Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 19:20
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AR 834. Verse 20.And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet, that did signs before him, with which he seduced them that receive the mark of the beast and that adore his image, signifies all those who professed faith alone, and were interiorly evil, as well the laity and common people as the clergy and the learned, who by reasonings and attestations that faith alone is the only means of salvation, have induced others to receive that faith, and to live according to it. By "the beast" here is meant " the beast out of the sea," spoken of (Apoc. 13:1-10); and by "the false prophet" is meant "the beast out of the earth," spoken of in the same chapter (Apoc. 13:11-18). That by "the beast out of the sea" are meant the laity and the common people who are in the religious persuasion concerning faith alone, and that by "the beast out of the earth" are meant the clergy and the learned who are in that religious persuasion, may be seen from the explanations of that chapter. That "the false prophet" here is "the beast out of the earth," which is treated of in that chapter (Apoc. 13:11-18), is plainly manifest; because it is here said of "the false prophet," that it is "he that did signs before the other beast, with which he seduced them that receive the mark of the beast, and that adore his image: for similar things are said of the beast out of the earth (Apoc. 13:11-18); namely, that:--

from which it is manifest, that the clergy and the learned are here signified by "the false prophet," who have confirmed themselves in the religious persuasion concerning faith alone, and have seduced the laity and the common people. They are called the false prophet, because by "a prophet" those are signified who teach and preach falsities by perverting the truths of the Word (n. 8, 701). That by "the signs" of that beast are signified reasonings and attestations that faith alone is the only means of salvation, may be seen above (n. 598, 599, 704). By "receiving the mark of the beast and adoring his image" is signified to acknowledge and receive that faith (n. 634, 637, 679).

AR 835. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, signifies that all those, as they were, were cast into the hell where are the loves of falsity, and at the same time the lusts of evil. By "alive" is signified as they were. By "these two," namely, " the beast and the false prophet," are signified all those who professed faith alone, and were interiorly evil, both the laity and the clergy; as just above (n. 834). By "the lake of fire burning with brimstone" is signified the hell where they are who are in the loves of that falsity, and at the same time in the lusts of evil. By "a lake" is signified falsities in abundance, treated of in what follows. By "fire" is signified love, here their love of falsity. That "fire" signifies love both in the good and the evil sense, may be seen (n. 468, 494, 599); here the love of falsity, because it is said "a lake of fire." By "brimstone" is signified the lust of evil and thence of falsity (n. 452). The like is said of "the dragon" and of these two in the following chapter, in these words:--

It is to be known that the hell where such are, appears at a distance like a fiery lake with a green flame as of brimstone. But they who are in it do not see this; they are shut up there in their workhouses, where they wrangle among themselves vehemently; and sometimes there appear knives in their hands, with which they threaten, if they do not yield. It is their love of falsity, together with the lusts of evil, that makes the appearance of such a lake. That appearance is from correspondence. That by "a lake" is signified where there is truth in abundance, and thence in the opposite sense where there is falsity in abundance, may be evident from the Word; where there is truth in abundance, from these passages:--

In the opposite sense from these:--

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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