594. [verse 11] 'And I saw another beast coming up out of the land' 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 above (n. 537). They are the laity who are understood by 'the beast coming up out of the sea', and the clergy who are understood by 'the beast out of the land'. This is because by 'the sea' the external of the Church is signified, and by 'the land' 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 is established from the details that follow, understood in the spiritual sense; and manifestly by virtue of the fact that this beast is termed 'the false prophet' (Rev. xvi 13; xix 20; xx 10), and especially from these words there:-
The beast was arrested, and with him the false prophet who did signs before him, by which he led astray those who accepted the mark of the beast, and those who adored him image Rev. xix 20.
That this beast did signs in the presence of the other, by which he led them astray, is said in this chapter with these words:-
And he does great signs so that he leads astray those dwelling upon the land, on account of the signs that were given him to enact in the presence of the beast, telling them to make an image of the beast and to adore it vers. 13-15.
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