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.

741. "But receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast." This symbolically means that the Word has force with Roman Catholics in France, and through the Word they prevail, as though they possessed its Divine truths.

To receive authority with the beast means, symbolically, to prevail with the Word, thus that the Word has force with them, and through the Word they prevail. To receive authority means, symbolically, to prevail, and the beast symbolizes the Word (no. 723). "As kings" means, symbolically, as though they possessed Divine truths from the Word. Kings symbolize people who possess Divine truths from the Word, and abstractly, the Divine truths themselves in it (nos. 20, 664, 704, 740). One hour means, symbolically, for a time, and also in some measure.

It is apparent from this that the ten kings receiving authority as kings for one hour with the beast means symbolically that the Word has force with Roman Catholics in France, and through the Word they prevail, as though they possessed its Divine truths.

We say this because Roman Catholics in France acknowledge that the Word is Divinely inspired, and thus that the church is a church because of the Word. But still they do not as yet draw Divine truths from it beyond these general ones, that the God alone is to be worshiped, and no man as God, that the authority granted to Peter is not in itself Divine, and yet that to open and close heaven is a Divine work, which does not lie within the power of any man. They confirm these truths in themselves by appeal to the Word, but in the presence of others who do not listen to the Word, by appeal to the rationality that by a continual influx from heaven exists in everyone who wishes to possess truths.

It is of the Lord's Divine providence that Roman Catholics in France do not go further and draw doctrines of faith and life from the Word, because in outward aspects and forms they still adhere to the Roman Catholic religion. It is to keep them from commingling truth and falsity, and so from an inner struggle arising, like a kind of ferment that produces a state of agitation.