Four great beasts came up out of the sea, the first was like a lion, but had eagle's wings. I beheld until the wings thereof were plucked off, and it was lifted up off the ground and set upon its feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. The second beast was like a bear and it raised itself up on one side, [there were] three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was said, Arise, devour much flesh. The third beast was like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings as of birds, the beast had also four heads, and dominion was given to it. The fourth beast was terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong, it had great iron teeth, it devoured and pulverised, and trampled the residue with its feet Dan. vii 3-7.

[2] By these four 'beasts' are described the successive states of the Church from its first to its last, even until every good and truth of the Word has been utterly devastated; after which [there is] the Lord's coming. By the LION is signified the Divine Truths of the Word in its first state, and thereby the setting up of the Church, which is understood by being 'lifted up off the ground and set up upon the feet like a man and a man's heart being given to it'. By the BEAR the second state of the Church is described, which is that the Word is indeed read but is not understood. By the 'three ribs between the teeth' are signified appearances and fallacies, and by 'much flesh' is signified the sense of the letter of the Word as a whole. The third state of the Church is described by the LEOPARD, by which is signified the Word falsified as to its truths; by the 'four wings upon its back as of birds' are signified confirmations of untruth. The FOURTH or last state of the Church is described by the BEAST that was 'terrible and dreadful', by which is signified the destruction of everything good and true, and it is therefore said that 'it pulverised and devoured, and trampled the residue with its feet'. Lastly the Lord's coming is described, and the destruction then of that Church and the setting up of the New one (from vers. 9 to the end). [3] By Daniel these four beasts were seen to come up out of the sea in succession, but by John the first three beasts were seen united in one body, also 'out of the sea'. This is because in the case of Daniel the successive states of the Church are described by means of them, but here in the Apocalypse is described its last state in which all the former states exist together. And because this beast was seen like a leopard as to the body, and like a bear as to the feet, and as to the mouth like a lion, by 'leopard' and 'bear' in both cases entirely similar things are signified; and by 'a mouth like that of a lion' reasonings derived from untruths are signified, because it follows on that 'the beast spoke blasphemies out of his mouth' (vers. 5, 6), and by his 'heads' are signified the insanity resulting from sheer untruths.