723. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy. This symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion resting on the Word that the people profaned.

The woman symbolizes the Roman Catholic or Babel-like religion, for we are told in a following verse that "on her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whoredoms and Abominations of the Earth." That a woman symbolizes the church by virtue of its affection for truth may be seen in no. 434; here it is the Roman Catholic religion, which is impelled by the opposite affection. The scarlet beast symbolizes the Word, as will be seen presently; and its being full of names of blasphemy symbolizes the Word's being utterly profaned. For blasphemy symbolizes a denial of the Lord's Divinity in His humanity, and an adulteration of the Word (nos. 571, 582, 692, 715), thus its profanation. For someone who fails to acknowledge the Lord's Divinity in His humanity and falsifies the Word, but not intentionally, does indeed commit profanation, but lightly. But people who claim for themselves all the power of the Lord's Divine humanity, and for that reason deny His Divinity, and who apply everything in the Word to acquiring dominion for themselves over the sanctities of the church and heaven, and for that reason adulterate the Word - those people commit serious profanation.

It can be seen from this that the woman John saw sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy symbolizes the aforesaid religion resting on the Word that it profaned. The color scarlet symbolize the Word's truth from a celestial origin.

[2] The idea that the scarlet beast symbolizes the Word as to celestial Divine truth appears at first as far-fetched and foreign, indeed as absurd, because it is called a beast. But that a beast in the spiritual sense symbolizes a natural affection, and that it is used to symbolize the Word, the church and mankind, may be seen in nos. 239, 405, 567 above; that the four living creatures, one of which was a lion, the second a calf, and the fourth an eagle, symbolize the Word, and in Ezekiel are also called beasts, nos. 239, 275, 286, 672; and that a horse, which is also a beast, symbolizes an understanding of the Word (no. 298).

People know that the Lamb symbolizes the Lord, that sheep symbolize the people in a church, and that a flock symbolizes the church itself.

We cite these points lest anyone be surprised that the scarlet beast symbolizes the Word.

Moreover, because the Roman Catholic religion founds its might and its grandeur on the Word, therefore John saw the woman sitting on the scarlet beast, as before she sat on many waters (verse 1), the waters symbolizing the Word's truths adulterated and profaned (no. 719 above).

That the beast here symbolizes the Word is clearly apparent from what is said about it in the verses of this chapter that follow. As in verse 8:

The beast that you saw was, and is not... And those who dwell on the earth will marvel..., when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

In verse 11:

The beast that was, and is not, is itself the eighth (king), and is of the seven, and is going to destruction.

In verses 12, 13:

The ten horns... are ten kings..., (who) will give their power and authority to the beast.

In verse 17:

...God has put it into their hearts to... give their kingdom to the beast....

Statements like these could be made only in reference to the Word.

740. 17:12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings that have not yet received a kingdom." This symbolizes the Word as to the power it has from Divine truths among Roman Catholics who live in France and are not so much under the yoke of papal dominion, who nevertheless have not yet formed among them therefore a church separate from the Roman Catholic religion.

That this is said in reference to Roman Catholics in France can be seen from the series of things in the spiritual sense. For the subject now is the reception of the Word by people in the Christian world. Reception of the Word and the consequent state of the church among Roman Catholics is the subject of verses 9-11. Reception of the Word and the consequent state of the Church among people committed to that religion only in respect to its outward forms, who are found primarily in France, is the subject of verses 12-14. All other people who profess that religion indeed, yet dissent from it in various ways, are the subject of verse 15. And Protestants or the Reformed, who have completely turned away from that religion, are the subject of verses 16 and 17.

[2] One cannot possibly know, however, that these are the subjects of these verses unless he knows that the scarlet beast means the Word, and that the church is a church in accordance with its reception of the Word. That the scarlet beast means the Word may be seen in no. 723 above. And that the church is a church because of the Word and in accordance with its understanding of it, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 76-79.

Horns, here the horns of the beast, symbolize the power of the Word, and ten horns much power, in this case Divine power, because the power is the Lord's by means of the Word.

That horns symbolize power, and ten horns much power, may be seen in nos. 270, 539, 724 above. That kings symbolize people governed by Divine truths from the Word, and in an abstract sense the Divine truths themselves there, may be seen in nos. 20, 664, 704, and that ten means, not ten, but many people or things, in no. 101. A kingdom symbolizes a church founded on the Word, because kings symbolize people who are governed by Divine truths from the Word, and abstractly, the Divine truths themselves there. Consequently the ten kings' not yet having received a kingdom symbolizes people who have not yet formed among them a church separate therefore from the Roman Catholic religion.

[3] It can be seen from this that "the ten horns are ten kings that have not yet received a kingdom" symbolizes the Word as to the power it has from Divine truths among Roman Catholics who live in France and in some other places, including those called Jansenists, ¹ and who are not so much under the yoke of papal dominion, who nevertheless have not yet formed among them a church separate therefore from the Roman Catholic religion.

We say that the church among Roman Catholics in France is not yet separate from the Roman Catholic religion because it adheres to that religion in outward aspects, but not so much in internal realities.

Outward aspects are formal ones, and internal realities the essential ones. Roman Catholics in France still adhere to the Roman Catholic religion because of the many monasteries in France, and because priestly offices there are under the jurisdiction of the Pope. Moreover, in every outward form their priests conduct themselves in accordance with papal edicts and regulations, and many of the people are as a consequence still caught up in the essential tenets of that religion. Because of that the church there has not yet separated itself.

That is what is symbolically meant by the ten kings' not yet having received a kingdom.

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