"This is the mind that hath wisdom," signifies the understanding of these things in the natural sense from the spiritual. "The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth," signifies the goods of the Word adulterated and profaned by those who from that religious persuasion are in dominion. "And they are seven kings," signifies also the truths of the Word falsified and profaned by them: "five are fallen," signifies that it is not here spoken of the rest of the truths profaned, but only of the two which are the heads of religion: "and one is," signifies the adulterated truth, that the Lord's power over heaven and over earth, thus over men to save them, is transferred to their supreme [ruler], and thence to the rest who are under him: "the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short time," signifies the profaned truth, that the Lord's power over heaven and over earth, assumed by them, is said not to be Divine, when nevertheless it is Divine. "And the beast that was, and is not, he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition," signifies that the truth is also profaned, that the Word is Divine, and yet it is rejected.