things are signified by those words, then their sense is clearly evident. Otherwise no one could perceive, nor indeed conjecture, what is meant by the beast being the eighth king, and yet of the seven, and by going into perdition; for to be the eighth, and yet to be of the seven, would be a contradiction. Neither likewise could any one perceive or conjecture what is meant by the seven kings, of whom five have fallen, and one is, and the other cometh. Also what is signified by what is said of the beast, that it was, and is not, but yet is. And afterwards, that the ten kings shall deliver up their power to the beast, and shall devastate the whore. These things would continue for ever mysteries deeply hid from mankind, if it had not been revealed, that by the things recorded in this chapter is described the quality of Babylon as to the Word.

Continuation concerning the Word:-

[3] That the Word is Divine truth itself, which gives wisdom to angels and enlightens men, cannot be perceived, or seen, except by a man who is enlightened. For the Word in its literal sense seems to a worldly man, whose mind is not raised above the sensual sphere, to be so simple, that hardly anything could be simpler. But still Divine truth, such as is in the heavens, and from which angels derive their wisdom, lies concealed therein as in its sanctuary. For the Word in the letter is like the secret place covered with a veil in the midst of a temple within which lie mysteries of heavenly wisdom, such as the ear hath not heard. For in the Word and in every detail of it there is a spiritual sense, and in this a Divine celestial sense, which, considered in itself, is the Divine truth itself in the heavens, which gives wisdom to angels and enlightenment to men. The Divine truth in the heavens is light proceeding from the Lord as a Sun, which is Divine love. And because Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is the light of heaven, it is also Divine wisdom. It is this that enlightens both the minds and the eyes of the angels, and it also enlightens the minds but not the eyes of men, and enables them to understand truth, and also to perceive good, when they read the Word from the Lord and not from themselves. For a man is then in consort with the angels, and inwardly in a perception like the spiritual perception of the angels; and that spiritual perception which is enjoyed by a man- angel flows into the natural perception proper to him in the world, and enlightens it. Hence the man who reads the Word from the affection of truth has enlightenment through heaven from the Lord.