the Word to the acquiring to themselves dominion over the holy things of the church and of heaven, and for that reason adulterate the Word, are guilty of grievous profanation. From these considerations it may appear, that by these words "I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy," is signified that religion seated upon the Word profaned by them. By scarlet is signified the truth of the Word from a celestial orgin. That by the scarlet beast is signified the Word as to divine truth celestial, appears, at first thought, far-fetched and strange, nay, absurd! and this because it is called a beast; but that by a beast, in a spiritual sense, is signified natural affection, and that the expression is thus applied to the Word, to the church, and to man, may be seen above, n. 139, 405, 567; that the four animals, one of which was a lion, another a calf, and the fourth an eagle, signify the Word, and are also called beasts in Ezekiel, see n. 239, 275, 286, 672; that a horse, which is also a beast, signifies the understanding of the Word, see n. 298. That a lamb signifies the Lord, a sheep a member of the church, and a flock the church itself, is well known. Such considerations are suggested, that no one may be surprised at the circumstance of the scarlet beast signifying the Word. And inasmuch as the Roman Catholic religion rests its strength and dignity upon the Word, therefore that woman appeared sitting upon a scarlet beast, as she had before appeared upon many waters verse 1, by which are signified the truths of the Word adulterated and profaned, as above, n. 729. That by that beast is signified the Word, appears manifestly from the things said of it in the following passages of this chapter, as in verse 8. "The beast that thou sawest, was, and is not;-and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." In verse 11: "And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition." In verses 12, 13, "That the ten horns are ten kings, who shall give their power and strength to the beast." In verse 17: "For God bath

put it in their hearts-to give their kingdom to the beast." Such things can only be said of the Word.

724. "Having seven heads and ten horns," signifies, intelligence derived from the Word, at first holy, afterwards none, and at last insanity, and much power continually derived from the Word. That the head signifies intelligence and wisdom when spoken of the Lord and of the Word, and, in an opposite sense, insanity and folly, may be seen above, n. 538, 585; that seven does not signify seven, but the all of any thing, and is applied to whatever is holy, n. 10, 391; that a horn signifies power, n. 270, and that ten horns signify much power, n. 539; that by seven heads is signified intelligence at first holy, afterwards none, and at last insanity, appears from verses 9 and 10 of this chapter, where the angel mentions the signification of seven heads, as will be seen below. Hence it is plain that by the beast having seven heads and ten horns, is signified intelligence derived from the Word, at first holy, afterwards none, and at last insanity, and much power continually derived from the Word.

725. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet," signifies, divine good and divine truth celestial, which are of the Word among them. By purple is. signified divine good celestial, and by scarlet is signified divine truth celestial, as will be seen presently by being clothed with them is signified to have them about them, consequently among them; the reason why these principles are among them from the Word, is, because by the scarlet beast upon which the woman sat, is signified the Word, n. 723; that the divine good and truth of the Word is about them as a garment, thus among them, is well known, for they worship the Word from without and not from within; they acknowledge it, because it treats. of the Lord, and of his power over heaven and the church, which they have transferred to themselves; and it treats of the keys given to Peter, whose successors they affirm themselves to be; and since upon these two circumstances they found their majesty, dignity, and power, they of neeessity acknowledge the holiness of the Word: but yet the Word to them is only like the garment of purple and

scarlet ornamented with gold, precious stones, and pearls, on the harlot that held in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and filthiness of fornication. Since purple and scarlet are mentioned, and then gold, precious stones, and pearls, and by purple and scarlet is signified divine good and truth celestial, and by gold and precious stones divine good and truth spiritual, both derived from the Word, therefore something should be said concerning the divine celestial and divine spiritual principles. There are two kingdoms into which the Lord's universal heaven is divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; the celestial kingdom consists of angels who are principled in love from the Lord, and the spiritual kingdom of angels who are principled in wisdom from the Lord; in both kingdoms there is good and truth, the good and truth. among the angels of the celestial kingdom, being signified by purple and scarlet, and the good and truth among the angels of the spiritual kingdom being signified by gold and precious stones; both these kinds of good and truth are derived to the angels from the Lord through the Word; wherefore there are two interior senses in the Word, one celestial and the other spiritual. This then is the reason why the woman who sat upon the scarlet beast appeared clothed or arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. The same that is signified by this woman is also signified by the rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day, at whose gate Lazarus was laid, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, Luke xvi. 19, 20, 21; by the rich man clothed in purple and fine linen, are meant the Jews, who had the Word, and by Lazarus are meant the Gentiles who had it not. The following passages have a like signification: "They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets, they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dungbills," Lament. iv. 5. "And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold;-in vain shalt thou make thyself fair," Jerem. iv. 30. "Ye daughters of Israel

weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel," 2 Sam. i. 24. "Fine linen with broidered work,was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sails, blue and purple was that which covered thee," Ezek. xxvii. 7; speaking of Tyre, by which are signified the knowledges of truth and good from the Word. Since purple and scarlet signify celestial good and truth, therefore the garments of Aaron, as also the veils and curtains of the tabernacle, were wrought of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen," Exod. xxv. 4, 31, 36, xxvii. 16, xxviii. 6, 15, the curtain, Exod. xxvi. 1, the veil before the ark, Exod. xxvi. 31, the covering for the door of the tabernacle, Exod. xxvi. 36, the covering of the door of the court, Exod. xxviii. 16, the ephod, Exod. xxviii. 6, the belt, Exod. xxviii. 8, the breastplate of judgment, Exod. xxviii. 15, the fringe of the cloak of the ephod, Exod. xxviii. 33, the scarlet cloth over the show bread, Numb. iv. 8. From what has been said it is evident what is signified by the purple and scarlet, with which the woman was arrayed who sat upon the scarlet beast. In like manner in the following passages: where it is said, "Alas! that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. For in one hour so great riches is come to nought," Apoc. xviii. 16, 17; and that purple and scarlet, gold, precious stones, and pearls, were among the merchandise of Babylon, Apoc. xviii. 12.

726. "And decked with gold and precious stones," signifies, divine good and divine truth spiritual, which are of the Word among them. By gold is signified good, n. 211; by a precious stone is signified truth, n. 231, 540, 570, both from the Word. The reason why spiritual good and truth are signified, is, because by purple and scarlet is signified celestial good and truth, and they are both joined together in the Word on account of the marriage union of good and truth therein, n. 186; and celestial good and truth, inasmuch as they have relation to love, are in their essence good, and spiritual good and truth, inasmuch as they have relation to wisdom, are in

their essence truth. That celestial good and truth have relation to love, and that spiritual good and truth have relation to wisdom, may be seen above, n. 725. What is further signified by this woman's appearing thus arrayed and decked out, may be seen in the foregoing article.

727. "And pearls," signifies, the knowledges of good and truth which are of the Word, among them. By pearls, in a spiritual sense, are signified the knowledges of good and truth as well celestial as spiritual, derived from the Word, particularly from its literal sense, and as pearls signify those knowledges, they are therefore named after purple and scarlet, and after gold and precious stones. The same knowledges are signified by pearls in the following passages: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant seeking goodly pearls; who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it," Matt. xiii. 45, 46. By this is signified knowledge concerning the Lord. "And the twelve gates of the wall of the New Jerusalem were twelve pearls, every several gate was of one pearl," Apoc. xxi. 21; the gates of the New Jerusalem signify introduction into the New Church, and introduction is effected by the knowledges of good and truth derived from the Word. "Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again, and rend you," Matt. vii. 6; by swine are signified they who only love worldly riches, and not spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of good and truth derived from the Word. Because by Babylon is signified that religion, by which all the knowledges of good and truth derived from the Word were rejected, it is said of her, " And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over Babylon, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. The merchandise of gold and silver, and of precious stones, and of pearls," Apoc. xviii. 11, 12.

728. "Having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her whoredom," signifies, that religion grounded in a profanation of the holy things of