Verse 1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads a name of blasphemy. 1. "And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea," signifies reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life (n. 774); "having seven heads," signifies knowledge [scientia] of holy things, which are falsified and adulterated (n. 775); "and ten horns," signifies much power (n. 776); "and upon his horns* ten diadems," signifies power from the appearances of truth in abundance (n. 777); "and upon his heads a name of blasphemy," signifies the falsifications of the Word (n. 778). * The Latin has "heads" for "horns," but see just above and below in AE 777.