579.启13:4.“他们又拜那龙，因为它将权柄给了兽”表因领袖和教师而对“唯信称义，无需律法的行为”这一教义的承认，他们通过大多数民众接受而使它盛行。“拜”表示承认是教会的神圣事物；“龙”表示唯信称义和得救、无需律法行为的教义（537节）；这“兽”表示大多数民众，因为它表示平信徒（567节）；“给了权柄”表示通过这些人的接受而使其盛行（575节）。
579. 13:4 Then they worshiped the dragon which gave authority to the beast. This symbolizes their acknowledgment of the doctrine of justification through faith apart from works of the law, as taught by the leaders of the church and its teachers, who have caused the doctrine to prevail as a result of its acceptance by the general populace.
To worship means, symbolically, to acknowledge as a sacred tenet of the church. The dragon symbolizes the doctrine of justification and salvation through faith without works of the law (no. 537). The beast here symbolizes the general populace, because it symbolizes the laity (no. 567). To give authority means, symbolically, to cause to prevail as a result of its acceptance by the laity (no. 575).
579. [verse 4] 'And they adored the dragon, who gave authority to the beast' signifies the acknowledgment of the doctrine of justification by faith without the works of the law by the leaders and teachers, who have caused its prevalence through reception by the community at large. By 'to adore' is signified to acknowledge as a holy thing of the Church; by 'the dragon' is signified the doctrine of justification and salvation by faith alone without the works of the law (537); by this 'beast' is signified the community at large, because it signifies the laity (567); by 'to give authority' is signified to cause its prevalence through reception by these (575).
579. Verse 4 (Revelation 13:4). And they adored the dragon, which gave authority to the beast, signifies the acknowledgment of the doctrine of justification by faith, without the works of the law, by the leaders and teachers, who have caused it to prevail through reception by the common people. By "adoring" is signified to acknowledge it as holy in the church; by "the dragon" is signified the doctrine of justification and salvation by faith alone, without the works of the law, (537); by this "beast" is signified the common people because it is the laity, (567); by "giving power" is signified to cause it to prevail by its reception among the laity, (575).
579. (Vers. 4.) "Et adoraverunt Draconem, qui dedit potestatem Bestiae," significat agnitionem Doctrinae de Justificatione per Fidem absque Operibus Legis ab antesignanis et docentibus, qui fecerunt illam valere per receptionem a communi caetu. - Per "adorare" significatur pro sancto Ecclesiae agnoscere; per "Draconem" significatur doctrina de justificatione et salvatione per solam Fidem sine Operibus Legis (537); per "Bestiam" hanc significatur communis caetus, quia Laici (567); per "potestatem dare" significatur facere ut valeat per receptionem ab his (575).