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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. 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.
816. And he had two horns like a lamb, signifies a power as if from the Lord, of persuading that there is a conjunction with the Word of faith separate. This is evident from the signification of "horns," as being power (See above, n. John 1:14).
[2] Such a power of persuading and confirming any heresy whatever from the Word is well known in the Christian world from the many heresies there, everyone of which is confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word and thus they are persuaded. The reason is that the sense of the letter of the Word is accommodated to the apprehension of the simple, and therefore consists in large part of appearances of truth; and it is the nature of appearances of truth to be capable of being adapted to confirm anything that anyone may adopt as a principle of religion and thence of doctrine, thus even when it is false. Consequently those who place genuine truth itself in the sense of the letter of the Word only, are open to many errors unless they are in enlightenment from the Lord, and in that enlightenment form doctrine for themselves that will serve them as a lamp. In the sense of the letter of the Word there are naked truths as well as truths clothed, and these latter are appearances of truth, and appearances of truth can be understood only from passages where naked truths stand out; out of these doctrine can be formed by one who is enlightened by the Lord, and according to that doctrine all other things can be explained. This is why those who read the Word without doctrine are led into manifold errors. The Word was so written in order that there might be a conjunction of heaven with man; and there is a conjunction because every expression in the Word, and in some passages every letter, contains a spiritual sense, in which the angels are; consequently when man perceives the Word according to its appearances of truth the angels that are about man understand it spiritually. Thus the spiritual of heaven is conjoined with the natural of the world in respect to such things as contribute to man's life after death. If the Word had been written otherwise no conjunction of heaven with man would have been possible.
[3] And because the Word in the letter is such it serves as it were as a support for heaven; for all the wisdom of the angels of heaven in respect to things pertaining to the church terminates in the sense of the letter of the Word as in its basis; consequently the Word in the letter may be called the support of heaven. For this reason the sense of the letter of the Word is most holy, and is even more powerful than its spiritual sense, as has been made known to me by 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 this it can be seen that all things of the doctrine of the church are to be confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word that there may be in them any sanctity and power, and moreover from those books of the Word in which there is a spiritual sense. Thence it is also evident how dangerous it is to falsify the Word even to the destruction of the Divine truth that is in its spiritual sense; for by so doing heaven is closed to man. That this is done by those who confirm by the Word the separation of faith from its life, which is good works, has been shown above.
816. "Et habebat cornua duo similia Agno." Quod significet potentiam persuadendi conjunctionem fidei separatae cum Verbo, sicut a Domino, constat ex significatione "cornuum", quod sint potentia (de qua supra, n. 316, 776); ex significatione "duo", quod sint conjunctio (de qua etiam supra, n. 532 fin. ); et ex significatione "Agni", quod sit Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum (de qua etiam supra, n. 314): quod itaque per "habere duo cornua similia Agno" significetur potentia persuadendi conjunctionem fidei separatae cum Verbo, sicut a Domino, constare potest ex illis quae praecedunt, et ex illis quae sequuntur; ex illis quae praecedunt, quod per "bestiam ascendentem e terra" significentur confirmationes ex sensu litterae Verbi pro fide separata a vita (videatur mox supra, n. 815 [a]); ex sequentibus, quod dicatur quod haec bestia "locuta sit sicut draco", et quod "potestatem prioris bestiae omnem fecerit coram eo", per quae significatur similis affectio, cogitatio, doctrina et praedicatio cum illis qui separant fidem a vita fidei quae est charitas; ac conjunctio ratiociniorum e naturali homine, per quae corroboratur religio fidei separatae, de quibus in articulis mox sequentibus: ex quibus patet quod cum "cornua" hujus bestiae significant potentiam persuadendi, "duo" conjunctionem, et "Agnus" Dominum, tunc per quod "bestia haec haberet duo cornua similia Agno", significetur potentia persuadendi conjunctionem fidei separatae a vita cum Verbo, sicut a Domino. Quod super capite hujus bestiae visa sint solum duo cornua, at super capite bestiae prioris decem cornua, est quia per hanc bestiam significantur confirmationes ex Verbo, et in Verbo est conjugium boni et veri, et hoc conjugium significatur per "duo"; inde etiam cornua erant visa "similia Agno", quia per "Agnum" intelligitur Dominus, hic quoad Verbum; quod Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum suum sit Verbum, hoc est, Divinum Verum, apertis verbis dicitur apud Johannem, nempe,
Quod Verbum Caro factum sit (cap. 1:14).
[2] Qualis potentia persuadendi et confirmandi quodcunque haereticum ex Verbo, notum est in orbe Christiano ex tot ibi haeresibus, quarum unaquaevis confirmatur et sic persuadetur ex sensu litterae Verbi: causa est quia sensus litterae Verbi est secundum captum simplicium, et ideo consistit quoad multam partem ex apparentiis veri; et apparentiae veri tales sunt ut trahi possint ad confirmandum omne quod a quodam pro principio religionis et inde doctrinae assumitur, ita quoque falsum; quapropter illi qui ipsum genuinum verum ponunt in solo sensu litterae Verbi, hallucinari possunt in multis, si non in illustratione sint a Domino, et in illa doctrinam, quae pro lucerna sit, sibi faciant: in sensu litterae Verbi sunt tam nuda vera, quam investita vera; haec sunt apparentiae veri, et apparentiae veri non aliter possunt intelligi quam ex locis ibi nuda vera exstant, ex quibus doctrina a Domino apud illustratum formari potest, et reliqua secundum illam explicari; inde est, quod qui Verbum absque doctrina legunt, in multiplices errores auferantur. Quod Verbum ita conscriptum sit, est causa, ut illud sit conjunctio caeli cum homine; et conjunctio est, quia unaquaevis vox ibi, et in quibusdam locis unaquaevis littera, sensum spiritualem, in quo sunt angeli, continet; quare cum homo Verbum secundum ejus apparentias veri percipit, angeli, qui circumdant hominem, illud spiritualiter intelligunt; ita conjungitur spirituale caeli cum naturali mundi quoad talia quae ad vitam hominis post mortem conducunt; si aliter conscriptum fuisset Verbum, non potuisset aliqua conjunctio caeli cum homine dari.
[3] Et quia Verbum in littera tale est, ideo est quasi fulcrum pro caelo; nam omnis sapientia angelorum caeli, quoad talia quae ecclesiae sunt, terminatur in sensu litterae Verbi, sicut in sua basi; quare Verbum in littera vocari potest sustentaculum caeli; inde est sensus litterae Verbi sanctissimus, immo etiam est prae sensu ejus spirituali potens, quod ex multa experientia in mundo spirituali notum mihi factum est; nam dum spiritus aliquem locum secundum sensum litterae proferunt, statim excitant aliquam societatem caelestem ad conjunctionem secum. Ex his constare potest quod omne doctrinae ecclesiae confirmandum sit ex sensu litterae Verbi, ut 1
ei aliqua sanctitas et potentia insit; et quidem ex illis Verbi Libris in quibus sensus spiritualis est. Exinde etiam patet quam periculosum est falsificare Verbum usque ad destructionem Divini Veri, quod est in sensu spirituali ejus; nam sic caelum homini occluditur: quod hoc fiat ab illis qui ex Verbo confirmant separationem fidei ab ejus vita, quae sunt bona opera, supra ostensum est.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.