250. Verse 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; He shall trample upon thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel. Everyone is aware that this is the first prophecy of the Lord’s advent into the world; it appears indeed clearly from the words themselves, and therefore from them and from the prophets even the Jews knew that a Messiah was to come. Hitherto however no one has understood what is specifically meant by the “serpent” the “woman” the “serpent’s seed” the “woman’s seed” the “head of the serpent which was to be trodden upon” and the “heel which the serpent should bruise.” They must therefore be explained. By the “serpent” is here meant all evil in general, and specifically the love of self; by the “woman” is meant the church; by the “seed of the serpent” all infidelity; by the “seed of the woman” faith in the Lord; by “He” the Lord Himself; by the “head of the serpent” the dominion of evil in general, and specifically that of the love of self; by to “trample upon” depression, so that it should “go upon the belly and eat dust;” and by the “heel” the lowest natural (as the corporeal), which the serpent should “bruise.”

539. And ten horns. This symbolizes much power. A horn symbolizes power (no. 270), and the number ten symbolizes much (no. 101).

The dragon is said to have much power because the salvation of mankind by faith alone apart from works of the Law - the faith meant by the dragon - captivates hearts, and then arguments in support of it persuade them. It captivates, indeed, because when a person hears that the condemnation of the Law has been taken away and that the Lord's merit is imputed to him simply by faith in that fact, he can indulge the appetites of his heart and body, without any fear of hell. This gives that faith power, which is symbolized by the dragon's ten horns. That it has had that power is clearly apparent from the acceptance of that faith throughout the whole Protestant Reformed Christian world.