739. [verse 11] 'And the beast that was and is not, himself is the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going into perdition' signifies that the Word, concerning which [something was said] before, is Divine Good Itself, and that it is Divine Truth, and that it is being taken away from the laity and the common people lest the profanations and adulterations made by the leaders should appear, and they [the laity and common people] should withdraw. By 'the beast that was and is not' is signified the Word, as before (verse 8). By 'himself is the eighth', here the eighth mountain, is signified that it is Divine Good Itself, for by the 'seven mountains' are signified the Divine Goods of the Word (n. 737). Consequently by 'the beast himself is the eighth' mountain is signified that it is Divine Good Itself. Good is also signified by 'the eighth'; and because all the goods of the Word with them have been profaned, 'himself' is not said of the seven mountains, as just after of the seven kings, by whom are signified the Divine Truths of the Word, not all of which have been adulterated (n. 737, 738). From these few things can be seen the arcanum that lies hidden in these words. By his 'going into perdition' is signified that it is rejected, as above (n. 734). But because the Word is not so rejected, being acknowledged as holy, but is taken away from the laity and common people lest the profanations of good and adulterations of truth made there by the leaders should appear, and on account of this the laity withdraw, therefore this, because it is the cause itself, is signified by 'to go into perdition'. The Word is Divine Good and Divine Truth itself because in all things thereof, collectively and separately, there is the marriage of the Lord and the Church, and consequently a marriage of good and truth; also because in each of its details there is a celestial sense and a spiritual sense, and in the celestial sense is Divine Good, and in the spiritual sense is Divine Truth; and these are in the Word because the Lord is the Word; which things have all been demonstrated in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE, published at Amsterdam.