1038# “我就看见一个女人骑在朱红色的兽上”表示这种宗教说服对圣言圣物的统治。这从“女人”、“骑”和“朱红色的兽”的含义清楚可知：“女人”是指教会（对此，参看AE555,707,721a,c,730a节），在此是指巴比伦，巴比伦不是一个教会，而是摧毁了教会的一切真理和良善的一种宗教说服。这个“女人”是指巴比伦，这一点从启17:5明显看出来。“骑”（即坐）是指拥有统治权，或统治（参看AE1033节）；“朱红色的兽”是指在其圣物方面的圣言，这个女人，也就是巴比伦，通过统治这些圣物而亵渎了它们。“朱红色的兽”表示在其圣物方面的圣言，巴比伦亵渎了这些圣物，这一点可从本章接下来的话明显看出来，在那里，经上说：
它先前有，如今没有，将要从深渊中上来，又要走向灭亡。（启示录17:8–11）后来又说：那兽的十角就是十王，他们恨这淫妇，使她荒凉赤身，又要吃她的肉，用火将她烧尽，把国给那兽。（启示录17:12,16,17）
从内义上的这些话清楚可知，“朱红色的兽”表示在其圣物方面的圣言。“兽”之所以表示神性圣言，是因为在圣言中，“兽”表示教会的许多圣物，如：显现为四只兽的基路伯（以西结书第1和10章）；四只兽或四活物，它们也是基路伯，约翰看见它们坐在和站在宝座面前（启示录4:6–10;5:6–12;7:11;14:3）。这些作为基路伯表示圣治和保护，免得不通过爱之良善就靠近主；因此，它们也表示字面上的圣言，因为这是一种保护（AE277,278a,717c节）。此外，被献祭的一切牲畜，如公牛、小母牛、公山羊、母山羊、小山羊、公绵羊、母绵羊、羔羊，都表示教会的圣物，这可从前面所说的明显看出来（AE279,283,362,552,650a,g,781d,817d,e节）。这就是为何人们因仁爱而被称为“绵羊”，甚至主自己因神性纯真而被称为“羔羊”，因神性能力而被称为“狮子”。提及这些事，是为了不让这一点显得很奇怪，即：“兽”在此表示圣言，但表示字面上的圣言，圣言在字面上是属世的。在圣言中，“兽或牲畜”在一般意义上表示情感方面的属世层。这兽看起来是朱红色的，因为“朱红”表示来自一个天堂源头的真理，就是在字义，也就是属世意义上的那种圣言真理，这就是它的神圣性的意思。被看到“坐在众水之上”（启17:1）和“多有财宝”（耶利米书51:13）的“淫妇”所表几乎相同。因为“众水”和“（许）多财宝”在那里表示圣言的真理，因而表示教会的圣物，它们被玷污了（AE1033节）。在解释下一节经文时，我们会看到“朱红色”的含义。
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 (i. and x.).
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 (1033). The signification of scarlet will be seen in the explanation of the verse following.
1038. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, signifies the dominion of that religious persuasion over the holy things of the Word. This is evident from the signification of a "woman," as being the church (See n. 8-11); and afterwards, that "the ten horns of the beast were ten kings, who hated the harlot, and would make her desolate and naked, and would eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire, and would give the kingdom unto the beast" (verses 12, 16, 17). From these words viewed in the spiritual sense it is clear that "the scarlet beast" signifies the Word as to the holy things of it.
[2] The Divine Word can be signified by a "beast," because many of the holy things of the church are signified in the Word by "beasts," as:
The cherubim that appeared as four beasts (1033). The signification of "scarlet" will be seen in the explanation of the following verse.
1038. "Et vidi mulierem sedentem super bestia coccinea." - Quod significet dominium illius religiosi super sancta Verbi, constat ex significatione "mulieris", quod sit ecclesia (de qua (supra), n. 555, 707, 721 (a, c), 730(a)); hic Babylonia, quae non est ecclesia, sed religiosum ab omni vero et bono ecclesiae devastatum; quod sit Babylonia quae per "mulierem" hanc intelligitur, patet manifeste a versu quinto hujus capitis: ex significatione "sedere", quod sit dominari (ut mox supra, n. 1033): et ex significatione "bestiae coccineae", quod sit Verbum quoad sancta ejus, quae mulier, quae Babylon, per dominium super illa profanaverat. Quod per "bestiam coccineam" significetur Verbum quoad sancta ejus, quae a Babylone profanata sunt, constare potest ex sequentibus hujus capitis, ubi dicitur "illam fuisse et non esse, et futuram ascendere ex abysso, et in interitum abire" (vers. 8 et 11); et postea quod "decem cornua bestiae essent decem reges qui odio haberent meretricem, et facerent illam devastatam et nudam, et carnes ejus comederent, et illam igne comburerent", et quod "darent regnum bestiae" (vers. 16, 17): ex quibus in sensu spirituali lustratis patet, quod per "bestiam coccineam" significetur Verbum quoad sancta ejus.
[2] Quod Divinum Verbum per "bestiam" possit significari, est quia plura ecclesiae sancta per "bestias" in Verbo significantur: ut,
Quod cherubi visi sint sicut quatuor bestiae apud Ezechielem (cap. 1 et cap. 10):
Et quod quatuor bestiae, seu quatuor animalia, quae etiam cherubi, visa sint Johanni sedentia et stantia coram throno, in Apocalypsi (cap. 4:6-10; 5:6-12; 7:11; 14:3):
et per illa, ut cherubos, significatur providentia et tutela ne adeatur Dominus nisi per bonum amoris; et inde quoque per illa significatur Verbum in littera, quoniam id tutatur (videatur supra, n. 277, 278(a), 717(c)): ac praeterea omnes bestiae quae sacrificabantur, sicut boves, juvenci, hirci, caprae, haedi, arietes, oves et agni, significabant sancta ecclesiae (ut constare potest ex ostensis supra, n. 279, 283, 362, 552, 650(a, g), 781(d), 817(d, e)): inde est quod homines ex charitate dicantur "oves", immo Ipse Dominus ex Divina innocentia dicatur "Agnus", et ex Divina potentia "Leo." Haec dicta sunt ut non appareat mirabile quod per "bestiam" hic significetur Verbum, sed Verbum in littera, ubi id est naturale; "bestia" etiam in communi sensu in Verbo significat naturale quoad affectionem. Quod illa bestia colore coccineo visa sit, est quia "coccinum" significat verum ex origine caelesti, quale est verum Verbi in sensu litterae ejus seu in sensu naturali, quod est quod intelligitur per sanctum ejus. Paene simile significatur per
Quod meretrix illa visa sit sedere super aquis multis (vers. 1 hujus capitis); tum super thesauris multis (apud Jeremiam, cap. 11:13);
nam per "aquas multas" et per "thesauros multos" ibisignificantur vera Verbi et inde sancta ecclesiae, quae adulterata (videatur supra, n. 1033). De significatione "coccini", videbitur in explicatione versus sequentis.