777. And upon his horns ten diadems. That this signifies that power from the appearances of truth in abundance, is evident from the signification of horns, as denoting power, of which we have just above treated; and from the signification of ten, as denoting much, thus also abundance; concerning which see above (n. 675): and from the signification of diadems, as denoting truths in the last degree of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word; concerning which also see above (n. 717). They also denote the appearances of truth, because the truths of the letter of the Word are, for the most part, appearances of truth; and the power of those who are meant by the beast is therefrom. These are they who, by reasonings, confirm the separation of faith from life. For the truths of the letter of the Word - which are appearances of truth, which they also connect by reasonings so as to appear like genuine truths - are what are here signified by diadems. But when those truths are connected together by reasonings from falsities and fallacies, they are no longer truths in appearance, but truths falsified, and thus falsities; according to what was shown above (n. 719), and illustrated by the apparent progression of the sun.
The reason why upon the heads of the dragon there appeared seven diadems, but upon the horns of the beast ten diadems is, that by the head of the dragon is signified a knowledge of the holy things of the Word, which are falsified and adulterated, thus truths in appearance, which are the truths of the letter of the Word; but by the horns are signified their great power when the same are connected together and confirmed by reasonings from the natural man. This great power, however, is not from reasonings, but by means of reasonings from the truths of the letter of the Word.
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