270. Having seven horns. This symbolizes the Lord's omnipotence.

The Word often mentions horns, and a horn everywhere symbolizes power. Consequently, when a horn is mentioned in connection with the Lord, it symbolizes omnipotence. Seven horns are specified, because seven symbolizes all (no. 10), thus all power or omnipotence.

That a horn symbolizes power, and when mentioned in connection with the Lord, omnipotence, can be seen from the following passages:

You who rejoice over nothing, who say, "Have we not taken horns for ourselves by our own strength?" (Amos 6:13)

I said... to the wicked, "Do not lift up the horn. Do not lift up your horn on high...." All the horns of the wicked I will cut off; the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. (Psalms 75:4-5, 10)

Jehovah... has exalted the horn of your adversaries. (Lamentations 2:17)

The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken... (Jeremiah 48:25)

...you have pushed with side and shoulder, and struck all the weak sheep with your horns... (Ezekiel 34:21)

(Jehovah) has exalted the horn of His people... (Psalms 148:14)

(Jehovah God of hosts,) the glory of their strength..., He has exalted our horn. (Psalms 89:17)

The brightness (of Jehovah God) will be like the light; He will have horns ¹ coming from His hand, and the hiding of His power there. (Habakkuk 3:4)

...My arm shall strengthen (David)..., and in My name his horn shall be exalted. (Psalms 89:21, 24)

...Jehovah, my strength..., my rock...(my) horn... (Psalms 18:1-2, cf. 2 Samuel 22:3)

Arise..., O daughter of Zion; for I will make your horn iron..., that you may break in pieces many peoples. (Micah 4:13)

(The Lord) has destroyed in His wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah..., (and) He has cut off... every horn of Israel. (Lamentations 2:2-3)

Powers are also symbolized by the horns of the dragon in Revelation 12:3; by the horns of the beast rising up out of the sea in Revelation 13:1; by the horns of the scarlet beast upon which the woman sat in Revelation 17:3, 7, 12; by the horns of the ram and the goat in Daniel 8:3-12, 20-22. The last symbolized the power of Divine truth in the church. And conversely, that that power would perish, by the horns of the altars in Bethel, in Amos:

...I will visit punishment on the transgressions of Israel, I will visit destruction on the altars of Bethel, so that the horns of the altar are cut off and fall to the ground. (Amos 3:14)

Poznámky pod čarou:

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.

Poznámky pod čarou: