1041. And ten horns. That this signifies the power of the Word from truths, is evident from the signification of horns, as denoting the power of truth against falsity; and, in the opposite sense, the power of falsity against truth (concerning which see (n. 316, 567, 776). In this case, the power of truth from the Word against falsity, because it is afterwards said:

"The ten horns, which thou sawest, are ten kings; these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall devour her flesh, and burn her with fire; for God hath put into their hearts to give their kingdom unto the beast" (vers. 12, 16, 17).

From this it is clear that by the ten horns which the scarlet beast had, is signified the power of truth, thus of the Word, against falsities; for it is said that they shall hate the whore, and burn her with fire; and by the whore is signified the truth of the Word falsified, which in itself is falsity, and which cannot be hated and burned but by the truth of the Word in its power, thus, by those who are in truths from the Word, and account the Word only as holy, and acknowledge it as Divine truth, without regard to the dictates of the Pope. But upon this subject more will be said in what follows. The reason why there were seen ten horns is, that by ten is signified much, thus, by ten horns, much power.

208. One heaven is joined with another, or a society of one heaven with the society of another, by the Lord alone, both by direct and by mediate influx, directly from Himself, and mediately through the higher heavens in order into the lower. ¹ As the conjunction of the heavens by this inflowing is from the Lord alone there is a most careful precaution against any angel of a higher heaven looking down into a society of a lower heaven and talking with any one there; for the angel is thus immediately deprived of his intelligence and wisdom. The reason of this also shall be told. As there are three degrees of heaven, so each angel has three degrees of life, those in the inmost heaven having the third or inmost degree open, while the second and first degrees are closed; those in the middle heaven have the second degree opened and the first and third closed; and those in the lowest heaven have the first degree opened and the second and third closed. Consequently, as soon as an angel of the third heaven looks down into a society of the second heaven and talks with any one there his third degree is at once closed; and as his wisdom resides in that degree, if that is closed he is deprived of his wisdom, for he has none in the second or first degree. This is what is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:

He that is on the housetop, let him not go down to take what is in his house; and he that is in the field, let him not turn back to take his garment (Matthew 24:17-18).

And in Luke:

In that day he that shall be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away; and he that is in the field let him not turn back. Remember Lot's wife (Luke 17:31, 32).

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