816. And he had two horns like a lamb. This signifies the power of persuading the conjunction with the Word of faith separated [from life], as from the Lord; is evident from the signification of horns, as denoting power (concerning which see above, n. 316, 776); and from the signification of two, as denoting conjunction (concerning which also see above, n. 532, at the end); and from the signification of a lamb, as denoting the Lord as to the Divine Human (concerning which also see above, n. 314). That by having two horns like a lamb is therefore signified the power of persuading the conjunction with the Word, of faith separated [from life], as from the Lord; is evident from what precedes and from what follows. From what precedes, because by the beast ascending out of the earth are signified confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of faith separated from life (as may be seen just above, n. 815); and from what follows, because it is said that this beast spoke like a dragon, and gave the former beast his power before him, by which is signified affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching similar to what those have who separate faith from the life of faith, which is charity; also conjunction of reasonings from the natural man, whereby the religion of faith separate is strengthened, of which we shall speak further in the following articles. It is now evident, therefore, that as the horns of this beast signify the power of persuading; so two signifies conjunction, and the lamb signifies the Lord; therefore by this beast having two horns like a lamb, is signified the power of persuading the conjunction with the Word of faith separated from life, as from the Lord.

The reason why upon the head of this beast there were seen only two horns, but upon the head of the former beast ten horns is, that by this beast are signified confirmations from the Word; and in the Word there is a marriage of good and truth, and this marriage is signified by two. Hence also the horns were seen like a lamb, because by a lamb is meant the Lord - in this case, as to the Word. That the Lord, as to His Divine Human, is the Word, that is, the Divine truth, is declared in the plainest terms in John, namely,

"That the Word was made flesh" (1:14).

[2] The nature of the power of persuading and confirming from the Word any heresy whatever, is well known in the Christian world from the many heresies that prevail therein, every one of which is confirmed, and thereby becomes persuasive, from the sense of the letter of the Word. The reason is, that the sense of the letter of the Word is accommodated to the apprehension of the simple, and therefore consists for the most part of appearances of truth. And appearances of truth are such that they may be drawn to confirm whatever is assumed as a principle of religion, and thence of doctrine, consequently also falsity. Therefore those who place genuine truth itself in the sense of the letter of the Word alone, may fall into many mistakes if they are not in a state of enlightenment from the Lord, and in that state form for themselves doctrine, that may serve for a lamp. In the sense of the letter of the Word there are both naked truths and clothed truths. The latter are appearances of truth; and appearances can be understood only from those passages where naked truths exist, from which doctrine may be formed by one who is in a state of enlightenment from the Lord, and the rest explained according thereto. This is why those who read the Word without doctrine are carried away into numerous errors.

[3] The reason why the Word was thus written is, in order that the conjunction of heaven with men might be brought about by this means; and the ground of this conjunction is, that every expression therein, and in some passages every letter, contains a spiritual sense, in which the angels are. When therefore a man perceives the Word according to the appearances of truth therein, the angels who encompass man understand it spiritually. Thus the spiritual of heaven is conjoined with the natural of the world, as to such things as conduce to man's life after death. If the Word had been differently written, no conjunction of heaven with man could have been brought about by its means. And because the Word in the letter is such, therefore it is, as it were, a support for heaven to rest on; for all the wisdom of the angels of heaven, as to things pertaining to the church, terminates in the sense of the letter of the Word as in its basis. Therefore the Word in the letter may be called the stay of heaven. The sense of the letter of the Word is most holy, indeed, it is even more powerful than its spiritual sense; a truth which has been made known to me from much experience in the spiritual world. For when spirits bring forward any passage according to the sense of the letter, they immediately excite some heavenly society to conjunction with them. From these things it is evident, that everything pertaining to the doctrine of the church must be confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word, in order that there may be any sanctity and power therein; and indeed from those books of the Word which contain the spiritual sense. Hence also it is clear, how dangerous it is to falsify the Word to the destruction of the Divine truth, which is in its spiritual sense; thus heaven is shut against a man. That this is done by those who, from the Word, confirm the separation of faith from its life, which are good works, was shown above.

553. And on their heads as it were crowns like gold.- That this signifies, that they appear to themselves, when they reason, to be wise and conquerors, is evident from the signification of head, which denotes wisdom and intelligence, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of a crown of gold, as denoting a reward of victory (see above, n. 358). A crown like gold signifies the reward of victory, because kings, in ancient times, when in combats with their enemies, wore crowns of gold upon their heads, besides various other insignia which were then the mark of kings. The reason was, that kings represented the Lord as to Divine Truth, and Divine Truth fights from Divine Good; this therefore was represented by a crown of gold, while wisdom itself and intelligence were represented by the head upon which the crown was. Hence crowns were assigned to martyrs, for they fought from Divine Truth against falsities from evil, which are from hell, and came off conquerors, because they maintained the combat even unto death which they feared not. From these things it is evident, that by [the locusts] having upon their heads as it were crowns like gold, is signified, that those who are sensual men, from the persuasion of falsity in which they are, appear to themselves to be wise and conquerors.

[2] Since the locusts are described as to their heads, their faces, and their breasts, upon which were breast-plates, and as to their tails, their hair and teeth, it is important that the signification of their heads and the rest should be known.

The head, in the Word, signifies wisdom and intelligence, because these reside in it; but when those are treated of who are not in any wisdom and intelligence, because in falsities from evil, then the head signifies folly and insanity, because falsities and evils are therein and therefrom. In the present case, however, as those who are sensual and in the persuasion of falsity are treated of, the head properly signifies folly and insanity, for they see falsities as truths, and evils as goods, being perpetually in visions from fallacies. It is therefore said of them, that "on their heads as it were crowns like gold, and their faces as the faces of men," and many things that follow, all of which were appearances originating in their fantasy, wherefore, it is said, "as it were crowns," and "like gold." It is evident, from this that those appearances were not real, but fallacious appearances. For all the appearances which exist in the heavens are real, because they are correspondences. For the interior things pertaining to the affections and thence thoughts of the angels, when they pass to the sight of their eyes, are clothed in forms such as appear in the heavens, and because they are visible, they are called appearances, and are said to be correspondences, and they are real because from creation. But the case is otherwise in regard to the appearances in some of the hells, where are those who are in persuasions of falsity from evil; from these persuasions fantastic visions exist, in which there is inwardly nothing real, therefore they also vanish away upon the influx of only a single ray from the light of heaven. Of such a nature are the appearances here related concerning the locusts. But concerning appearances in the spiritual world, as well real as not real, see Heaven and Hell 170-176); as also above in the explanation (n. 369, 395).