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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.