[2] With respect to dominion over the understanding, it is the understanding of truth in the Word that is meant. For when falsities of religion are confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word, then the understanding no longer sees the truth. For every one who is in the spiritual affection of truth is enlightened by the Lord, when he reads the Word, and it is the understanding that is enlightened. But he who is not in the spiritual affection of truth cannot be enlightened as to the understanding; for he sees truth as in the night, and falsity as in the light. And because the church is such at its end, the understanding of truth then perishes to such a degree that it cannot be enlightened. For the falsities of religion are then confirmed to that degree from the Word; that is, the Word is falsified. This is the case with those meant by Babylon (ver. 8), and by the beast (ver. 10, of this chapter). For it is said of Babylon, "that she made all nations drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom"; and of the beast there, "that he who adored the beast, shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed pure in the cup of his wrath." That the falsifications of the Word are thereby signified, may be seen above (n. 881 and 887).

[3] The reason why the understanding of truth in the Word perishes with such as are meant by the inhabitants of Babylon, and by the worshippers of the beast is, that they have not any spiritual good; and this good, which is the good of charity from the Lord, is what alone opens the spiritual mind, by which the Lord flows in and enlightens. And without the opening of that mind, enlightenment cannot take place, nor, consequently, the understanding of truth. He who believes that he can see any truth of the church from the light (lumen) of reason alone is much deceived. He may indeed know it from another, but he cannot see it in the light. While he desires to see it, or follow it in thought, mere shadows from falsities are in the way; these arise from fallacies, and from man's proprium, which cause blindness. From these things it is evident what is meant by falsifications of the Word even to dominion over the understanding, flowing forth from evil, signified by the blood coming out of the wine-press, even to the horses' bridles.

[4] In the Word the bridle is mentioned in many passages; and by it, in the spiritual sense, is signified restraint and government. And it is said of the understanding and its thought, because a bridle belongs to horses; and horses signify the understanding; and with those who have no understanding, they signify reasonings from falsities. It is therefore evident what is signified by the bridle mentioned in Isaiah:

"I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle into thy lips; and I will bring thee back by the way by which thou camest" (xxxvii. 29).

These things are said of the king of Assyria, who signifies reasoning from falsities. For by Asshur, in the good sense, is signified the Rational. Because that king then besieged Jerusalem, and blasphemed God, it was said to him, that a hook should be put into his nose, which signifies that stupidity and foolishness should possess him. For the nose signifies perception; and the hook, its extraction - properly immersion into the corporeal Sensual, which, separated from the Rational, is stupid. It was also said, that a bridle should be put into his lips, which signifies senselessness as to the understanding of truth. For the lips signify thought from the understanding, and the bridle the restraining of it. To bring him back into the way by which he came, signifies into the falsities by which he was about to perish. Wherefore his army, by which falsities are signified, perished by a great slaughter.

In the same:

"The lips of Jehovah are full of indignation. His tongue is as a devouring fire, and his spirit as an inundating stream; he shall halve, even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, and a bridle that causeth to err upon the jaws of the peoples" (xxx. 27, 28).

The lips, tongue, and spirit of Jehovah, signify Divine truth, which is the Word, from its ultimates to its inmost. This is said to be full of indignation, as a devouring fire, and as an inundating stream, when it is adulterated and falsified; because its adulteration and falsification closes heaven to man, and devastates him. From the appearance that heaven does this - or what is the same, the Divine truth from which is heaven - it is said that it has indignation, that it is a devouring fire, and an inundating stream. He shall halve even to the neck, signifies the devastation thereof by falsities to such a degree that it is not understood. For by the neck is signified conjunction, which perishes when that which is beneath is taken away. To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, signifies the adulteration of the Word by fictitious matters by those who are in evils. And a bridle that causeth to err upon the jaws of the peoples, signifies the falsification of the truth in the Word by those who are in falsities. A bridle causing to err properly denotes the withdrawing from the understanding of truth. The jaws denote thoughts from the corporeal Sensual, thus from fallacies. Peoples are said of those who are in falsities; and nations of those who are in evils.

Those who are not acquainted with correspondences may suppose that horses' bridles signify government over the understanding from the comparison only, but it is from correspondence. And this is clearly evident from the consideration that, in the spiritual world, horses variously harnessed and caparisoned appear; and these, with everything on them, are correspondences.