1038. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast. That this signifies the dominion of that religious persuasion over the holy things of the Word, is evident from the signification of a woman, as denoting the church (concerning which see n. 555, 707, 721, 730); in this case Babylon, which is not a church but a religious persuasion, devastated of all the truth and good of the church - that it is Babylon which is understood by this woman is manifestly evident from the fifth verse of this chapter - and from the signification of sitting, as denoting to rule; see just above (n. 1033); and from the signification of the scarlet beast, as denoting the Word as to the holy things thereof, which the woman, which is Babylon, profaned by dominion over them.

That by the scarlet beast is signified the Word as to the holy things thereof, which are profaned by Babylon, is evident from the following parts of this chapter, where it is said:

It was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and to go into destruction (vers. 8, 11).

And afterwards:

That the ten horns of the beast were ten kings, who had hatred against the whore, and would make her devastated and naked, and devour her flesh, and burn her with fire, and would give the kingdom to the beast (vers. 16, 17).

From these words, in the spiritual sense, it is evident, that by the scarlet beast is signified the Word as to the holy things thereof.

[2] The reason why the Divine Word can be signified by a beast is, that many of the holy things of the church are signified by beasts in the Word:

As the cherubs, seen as four beasts, in Ezekiel (1; 10).

And the four beasts, or the four animals, which also were cherubs, were seen by John, sitting and standing before the throne, in the Apocalypse (4:6-10; 5:6-12; 7:11; 14:3).

And by these, as cherubs, is signified Providence and defence that the Lord may not be approached except by the good of love; and thence also they signify the Word in the letter, because this is for a defence (concerning which see above, n. 277, 278, 717). And, moreover, all the beasts which were sacrificed, as oxen, heifers, goats, she-goats, kids, rams, sheep, and lambs, signified holy things of the church, as is evident from the things shown above (n. 277, 283, 362, 552, 650, 781, 817). Hence it is, that men from charity are called sheep; indeed, the Lord Himself, from Divine innocence, is called a Lamb, and from Divine power a Lion.

These things are mentioned in order that it may not appear wonderful, that by the beast is here signified the Word; but the Word in the letter, wherein it is natural. Beast also, in a general sense, in the Word, signifies the natural as to affection. The reason why the beast was seen of a scarlet colour is, that scarlet signifies truth from a heavenly origin, such as is the truth of the Word in the sense of the letter or natural sense, which is meant by what is holy in it. Something nearly similar is signified

By the whore seen sitting upon many waters (ver. 1 of this chapter);

Also:

Upon many treasures (inJeremiah 51:13).

For by many waters and many treasures are there signified the truths of the Word, and thence the holy things of the church, which are adulterated (see above, n. 1033). The signification of scarlet will be seen in the explanation of the verse following.

552. And the likenesses of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for war.- That this signifies that man having become sensual reasons as though from the understanding of truth, is evident from the signification of locusts, which denote the men of the church who have become sensual by means of the falsities which are from evil; see above (n. 543); and from the signification of horses prepared for war, which denote reasonings, in this case, as though from the understanding of truth, because it is said that they were like unto them; that horses signify the understanding, may be seen above (n. 355, 364); and all understanding is of truth. And because war, in the Word, signifies spiritual combat, which is that of falsity against truth, and of truth against falsity, therefore horses prepared for war signify reasonings, in this case, as though from the understanding of truth, for by means of reasonings spiritual combats take place. The subject treated of in what now follows as far as verse 12, is the sensual man who is in falsities from evil, as to his quality in respect to understanding and will, and he is described by locusts, and their various appearances. For all the affections, and thence the thoughts of man, are represented in the spiritual world by various beasts of the earth, and by birds, and they are also presented to view in correspondent forms. And the beasts represented there, according to the affections of the spirits from which they are, appear like the beasts of our world, but sometimes with successive change and variety approximating to forms made up of different beasts, moreover they are also clothed and decorated as to their heads and bodies with various kinds of adornments. I have frequently seen such things, and the qualities of the affections and inclinations of those who were represented were thence made evident to me. It is from this representation of affections and thoughts in the spiritual world by beasts and birds, that beasts and birds, in the Word, signify similar things.

[2] That sensual men, who are in falsities from evil, are represented, and thence signified by locusts, was shown above (n. 543). Their quality is now described by the various forms, and by various adornments of the locusts; as that they were like unto horses prepared for war; that on their heads as it were crowns like gold; that their faces were like the faces of men; and that they had hair like the hair of women, and teeth like the teeth of lions; also that they had breast-plates, and various other things. All these things are representatives, such as exist in the spiritual world, corresponding to falsities from evil, and to the persuasive [power] of the sensual man. Yet no one could know these things without the knowledge of correspondences; neither could the quality of the sensual man be known, and the quality of his persuasive [power]. The reason why the sensual man, who is in falsities from evil, reasons as though from the understanding of truth, is that he is in the persuasion that falsity is truth, and that evil is good; and so long as he is in that persuasion, he cannot see any thing rationally and intellectually, but that of which he has become persuaded he believes to be a mark of the loftiest reason and of superior understanding. For his Rational and Intellectual are closed, and hence he is in a persuasive faith concerning those things which he thinks and speaks. That the sensual man reasons acutely and with readiness, because his thought is so near his speech as to be almost in it, and because he places all intelligence in discoursing from the memory alone, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 125, 196, 5700, 10236).