1067. Verse 11. And the beast which was and is not is himself the eighth, and is of the seven, and he goeth into perdition, signifies that the truth that the Word is Divine has also been profaned; and yet it has been rejected. This is evident from the signification of "the beast," as being the Word (see above, n. 1038); also from the signification of "which was and is not," as being that the Word in the beginning was received and read, but afterwards was taken away, and not read (see above, n. 1054); also from the signification of "is himself the eighth, and is of the seven," as being that the good and truth that the Word to them is Divine has been profaned (of which presently); also from the signification of "going into perdition," as being that this is acknowledged for the sake of form, and still has been rejected (see above, n. 1055). From all this it can be seen that these words signify this profaned truth of good that the Word is Divine, and still it has been rejected. It has been received and acknowledged as Divine chiefly because their religion is founded on the keys given to Peter, as described in the Word. Nevertheless, that it has been rejected is well known, for it is taken away from the common people, it is not read in the temples, and the same holiness and inspiration are attributed to the decrees of the Pope as to the Word; but as these are not in harmony with the Word, the Word in general is invalidated, and even blasphemed, by the claim that it is allowable to change it according to the state of the church. From this it is clear that the truth that the Word is Divine has been profaned by them. [2] That this is the signification of these words can be seen from this, that "the beast" treated of in this chapter signifies the Word, and is called the "eighth king," and yet is "of the seven." It is called "the eighth king" because a "king" signifies truth, and the number "eight" signifies good, and "seven" the truth of good profaned. For the Word is truth conjoined to good; therefore in every particular of it there is the marriage of good and truth. When this is seen to be the signification of these words their meaning is clearly evident; but otherwise no one could perceive nor indeed surmise what is meant by "the beast is the eighth king and yet of the seven, and he goeth into perdition," for to be the eighth and yet to be of the seven would be a contradiction. Nor could anyone perceive or surmise what is meant by "the seven kings," of whom "five have fallen and one is, and the other is not yet come;" also what is signified by what is said of the beast, namely, that "it was and is not, and yet is," and afterwards that "the ten kings shall give over their authority unto the beast, and shall make the harlot desolate." These would have been mysteries forever, deeply hidden from mankind, if it had not been revealed that the things recorded in this chapter describe what Babylon is as to the Word.
(Continuation respecting the Word)
[3] That the Word is the Divine truth itself, which gives wisdom to angels and enlightens men, can be apperceived or seen only by a man enlightened. For to a worldly man, whose mind has not been raised above the sensual sphere, the Word in the sense of the letter appears so simple that scarcely anything could be more simple; and yet the Divine truth, such as it is in the heavens, and from which angels have their wisdom, lies concealed in it as in its sanctuary. For the Word in the letter is like the adytum in the midst of a temple covered with a veil, within which lie deposited arcana of heavenly wisdom such as no ear hath heard. For in the Word and in every particular of it there is a spiritual sense, and in that a Divine celestial sense, which regarded in itself is the Divine truth itself, which is in the heavens and which gives wisdom to angels and enlightens men. The Divine truth in the heavens is light proceeding from the Lord as a Sun, which is the Divine love. And as the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is the light of heaven, so it is the Divine wisdom. This illuminates both the minds and the eyes of angels, and also enlightens the minds of men, but not their eyes, and enables them to understand truth and also to perceive good when man reads the Word from the Lord and not from self; for he is then in consort with angels, and interiorly has a perception like the spiritual perception of angels; and that spiritual perception which the man-angel has flows into his natural perception, which is his own while in the world, and enlightens it. Consequently the man who reads the Word from the affection of truth has enlightenment through heaven from the Lord.
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