1054# 启17:8.“你所看见的兽，先前有，如今没有”表示圣言，它起初在教会被接受，也被阅读，后来从人们那里被拿走，不被阅读。这从“朱红色的兽”、“先前有”、“如今没有”的含义清楚可知：“朱红色的兽”是指在其圣物方面的字面上的圣言（参看AE1038节）；“先前有”是指起初它在教会中被接受和阅读；“如今没有”是指后来它被拿走，不被阅读。这就是这些话的意思，这一点从以下事实明显看出来：圣言的情况确实如此，即：起初，他们承认圣言为神性，并从圣言来教导，在人们面前读它；但后来，随着他们把其统治延伸到教会和天堂，他们虽承认圣言是神性，却不再像以前那样从圣言来教导。因为他们禁止人们阅读圣言，并从教皇的宝座上提出他们的教义作为神性，以取代来自圣言的教义；他们以普通民众看不懂的弥撒来建立神性敬拜，还宣扬对他们称之为圣徒的教皇和死人的崇拜，而不是宣扬对他们以前所宣扬的主的崇拜。这一切清楚表明，“先前有，如今没有，将要从深渊中上来，又要走向灭亡的朱红色的兽”所指的，正是圣言。巴比伦起初是一个崇拜主，并从圣言宣扬神性真理的教会；后来它虽保持了对主的崇拜，但这是一种外在崇拜，也就是形式上的崇拜，他们将内在崇拜，也就是本质上的崇拜转给了作为主代牧的教皇，进而转给了教皇之下作为代牧的事工团体（可参看AE1029节）。
（关于第二种亵渎续）
那些处于这种亵渎的人不能不玷污圣言的良善，歪曲圣言的真理，从而扭曲教会的圣物。它们与目的，也就是人对它们的统治不一致，因为它们是神性事物，不能如此服务。因此，出于手段要与目的一致的必要性，良善变成邪恶，真理变成虚假，圣物由此变成亵渎的东西；并且随着统治，也就是目的的扩大，这一切在一个增长的程度上。
情况就是这样，这一点可从当今的巴比伦很清楚地看出来；对当今的巴比伦来说，圣言、教会和敬拜的圣物是手段，统治才是目的。因为随着他们扩大统治，他们削弱了圣言的神圣性，将教皇法令的神圣性实际高举在它之上。他们自称有权掌管天堂，甚至掌管主自己，并建立了对活人和死人的偶像崇拜；这一切直到他们使神性良善和神性真理丝毫不剩为止。
圣言、教会和敬拜的圣物被如此改变，是出于主的圣治；倒不是说按照祂的圣治，这一切应该如此发生，而是说按照祂的圣治，当人们想通过神圣的神性事物来统治，并的确进行统治时，他们就会选择虚假来代替真理，选择邪恶来代替良善。否则，他们就会玷污圣物，使它们在天使面前变得可憎；但当圣物不再存在时，这一点是无法做到的。如对主设立的圣餐所做的那样；他们将饼和酒分开，把饼给人们，自己喝酒。因为“饼”表示对主之爱的良善，“酒”表示对主之信的真理；与真理分离的良善不是良善，与良善分离的真理不是真理，因为真理是来自良善的真理，良善是在真理中的良善。在其它事上也是如此。
1054. (Verse 8) The beast, which thou sawest, was, and is not. That this signifies the Word, which, in the beginning, was received in the church and read, and afterwards taken away from the people and not read, is evident from the signification of the scarlet beast, as denoting the Word in the letter as to its holy things (concerning which see n. 1038); and from the signification of was, as denoting that in the beginning it was received in the church and read; and from the signification of, is not, as denoting that afterwards it was taken away and not read.
That such things are meant by these words is evident from this, that it was really the case with the Word, that, in the beginning, they acknowledged it as Divine, taught from it, and read it before the people, and afterwards, as they extended dominion over the church and over heaven, they acknowledged it indeed to be Divine, but ceased to teach from it as before; for they forbade the people to read it. And instead of doctrine from it, they delivered their doctrine from the Papal chair as Divine, and instituted Divine worship in masses not understood by the common people. They also preached the adoration of the Pope and of dead men, whom they call saints, instead of the Lord, whom before they had preached. It is therefore evident that it is the Word that is meant by the scarlet beast, which was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and go into perdition.
That Babylon in the beginning was a church which adored the Lord, and preached Divine truth from the Word; and afterwards indeed retained the adoration of the Lord, but the external, which is formal; while the internal, which is essential, they transferred to the Pope as His vicar, and, consequently, to the ministering body as vicars under him, may be seen above (n. 1029).
Continuation concerning the second kind of Profanation:-
[2] Those who are in this kind of profanation cannot but adulterate the goods of the Word, and falsify its truths, and so pervert the holy things of the church. For they do not agree with the end, which is the domination of man over them. For they are Divine things which cannot so serve. Hence it is, that from the necessity that the means should agree with the end, goods are turned into evils, truths into falsities, and thereby holy into profane things; and this in an increasing degree, as the dominion, which is the end, becomes enlarged.
[3] That this is the case is quite evident from Babylon at the present time, to which the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, are means, and domination is the end. For in proportion as they have enlarged their domination, they have weakened the sanctity of the Word, and actually exalted the sanctity of the Pope's dictates above it. They have claimed to themselves power over heaven, indeed, over the Lord Himself, and have instituted the idolatrous worship of men, both living and dead; and this, until they have caused nothing of Divine Good and Divine truth to be left.
[4] That the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship are so changed is of the Lord's Divine Providence. Not that it is of His Providence that it should so come to pass; but it is of His Providence that, because man wills to rule by means of holy Divine things, and also does rule, they should therefore adopt falsity in the place of truth, and evil in the place of good. Otherwise they would have defiled holy things, and have rendered them abominable before the angels; this is not done when they are no longer.
For example, as has been done with the Holy Supper instituted by the Lord, in their separating the bread and the wine, and giving the bread to the people, and drinking the wine themselves. For bread signifies the good of love to the Lord, and wine the truth of faith in Him; and good separated from truth is not good, nor is truth separated from good truth. For truth is truth from good, and good is good in truth. And so in other cases.
1054. Verse 8. The beast that thou sawest was and is not, signifies that the Word in the beginning was received in the church and read, and afterwards was taken away from the people and not read. This is evident from the signification of "the scarlet beast," as being the Word in the letter as to its holy things (See n. 1038); also from the signification of "was," as being that in the beginning it was received in the church and read; also from the signification of "is not," as being that afterwards it was taken away and not read. That this is the meaning of these words is evident from the fact that the Word was so treated, namely, that in the beginning they acknowledged it as Divine, taught from it, and read it before the people; but that afterwards, as they extended their dominion over the church and over heaven, while they acknowledged it to be Divine they no longer taught from it as before. For they interdicted the people from reading it, and instead of doctrine from it they put forth their doctrine from the Papal throne as Divine, they instituted Divine worship in masses not understood by the common people, and they preached the adoration of the Pope and of dead men whom they call saints, instead of the Lord whom they previously adored. All this makes clear that the Word is what is meant by "the scarlet beast, which was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and go into perdition." That Babylon in the beginning was a church that worshiped the Lord, and preached the Divine truth from the Word, but afterwards, while it retained an adoration of the Lord it was an external, that is, a formal adoration, and the internal which is the essential adoration they transferred to the Pope as the Lord's vicar, and consequently to the ministering body as vicars under him; this may be seen above (n. 1029).
(Continuation respecting the Second Kind of Profanation)
[2] Those who are in this kind of profanation cannot do otherwise than adulterate the goods of the Word and falsify its truths, and thus pervert the holy things of the church; for these are not in accord with the end, which is the domination of man over them, for they are Divine things that cannot be mere servants; therefore from necessity, that the means may be in accord with the end, goods are turned into evils, truths into falsities, and thus holy things into things profane, and this in an increasing degree as dominion, which is the end, is increased.
[3] That this is so can be clearly seen from the Babylon of the present day, to which the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, are means, and domination is the end. So far as they have amplified domination they have weakened the holiness of the Word, and have actually exalted above it the holiness of the Pope's decrees; they have claimed to themselves authority over heaven, and even over the Lord Himself, and they have instituted the idolatrous worship of men, both living and dead, and this until there is nothing left of Divine good and Divine truth.
[4] That the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, have been so changed is of the Lord's Divine Providence; not of His providence that this should be so done, but of His providence that when men wish to have dominion and do have dominion by means of holy Divine things, they should choose falsity in place of truth and evil in place of good, for otherwise they would defile holy things, and render them abominable before angels; but when holy things no longer exist this cannot be done. Take as an example what has been done with the Holy Supper instituted by the Lord; they have separated the bread and the wine, giving the bread to the people and drinking the wine themselves. For "bread" signifies the good of love to the Lord, and "wine" the truth of faith in Him; and good separated from truth is not good, nor is truth separated from good truth, for truth is truth from good, and good is good in truth. And so in other things.
1054. (Vers. 8.) "Bestia, quam vidisti, erat et non est." - Quod significet Verbum quod in initio fuit receptum in ecclesia et lectum, et postea populo ablatum et non lectum, constat ex significatione "bestiae coccineae", quod sit Verbum in littera quoad sancta ejus (de qua (supra), n. 1038); ex significatione "erat", quod sit quod in initio fuerit in ecclesia receptum et lectum; et ex significatione "non est", quod sit quod postea ablatum sit et non lectum: quod haec per illa verba intelligantur, patet ex eo, quod cum Verbo ita factum sit; nempe, quod illud in initio pro Divino agnoverint, ex illo docuerint, et id coram populo legerint; et quod postea, sicut dominium super ecclesiam et super caelum extenderunt, quidem illud pro Divino agnoverint, sed non ex illo, sicut prius, docuerint; populo enim interdixerunt lectionem ejus, et pro doctrina ex illo, doctrinam ex papali solio ut Divinam tradiderunt, ac cultum Divinum in missis a vulgo non intellectis instituerunt, et adorationem Papae, et hominum mortuorum, quos sanctos vocant, loco quod prius Dominum, praedicant: inde constare potest quod sit Verbum quod intelligitur per "bestiam coccineam, quae erat et non est, et futura est ascendere ex abysso, ac in interitum abire." Quod Babylonia in principio fuerit ecclesia, quae Dominum adoravit, et Divinum Verum ex Verbo praedicavit, et postea adorationem Domini quidem retinuit, sed externam quae est formalis, at internam quae est essentialis transtulerint in Papam ut vicarium, et inde in coetum ministrantium, ut vicarios sub illo, videatur supra (n. 1029).
[2] (Continuatio de secundo genere Profanationis.)
Illi qui in hoc genere profanationis sunt, non possunt aliter quam adulterare bona Verbi, et falsificare vera ejus, et sic pervertere sancta ecclesiae; non enim concordant cum fine, qui est dominatio hominis super illa, sunt enim Divina, quae non possunt servitia esse: inde est quod ex necessitate ut media cum fine concordent, bona vertantur in mala, vera in falsa, et sic sancta in profana; et hoc cum augmento, sicut amplificatur dominium, quod est finis.
[3] Quod ita sit, manifeste constare potest ab hodierna Babylonia, cui sancta Verbi, ecclesiae et cultus sunt media, et dominatio est finis; illi sicut amplificaverunt dominationem, ita infirmaverunt sanctitatem Verbi, et sanctitatem dictaminum Papae supra illam actualiter evexerunt, vindicaverunt sibi potestatem super caelum, immo super Ipsum Dominum, ac cultum hominum viventium et quoque mortuorum idololatricum instituerunt, et hoc usque dum nihil Divini Boni ac Divini Veri residuum fecerint.
[4] Quod sancta Verbi, ecclesiae et cultus ita mutata sint, est ex Divina providentia Domini; non ex providentia Ipsius quod ita fieret; sed ex providentia Ipsius, quia homo per sancta Divina vult dominari, et quoque dominatur, ut falsum loco veri et malum loco boni adoptarent: aliter sancta conspurcavissent, et illa coram angelis abominabilia reddidissent; quod non fit dum non amplius sunt. Pro exemplo, sicut factum est cum Sancta Cena a Domino instituta, quod separaverint panem et vinum, et panem dent populo, et ipsi vinum bibant; "panis" enim significat bonum amoris in Dominum, ac "vinum" verum fidei in Ipsum, et bonum separatum a vero non est bonum, nec verum separatum a bono est verum; nam verum est verum ex bono, et bonum est bonum in vero. Similiter in reliquis.