687. Verse 6. Because they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, signifies, this by reason that the single tenet, that faith alone saves without the works of the law, when received, perverts all true doctrinals from the Word. By "pouring out blood" is signified here, as above (n. 684), to falsify the truths of the Word, thus to pervert them. By "saints" are signified they who are in truths in the church, thus also abstractly, the truths of the church (n. 586). By "prophets" are signified they who are in doctrinals from the Word, thus also abstractly doctrinals from the Word (n. 133).