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.