1036. Verses 3-5. And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom. And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth.

3. "And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness," signifies into a place appearing in vision that corresponded to the state of that religious persuasion (n. 1037); "and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast," signifies the dominion of that religious persuasion over the holy things of the Word (n. 1038); "full of names of blasphemy," signifies which are adulterated and falsified (n. 1039); "having seven heads," signifies and profaned (n. 1040); "and ten horns" signifies the power of the Word from truths (n. 1041).

4. "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet," signifies the appearance of that religious persuasion in externals as if it were from celestial good and truth, and yet in internals it is from devilish evil and falsity (n. 1042); "and inwrought with gold and precious stone," signifies the appearance of that religion in externals, as if it were from spiritual good and truth, and yet in internals it is from infernal evil and falsity (n. 1043); "and pearls," signifies its appearing in externals to be in the knowledges of good and truth (n. 1044); "having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom," signifies having doctrine from profaned goods and truths (n. 1045).

5. "And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great," signifies having in heart the love of dominion over the world and heaven, which the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, are made to serve as means (n. 1046); "the mother of the whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth" signifies a religious persuasion which is the source of adulterations of good and truth, and profanations of the holy things of the church (n. 1047).