Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 601

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601. 'Telling those dwelling upon the land to make an image to the beast, which has the stroke of the sword and did live' signifies that they induce the men of the Church to receive as a doctrine, that faith is the one and only means of salvation, because no one can do good from himself unless it be merit-seeking, and because no one can fulfil the law and thus be saved. By 'those dwelling upon the land' are understood the men of the Church of the Reformed, as above (n. 600); by 'an image' is signified the doctrine of that Church, of which below; and by 'an image to the beast which has the stroke of the sword and did live' is signified this point of doctrine, that faith is the one and only means of salvation, because no one can do good from himself unless it be merit-seeking, and because no one can fulfil the law and thus be saved, as may be seen above (n. 576, 577 seq.). [2] Before the Lord every Church appears as a man. If it is in truths out of the Word it appears as a handsome man, but if it is in falsified truths it appears as a monstrous man. The Church appears like that by virtue of its doctrine and of a life in accordance therewith; from which it follows than the doctrine of a Church is the image thereof. This can also be seen from this fact: every man is his own good and truth, or his own evil and untruths. From this and no other source a man is a man. Consequently it is the doctrine and the life in accordance therewith that makes 'the image' of the man of the Church, the image of a handsome man if the doctrine and the life in accordance therewith is [formed] out of the genuine truths of the Word, but the image of a monstrous man if [formed] out of the falsified truths of the Word. [3] A man also appears in the spiritual world as some animal, but his affection appears us this manner from afar off. Those who are in truths and goods from the Lord appear as lambs and doves; but those who are in falsified truths and adulterated goods appear as owls and bats. Those who are in a faith separated from charity appear as dragons and goats; those who are in untruths derived from evil appear as basilisks and crocodiles, and they who are such and yet have confirmed the doctrinal tenets of the Church, as flying fiery serpents. By virtue of these things it can be seen that the doctrine of the Church, and a life in accordance therewith, is understood by 'an image of the beast', which they made for 'those dwelling upon the land'. [4] But what afterwards because of those who were adoring the image of the beast may be seen (Rev. xiv 9-11; xix 20; xx 4). Similar things are signified by 'images' in the spiritual sense (Exod. xx 4, 5; Lev. xxvi 1; Deut. iv 16-18; Isa. ii 16; Ezek. vii 20; xvi 17; xxiii 14-16). The idols and graven images with the ancients were the images of their religious [belief], and therefore by them are signified untruths and evils of doctrine (n. 459).


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