Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 740

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740. [verse 12] 'And the ten horns* are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom' signifies the Word as to the power derived from Divine Truths with those who are in the kingdom of France and are not in that manner under the yoke of the Papal dominion, among whom, however, there has not yet been formed a Church thus separated from the Roman Catholic form of religion. That these things have been said of those in the kingdom of France can be established out of the series of things in the spiritual sense; for it now treats of the reception of the Word by those who are in Christendom: of the reception of the Word and the state of the Church therefrom with the Roman Catholics (vers. 9-11); of the reception of the Word and the state of the Church therefrom with those who have been attached to that religion only as to external things, who are chiefly in the kingdom of France (vers. 12-14); of the rest who indeed profess that form of religion, but still dissent in various things (verse 15); also of the Protestants or Reformed who have openly withdrawn from that form of religion (vers. 16, 17). [2] It can, however, by no means be known that all these (his et illis) are treated of, unless it is known that by 'the scarlet beast' is understood the Word, and that the Church is in accordance with the reception of the Word. That by 'the scarlet beast' is understood the Word may be seen above (n. 723); and that the Church is a Church out of the Word and in accordance with the understanding thereof, in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 76-79). By 'horns', here the horns of the beast, is signified the power of the Word, and by 'the ten horns' much power, here Divine power because it is the Lord's power by means of the Word. That 'horns' signify power, and 'ten horns' much power, may be seen above (n. 270, 539, 724) that by 'kings' are signified those who are in Divine truths out of the Word, and abstractly the Divine Truths there (n. 20, 664, 704), and that by 'ten' are signified not ten but many, people or things (n. 101). By 'a kingdom 'is signified a Church out of the Word because by 'kings' are signified those who are in Divine Truths out of the Word, and abstractly the Divine Truths there. Consequently by 'they have not yet received a kingdom' is signified with whom there has not yet been formed a Church thus separated from the Roman Catholic form of religion. [3] From these considerations it can be seen that by 'the ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom' is signified the Word as to power out of Divine Truths with those who are in the kingdom of France and in some other places, who also are called Jansenists, and are not so much under the yoke of the Papal dominion. With these, however, there has not yet been formed a Church thus separated from the Roman Catholic form of religion. The Church with those who are in the kingdom of France is said to be not yet separated from the Roman Catholic form of religion because it coheres with that in external but not in internal things, the external things being the formal and the internal the essential. The reason they still cohere there is because there are so many monasteries there, and because the priests there are under the rule of the Pontiff, and in all formal things they follow (sunt secundum) the Papal edicts and statutes, and consequently are still very much in the essentials of the same form of religion. The Church there has therefore not yet been separated. This is what is signified by 'they have not yet received a kingdom'. * The Original Edition omits 'that thou hast seen' here and at 717.


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