1079. (v. 16) And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast. That this signifies the truths of the church from the Word, with the Reformed, especially concerning the Lord's Divine power, and concerning the Divine sanctity of the Word, is evident from the signification of the ten horns upon the beast, as denoting the truths of the church from the Word; concerning which see above (n. 1069). That horns denote truths as to power, see n. 316, 567, 776, 1041. And that the beast is the Word (n. 1038). That the ten horns of the beast here signify the truths of the Word as to power, with the Reformed, is evident from its being said further in these two verses, that they shall hate the whore, shall make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh, and burn her with fire; by which is signified the total rejection of all the statutes and edicts of the Pope; thus, of the falsifications and profanations of which they consist; especially the two which are treated of above, concerning the power over the holy things of the church, and over the souls of men to save them, which is called the power of opening and shutting heaven; also, concerning the power of interpreting the Word, and of altering those things therein in order to favour their own dominion; these being the two heads of their religion, which the Reformed have altogether rejected and burned with fire. That this secession is described in this and the following verse, is evident from the series of things in the internal sense. For in verses 12-14 the subject treated of is concerning those within Babylon who have rejected those two profane dogmas; and in these two verses concerning those outside Babylon who have rejected them, and concerning the rest of their profane [principles], in verse 15. That this is so is clearly evident, when by the beast is understood the Word, the truths thereof by the horns of the beast, and the profane Babylonish [principles] by the whore.
Continuation concerning the Word:-
[2] The Word in the literal sense appears for the most part to be simple, but still the wisdom of the three heavens is stored up in it; for in each particular therein there is a sense more and more interior. The interior is such as it is in the first heaven; a still more interior, such as it is in the second heaven; and an inmost, such as it is in the third. These senses are in the sense of the letter, one within the other; and are thence unfolded one after the other, each from its own heaven, while a man who is led of the Lord reads it. These interior senses differ in the degree of light and wisdom according to the heavens, still they make one by influx, and thence by correspondences. But how they thus make one shall be told in what follows. From these considerations it is clear how the Word is inspired by the Divine, and that it is written from such inspiration that no other can at all be compared to it. The arcana of wisdom of the three heavens that are therein are the mystical things of which many have spoken.
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