735. And they that dwell upon the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast which was and is not, but yet is, signifies the amazement of those who are of that religion, all who from its establishment have aspired to domination over heaven and earth, that the Word, although thus rejected, still is. By "wondering" is signified to be amazed; by "them that dwell upon the earth" are signified those who are of the church, here those who are of that religious persuasion, as above (n. 721); "whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world," signifies those who do not believe in the Lord, and are not in doctrine from the Word; all since the establishment of the church, here since the establishment of this religious persuasion (n. 588, 589); and these are no others than they who aspire to domination over heaven and over the earth. By "the beast which was and is not, but yet is," is signified that the Word, so rejected, still is. It is manifest from this, that by "they that dwell upon the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast which was and is not, but yet is," is signified the amazement of those who are of that religious persuasion all who since its establishment have aspired at domination over heaven and earth, that the Word, though it has been thus rejected, still is. For all who aspire at domination over the holy things of the church and over heaven, hate the Word, because they hate the Lord; if not in the mouth, still in the heart. That it is so, few know in the world, because they are then in the body; but it is made manifest after death, when everyone is in his spirit. Hence it is that they wonder that the Word still is, though it has been so rejected; as was said above (n. 734). The reason that the Word still is, is because it is Divine, and the Lord is in it.