1038. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, signifies the dominion of that religious persuasion over the holy things of the Word. This is evident from the signification of a "woman," as being the church (See n. 555, 707, 721, 730), here Babylon, which is not a church but a religious persuasion devastated of all the truth and good of the church. That Babylon is meant by this "woman" is clearly evident from the fifth verse of this chapter. Also from the signification of "sitting," as being to have dominion (See just above, n. 1033; also from the signification of "a scarlet beast," as being the Word as to the holy things of it, which the woman that is Babylon had profaned by dominion over them. That "the scarlet beast" signifies the Word as to the holy things of it that have been profaned by Babylon can be seen from what follows in this chapter, where it is said that "it was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into perdition" (verses 8-11); and afterwards, that "the ten horns of the beast were ten kings, who hated the harlot, and would make her desolate and naked, and would eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire, and would give the kingdom unto the beast" (verses 12, 16, 17). From these words viewed in the spiritual sense it is clear that "the scarlet beast" signifies the Word as to the holy things of it.

[2] The Divine Word can be signified by a "beast," because many of the holy things of the church are signified in the Word by "beasts," as:

The cherubim that appeared as four beasts (Ezekiel 1 and 10

And the four beasts, or four animals, that also were cherubim, were seen by John sitting and standing before the throne (Revelation 4:6-10; 5:6-12; 7:11; 14:3).

And these as cherubim signify providence and protection that the Lord be not approached except by the good of love, and thus also they signify the Word in the letter, since that protects (See above, n. 277, 278, 717). Moreover, all beasts that were sacrificed, as oxen, bullocks, goats, she-goats, kids, rams, sheep, and lambs, signified the holy things of the church (as can be seen from what has been shown above, n. 279, 283, 362, 552, 650, 781, 817 . And this is why men because of charity are called "sheep," and even the Lord Himself because of the Divine innocence is called a "Lamb," and because of the Divine power is called a "Lion." This has been said that it may not seem strange that the "beast" here signifies the Word, but the Word in the letter, where it is natural. Also, in a general sense, "beast" signifies in the Word the natural as to affection. The beast appeared scarlet in color, because "scarlet" signifies truth from a celestial origin, such as the truth of the Word is in the sense of its letter, that is, in its natural sense, which is what is meant by its holiness. Nearly the same is signified by "the harlot seen sitting upon many waters" (in the first verse of this chapter), also "upon many treasures" (in Jeremiah 51:13). For "many waters" and "many treasures" there signify the truths of the Word, and thus the holy things of the church which have been adulterated (See above, n. 1033). The signification of "scarlet" will be seen in the explanation of the following verse.

1055. And is about to come up out of the abyss, and go into perdition, signifies that it is acknowledged as Divine for form's sake, and yet is rejected. This is evident from the signification of "coming up out of the abyss," as being, in reference to the Word with those who are of Babylon, to be accepted and acknowledged as Divine for form's sake (of which presently); also from the signification of "going into perdition," as being not to be acknowledged but to be rejected. That the Word has been thus treated by those who are of Babylon is known. For the Word is acknowledged as Divine on account of the Lord's words to Peter respecting the keys, on account of the stories of the passion, of Mary, and of the apostles, and some passages which they can pervert to favor their dominion. Since all these are from the Word, and upon these their religion is founded, so if the Word were not acknowledged as Divine the religion itself would fall, and they could no longer rule over holy things, nor even be called Christians. But that the Word, nevertheless, is rejected by them is also known, for it is not read by the common people, and but little by the monks who teach; and many invalidate its holiness, as is evident from their writings and sayings, for the reason that it contains things that are not in accord with the decrees and bulls of the Pope, also because Babylon is there described to the life and condemned to hell. These are the causes of its rejection. All this makes clear that the Word is acknowledged as Divine only for form's sake. And that this is what these words signify can be clearly seen when it is seen that "the scarlet beast" means the Word, and the "harlot or the woman that sitteth upon it" means the religious persuasion that regards dominion as its end, and the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship as the means.

(Continuation respecting the Second Kind of Profanation)

[2] Those who are in the love of self, and from that in the love of having dominion, and who covet, acquire, and afterwards exercise domination by means of the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, are those who profane. For the delight of the love of having dominion for self's sake, that is, for the sake of eminence, and consequent homage, and a kind of adoration of self, is an infernal delight. Moreover, this reigns in hell, for in hell everyone wills to be the greatest, while in heaven everyone wills to be the least; and to have dominion over holy things from an infernal delight is to profane them.

[3] But this second kind of profanation of the holy things of the church is not like the former kind of the profanation of them. Those fall into the former kind in whom a communication with heaven has been effected by the opening of their spiritual mind; while this second kind of profanation those have with whom the spiritual mind has not been opened, or communication with heaven effected through it. For so long as the delight of the love of having dominion resides in man, that mind cannot be opened, and communication with heaven is not possible to him.

[4] Moreover, the lot of these profaners after death differs from the lot of the former. The former, as has been said, are in an unceasing delirium of fantasy; but these hate the Lord, hate heaven, hate the Word, hate the church, and hate all its holy things; and they come into such hatred because their dominion is taken away from them, and thus their state is changed into its opposite. They appear like something fiery, and their hell appears like a conflagration; for infernal fire is nothing else than the lust of having dominion from the love of self. These are among the worst, and are called devils; while the others are called satans.