572、启13:2.“我所看见的兽就像豹”表示一种因源于被歪曲的圣言真理而对教会具有毁灭性的异端。“兽”(或牲畜)一般表示情感方面的人(AR 567节)；“豹”表示对歪曲圣言真理的情感或欲望；它因是猛兽，并杀死无害的动物，所以也表示一种对教会具有毁灭性的异端。“豹”表示被歪曲的圣言真理，这是由于它身上的黑色和白色的斑点，因为黑点表示虚假，黑点当中的白点表示真理。因此，它因是一只凶猛而残暴的野兽而表示被歪曲、因而被摧毁的圣言真理。以下经文中的“豹”就具有这种含义；耶利米书：
古实人岂能改变皮肤呢？豹岂能改变斑点呢？那么你们这被教导行恶的，也能行善了。(耶利米书13:23)
又：
从森林中出来的狮子击杀大人物，田野的豺狼必毁灭他们，豹子正窥伺他们的诸城，凡出来的人必被撕碎，因为他们的背道变强。(耶利米书5:6)
“豹子正窥伺他们的诸城”是指窥伺教义真理。“城”是指教义(AR 194节)。何西阿书：
他们忘记了我，因此，我向他们如狮子，又如豹子在道旁窥伺他们。(何西阿书13:6-7)
“道(路)”也表示真理(AR 176节)。以赛亚书：
豺狼必与绵羊羔同住，豹子与山羊羔同卧。(以赛亚书11:6)
此处论述的是将要到来的主的国度；“山羊羔”表示教会的真正真理，“豹子”表示被歪曲的这些真理。但以理书：
从海里上来的第三只兽像豹，它背上有四个翅膀。(但以理书7:6)
关于但以理所看见的四只兽，可参看下文(AR 574节)。
572. 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard. This symbolizes their heresy destructive of the church, being founded on the Word's truths falsified.
Animals in general symbolize people in respect to their affections (no. 567), and a leopard symbolizes an affection or penchant for falsifying the Word's truths. Moreover, because it is a fierce beast and slaughters harmless animals, it also symbolizes a heresy destructive of the church.
A leopard symbolizes the Word's truths falsified because of its black and white spots, its black spots symbolizing falsities, and the whiteness between them symbolizing truth. Consequently, because it is a fierce and savage beast, it symbolizes the Word's truths falsified and so destroyed.
A leopard has a similar symbolism in the following places:
Shall an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Then you also can do good who have been taught to do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23)
...a lion from the forest slew (the great men), a wolf in the fields shall devastate them; a leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out... shall be torn in pieces, because... their apostasies have become mighty. (Jeremiah 5:6)
A leopard lying watching their cities is to ambush doctrinal truths - a city being doctrine (no. 194).
(Because) they forgot Me... I have become to them like a lion, and like a leopard by the path I will watch them. (Hosea 13:5-7)
A path, too, symbolizes truth (no. 176).
The wolf shall tarry with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat... (Isaiah 11:6)
The subject there is the Lord's kingdom to come. The young goat is genuine truth in the church, and the leopard is that truth falsified.
(The third beast that came up from the sea) was like a leopard, which had on its back four wings... (Daniel 7:6)
On the four beasts seen by Daniel, see no. 574.
572. [verse 2] 'And the beast that I saw was like a leopard' signifies a heresy destructive of the Church because derived from truths of the Word falsified. By 'beasts' in general are signified men as to affections (567), and by 'a leopard' is signified the affection or lust of falsifying the truths of the Word; and because it is a ferocious beast and slaughters harmless animals it signifies also a heresy destructive of the Church. That falsified truths of the Word are signified by 'a leopard' is because of its black and white spots, and by the black spots are signified untruths, and by the white among them is signified truth. Consequently, because it is a ferocious and savage beast, truths of the Word falsified and thus destroyed are signified by it. Similar things are signified by 'leopard' in the following passages:
Shall the Ethiopian change his skin, and the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good who have been taught to do evil. Jeremiah 13:23.
The lion out of the forest has smitten the magnates, the wolf of the fields shall devastate them, the leopard watching against their cities, everyone who goes out shall be torn to pieces, because the back-slidings have become strong. Jeremiah 5:6.
'The leopard watching against the cities' is against the truths of doctrine, a 'city' being doctrine (194).
Because they have forgotten Me, therefore I have become unto them as a lion, and as a leopard upon the war will I watch them, Hosea 13:5-7.
A 'way' also signifies truth (176).
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid. Isaiah 11:5-6.
It treats there of the Lord's kingdom about to come, 'the kid' is the genuine truth of the Church, 'the leopard' is the same falsified.
The third beast coming up out of the sea was like a leopard, which had four wings upon its back. Daniel 7:6.
Concerning the four beasts seen by Daniel, 574 below may be seen.
572. Verse 2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, signifies a heresy destructive of the church, because it is from the truths of the Word falsified. By "beasts" in general are signified men as to affections, (567); and by "a leopard" is signified the affection or lust of falsifying the truths of the Word; and because it is a ferocious beast, and kills harmless animals, it signifies also a heresy destructive of the church. That "a leopard" signifies the truths of the Word falsified, is owing to its black and white spots, for by the black spots are signified falsities, and by the white among them is signified truth. Therefore because it is a fierce and savage beast, it signifies the truths of the Word falsified and thus destroyed. Similar is the signification of a "leopard" in the following passages:
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, and the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good that have been taught to do evil, (Jeremiah 13:23).
The lion out of the forest hath smitten the magnates, and a wolf of the fields shall devastate them, a leopard shall watch over their cities, everyone that goeth out shall be torn in pieces, because their backslidings are strong, (Jeremiah 5:6).
"The leopard watching against their cities," means watching against the truths of doctrine. "A city" means doctrine, (194[1-4]).
As they have forgotten Me, therefore I have become unto them as a lion, as a leopard by the way will I observe them, (Hosea 13:6-7).
"A way" also signifies truth, (176).
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid, (Isaiah 11:6).
Here the Lord's kingdom which is to come is treated of; "a kid" signifies the genuine truths of the church, and "a leopard" the same falsified.
The third beast which came up out of the sea was like a leopard which had upon the back of it four wings, (Daniel 7:6).
Concerning the four beasts seen by Daniel, see below, (574[1-3]).
572. (Vers. 2.) "Et Bestia quam vidi, similis pardo," significat haeresin destructivam Ecclesiae, quia ex veris Verbi falsificatis. Per "bestias" in genere significantur homines quoad affectiones (567), et per "pardum" significatur affectio seu cupiditas falsificandi vera Verbi; et quia bestia ferox est, et trucidat animalia innocua, significatur etiam haeresis destructiva Ecclesiae. Quod vera Verbi falsificata per "pardum" significentur, est ex maculis ejus nigris et albis, et per maculas nigris significantur falsa, et per album inter illas significatur verum; inde quia bestia ferox est et truculenta, per illam significantur vera Verbi falsificata, et sic destructa. Similia per "pardum" significantur in sequentibus locis:
"Num convertet Aethiops cutem suam, et Pardus maculas suas, etiam vos potestis bonum facere, qui edocti estis malum facere," (Jeremias 13:23);
"Percussit magnates Leo e sylva, lupus camporum devastabit eos, Pardus vigilans contra urbes eorum; omnis qui exiverit, discerpetur, quia validae factae aversiones," (Jeremias 5:6);
"pardus vigilans contra urbes" est contra vera doctrinae; "urbs" est doctrina (194).
Quia obliti sunt Mei, "ideo factus sum illis sicut Leo, et sicut Pardus super via observabo," (Hoschea 13:6-7); 1
etiam "via" significat verum (176).
"Commorabitur Lupus cum agno, et Pardus cum haedo," (Esaias 11:6); 2
agitur ibi de Regno Domini venturo; "haedus" est verum Ecclesiae genuinum, "pardus" est id falsificatum.
Tertia bestia e Mari ascendens erat "sicut Pardus, cui alae quatuor super tergo," (Daniel 7:6);
de quatuor "bestiis" Danieli visis, videatur infra (574).
Footnotes:
1. 6, 7 pro "5, 6, 7"
2. 6 pro "5, 6"