1052# 启17:7–8.天使对我说，你为什么惊奇呢？我要将这女人和驮着她的那七头十角兽的奥秘告诉你。你所看见的兽，先前有，如今没有，将要从深渊中上来，又要走向灭亡；凡住在地上、名字从创世以来没有记在生命册上的，见先前有，如今没有，以后再有的兽，就必惊奇。
“天使对我说，你为什么惊奇呢？我要将这女人和驮着她的那七头十角兽的奥秘告诉你”表示一切事物的显现（1053节）
“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（1054节）；“将要从深渊中上来，又要走向灭亡”表示它虽被承认为神性，但仍遭弃绝（1055节）；“凡住在地上的，就必惊奇”表示弃绝圣言的这种宗教说服的人（1056节）；“名字从创世以来没有记在生命册上的”表示有些人不承认主统治天地的神性权柄，而是认为它被转给某个代牧，又从他那里转给他的代牧（1057节）；“见先前有，如今没有的兽”表示当他们知道，圣言已经被接受，但仍遭弃绝时（1058节）；”以后再有”表示以后它仍有，因为它是神性，不会遭弃绝，除非被亵渎者弃绝（1059节）。
1052. Verses 7, 8. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast, which thou sawest, was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and go into perdition; and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder; they whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, but yet is.
"And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns," signifies manifestation of all things.
"The beast, which thou sawest, was, and is not," signifies the Word which, in the beginning, was received in the church and read, and afterward, taken away from the people and not read; "and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and go into perdition," signifies its being acknowledged as Divine, but still rejected; "and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder," signifies those of that religious persuasion who reject the Word; "they whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world," signifies there are those who do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine power over heaven and earth, but as transferred to some vicar, and from him to his vicars; "when they behold the beast that was, and is not," signifies when they know that the Word was received, but still rejected; "but yet is," signifies that still it is, because it is Divine, and not rejected, except by the profane.
1052. Verses 1053).
8. "The beast that thou sawest was and is not," signifies the Word which in the beginning was received in the church and read, and afterwards was taken away from the people and not read (n. 1054); "and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition," signifies that it is acknowledged as Divine and yet is rejected (n. 1055); "and they that dwell upon the earth shall wonder," signifies those of that religion who reject the Word (n. 1056); "whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world," signifies that there are those who do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine authority over heaven and earth, but regard it as transferred to a certain vicar, and from him to his vicars (n. 1057); "seeing the beast that was and is not," signifies knowing that the Word has been received, and yet is rejected (n. 1058); "and yet is" signifies that it still is because it is Divine and has not been rejected except by profaners (n. 1059).
1052. VERSUS 7, 8.
"Et dixit mihi angelus, Quare admiraris? Ego tibi dicam mysterium mulieris, et bestiae portantis illam, habentis septem capita et decem cornua. Bestia, quam vidisti, erat et non est, et futura est ascendere ex abysso, et in interitum abire: et mirabuntur habitantes super terra (quorum non scripta nomina in libro vitae a fundatione mundi) videntes bestiam, quae erat et non est, attamen est."
7. "Et dixit mihi angelus, Quare admiraris? Ego tibi dicam mysterium mulieris, at bestiae portantis illam, habentis septem capita et decem cornua", significat omnium manifestationem (n. 1053).
8. "Bestia, quam vidisti, erat et non est", significat Verbum quod in initio fuit receptum in ecclesia et lectum, et postea populo ablatum et non lectum (n. 1054); "et futura est ascendere ex abysso, et in interitum abire", significat id agnitum ut Divinum, sed usque rejectum (n. 1055); "et mirabuntur habitantes super terra", significat illos ab eo religioso qui rejiciunt Verbum (n. 1056); "quorum nomina non scripta in libro vitae a fundatione mundi", significat quod sint qui non agnoscunt Divinam Domini potestatem super caelum et super terram, sed illam translatam in quendam vicarium, et ad illo in ejus vicarios (n. 1057); "videntes bestiam quae erat et non est", significat scientes quod Verbum receptum fuerit, sed usque rejectum (n. 1058); "attamen est", significat quod usque sit quia est Divinum, et non rejectum nisi a profanis (n. 1059).