782# “口像狮子的口”表示来自摧毁教会真理的虚假的推理。这从“口”和“狮子”的含义清楚可知：“口”是指思维(参看AE580节)；但在此是指推理(对此，我们稍后会提到)；“狮子”是指在其能力方面的地狱虚假(对此，参看AE278c节)。这是因为“狮子”表示神性真理，故在圣言中，主也被称为“狮子”；因此，“狮子”在反面意义上表示在其摧毁神性真理，因而摧毁圣言的能力方面的地狱虚假；这尤其是由对圣言的玷污和歪曲造成的。由于狮子是所有动物中最有力量的，并且它的力量照着它对吞吃、因而抓住猎物，并把它撕碎的欲望而增长，所以“狮子”也表示对摧毁圣言真理的渴望。在灵界，“狮子”也代表类似事物，因为狮子也出现在那里；不过，狮子的形式是由那些拥有玷污和歪曲圣言的真理，由此毁灭它们的大能之人的渴望产生的表象；伴随他们的这种能力照着他们的推理能力而增长。这就是为何在圣言中，“狮子”在反面意义上表示摧毁教会真理的地狱虚假。由于这就是“狮子”所表示的，还由于像豹，脚像熊脚的“兽”表示确认信仰与生活分离的推理，圣言的良善和真理因这些推理而被玷污和歪曲，所以像狮子口的这兽的“口”表示来自摧毁圣言真理的虚假的推理。从严格意义上说，“口”表示思维；但由于人的言语从口而出，所以“口”表示从思维流出的各种东西，如教导、讲道、推理；在此是推理，因为此处所论述的“兽”表示来自属世人的推理。不过，在解释本章5–7经文时，我们会详述这个主题，在这几节经文中，出现了这些话：
又赐给他说夸大亵渎话的口；又有权柄赐给他，可以行事四十二个月。他就开口亵渎神，亵渎祂的名和祂的帐幕，以及那些住在天上的。又赐予他与圣徒作战，并且胜过他们。(启示录13:5–7)
从那里的解释可以看出他们的能力和渴望的性质，以及他们通过推理所拥有的歪曲圣言真理、玷污圣言良善的能力的性质。
782.And his mouth as the mouth of a lion. That this signifies reasonings from falsities destroying the truths of the church is evident from the signification of mouth, as denoting thought; concerning which see above (n. 580); but in the present case reasoning, of which we shall speak presently. And from the signification of a lion, as denoting infernal falsity as to power; concerning which also see above (n. 278) at the end. The reason is, that by a lion is signified Divine truth; therefore the Lord is also called a lion in the Word. Hence, in the opposite sense, a lion signifies infernal falsity as to the power of destroying Divine truth, and thus the Word; and this is done especially by the falsification and adulteration of it. And because a lion is the most powerful of all animals, and his power increases according to his appetite for devouring, and thus of seizing his prey and tearing it in pieces, therefore by a lion is also signified the desire to destroy the truths of the Word. Similar things are also represented by lions in the spiritual world, for lions also appear there; but their forms are appearances arising from the desire of those who have great power to adulterate and falsify the truths of the Word, whereby they are destroyed; and this power attends them according to the faculty of reasoning. Hence it is that by lion in the Word, in the opposite sense, is signified infernal falsity destroying the truths of the church.
Because these things are signified by a lion; and by the beast which was like a leopard, and which had feet as a bear, are signified reasonings confirming the separation of faith from life, by means of which the goods and truths of the Word are falsified and adulterated; therefore by the mouth of that beast, which was as the mouth of a lion, is signified reasoning from falsities destroying the truths of the Word.
By mouth, in the proper sense, is signified thought; but because a man speaks by the mouth, therefore by the mouth are signified the various things which flow from thought, as instruction, preaching, reasoning - in the present case, reasoning - because reasonings proceeding from the natural man are signified by the beast here treated of.
More, however, will be said upon this subject in the explanation of verses 5-7 of this chapter, where these words occur:
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given to him to make war forty and two months. And he opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them."
From this it is evident what is the nature of their power and desire, and also of the ability they possess, by reasonings, of falsifying the truths and adulterating the goods of the Word.
782. And his mouth as the mouth of a lion, signifies reasonings from falsities destroying the truths of the church. This is evident from the signification of "mouth," as being thought (See above, n. 580), but here reasoning (of which presently); also from the signification of a "lion," as being infernal falsity in respect to its power (of which above, n. 278. This is because a "lion" signifies the Divine truth, for which reason the Lord also is called "a lion" in the Word; consequently in the contrary sense a "lion" signifies infernal falsity in respect to its power to destroy divine truth, and thus the Word; and this is especially done by adulterations and falsifications of it. And as a lion is the most powerful of animals, and its power increases according to its hunger to devour and consequently to seize its prey and tear it in pieces, so a "lion" signifies also the eagerness to destroy the truths of the Word. "Lions" have a like representation in the spiritual world, for lions also appear there, but the forms of lions are appearances arising from the eagerness of those who have great power to adulterate and falsify the truths of the Word whereby they are destroyed; with them this power increases according to their ability to reason. This is why "lions" signify in the Word in the contrary sense infernal falsity destroying the truths of the church. Because this is what a "lion" signifies, and because "the beast that was like unto a leopard" and that "had feet as of a bear" signifies the reasonings confirming the separation of faith from life, by which the goods and truths of the Word are adulterated and falsified; therefore the "mouth" of that beast, which was "as the mouth of a lion," signifies reasoning from falsities that destroy the truths of the Word. The "mouth," in a strict sense, signifies thought; but as man's speech is from the mouth, the "mouth" signifies the various things that flow from thought, as instruction, preaching, reasoning; here reasoning, because reasonings from the natural man are signified by the "beast" here treated of. But more will be said about this in the explanation of verses 5-7 of this chapter, in which are these words: "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given unto him authority to make war forty-two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them." From that explanation it will be seen what power and eagerness, and what ability such have to falsify the truths and adulterate the goods of the Word by means of reasonings.
782. "Et os ejus sicut os leonis." Quod significat ratiocinationes ex falsis destruentibus vera ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "oris", quod sit cogitatio (de qua supra, n. 580), hic autem ratiocinatio (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "leonis", quod sit falsum infernale quoad potentiam (de qua etiam supra, n. 278 [c]): causa est, quia per "leonem" significatur Divinum Verum; quare etiam Dominus in Verbo vocatur Leo; inde in opposito sensu per "leonem" significatur falsum infernale quoad potentiam destruendi Divinum Verum, ita Verbum, quod fit imprimis per adulterationes et falsificationes ejus; et quia leo est animal prae reliquis potens, et potentia ejus crescit secundum famem comedendi, ita rapiendi et dilaniandi, ideo per "leonem" etiam significatur cupiditas destruendi vera Verbi. Similia etiam per leones repraesentantur in mundo spirituali; apparent enim ibi etiam leones, sed formae leonum ibi sunt apparentiae oriundae ex illorum cupiditate qui potenter possunt adulterare et falsificare vera Verbi, per quae destruuntur, quibus potentia accedit secundum facultatem ratiocinandi; ex eo est, quod per "leones" in Verbo, in sensu opposito, significetur falsum infernale destruens vera ecclesiae. Quia illa per "leonem" significantur, et per "bestiam quae similis pardo, et cui pedes sicut ursi", significantur ratiocinia confirmantia separationem fidei a vita, per quae adulterantur et falsificantur bona et vera Verbi, ideo per "os" illius bestiae, quod "sicut os leonis, significatur ratiocinatio ex falsis destruentibus vera Verbi. Per "os" in proprio sensu significatur cogitatio; at quia inde est loquela homini, per "os" significantur plura quae ex cogitatione fluunt, sicut instructio, praedicatio, ratiocinatio; hic ratiocinatio, ex causa quia ratiocinia ex naturali homine per "bestiam", de qua hic agitur, significantur. Sed plura de hac re infra in explicatione vers. 5-7, hujus capitis dicentur, ubi haec verba sunt, "Datum est ei os loquens magna et blasphemias; et data est ei potestas bellum faciendi menses quadraginta duos: et aperuit os suum in blasphemiam adversus Deum, blasphemare nomen Ipsius [et] Tabernaculum Ipsius, et eos in caelo habitantes: et datum ei bellum facere cum sanctis, et vincere illos"; ex quibus constabit qualis illis potentia est, et qualis illis cupiditas, et quoque copia per ratiocinia falsificandi vera et adulterandi bona Verbi.