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)

Fußnoten:

589. Verse 21. And repented not of their murders, signifies who have not actually turned themselves away from extinguishing the things that pertain to the understanding of truth, the will of good, and spiritual life therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "repenting," as being actually turning oneself away (as above, n. 585; and from the signification of "murders," as being the extinction of the understanding of truth, of the will of good, and of spiritual life therefrom; for "man" signifies the understanding of truth, and wisdom (See above, n. 280, 546, 547); and "to kill" signifies to extinguish spiritual life by the falsities of evil (See above, n. 315, 547, 572). That "murder or manslaughter" signifies the extinction of spiritual life can be seen without proof passages from the Word, from this, that the particulars here must be understood spiritually, and "to kill" spiritually is to extinguish spiritual life, which is done by the falsities of evil.

[2] This is why the devil is called "a murderer from the beginning" by the Lord, in John:

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own, for he is a liar and the father thereof (John 8:44).

This means the Jewish nation itself, which through its idolatries and traditions extinguished spiritual life by the falsities of evil; "the father thereof" means their fathers; because they extinguished spiritual life by the falsities of evils it is said, "there is no truth in him; when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh from his own, for he is a liar, and "the father thereof," a "lie" signifying in the Word the falsity of evil.

[3] "Murders" and a "lie" have a similar signification in the following words in Revelation:

Without shall stand the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the whoremongers, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone that loveth and maketh a lie (Revelation 22:15).

Because those who are meant by "Babylon" extinguish all Divine truths by the falsities of evil, Babylon is called:

An abominable shoot, a garment of those that are slain, of those thrust through with the sword; for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people (Isaiah 14:19, 20).

This is said of Babylon. Those are said to be "thrust through with the sword" who have been destroyed by the falsities of evil; "to destroy the land" signifies to destroy the church; and "to slay the people" signifies to extinguish the truths of the church.