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.

1155. 'The sons of Javan' means others again with whom there existed external worship derived from the worship existing with the nation Javan. This in like manner becomes clear in the Prophets where they are named in connection with real things and mean nothing other than those things. The reason the sons of Gomer and the sons of Javan are named, but not the rest of the seven mentioned in verse 2, is that the sons of the one have reference to the branch of spiritual things, and the sons of the other to the branch of celestial things. The fact that 'the sons of Gomer' has reference to the branch of spiritual things is clear from the places in the Prophets quoted just above, while the fact that 'the sons of Javan' has reference to the branch of celestial things will be evident from what follows. The branch of spiritual things differs from that of celestial through this - that spiritual have regard to truths of faith but celestial to the goods of faith which are the expressions of charity. Although the world is totally ignorant of these differences they are nevertheless very well known in heaven, not only indeed as regards general but also as regards specific differences. In heaven not the smallest difference exists which is not distinct and separate within a perfect ordering. The world knows only of the existence of forms of worship, and the fact that these vary from one another. And even then it knows only of differences in externals. In heaven however the very differences themselves which are countless are plain to see, and indeed the internal nature of them.