723. 'And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy' signifies that form of religion [based] upon the Word profaned by them. By the woman' is signified the Roman Catholic or Babylonian form of religion, for there follows 'Upon her forehead a name was written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the land'. That the 'woman' signifies the Church by virtue of the affection of truth, may be seen (n. 434); here the Roman Catholic form of religion which is in an opposite affection. By 'a scarlet beast' is signified the Word, concerning which [something] follows: and by 'full of names of blasphemy' is signified entirely profaned, for by 'blasphemy' is signified the denial of the Lord's Divine in His Human, and the adulteration of the Word (n. 571, 582, 692, 715), thus profanation. For he who does not acknowledge the Lord's Divine in His Human, and falsifies the Word, but not intentionally, does indeed commit profanation, though lightly. Those, however, who assign all the power of the Lord's Divine Human to themselves, and on that account deny it, and who apply all things of the Word to acquiring dominion for themselves over the holy things of the Church and heaven, and on that account adulterate the Word, commit profanation grievously. From these considerations it can he established that by 'I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of the names of blasphemy' is signified that form of religion [based] upon the Word profaned by them. By 'scarlet' is signified the truth of the Word from a celestial origin. [2] That by 'a scarlet beast' is signified the Word as to celestial Divine Truth appears at first thought as if remote and strange, even absurd, because it is called 'a beast'. However, it may be seen above (n. 239, 405, 567) that by 'a beast' in the spiritual sense is signified a natural affection, and that it is said of the Word, of the Church, and of man; that the 'four animals', of which one was a lion, the second a calf, and the fourth an eagle, signify the Word, and are also called 'beasts' in Ezekiel (n. 239, 275, 286, 672); that a 'horse', which also is a beast, signifies the understanding of the Word (n. 298). That 'a lamb' signifies the Lord, 'a sheep' the man of the Church, and 'a flock' the Church itself, is known. These things have been brought forward lest anyone should wonder that by 'a scarlet beast' the Word is signified. And because the Roman Catholic form of religion founds its strength and dignity upon the Word, therefore that woman was seen 'sitting upon a scarlet beast', as before seen 'upon many waters' (verse 1), by which are signified the truths (veritas) of the Word adulterated and profaned (n. 719 above). That the Word is signified by that 'beast' is manifestly plain from the things that are said of it in the following passages of this chapter, as in verse 8:-