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.

9570. 'And let it cause its lamps to go up' means the light of the spiritual heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing the lamps to go up' as kindling a light in them so that they may give light; and since 'the lampstand' represented the spiritual heaven, 9548, 'causing the lamps to go up' means the light of the spiritual heaven. The light of the spiritual heaven is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, and the faith, intelligent understanding of truth, and wise discernment of good that spring from it, see the places referred to in 9548. What the light of the spiritual heaven is like must be stated briefly. In the Lord's celestial kingdom, which is the inmost or third heaven, there is light which is vastly superior to the light that exists in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, which is the middle or second heaven. The light of the celestial kingdom or inmost heaven does not have the appearance of light but of flame. The reason for this is that in that heaven the good of love reigns, and the good of love manifests itself visually in heaven as flame, whereas in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, which is the middle or second heaven, there is light which, though vastly superior to the light of the world, nevertheless has the appearance of brilliant light. And the reason why is that in this heaven the truth of faith springing from the good of love reigns, and the truth of faith springing from that good manifests itself visually in heaven as brilliant light. This also explains why 'light' in the Word means truth that springs from good, and in the highest sense Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good. From all this it may now become clear what should be understood by the light of the spiritual heaven, and what by the flame of the lamp from which that light shines.