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Apocalypse Revealed, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1766], tr. by John Whitehead [1912], at sacred-texts.com

Apocalypse Revealed

Verse 18. And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, that hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth, signifies that the Roman Catholic religious persuasion as to doctrine reigns in the Christian world, and still also in some respects with the Reformed, although they are not under the papal dominion. That all these things are signified by these words, is because they make the conclusion; and thence they involve not only the things which are said concerning the Roman Catholics, but also those concerning the French nation, and those concerning the Protestants, thus that "the woman," who is "the great city," has a kingdom also over these. But how, shall be told. She does not have a kingdom over the Protestants, as she has over those who are attached to her religious persuasion; but only so far as they have in some part received her doctrinals. The doctrinals which they have received are these: That they approach God the Father, and not the Lord; that they do not acknowledge the Lord's Human as Divine: that His passion of the cross is expiation, propitiation, and satisfaction to God the Father; concerning the imputation of the Lord's merit; some things concerning Baptism, concerning original sin, and concerning free will; and with the Lutherans, that they accede nearly to transubstantiation. These doctrinals, the residue from papal Catholicism, and agreeing with it in part, are the things from which it is said, that "the woman," who is "the great city," "hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth." By "the woman" the Roman Catholic religious persuasion is signified, as above; by "the city" is signified doctrine (n. 194, 501, 502, 712); by "kingdom" the church is signified (n. 749); hence by "having a kingdom" is signified government; by "the kings of the earth" are signified the truths or falsities of the church (n. 20, 483, 664, 704, 720, 737, 704); hence also doctrinals; by "the earth" is signified the church (n. 285). From these things it is evident that by these words, "the woman whom thou sawest is the great city which hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth," is signified that the Roman Catholic religious persuasion reigns as to doctrine in the Christian world, and as to some part even with the Reformed, although they are not under the papal dominion.

To this I will add this Relation. It was granted me to speak with Pope Sextus Quintus. He came out of a certain society in the west to the left. He said to me that he was appointed as chief governor of a society collected from Catholics who excel the rest in judgment and industry; and that he was made their chief governor for the reason that he had believed for half a year before his death that the vicarship was an invention for the sake of dominion; and that the Lord the Savior, because He is God, is He who is alone to be adored and worshiped; also that the Sacred Scripture is Divine, and thus more holy than the edicts of popes. He said that he remained firm in the belief of these two heads of religion until the end of his life. He also said that their saints are not anything. He wondered when I related that it was decreed in a synod, and confirmed by a bull, that they should be invoked. He said that he led an active life as he had done in the world; and that he proposed to himself every morning nine or ten things, which he wished should be accomplished before evening. I asked whence he obtained in so few years so great a treasure as he had laid up in the castle of Angelo. He replied that he wrote with his own hand to the rulers of the rich monasteries, to send him at their discretion from their resources as much as they were willing, as it was for a holy use; and that they sent abundantly, because they feared him. And when I said that that treasure was still remaining, he said, "For what use is it now?" [2] While speaking with him, I related that since his time the treasure in Loretto had been immensely increased and enriched, and in like manner the treasures in certain monasteries, especially in Spain; but not to so great a degree at this day as in former ages. And I added, that they keep them without any end of use, other than to enjoy themselves from their possession. And when I related this, I said also that they are thus like the infernal gods, which the ancients called Plutos. When I mentioned Plutos, he replied, "Be silent, I know." He said again, that no others are admitted into the society over which he presided, but those who excel in judgment, and can receive the belief that the Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that the Word is the Holy Divine; and that under the Lord's auspices he is every day perfecting that society. And he said that he has spoken with the saints so called; but that they become foolish, when they hear and believe that they are saints. He also called the pontiffs and cardinals stupid, those who wish to be adored like Christ, though not in person, and who do not acknowledge the Word as the Holy Divine itself, according to which alone one should live. [3] He wishes me to say to those who are now living, that Christ is the God of heaven and earth, and that the Word is the Holy Divine; and that the Holy Spirit does not speak through the mouth of anyone, but Satan, who wishes to be adored as God; and that they who do not attend to these things, as stupid, go away to their own, and after a time are cast down into hell, to those who labor in the fantasy that they are gods; who have no other life than the life of a wild beast. To this I said, "Perhaps these things are too hard for me to write." But he answered, "Write, and I will endorse it, because they are true." And then he went away from me into his society, and endorsed one copy, and transmitted it as a Bull to the other societies devoted to the same religion.

Revelation 18 1. And after these things I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened by his glory. 2. And he cried out mightily with a great voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. 3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich from the abundance of her luxuries. 4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye become not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5. For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her injustices. 6. Render unto her even as she hath rendered unto you; and double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath mingled, mingle to her double. 7. As much as she hath glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and mourning give her, for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning. 8. For this shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning and famine; and she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 9. And the kings of the earth shall weep for her, and wail over her, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning; 10. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city; for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one buyeth their merchandise any more; 12. Merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stone and pearls, and fine linen and purple, and silk and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel of precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13. And cinnamon and incense, and ointment and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour and wheat, and beasts of burden and sheep, and horses, and carriages, and bodies and souls of men. 14. And the fruits of the desire of thy soul have departed from thee, and all fat and splendid things have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 15. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16. And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, and precious stone, and pearls; 753-1 for in one hour so great riches were devastated. 17. And every pilot and everyone employed upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea, stood afar off, 18. And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city? 19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were made rich by her costliness; for in one hour they were devastated. 20. Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath judged your judgment upon her. 21. And one strong angel took up a stone like a great mill-stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be cast down, and shall not be found anymore. 22. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and pipers, and trumpeters shall not be heard in thee anymore; and no craftsman of any craft shall be found in thee anymore; and the voice of a millstone shall not be heard in thee anymore; 23. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in thee anymore; because thy merchants were the great ones of the earth; because by thy sorcery have all nations been seduced. 24. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE The contents of the whole chapter Continuation concerning the Roman Catholic religious persuasion. That on account of adulterations and profanations of the truths of the Word, and thence of the church, it will perish (verses 1-8). Concerning the highest in the ecclesiastical order there, what their quality is, and concerning their mourning (verses 9-10). Concerning the lower ones in that order (verses 11-16). Concerning the laity and the common people, who are under obedience to them (verses 17-19). The joy of the angels on account of its removal (verse 20). Concerning its destruction in the spiritual world on account of its having no acknowledgment of, inquiry after, enlightenment in, and reception of truth, and hence no conjunction of truth and good, which makes the church (verses 21-24). The contents of each verse Verse 1. "After these things I saw," signifies a continuation respecting the Roman Catholic religious persuasion (n. 753). "I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened by his glory," signifies a strong influx of the Lord out of heaven by the Divine truth, from which His church was in celestial light (n. 754). Verse 2. "And he cried out mightily with a great voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen," signifies that he made it known, that by the Lord's Divine power all who have been in that religion and at the same time in the love of domineering from it, were destroyed in the spiritual world, and cast into many hells (n. 755). "And is become a habitation of demons," signifies that their hells are the hells of the lusts of domineering from the fire of the love of self, and of the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven from the spurious zeal of that love (n. 756). "And a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird," signifies that the evils of will and thence of the deed, and the falsities of thought and thence of design, of those who are in those hells, are diabolical, because they are turned away from the Lord to themselves (n. 757). Verse 3. "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her," signifies that they have put forth wicked dogmas, which are adulterations and profanations of the good and truth of the Word, and have imbued with them all that have been born and brought up in the kingdoms under their domination (n. 758). "And the merchants of the earth have become rich from the abundance of her luxuries," signifies the greater and less in rank in that hierarchy, who through dominion over holy things strive for Divine majesty and super-regal glory, and continually aim to establish it by the multiplication of monasteries and of possessions under them, and by the treasures which without end they gather together and heap up from the world, and thus procure to themselves corporeal and natural delights from the celestial and spiritual dominion attributed to them (n. 759). Verse 4. "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye become not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues," signifies exhortation from the Lord to all, as well those who are in that religion as those who are not in it, to beware of conjunction with it by acknowledgment and affection, lest as to their souls they should be conjoined to its abominations, and should perish (n. 760). Verse 5. "For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her injustices," signifies that its evils and falsities infest the heavens, and that the Lord will protect these from violence thence (n. 761). Verse 6. "Render unto her even as she hath rendered unto you; double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath mingled, mingle to her double," signifies just retribution and punishment after death, that then the evils and falsities by which they have seduced and destroyed others, will return upon them, according to their quantity and quality (n. 762). Verse 7. As much "as she hath glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and mourning give her," signifies that in the degree of their elation of heart from dominion and according to their exultation of mind and body from riches, they have after death internal pain from being cast down and derided, and from want and misery (n. 763). "For she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning," signifies that they have these things, because from elation of heart over their dominion and from exultation of mind over their riches, they are in trust and confidence that they will have dominion forever, and shall protect themselves, and that they can never be deprived of them (n. 764). Verse 8. "For this in one hour 753-2 shall her plague come, death and mourning and famine," signifies that on this account, at the time of the Last Judgment, the punishments of the evils which they have done will return upon them, which are death, which is infernal life, and internal grief from being cast down from dominion; mourning which is internal grief from want and wretchedness in place of opulence; and hunger, which is the deprivation of the understanding of all truth (n. 765). "And she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her," signifies that they will be hatreds against the Lord and against His heaven and church, because they then see that the Lord alone had dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man from himself (n. 766). Verse 9. "And the kings of the earth shall weep for her and wail over her, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning," signifies the more interior pains of those who have been in higher dominion and its delights, by means of the falsified and adulterated truths of the Word which they made the holy things of the church, when they see them turned into profane things (n. 767). Verse 10. "And standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city; for in one hour is thy judgment come," signifies their fear of punishments, and their grievous lamentation that that religious persuasion, so fortified, could be so suddenly and completely overturned, and that they could perish (n. 769). Verse 11. "And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one buyeth their merchandise anymore," signifies the lesser in the order, who minister and make gain by holy things, here their griefs that after the destruction of Babylon they cannot make profits by them as before (n. 771). Verse 12. "Merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls," signifies that they no longer have these things, because they have no spiritual goods and truths, to which such things correspond (n. 772). "And fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet," signifies that they no longer have these things, because they have not the celestial goods and truths to which such things correspond (n. 773). "And all thyine wood and every vessel of ivory," signifies that they no longer have these, because they have not the natural goods and truths to which such things correspond (n. 774). "And every vessel of precious wood and of brass and iron and marble" signifies that they no longer have these, because they have not the scientific goods and truths in things of the church to which such things correspond (n. 775). Verse 13. "And cinnamon and incense and ointment and frankincense," signifies that they no longer have worship from spiritual goods and truths, because they have nothing within their worship, which corresponds to the things here named (n. 777). "And wine and oil and fine flour and wheat," signifies that they no longer have worship from celestial truths and goods, because they have not within their worship the things which correspond to those here named (n. 778). "And beasts of burden and sheep," signifies that they no longer have worship from the external or natural goods and truths of the church, because they have not anything within their worship which corresponds to the above mentioned things (n. 780). "And horses and carriages and bodies and souls of men," signifies all those things according to the understanding of the Word and doctrine thence, and according to the goods and truths of the sense of its letter, which they have not, because they have falsified and adulterated them (n. 781). Verse 14. "And the fruits of the desire of thy soul have departed from thee, and all fat and splendid things have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more," signifies that all the blessedness and happiness of heaven, even the external, such as are desired by them, will altogether flee away, and will no longer appear, because they have no celestial and spiritual affections of good and truth (n. 782). Verse 15. "And the merchants of these things, who became rich by her, shall stand afar off, for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning," signifies the state before damnation, and then their fear and lamentation who have made gain by various dispensations and promises of heavenly joys, (n. 783). Verse 16. "And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold and precious stone and pearls, for in one hour so great riches were devastated," signifies grievous lamentation that their magnificence and their gains are so suddenly and so fully destroyed (n. 785). Verse 17. "And every pilot, and everyone employed upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea," signifies those who are called the laity, as well they who are placed in greater dignity as those that are in less, even to the common people, who are attached to that religious persuasion, and love and kiss it, or acknowledge and venerate it in heart (n. 786). "Stood afar off (Verse 18) and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this city?" signifies their mourning in a remote state over the condemnation of that religious persuasion, which they believed to be supereminent above every religion in the world (n. 787). Verse 19. "And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city," signifies their interior and exterior grief and mourning which is lamentation that so eminent a religious persuasion should be altogether destroyed and condemned (n. 788). "In which all that had ships in the sea were made rich by her costliness, for in one hour they were devastated," signifies on this account, that by the holy things of that religious persuasion all, as many as were willing to buy, were absolved, and for worldly and temporal riches received heavenly and eternal riches (n. 789). Verse 20. "Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath judged your judgment upon her," signifies that the angels of heaven and the men of the church who are in the goods and truths from the Word should now rejoice in heart that those who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected (n. 790). Verse 21. "And one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city, Babylon, be cast down, and shall not be found anymore," signifies that by a strong influx of the Lord out of heaven, that religious persuasion with all its adulterated truths of the Word, will be cast headlong into hell, and will not appear to the angels anymore (n. 791). Verse 22. "And the voice of harpers and musicians and pipers and trumpeters shall not be heard in thee anymore," signifies that there will not be with them any affection of spiritual truth and good nor any affection of celestial good and truth (n. 792). "And no craftsman of any craft shall be found anymore in thee," signifies that they who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and from a life according to it, have no understanding of spiritual truth, and thence no thought of spiritual truth, so far as it is from themselves (n. 793). "And the voice of a millstone shall not be heard in thee anymore," signifies that with those who are in that religious persuasion from its doctrine and from a life according to it, there is no searching for, investigation of and confirmation of spiritual truth, because the falsity received and confirmed, and thus implanted, stands in the way (n. 794). Verse 23. "And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee anymore" signifies that they who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and from a life according to it, have no enlightenment from the Lord, and hence no perception of spiritual truth (n. 796). "And the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall not be heard in thee anymore," signifies that they who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and from a life according to it, have no conjunction of good and truth, which makes the church (n. 797). "For thy great ones were the merchants 753-3 of the earth" signifies that the higher ones in their ecclesiastical hierarchy are such; because by the various and arbitrary rights left to them in the statutes of the order, they make gain and profit (n. 799). "For by thy sorcery all the nations were seduced," signifies their wicked arts and devices, by which they have led away the minds [animus] of all from the holy worship of the Lord to the profane worship of living and dead men and idols (n. 800). Verse 24. "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth," signifies that from the religious persuasion which is meant by "the city Babylon" is the adulteration and profanation of every truth of the Word and thence of the church, and that falsity has emanated therefrom into the whole Christian world. THE EXPLANATION Verse 1. And after these things I saw, signifies the manifestation concerning the destruction and condemnation of those who were in the Roman Catholic religious persuasion, and exercised authority over the holy things of the church and heaven, with the purpose of having dominion over all, and of possessing all the goods of others. These things are here signified by "after these things I saw," because they are treated of in this chapter. The dogmas of that religious persuasion are prefixed to this work, that they who are in enlightenment from the Lord may see that they regard nothing else than dominion over the souls of men, to the end that they may be worshiped as gods, and may alone possess the goods of the whole world. And because that was their end, and not at all the salvation of souls, they could not take their dogmas from any other source than from hell; for they could not from heaven, that is, from the Lord, but from themselves, because they transferred all things of the Lord to themselves. What is more detestable than to divide the body and blood of the Lord, or the bread and wine in the Holy Supper, manifestly against its institution, and this by fictions, and solely for the sake of the daily and nightly sacrifices of the Mass, by which they make worldly gains? What is more detestable than to worship dead men with Divine invocation, and to fall down on the knees to their images, and to kiss them in a holy manner, yea, the bones and remains of their dead bodies, and thus to lead away the people from Divine worship and to lead them into profane worship; and this also for the sake of gains? What is more detestable than to make Divine worship on the Lord's day and on festivals to consist in masses not understood, and thus in externals which are of the body and its affections without internals which are of the soul and its affections, and to ascribe to the former all sanctity, and thus to hold all in ignorance and blind faith, that they may have dominion and make gain? What is more detestable than to transfer all things of the Lord's Divine authority to themselves? which is nothing else than to draw down the Lord from His throne, and to put themselves upon it. What is more detestable than to take away the Word, which is the Divine truth itself, from the laity and the common people, and to issue edicts and dogmas in its place, in which there is scarcely one genuine truth of the Word? These are the things which are treated of in this chapter of Revelation.

I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened by his glory, signifies a strong influx of the Lord out of heaven by the Divine truth, from which His church was in heavenly light. By "an angel" the Lord is signified; by "an angel coming down out of heaven" is signified the Lord's influx out of heaven; by "having great authority," is signified strong influx; by "the earth was lightened by his glory" is signified the church in heavenly light from the Lord by Divine truth. That by "an angel" and by "angels" in the Word the Lord is meant, may be seen (n. 258, 344, 465, 649, 657, 718). By "coming down" is signified to flow in, because it is said of the Lord. That the church is signified by "the earth" (n. 285, 721). That glory is said of the Divine truth, and signifies it (n. 249, 629). It is said, Divine truth in heavenly light, because the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is the light of heaven, which enlightens the angels, and makes their wisdom. The influx of the Lord by Divine truth is now spoken of, and the enlightenment of the church by it, because by that influx those that are in falsities are separated from those who are in truths; and likewise, falsities from the light of truth appear as they really are.

Verse 2. And he cried out mightily with a great voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, signifies that he made it known that by the Lord's Divine power all who have been in that religious persuasion, and at the same time in the love of dominion from it, are destroyed in the spiritual world, and are cast into many hells. That this is signified by these words may be evident from the small work on The Last Judgment and the Destruction of Babylon, published at London in the year 1758; where its destruction is described (n. 53-64); from which it may be seen that those of that religious persuasion who from the heat of the love of self have exercised dominion over the holy Divine things of the Lord, which are those of heaven and the church, and who have been mere idolaters, were destroyed and cast into hell. But that those of the same religious persuasion, who had lived according to the precepts of the Decalogue, shunning evils as sins, and at the same time looked to the Lord, were saved, may be seen in The Continuation Concerning the Last Judgment and Concerning the Spiritual World (n. 58); to which there is no need to add more. The like is said of Babel in Isaiah: A lion cried upon the watch-towers, and said, Babel is fallen, is fallen, and all the graven images of her gods hath he broken on the earth (Isa. 21:8-9). Similar ones are collected from that religious persuasion since the Last Judgment, and from time to time are sent to their like.

And is become the habitation of demons, signifies that their hells are the hells of the lusts of dominion from the heat of the love of self, and of the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven from the spurious zeal of that love. By "demons" the lusts of evils are signified (n. 458), and also the lusts of falsifying truths. But demons, like lusts, are of many kinds; but the worst are those who are lusts of having dominion over the holy things of the church and over heaven from the heat of the love of self. And because this domineering disposition is seated in their hearts, they are also lusts of profaning the truths of heaven from the spurious zeal of that love. And as these, when they become demons, which takes place after death, know that the Lord alone rules over heaven and earth, they become hatreds against Him, till at length, as after the lapse of an age, they cannot endure to hear Him named. It is manifest from this, that by "Babylon has become a habitation of demons," is signified that their hells are the hells of the lusts of having dominion from the heat of the love of self, and the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven from the spurious zeal of that love. [2] It is not known in the world, that all after death become affections of the ruling love in themselves. Those become good affections, who have looked to the Lord and to heaven, and at the same time have shunned evils as sins; but those become evil affections, which are lusts, who have looked only to themselves and the world, and have shunned evils not as sins, but only as hurtful to one's reputation and honor. Those affections appear to the life and are perceived in the spiritual world, but in the natural world, only the thoughts from the affections. Hence it is, that man does not know that hell is in the affections of the love of evil, and heaven in the affections of the love of good. That man does not know and that he does not perceive it, is because the lusts of the love of evil derive from heredity that they are delightful in the will, and thence are pleasant in the understanding; and a man does not reflect upon that which is delightful and pleasant, because it leads his mind [animus] along, as the current of a swift river carries a vessel. Wherefore they who have immersed themselves in those delights and pleasures cannot come to the delights and pleasures of the affections of the love of good and truth any otherwise than as those who urge the oars against the current of the swift river with the strong power of the arms. But it is otherwise with those who have not immersed themselves deeply.

And the hold of every unclean spirit, and the hold of every unclean and hateful bird, signifies that the evils of the will and thence of the deed, and the falsities of thought and thence of design, of those who are in those hells, are diabolical, because they are turned away from the Lord to themselves. By "a hold" is signified hell, because there they are imprisoned; by "spirit" is signified everything that is of the affection or the will and thence of the deed; and by "bird" is signified everything that is of the thought or the understanding and thence of the design. Therefore by "unclean spirit" and "unclean bird" are signified all the evils which are of the will and thence of the deed, and all the falsities which are of the thought and thence of the design. And because these are with them in the hells, it is therefore signified that they are diabolical; and because they are turned away from the Lord to themselves, it is also called, "a hateful bird." Babel is described by similar things in the prophets; thus in Isaiah: Babel shall be as God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah; it shall not be inhabited to eternity, so that the Arab shall not tarry there; the ziim shall lie down there, and their houses shall be filled with ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there; the ziim also shall answer in her palaces, and the dragons in her palaces of luxuries (Isa. 13:19-22). In the same: I will cut off from Babel the name and remnant; I will make her an inheritance for the bittern (Isa. 14:22-23). And in Jeremiah: In Babel shall dwell the ziim and ijim and daughters of the owl, according to God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its villages; no son of man shall dwell there (Jer. 50:39-40). It is manifest from these passages, that by "the hold of every unclean spirit, and of every unclean and hateful bird," is signified that the evils of the will and thence of the deed, and the falsities of the thought and thence of the design, of those who are in those hells, are diabolical, because they are turned away from the Lord to themselves. [2] It is manifest from the Word, that "birds" signify such things as are of the understanding and thought and thence of design, in each sense, both evil and good. In the evil sense they are mentioned in these passages: In the midst of the week I will make the sacrifice to cease, at length upon the bird of abominations shall be desolation, unto the consummation it shall drop upon the devastation (Dan. 9:27). The cormorant and the bittern shall possess the land, the screech owl and the raven shall dwell in it (Isa. 34:11). Nothing else but infernal falsities are signified by "the ochim," "the ziim," "the daughters of the owl," and "the dragons," in the passages adduced above; also by: The birds which came down upon the carcasses, which Abram drove away (Gen. 15:11). By the birds to which their carcasses should be given for food (Jer. 7:33; 15:3; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; Ezek. 29:5; Ps. 79:1-2); Also by the birds which devour that which was sowed (Matt. 13:3, 4). [3] In the good sense, in these passages: Let the creeping thing and the bird praise the name of Jehovah (Ps. 148:10). I will make a covenant for them in that day with the bird of the heavens and the creeping thing of the earth (Hos. 2:18). Ask the beasts and they shall teach thee, and the birds of heaven and they shall declare unto thee; who from all these hath not known that the hand of Jehovah doeth it? (Job 12:7-9) I saw, when, behold, there was no man, every bird of the heavens flew away (Jer. 4:25). From the bird of the heavens even to the beast they are fled, because I will make Jerusalem heaps, the habitation of dragons (Jer. 9:10-11; 12:9). There is no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God; therefore the land shall mourn as to the beast of the field and as to the bird of the heavens (Hos. 4:1, 3). I am God, that calls the bird from the east, the man of My counsel out of a land afar off (Isa. 46:9, 11). Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon; all the birds of the heavens nested in its branches, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations (Ezek. 31:3, 6). [4] Things similar to this are said of Ashur as a cedar elsewhere, as Ezek. 17:23; Dan. 4:10-14, 20, 21; Matt. 13:31-32; Mark 4:32; Luke 13:19: Say to the bird of every wing, and to every beast of the field, come to the great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel; so will I give My glory among the nations (Ezek. 39:17, 21; Rev. 19:17; besides other places, as Isa. 18:1, 6; Ezek. 38:20; Hos. 9:11; 11:9, 11; Zeph. 1:3; Ps. 8:6-8; 50:11; 104:10, 12). That "birds" signify the things which are of the understanding and thence of thought and design is clearly manifest from the birds in the spiritual world, where there appear also birds of every genus and every species; in heaven most beautiful ones, birds of paradise, turtledoves, and doves, in hell dragons, screech owls, horned owls, and other similar ones; all of which are representations to the life, of thoughts from good affections in heaven, and of thoughts from evil affections in hell.

Verse 3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth committed whoredom with her, signifies that they have put forth wicked dogmas, which are adulterations and profanations of the good and truth of the Word, and have imbued with them all that have been born and educated in the kingdoms under their domination. That this is signified by these words may be evident from the explanations above (n. 631, 632, and 720, 721); where are like things, to which there is no need of adding more; only that similar things are said of Babel in Jeremiah: A cup of gold is Babel in the hand of Jehovah making the whole earth drunken, the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are insane (Jer. 51:7). Also: Let Babel be a hissing, when they have grown warm, I will make their banquets, and I will make them drunken, that they may exult, and may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake (Jer. 51:37, 39). By "the wine" which they drink, and by which they are made drunk, their dogmas are signified; and how wicked these are, may be seen above (n. 754). Among them also is this wicked one, that the works which they do according to their doctrinals make merits, by transcribing into them, and thus into themselves, the Lord's merit and justice; when yet all of charity and all of faith, or all good and truth, are from the Lord; and what is from the Lord remains the Lord's with the recipients. For what is from the Lord is Divine, which can never become man's own. The Divine can be with a man, but not in his proprium, for man's proprium is nothing but evil; wherefore he who attributes to himself what is Divine as his own, not only defiles it, but also profanes it. The Divine from the Lord is exquisitely separated from man's proprium and is elevated above it, and is never immersed in it. But because they have transferred to themselves all the Divine of the Lord and thus have appropriated it to themselves, it flows like bituminous water, when it rains, from a spring which is bitumen. It is similar with that dogma, that justification is real sanctification; and that their saints are holy in themselves, when yet the Lord alone is holy (Rev. 15:4). More may be seen concerning merit in the work concerning The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, published at London in the year 1758 (n. 150-158).

And the merchants of the earth have become rich from the abundance of her luxuries, signifies the greater and the less in rank in that hierarchy, who through dominion over holy things strive for Divine majesty and super-regal glory, and continually aim to establish them firmly by the multiplication of monasteries and of possessions under them, and by the treasures which without end they gather together and accumulate from the world, and thus procure for themselves corporeal and natural delights and pleasures from the celestial and spiritual dominion attributed to themselves. No others can be meant by "the merchants of Babylon" than the greater and the lesser in rank in their ecclesiastical hierarchy, because in verse 23 of this chapter it is said that they are "the great ones of the earth;" and by "the abundance of her luxuries by which they have become rich," nothing else can be meant than the dogmas, by which, as means, they procure for themselves dominion over the souls of men, and thus also over their possessions and wealth. That they gather these together without end, and distend their treasures with them, is known. Then also that they make traffic of the holy things of the church, as that by offerings and gifts made to the monasteries and their saints and images, and by various masses, indulgences, and dispensations, they sell salvation, that is, heaven. [2] Who cannot see that if the papal dominion had not been broken at the time of the Reformation, they would have scraped together the possessions and wealth of all the kingdoms in the whole of Europe? and then that they would have become the sole lords, and all the rest slaves? Have they not extraordinary opulence from former ages, when they had authority over emperors and kings, whom, if they were not obedient, they could excommunicate and dethrone? And have they not still annual incomes which are immense, and great treasuries full of gold, silver, and precious stones? A like barbarous dominion is seated still in the minds [animus] of very many of them; and it is restrained solely through the fear of its loss, if it is extended beyond bounds. But of what use are such great revenues, treasures, and possessions, except that they may delight and take pride in them, and confirm their domination to eternity? From this it is evident, what is here signified by "the merchants of the earth," who have become rich from the abundance of the luxuries of Babylon. They are called "merchants" also in Isaiah: The inhabitants of Babel have become as stubble, the fire hath burned them up; they shall not deliver their soul from the hand of the flame; such are thy merchants from thy youth (Isa. 47:14-15). [3] By trafficking and trading is signified in the Word to procure for themselves spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of truth and good, and in the opposite sense the knowledges of falsity and evil; and to gain the world by the latter, and to gain heaven by the former. Wherefore the Lord compared: The kingdom of the heavens to a merchantman seeking beautiful pearls (Matt. 13:45-46); And the men of the church to servants, to whom the talents were given, with which they should trade and make gain (Matt. 25:14-20); And to whom ten pounds were given, with which they should in like manner trade and make gain (Luke 19:12-26). And because the church as to the knowledges of truth and good is signified by "Tyre," therefore it treats of her traffic and gain in the whole of chapter 27 of Ezekiel; and it is said of her: In thy wisdom and in thy intelligence thou hast made for thyself gold and silver in thy treasures, and by the multitude of wisdom in thy traffic hast thou multiplied for thyself wealth (Ezek. 28:4-5). And elsewhere: Tyre is devastated, whose merchants were princes, and her traders the honorable of the earth (Isa. 23:1-8). And the church perverted with the Jews in the land of Canaan is called: The land of trading (Ezek. 16:3, 29; 21:30; 29:14; also 17:4; 28:18).

Verse 4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye may become not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues, signifies exhortation from the Lord to all, as well those who are in that religious persuasion as those who are not in it, to guard themselves from conjunction with it by acknowledgment and affection, lest as to their souls they should be conjoined with its abominations, and should perish. By "another voice from heaven saying," is signified exhortation from the Lord to all, as well those who are in that religious persuasion as those who are not in it; because it follows, "Come out of her, my people," that is, all who approach the Lord. This exhortation is from the Lord, because the voice was "from heaven." By "that ye become not partakers of her sins," is signified that they should beware lest as to their souls they should be conjoined with its abominations; and as conjunction is effected by acknowledgment and affection, this also is signified. Their sins are abominations, because they are so called in the preceding chapter (Rev. 17:4). By "that ye receive not of her plagues," is signified lest they perish; for by "plagues" evils and falsities are signified, and at the same time destruction by them. These are signified by "the plagues" above (n. 657, 673, 676, and elsewhere). Similar things are said of Babel in the Word in these passages: Go ye out of the midst of Babel, O my people, deliver everyone his soul from the wrath of the anger of Jehovah, lest your heart become soft, and ye fear for the report (Jer. 51:45-46). Flee from the midst of Babel, and deliver everyone his soul, lest ye be cut off for her iniquity (Jer. 51:6). Forsake Babel, and let us go everyone into his own land, for her judgment hath reached to the heavens, and hath lifted itself up even to the clouds (Jer. 51:9). Go ye out of Babel, flee from the Chaldeans with the voice of singing; declare this and make it to be heard; utter it even to the extremity of the earth; say ye, Jehovah redeems (Isa. 48:20-21; Jer. 50:8).

Verse 5. For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her injustices, signifies that their evils and falsities infest the heavens, and that the Lord will protect these from violence thence. By "her sins have reached to the heavens" is signified that their evils and falsities infest the angels of heaven. By "God hath remembered her injustices," is signified that the Lord will protect the heavens from violence thence. This is signified by these words, because all things in the heavens are goods and truths, and all things in the hells are evils and falsities; and thence the heavens and the hells are altogether separated, and in an inverted position like the antipodes; wherefore evils and falsities cannot reach to the heavens. But yet, when evils and falsities are multiplied beyond the degrees of opposition, and thus beyond a just measure, the heavens are infested; and unless the Lord then protects the heavens, which is effected by a more powerful influx from Himself, violence is offered to the heavens; and when this has come to its height, He then executes the Last Judgment, and thus they are liberated. Hence it is, that it follows in this chapter: Exult over her, O heaven, because God hath judged your judgment upon her (Rev. 18:20). And in the following chapter (Rev. 19:1-9); and in Jeremiah: Then shall the heavens and the earth and all that is in them sing over Babel, when the wasters shall come upon her (Jer. 51:48).

Verse 6. Render unto her even as she hath rendered unto you, double unto her double according to her works, in the cup which she hath mingled, mingle to her double, signifies the just retribution and punishment of them after death, that then the evils and falsities by which they have seduced and destroyed others will return upon them according to their quantity and quality, which is called the law of retaliation. "Render unto her even as she hath rendered unto you," signifies the just retribution and punishment of them after death. "Double unto her double according to her works," signifies that the evils by which they have seduced and destroyed others will return upon them according to their quantity and quality. "In the cup which she hath mingled, mingle to her double," signifies that the falsities will return in like manner; for by "a cup" or wine falsities are signified (n. 316, 635, 649, 672). Nearly the same things are said of Babel in the prophets: Recompense unto Babel according to her work, according to all that she hath done, do unto her, for she hath acted insolently against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel (Jer. 50:29). This is the vengeance of Jehovah; take ye vengeance on Babel; as she hath done, do unto her (Jer. 50:15). The daughter of Babel is devastated; happy is he that rendereth to thee thy retribution which thou hast rendered unto us (Ps. 137:8). [2] It is according to the sense of the letter, that those whom they have seduced and destroyed will bring retribution on them; but it is according to the spiritual sense, that they will not do this to them, but these do it to themselves; because every evil brings its own punishment with itself. This is similar to what is said frequently in the Word, that God will bring retribution and vengeance for injustices and injuries done to Himself, and from anger and wrath will destroy them; when yet the evils themselves which they have committed against God do this; thus they do it to themselves; for this is the law of retaliation, which draws its very origin from this Divine law: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 7:12; Luke 6:31). This law in heaven is the law of mutual love or charity, from which it becomes the opposite in hell, which is, that to everyone it is done as he had done to another; not that they who are in heaven do this, but that they do it to themselves; for the retribution of retaliation is from opposition to that law of life in heaven, as if inscribed on their evils. [3] By "double" is signified much according to quantity and quality in this passage also: Let my persecutors be ashamed, bring upon them the day of evil, and break them with a double breaking (Jer. 17:18). Also much according to the quantity and quality of their turning away from evils, in these: Comfort ye My people, because her warfare 762-1 is fulfilled, and her iniquity is expiated; for she hath received from the hand of Jehovah double (Isa. 40:1-2). Return to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope; this day I announce, I will recompense unto thee double (Zech. 9:12). For your shame ye shall have double, and in their land they shall possess the double, everlasting joy shall be unto them (Isa. 61:7).

Verse 7. As much as she hath glorified herself, and lived luxuriously, so much torment and mourning give her signifies that in the degree of their elation of heart from dominion, and according to their exultation of mind and body from riches, they have after death internal grief from being cast down and derided, and from want and misery. By "as much as she hath glorified herself" is signified in the degree according to their elation of heart from dominion; for they glorify themselves from this. By "as much as she hath lived luxuriously," is signified in the degree of their exultation of mind and body on account of riches, and the delights and pleasures therefrom, as above (n. 759). By "giving her torment," is signified internal grief at being cast down from dominion, and then derision; their torment after death is from no other source; and by "giving her mourning" is signified internal grief from want and misery; their mourning after death is from these. [2] The delight of the love of having dominion from the love of self over all that belongs to the Lord, which are all the things of heaven and the church, is turned after death into such torment; and the pleasantness of the love of filling the mind and body with delights derived from opulence, with those who are in the aforesaid love of having dominion, is turned into such mourning. For the delights and pleasantnesses proceeding from the loves make the life of everyone; wherefore when these are turned into the opposites, there arise torment and mourning. These are the retributions and punishments which are meant in the Word by the torments in hell; and thence hatred against the Lord and against all things of heaven and the church, is meant by "the fire" there. Similar things are said of Babel in the prophets, as: I will render unto Babel all the evil which they have done in Zion before your eyes (Jer. 51:24). The waster shall come upon Babel, for the God of retributions, Jehovah, recompensing will recompense (Jer. 51:55-56). Thy magnificence is brought down into hell; the worm is spread under thee (torment which is internal grief); thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will become like the Most High; nevertheless thou shalt be brought down to hell; they that see thee shall say, Is this the man that shook the earth? that made the kingdoms tremble? etc. (Isa. 14:11, 13-16). This is said of Lucifer, who there is Babel, as is manifest from Isa. 14:4, 22.

For she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning, signifies that they have these things, because from elation of heart on account of dominion and exultation of mind on account of riches, they are in the trust and confidence, that they will have dominion perpetually, and will protect themselves; and that they can never be deprived of these things. "To say in their heart" signifies to be in assurance from elation of heart over dominion, also to be in confidence from exultation of mind over riches. "I sit a queen" signifies that they will have dominion, here perpetually, because "I shall not see mourning" follows. "I am not a widow," signifies that they will protect themselves. By "a widow" is signified one who is without protection, because without a man. It is said, "a queen" and "a widow," and not "king" and "man," because Babylon as a church is meant. "And I shall not see mourning" signifies that they can never be deprived of those two things. That they have mourning therefrom after death, may be seen just above (n. 763). [2] Very similar things are said of Babel in Isaiah: Thou shalt no more call thyself the mistress of kingdoms; thou hast said in thy heart, I shall be mistress forever, saying in thy heart, I am, and there is none else like me; I shall not sit a widow, nor shall I know bereavement; but these two things shall come unto thee in one day, bereavement and widowhood. They shall come upon thee for the multitude of thy sorceries, and the greatness of thy many enchantments. Thou hast trusted in wickedness; thou hast said, None seeth me; thy wisdom hath seduced thee, when thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and there is none else like me; therefore devastation shall come upon thee suddenly (Isa. 47:5, 7, 8-11). By "a widow" in the Word is meant one who is without protection, for by "a widow" in the spiritual sense is signified one who is in good and not in truth. For by "a man" is signified truth, and by "his wife," good; hence by "a widow," good without truth is signified, and good without truth is without protection; for truth protects good. This is signified by widow when mentioned in the Word (as Isa. 9:14-15, 17; 10:1-2; Jer. 22:3; 49:10-11; Lam. 5:2-3; Ezek. 22:6-7; Mal. 3:5; Ps. 68:5; 146:7-9; Exod. 22:21-24; Deut. 10:18; 27:19; Matt. 23:14; Luke 4:24; 20:47).

Verse 8. For this in one day shall her plagues come, death and mourning and famine, signifies that on this account at the time of the Last Judgment the punishments of the evils which they have done will return upon them, which are death, which is infernal life and inward grief from being cast down from dominion; mourning, which is internal grief from want and misery in place of opulence; and famine, which is the deprivation of the understanding of all truth. By "for this" is meant because she said in her heart, "I sit a queen, and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning," concerning which just above (n. 764). By "in one day" the time of the Last Judgment is signified, which is also called the Day of Judgment. By "plagues" are signified the punishments of the evils which they did in the world, which will then return upon them. By "death" is signified infernal life and inward grief from being cast down from dominion, which is called torment above (n. 763); concerning which death something will be said presently. By "mourning" is signified internal grief from want and misery in place of opulence, as also above (n. 764). By "famine" the deprivation of the understanding of all truth is signified. Into these three plagues or punishments those of that religious persuasion come, who have had dominion from the love of self, and with no love of uses except for the sake of self. These are also atheists in heart, since they attribute all things to their own prudence and to nature. The rest from that nation, who are such, but do not think interiorly in themselves, are idolaters. It may be seen above (n. 323), that the deprivation of the understanding of all truth is meant by the plague or punishment which is called "famine." Every man indeed, as long as he lives in the world, has rationality, that is, the faculty of understanding truth. This faculty remains with every man after death. Still they who have imbued falsities of religion in the world from the love of self and the pride of their own intelligence, after death are not willing to understand truth; and not to be willing is as it were not to be able. This inability from unwillingness is with all such, and is increased from this, that from the delight of the lust of falsity for the sake of dominion they continually imbue new confirming falsities, and thus become as to the understanding mere falsities, and remain so to eternity. Similar things are meant by these words concerning Babel in Jeremiah: Your mother is greatly ashamed, she that bare you is suffused with shame; behold, the end shall be a wilderness, dryness, and a desert; from the anger of Jehovah it shall not be inhabited, but shall be a total devastation; everyone that passeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and shall hiss over all her plagues (Jer. 50:12, 13).

And she shall be burnt up in fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her signifies that they will be hatreds against the Lord and against His heaven and church, because they then see that the Lord alone has dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man from himself. By "fire" with which she will be burnt up is signified hatred against the Lord and against His heaven and church, of which see below. By "for strong is the Lord that judgeth her," is signified that they see then, that is, in the spiritual world into which they come after death, that the Lord alone has dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man from himself. This is signified by "strong is the Lord God that judgeth her," because the Lord does not judge anyone to hell, but they themselves; for when they feel the angelic sphere concerning the Lord flowing down out of heaven, they flee away and cast themselves into hell, as may be evident from the things that were shown above (n. 233, 325, 339-340, 387, 502). [2] That by "fire" is signified love in both senses, celestial love which is love to the Lord, and infernal love which is the love of self, may be seen above (n. 468, 494). That infernal fire is hatred, is because the love of self hates; for all who are in that love burn with anger according to the degree of it, and are inflamed with hatred and revenge against those who oppose; and they who are of Babylon, against those that deny that they are to be worshiped and adored as sanctities. When, therefore, they hear that the Lord alone is worshiped and adored in heaven, and that to worship any man in place of the Lord is profane, adoration of the Lord becomes in them hatred against Him, and the adulteration of the Word to the end that they may be worshiped becomes profane. This, therefore, is what is signified by "Babylon shall be burned up with fire." It may be seen above (n. 748), that "being burned up with fire" is the punishment of the profanation of what is holy. The like is meant by these words in Jeremiah: I am against thee, O Babel, the destroying mountain, that destroyest the whole earth; I will roll thee down from the rocks, and will give thee for a mountain of burning. The walls of Babel are utterly overturned, and her high gates are burned up with fire (Jer. 51:25, 58).

Verse 9. And the kings of the earth shall weep for her and wail over her, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they see the smoke of her burning, signifies the more interior griefs of those who have been in higher dominion and its delights by means of the falsified and adulterated truths of the Word, which they made the holy things of the church, when they see them turned into profane things. In this and the following verse the mourning "of the kings of the earth" is treated of, by whom the highest in the order are meant, who are called magnates and primates; from verses 11-16, the mourning of "the merchants of the earth" is treated of, by whom are meant the lower ones in the order, who are called monks; and from verses 17-19, the mourning of "the shipmasters and sailors" is treated of, by whom those are meant that contribute, who are called the laity. Here "the kings of the earth" are now treated of, by whom the highest in the order are signified. That by "kings" are not meant kings, but those who are in truths from good, and in the opposite sense, in falsities from evil, may be seen above (n. 483, 704, 720, 737, 740). Here, therefore, by "the kings of the earth" who committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with the harlot, are signified those who are in dominion and its delights through the truths of the Word falsified and adulterated, especially through that truth falsified and adulterated by them, which the Lord said to Peter; respecting which something follows. That "to commit whoredom" signifies to falsify and adulterate the truths of the Word, may be seen (n. 134, 632, 635); and that to live luxuriously signifies to enjoy the delights of dominion and at the same time of opulence (n. 759). By their "weeping and wailing," their interior griefs are signified. It is said "to weep and wail over" because to weep over is from grief at being cast down from dominion, and to wail over is from grief at the deprivation of opulence. And because the griefs of these are more interior than those of the "merchants of the earth," it is therefore said of "the kings of the earth," by whom are meant the higher ones in the order, that "they weep and wail over," and of "the merchants of the earth," by whom the lower ones of the order are meant, it is said that "they wept and mourned." By "seeing the smoke of her burning" is signified when they see the falsities of their religious persuasion, which are the falsified and adulterated truths of the Word, turned into profane things. By "smoke" those falsities are signified (n. 422, 452); and by "burning" is signified what is profane (n. 766). From these things, and from those which are explained above (n. 766), it is manifest that by "the kings of the earth, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, shall weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning," are signified the more interior griefs of those who were in higher dominion and its delights through the truths of the Word falsified and adulterated, when they see them turned into what is profane.

Something shall here be said concerning that truth which the Lord said to Peter respecting the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and respecting the authority to bind and loose (Matt. 16:15-20). They say that that authority was given to Peter, and that it has been transferred to them as his successors; and that the Lord thus left to Peter, and after him to them, all His authority; and that he should act as His vicar on earth. But still it is plainly manifest from the Lord's words themselves, that he did not give the least of authority to Peter; for the Lord says, "Upon this rock I will build My church." By a "rock" the Lord is signified as to His Divine truth; and the Divine truth which is the rock, is there what Peter confessed, before the Lord said those words; which is this: Jesus said to the disciples, But who say ye that I am? Simon Peter answering said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:15-16). This is the truth upon which the Lord builds His church, and Peter then represented that truth. From which it is manifest, that the confession of the Lord, that He is the Son of the living God, who has power over heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18), is that upon which the Lord builds His church; and thus upon Himself, and not upon Peter. It is known in the church that the Lord is meant by a rock. [2] I once spoke with the Babylonian nation, in the spiritual world, concerning the keys given to Peter, whether they believe that authority over heaven and hell was transferred by the Lord to him. Which, as it was the head of their religion, they vehemently insisted upon; saying that there was no doubt of it, because it is manifestly said. But to the inquiry, whether they knew that in everything in the Word there is a spiritual sense, which is the sense of the Word in heaven, they said at first that they did not know it; but afterwards they said they would inquire. And when they inquired, they were instructed that there is a spiritual sense in each thing of the Word, which differs from the sense of the letter as spiritual from natural; and they were further instructed that no person named in the Word is named in heaven, but that instead something spiritual is there understood. They were informed at length, that for "Peter" in the Word the truth of the church from good is meant, and the same by the rock, which is mentioned together with Peter; and that it may thereby be known, that not any authority was given to Peter, but to truth from good; for all authority in the heavens belongs to truth from good, or is of good by truth. And as all good and all truth are from the Lord, and nothing from man, that all authority belongs to the Lord. On hearing this, being indignant, they said that they wished to know whether there is that spiritual sense in those words. Whereupon the Word which is in heaven was given to them, in which Word there is not the natural sense, but the spiritual; because it is for the angels, who are spiritual. And when they read it, they saw manifestly that Peter was not mentioned there, but instead of him "Truth from good which is from the Lord." On seeing this, they rejected it from anger, and would almost have torn it in pieces with their teeth, unless at that moment it had been taken away from them. They were thence convinced, although they were not willing to be convinced, that to the Lord alone that authority belongs, and not in the least to any man, because it is a Divine authority.

Verse 10. And standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city, for in one hour is thy judgment come, signifies their fear of punishments, and then grievous lamentation, that this religious persuasion, so fortified, could be so suddenly and completely overturned, and that they could perish. "To stand afar off for the fear of torment" signifies a state as yet remote from the state of those who are in condemnation, because they are in fear of torment, as will be explained in what follows. "Woe, woe," signifies grievous lamentation. That "woe" signifies lamentation over calamity, unhappiness, and condemnation, may be seen above (n. 416); hence "woe, woe" signifies grievous lamentation. By "the great city Babylon" that religious persuasion is signified; here as above (n. 751), Babylon as a woman or harlot, because "her torment" is spoken of. By "mighty city" is signified the religious persuasion so fortified. By "in one hour is thy judgment come" is signified that it could be so suddenly overturned, and that they could perish. "In one hour" signifies so suddenly; and by "judgment" is signified its overthrow and the destruction of those who committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with the harlot, who are here treated of. That they perished by the Last Judgment may be seen in the small work on The Last Judgment and Babylon Destroyed, published at London, 1758. These things are said respecting that destruction. [2] The reason that "they stood afar off for fear of her torment" signifies a state as yet remote from the state of those who are in condemnation, because in fear of the torment, is because by "afar off" is not meant remoteness of space, but remoteness of state, when one is in fear of punishments; for as long as a man is in a state of fear, he sees, weighs, and laments. Remoteness of state, which is remoteness in the spiritual sense, is also signified by "afar off" elsewhere in the Word, as in these passages: Hear, ye that are afar off, what I will do; and ye that are near, know my might (Isa. 33:13). Am I God that is near, and not a God afar off? (Jer. 23:23). He found grace in the wilderness, Israel said, Jehovah hath appeared unto me from afar (Jer. 31:2-3). Bring My sons from afar (Isa. 43:6). Hear, ye people, from afar (Isa. 49:1, 2). Peoples and nations that come from a land afar off (Isa. 5:26). Besides elsewhere (as Jer. 4:16; 6:15; Zech. 6:15); where by "nations and peoples from afar" are meant those more remote from the truths and goods of the church. In common speech also relatives are said to be near, and those more remote in relationship are said to be distant.

That religious persuasion is called "a mighty city," because it had fortified itself strongly; for it had fortified itself not only by the multitude of the nations and peoples who acknowledge it, but by many other things also; as by a great number of monasteries, and by the armies of monks there (this is said, because they call the ministry their military service); by possessions of wealth without any measure or satiety; also by the tribunal of the inquisition; besides by threats and terrors, especially of purgatory, into which everyone is said to come; by the extinction of the light of the Gospel, and thence blindness in spiritual things, which is effected by prohibitions and inhibitions of the reading of the Word; by masses spoken in a language unknown to the common people; by various external sanctities; by impressing the worship of the dead and of images upon the common people, who are kept in ignorance concerning God; and by various splendid things in externals; that by these things they may be in a corporeal faith concerning the sanctity of all the things in that religious persuasion. [2] Hence it is that it is altogether unknown what lies hidden within that religious persuasion, when yet it is altogether as described above in these words: The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold and precious stone and pearl, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom (Rev. 17:4). But howsoever much Babylon had so fortified herself, and in like manner in the spiritual world, see below (n. 772), still she was altogether destroyed at the day of the Last Judgment. Of her devastation it is thus prophesied in Jeremiah: If Babel should ascend to heaven, and if she should fortify the height of her strength, from Me shall the wasters come (Jer. 51:53). The mighty men of Babel sit in their fortifications; her power is given to oblivion; they have set her fortifications on fire, her bars are broken; the city is taken from its extremity. The wall also of Babel is fallen (Jer. 51:30-31, 44). Suddenly hath Babel fallen and is broken down; howl over her, take balm for her grief, peradventure she may be healed (Jer. 51:8).

Verse 11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one buyeth their merchandise anymore, signifies the lower ones in the order, who minister, and make gain by holy things; here their grief that after the destruction of Babylon their religious things are not acknowledged as holy, but as the goods and truths of the Word and thence of the church adulterated and profaned; and thus that they can no longer make profit by them as before. By "the merchants" are meant the lesser in the order of their ecclesiastical hierarchy, because by "the kings of the earth," spoken of before, are meant the higher ones in that order, see above (n. 767); thus by "the merchants of the earth" are meant those that minister, and make gain by holy things. By "their weeping and mourning" are signified their griefs, as also above (n. 767). By "their merchandise" are signified the holy or religious things by which they make gain or profit. By "not buying them anymore" is signified not to wish to have them, because they are not holy, but are the goods and truths of the Word and thence of the church adulterated and profaned. That "to buy" is to procure for oneself (n. 606). Concerning this it is written in Jeremiah: O Babel, that dwellest upon many waters, great in treasures, thy end is come, the measure of thy gain (Jer. 51:13).

Verse 12. The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls, signifies that they no longer have these, because they have no spiritual goods and truths, to which such things correspond. By "their merchandise" nothing else is signified than the things there named; for it is known that they have gold, silver, and precious stone and pearls in abundance, and that they have gained them by their religious things, which they made holy and Divine. Those who were of Babylon had such things before the Last Judgment; for it was then conceded to them to form to themselves as it were heavens, and to procure such things to themselves from heaven by various arts, yea, to fill cellars with them as in the world. But after the Last Judgment, when their fictitious heavens were destroyed, then all those things were reduced to dust and ashes, and carried away by an east wind, and strewn as a profane dust over their hells. But of these things read the things described from things seen, in the little work on The Last Judgment and Babylon Destroyed, published at London, 1758. [2] After that overthrow and their casting down into hell, they are in such a miserable state, that they do not know what gold, silver, a precious stone, and a pearl are. The reason is, that "gold," "silver," and "a precious stone" correspond to spiritual goods and truths, and "pearls" to the knowledges of them, and as they have not any truths and goods, nor the knowledges of them, but in their stead evils and falsities and the knowledges of these, they cannot have those precious things, but such as correspond to their state, which are vile materials and of ugly color; except some sea shells on which they set their hearts, as they did before on the precious things named above. [3] It is to be known, that there are in the spiritual world all things which are in the natural world, with the difference only that all the things in the spiritual world are correspondences; for they correspond to their interiors. They have splendid and magnificent things who are in wisdom from Divine truths and goods from the Lord through the Word; and they who are in insanity from falsities and evils have the opposite. There is such correspondence, from creation, when what is spiritual in the mind is brought down into the sensual of the body; on which account everyone there knows the quality of another, as soon as he comes into his own chamber. [4] From these things it may be evident, that by "the merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls" is signified that they have these no longer; because they have not spiritual goods and truths, nor the knowledges of good and truth, to which such things correspond. That "gold" from correspondence signifies good, and "silver" truth, may be seen above (n. 211, 726). That "a precious stone" signifies spiritual truth (n. 231, 540, 726). That "pearls" signify the knowledges of truth and good (n. 727).

And fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, signifies that they no longer have these things, because they have not the celestial goods and truths to which such things correspond. By the above named, which were "gold," "silver," "precious stone" and "pearls," are signified in general spiritual goods and truths, as was said above (n. 772); but by these, which are "fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet," are signified in general celestial goods and truths; for with those who are in heaven and in the church, there are spiritual goods and truths, and there are celestial goods and truths. Spiritual goods and truths are of wisdom, and celestial goods and truths are of love; and because they have not these goods and truths, but the evils and falsities opposite to them, these are therefore mentioned, for they follow in order. Now as the case with these is the same as with the former, there is no need of further explanation than that in the preceding article. What "fine linen" in particular signifies, will be told in the following chapter, in explaining these words, "the fine linen is the just deeds of the saints" (Rev. 19:8, n. 814-815). That "purple" signifies celestial good, and "scarlet" celestial truth may be seen above (n. 725). By "silk" is signified mediating celestial good and truth; good from its softness, and truth from its brightness. It is mentioned only in Ezek. 16:10, 13.

And all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, signifies that they no longer have these, because they have not the natural goods and truths, to which such things correspond. These things are similar to those which were explained above (n. 772, 773); with the difference only that by those named first spiritual goods and truths are meant, which are treated of above (n. 772); and that by those mentioned in the second place celestial goods and truths are meant, as explained just above (n. 773); and that by these now mentioned, which are "thyine wood and vessels of ivory," natural goods and truths are meant. [2] For there are three degrees of wisdom and love, and thence three degrees of truth and good. The first degree is called celestial, the second spiritual, and the third natural. These three degrees are in every man from birth, and also in general they are in heaven and in the church; which is the cause of there being three heavens, the highest, the middle, and the lowest, altogether distinct from each other according to those degrees; in like manner the Lord's church on earth. But what its quality is with those who are in the celestial degree, and what in those who are in the spiritual degree, and what in those who are in the natural degree, does not belong to this place to explain, but see concerning them in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom, chapter 3, where degrees are treated of; here only that with those who are of Babylon there are not spiritual goods and truths, nor celestial goods and truths, and not even natural goods and truths. That spiritual things are mentioned in the first place, is because many among them can be spiritual, provided they hold the Word holy in heart, as they say with their mouth; but they cannot become celestial, because they do not approach the Lord, but approach living and dead men, and worship them. This is the reason why the celestial things are named in the second place. [3] By "thyine wood" is signified natural good, because "wood" in the Word signifies good, and "stone" truth; and "thyine wood" takes its name from two, and "two" also signifies good. That it is natural good, is because wood is not a costly material, like gold, silver, precious stone, pearl, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, stone likewise. It is the same with ivory, by which natural truth is signified. "Ivory" signifies natural truth, because it is white, and can be polished, and because it protrudes from the mouth of an elephant, and likewise makes his strength. That "ivory" may be the natural truth of that good which is signified by "thyine wood," it is said "a vessel of ivory;" for by "a vessel" that which contains is signified; here truth the containant of good. [4] That "wood" signifies good may be in some degree evident from these passages: That the bitter waters in Marah were made sweet by wood cast in (Exod. 15:25). That the tables of stone, on which the Law was written, were laid up in an ark made of shittim wood (Exod. 25:10-16). That the temple at Jerusalem was covered and sheathed within with wood (1 Kings 6:10, 15). That the altar in the wilderness was made of wood (Exod. 27:1, 6). Besides from these: The stone crieth out from the wall, and the beam of wood answereth (Hab. 2:11). They shall seize thy wealth, and make a prey of thy merchandise, and thy stones and thy woods shall they put into the midst of the sea (Ezek. 26:12). It was said to the prophet, that he should take one piece of wood, and write upon it the name of Judah and of the sons of Israel; and also the name of Joseph and Ephraim; and should make them into one piece (Ezek. 37:16, 19). We drink our waters for silver, and our wood cometh for a price (Lam. 5:4). If anyone goeth into a forest with a companion, and his axe falleth from the wood upon his companion, that he die, he shall flee into a city of refuge (Deut. 19:5). This was because "wood" signifies good, and thus that he had not put his companion to death from evil, or with evil intention, but from an error, because he was in good; besides other places. [5] But by "wood" in the opposite sense is signified what is evil and cursed; as that they made graven images of wood, and adored them (Deut. 4:23-28; Isa. 37:19; 40:20; Jer. 10:3, 8; Ezek. 20:32); also that hanging upon wood was a curse (Deut. 21:22-23). That "ivory" signifies natural truth may be evident from the passages where ivory is mentioned; as Ezek. 27:6, 15; Amos 3:15; 6:4; Ps. 45:8.

And every vessel of precious wood, and of brass and iron and marble, signifies that they no longer have these, because they have not the scientific goods and truths in matters of the church, to which such things correspond. These are similar to the things explained above (n. 772-774); with the difference, that by these the scientifics which are the ultimates of man's natural mind are meant, which, as they differ in quality from the essence that is in them, are called vessels of precious wood, of brass, of iron and of marble. For by "vessels" are signified scientifics here in matters of the church; because scientifics are the containants of good and truth, as vessels are the containants of oil and wine. Scientifics are also in great variety, and their receptacle is the memory. That they are of great variety is because man's interiors are in them; they are also introduced into the memory either from intellectual thought, or from hearing, or from reading, and then according to the various perception from the rational. All these are within scientifics; which appears when they are reproduced, which happens when the man speaks or thinks. [2] But what is signified by "vessels of precious wood, of brass, of iron, and of marble," shall be briefly told. By "a vessel of precious wood" is signified a scientific from rational good and truth; by "a vessel of brass" a scientific from natural good is signified; by "a vessel of iron," a scientific from natural truth is signified; and by "a vessel of marble" is signified a scientific from the appearance of good and truth. That "wood" signifies good may be seen just above (n. 774). That good and at the same time rational truth are here signified by "precious wood," is because "wood" signifies good, and "precious" is predicated of truth; for one kind of good is signified by the wood of the olive tree, another by that of the cedar, the fig, the fir, the poplar, and the oak. That "a vessel of brass and of iron" signifies what is scientific from natural good and truth, is because all the metals, as gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, lead, in the Word, signify goods and truths. They signify because they correspond; and because they correspond, they are also in heaven; for all things there are correspondences. [3] But what each of the metals signifies from correspondence, this is not the place to confirm from the Word; only to show by a few passages that "brass" signifies natural good, and hence "iron" natural truth; as may be seen from these: That the feet of the Son of man appeared like unto brass, as if glowing in a furnace (Rev. 1:15). That there appeared to Daniel a man whose feet were as the brightness of polished brass (Dan. 10:5-6). That the feet of the cherubim also appeared glittering as the brightness of polished brass (Ezek. 1:7). That the feet signify the natural, may be seen (n. 49, 468, 470, 510). That an angel was seen like the appearance of brass (Ezek. 40:3). That the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar was as to its head gold, as to the breast and arms silver, as to the belly and side brass, as to the legs iron (Dan. 2:32-33). By which statue the successive states of the church were represented, which were called by the ancients the ages of gold, silver, brass, and iron. Since "brass" signified the natural, and the Israelitish people were merely natural, therefore the Lord's natural was represented by: The Brazen Serpent, which they that were bitten by the serpents should look upon, and be healed (Num. 21:6, 8-9; John 3:14-15). That "brass" signifies natural good may also be seen in Isa. 60:17; Jer. 15:20-21; Ezek. 27:13; Deut. 8:7, 9; 33:24-25).

He who does not know what is signified by "gold," "silver," "precious stone," "pearl," "fine linen," "purple," "silk," "scarlet," "thyine wood," "an ivory vessel," "precious wood," "brass," "iron," "marble," and "a vessel," may wonder that such things are enumerated, and may think that they are only words multiplied for the exaltation of the subject. But it may be evident from the explanations, that not a single word is unmeaning, and that by them it is fully described, that they who have confirmed themselves in the dogmas of that religious persuasion have not a single truth; and if not a single truth, they have not a single good which is a good of the church. [2] I have spoken with those who have confirmed themselves in that religious persuasion, also with some who were delegates in the Councils of Nice, of the Lateran, and of Trent, who in the beginning believed that what they had decreed were pure and holy truths, but after instruction and enlightenment then given from heaven, confessed that they did not see one truth; but because they had then confirmed themselves in them more than others, after the enlightenment, which they themselves extinguished, they returned to their former faith. They especially believed that what they had sanctioned concerning Baptism and Justification were truths. But still, when they were in enlightenment, they saw, and from enlightened sight confessed, that no one has original sin from Adam, but from his own parents successively; and that this is not taken away by the imputation and application of the Lord's merit in baptism; then that the imputation and application of the Lord's merit is a human fiction, because impossible; and that faith is never infused into any suckling, because faith is of one who thinks. [3] Still they saw that baptism is holy and a sacrament, because it is a sign and a memorial that man can be regenerated by the Lord through truths from the Word, a sign for heaven, and a memorial for man. Also that by it a man is introduced into the church, as the sons of Israel by the crossing of the Jordan were introduced into the land of Canaan, and as the inhabitants of Jerusalem were prepared for the reception of the Lord by the baptism of John, for without that sign in heaven before the angels, the Jews could not have subsisted and lived at the coming of Jehovah, that is, the Lord, in the flesh. Similar to these were the things which they sanctioned concerning justification. That the imputation of the Lord's merit neither is, nor is given, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord (n. 18). And that hereditary evil, which is called original sin, is not from Adam, but from parents successively, see in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence (n. 277). What "Adam" means in the Word, see n. 241 there.

Verse 13. And cinnamon and incense and ointment and frankincense, signifies that they no longer have worship from spiritual goods and truths, because they have nothing within their worship which corresponds to the things here named. In the foregoing verse it treats of all the things that are of the doctrine of the church, but in this verse it treats of all the things which are of the worship of the church. The things which are of doctrine are premised, and those that are of worship follow, because the quality of the worship is from the goods and truths of doctrine; for worship is nothing but an external act, in which there should be the internals, which are of doctrine. Without these the worship is without its essence, life and soul. Now because all the things which are of doctrine have relation to the goods which are of love and charity, and to the truths which are of wisdom and faith, and these goods and truths, according to the degrees of their order, are celestial, spiritual, and natural, so also are all the things of worship. And because in the preceding verse the spiritual things of doctrine are mentioned first, so likewise here the spiritual things of worship, which are "cinnamon, incense, ointment and frankincense;" and the celestial things of worship are named in the second place, which are "wine, oil, fine flour and wheat;" and the natural things of worship are named in the third place, which are "beasts of burden and sheep." That all these goods and truths of worship should be from the Word, is signified by their being "of horses, of chariots, of the bodies and of the souls of men." This is the series of the things in the spiritual sense in this verse. But by all those things which are enumerated in this verse, the like is meant as by those that are enumerated in the preceding verse; that is, that these goods and truths are not with them, because they have not with themselves such things as correspond to them. This is evident from what precedes, where are these words, that "the city of Babylon should be burnt up with fire, and no one should buy her merchandise anymore" (verses 8-11); and from those which follow, where are these words, that "all things fat and splendid had departed from her, and were not found anymore" (verse 14); and that they were devastated (verses 16, 19). [2] But something shall now be said of the things that have been mentioned, which are cinnamon, incense, ointment, and frankincense. These are mentioned, because they are such things as incense was made of. That the worship of the Lord from spiritual goods and truths is signified by "incense," may be seen above (n. 277, 392); and that incense was pleasing, because it was from fragrant things which correspond (n. 394). All the fragrant things by which it was prepared are meant by the cinnamon, incense, and ointment and their essential by the frankincense. This is manifest from the enumeration of the spices of which it was compounded, in Moses: Jehovah said unto Moses, Take to thee spices - stacte, onycha, and galbanum - and pure frankincense; and thou shalt make of them incense, an ointment, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, holy (Exod. 30:34-37). Of these the incense was made, by which, as was said, worship from spiritual goods and truths was signified. Cinnamon is mentioned here in place of all the spices there. But what each of those spices signifies in the spiritual sense, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia, upon Exodus, where they are severally explained.

And wine and oil and fine flour and wheat, signifies that they no longer have worship from celestial truths and goods, because they have not within in the worship the things which correspond to the things above mentioned. These things are similar to those which have been said just above and before, with the difference only that celestial goods and truths are here signified. What goods and truths are called celestial, and what spiritual, may be seen above (n. 773); and that as they have not these, neither are they in their worship. For, as was said above, the goods and truths of doctrine are in worship as the soul is in the body; wherefore worship without them is inanimate worship. Such is worship which is holy in externals, in which there is not any holy internal. That "wine" signifies truth from the good of love, may be seen above (n. 316). That "oil" signifies the good of love will be seen in the following paragraph. By "fine flour" is signified celestial truth, and by "wheat" is signified celestial good. [2] That the truths and goods of worship are signified by "wine," "oil," "fine flour" and "wheat," is because the drink-offerings and meal-offerings consisted of them, which were offered upon the altar together with the sacrifices; and by the sacrifices and by the offerings offered upon the altar worship is signified, for the chief part of worship consisted in them. That the drink-offerings, which were wine, were offered upon the altar together with the sacrifices, may be seen (Exod. 29:40; Lev. 23:12, 13, 18-19; Num. 15:2-15; 28:11-15, 18 to end; 29:1-7 seq.; and also in Isa. 57:6; 65:11; Jer. 7:18; 44:17-19; Ezek. 20:28; Joel 1:9; Ps. 16:4; Deut. 32:38). That oil was also offered upon the altar together with the sacrifices (Exod. 29:40; Num. 15:2-15; 28:1 to the end). That the meal-offerings, which were of fine flour of wheat, were offered upon the altar together with the sacrifices (Exod. 29:40; Lev. 2:1-13; 5:11-13; 6:14-21; 7:9-13; 23:12-13, 17; Num. 6:14-21; 15:2-15; 18:8-20; 28:1-15; 29:1-7; and besides in Jer. 33:18; Ezek. 16:13-19; Joel 1:9; Mal. 1:10-11; Ps. 141:2). The bread of faces or the showbread upon the table in the tabernacle was also made of fine flour of wheat (Lev. 23:17; 24:5-9). It may be seen from this, that these four things, wine, oil, fine flour and wheat, were holy and celestial things of worship.

Since "oil" is here mentioned among the holy things of worship, and signifies celestial good, something shall be said here of "the oil of anointing," which was in use among the ancients, and was afterwards commanded to the sons of Israel. That in ancient times they anointed stones set up as statues, is manifest from Gen. 28:18-19, 22. That they also anointed warlike arms, shields, and bucklers (2 Sam. 1:21; Isa. 21:5). That it was commanded that they should prepare oil of holiness, with which they should anoint all the holy things of the church; that with it they anointed the altar and all its vessels, also the tabernacle and all things of it (Exod. 30:22-33; 40:9-11; Lev. 8:10-12; Num. 7:1). That they anointed with it those who should perform the function of the priesthood and their garments (Exod. 29:7, 29; 30:30; 40:13-15; Lev. 8:12; Ps. 133:1-3). That with it they anointed the prophets (1 Kings 19:15, 16). That they anointed the kings with it, and therefore the kings were called "the anointed of Jehovah" (1 Sam. 10:1; 15:1; 16:3, 6, 12-13; 24:6, 10; 26:9, 11, 16, 23; 2 Sam. 1:16; 2:4, 7; 5:17; 19:21; 1 Kings 1:34-35; 19:15, 16; 2 Kings 9:3; 11:12; 23:30; Lam. 4:20; Hab. 3:13; Ps. 2:2, 6; 20:6; 28:8; 45:7; 84:9; 89:20, 38, 51; 132:17). [2] Anointing with the oil of holiness was commanded because "oil" signified the good of love, and represented the Lord, who as to His Human is the very and the only Anointed of Jehovah, anointed not with oil, but with the Divine good itself of the Divine love; wherefore also He was called "the Messiah" in the Old Testament and "the Christ" in the New (John 1:41; 4:25); and "messiah" and "Christ" signify anointed. Hence it is that the priests, the kings, and all the things of the church were anointed, and when anointed were called holy; not that they were holy in themselves, but because they thereby represented the Lord as to the Divine Human. Hence it was sacrilege to harm a king, because he was "the anointed of Jehovah" (1 Sam. 24:6, 10; 26:9; 2 Sam. 1:16; 19:21). [3] Moreover, it was a received custom to anoint themselves and others to testify gladness and benevolence of mind; but with common oil or some other noble oil, but not with the oil of holiness (Matt. 6:17; Mark 6:13; Luke 7:46; Isa. 61:3; Amos 6:6; Micah 6:15; Ps. 92:10; 104:15; Dan. 10:3; Deut. 28:40). That it was not permitted to anoint themselves or others with the oil of holiness (Exod. 30:32-33).

And beasts of burden, and sheep, signifies that they no longer have worship from the external or natural goods and truths of the church, because they have not anything within their worship which corresponds to the above mentioned things. This is similar to the things explained above (n. 777, 778); with the difference that there are signified spiritual goods and truths, and celestial goods and truths, but here natural goods and truths; for the distinction between which, see above (n. 773). By "beasts of burden and sheep" are signified the sacrifices which were made with oxen, bullocks, he-goats, sheep, kids, rams, she-goats, lambs. Oxen and bullocks are meant by "beasts of burden," and kids, rams, she-goats, and lambs, by "sheep," and sacrifices were the externals of worship, which are also called the natural things of worship.

And of horses and carriages and the bodies and souls of men, signifies all those things according to the understanding of the Word and doctrine thence, and according to the goods and truths of the sense of its letter, which they have not, because they falsify and adulterate the Word, by applying the things which are therein to dominion over heaven and the world, contrary to its genuine sense. These things are named in the possessive case, because they qualify those which precede. That the understanding of the Word is signified by "horses," may be seen (n. 298). That by "chariots" doctrine from the Word is signified (n. 437); hence the like by "carriages." That the goods and truths of the sense of the letter of the Word are signified by "the bodies and souls of men," is because similar things are signified by them as by the body and blood in the Holy Supper. By "the body" in the Holy Supper is signified the Lord's Divine good, and by "the blood" the Lord's Divine truth; and because they signify these, they also signify the Divine good and the Divine truth of the Word, because the Lord is the Word. But here it is said "the soul" instead of "blood." The reason is, that truth is likewise signified by the soul, see above (n. 681); and because the blood is called "the soul" in the Word (Gen. 9:4, 5; Lev. 17:12-14; Deut. 12:23-25). The like is signified by the "soul of man" (Ezek. 27:13); also by the "seed of man" (Dan. 2:43). [2] Similar things are signified by "horses" and "carriages" in Isaiah: Then shall they bring all your brethren upon horses and upon chariots and upon carriages, and upon mules and upon coursers, unto the mountain of My holiness, Jerusalem (Isa. 66:20). This is said of the Lord's New Church, which is Jerusalem, concerning those therein who are in the understanding of the Word and in doctrine thence, which are "horses," "chariots," and "carriages." Now because they who are of the Roman Catholic religious persuasion falsify and adulterate the Word, by the application to dominion over heaven and the world, it is signified that they have no goods and truths from the Word, and therefore neither in their doctrine. Concerning this Jeremiah says: The king of Babel hath devoured me, he hath disturbed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up as a whale, he hath filled his belly with my delicacies (Jer. 51:34). A sword is against the horses of Babel, and against his chariots, and against his treasures, that they may be pillaged; drought is upon her waters, that they may be dried up; because it is a land of graven images, and they glory in their terrible things (Jer. 50:37-38).

Verse 14. And the fruits of the desire of thy soul have departed from thee, and all fat and splendid things have departed from thee, and thou shalt not find them anymore, signifies that all the beatitudes and felicities of heaven, even the external such as are desired by them, will altogether flee away, and will no longer appear, because they have no celestial and spiritual affections of good and truth. By "the fruits of the desire of the soul" nothing else is signified but the beatitudes and felicities of heaven, because these are the fruits of all the things of doctrine and worship, which are treated of, and because they are the desires of men when they die, and also their desires when they first come into the spiritual world. By things "fat and splendid" are signified celestial and spiritual affections of good and truth; by "fat things" the affections of good, as will be seen presently; and by "splendid things" the affections of truth, which are called "splendid," because they exist from the light of heaven and its splendor in minds; whence are the intelligence of good and truth and wisdom. By "departing and not finding them anymore" is signified that they will flee away and will not appear anymore, because they are not in any celestial and spiritual good and truth. This is said even of the external things, such as are desired by them; because no other beatitudes and felicities and affections are desired by them, but corporeal and worldly; and hence they cannot know what and of what quality those are which are called celestial and spiritual. [2] But these things will be illustrated by a manifestation of their lot after death. All of that religious persuasion who have been in the love of dominion from the love of self, and thence in the love of the world, when they come into the spiritual world, which takes place immediately after death, aspire after nothing but dominion and the pleasures of the mind from it, and the pleasures of the body from opulence; for the ruling love, with its affections or lusts and desires, remains with everyone after death. But because the love of dominating from the love of self over the holy things of the church and of heaven, all of which are Divine things of the Lord, is diabolical, therefore, after a certain time, they are separated from their companions, and cast down into the hells. But still, because they have from their religious persuasion been in external Divine worship, they are first instructed as to what and of what quality heaven is, and what and of what quality the felicity of eternal life is, that they are mere beatitudes flowing in from the Lord with everyone in heaven according to the quality of the heavenly affection of good and truth with them. But because they have not approached the Lord, and hence are not conjoined with Him, and likewise have not been in any such affection of good and truth, they are averse to them, and turn themselves away, and then desire the pleasures of the love of self and the world, which are merely natural and corporeal. But because it is inherent in those pleasures to do evil, especially to those who worship the Lord, and thus to the angels of heaven, they are therefore deprived of these pleasures also, and are then rejected among companions who are in contempt and misery in infernal workhouses. But these things are done to them according to the degree of their love of dominion over the Divine things of the Lord, according to which degree is their rejection of the Lord. [3] It may now be evident from these things, that by "the fruits of the desire of thy soul have departed, and all fat and splendid things have departed from thee, and thou shalt not find them anymore," is signified that all the beatitudes and felicities of heaven, even the external, such as are desired by them, will altogether flee away, and not appear anymore, because there are no affections of good and truth with them. That "fat things" signify celestial goods and their affections and the enjoyments of their affections, may be evident from the following passages: Attend unto Me, eat ye that which is good, that your soul may be delighted with fatness (Isa. 55:2). I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness, and My people shall be satisfied with good (Jer. 31:14). My soul shall be satisfied with fatness and fat, and my mouth shall praise Thee with lips of singing (Ps. 63:5). They shall be filled with the fatness of Thy house, and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy delights (Ps. 36:8). And in this mountain will Jehovah make to all peoples a feast of fat things, of fat things of marrow (Isa. 25:6). They shall still have produce in old age, they shall be fat and green to show that Jehovah is upright (Ps. 92:14-15). In the feast which Jehovah will make, they shall eat fatness to satiety, and shall drink blood to drunkenness (Ezek. 39:19). Jehovah will make fat thy burnt-offering (Ps. 20:3). As fatness signifies celestial good, it was therefore a statute that: All the fat of the sacrifices should be burned upon the altar (Exod. 29:13, 22; Lev. 1:8; 3:3-16; 4:8-35; 7:3-4, 30-31; 17:6; Num. 18:17-18). By "fatness" in the opposite sense they are signified who are nauseated at good, and because it is very abundant, despise and reject it (Deut. 32:15; Jer. 5:28; 50:11; Ps. 17:10; 20:3; 78:31; 119:70; and elsewhere).

Verse 15. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, signifies the state before damnation, and then their fear and lamentation, who have made gain by various dispensations and promises of heavenly joys. By "the merchants of these things," namely, of the fruits of the soul's desire, and of fat and splendid things, treated of in the verse next preceding, those are signified who by various dispensations, and promises of heavenly joys, became rich, that is, who made gain. By these "merchants" all are meant, as well the higher and the lower in their ecclesiastical order, who made gain by such things. That the higher are included, is manifest from Verse 23 of this chapter, where it is said, "For thy merchants were the great ones of the earth;" that the lower ones also are included, from Verse 11; see above (n. 771). By "standing afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning," is signified while they are still in a state remote from damnation, and still at that time in fear of punishments, and in lamentation as above (n. 769), where similar things are said.

As regards the dispensations by which they make gain, they are various. There are dispensations in regard to contracting matrimony within the degrees prohibited by the laws; relating to divorces; relating to evils, even enormous ones, and then liberation from temporal punishments; then also by indulgences; dispensations relating to administrations without any power or authority of the secular rulers; among which also are confirmations of dukedoms and principalities; likewise by promises of heavenly joys made to those who enrich monasteries, and augment their treasuries, calling their gifts good works, in themselves holy, as also merits; to which they are led by the belief impressed concerning the power and help of their saints, and in the miracles performed by them. Especially do they plot against the rich when they are sick, and likewise infuse at that time a terror of hell, and so extort from them; promising the sacrifice of the mass for their souls according to the value of their legacy, and a gradual delivery thereby from the place of torment, which they call purgatory, and thus admission into heaven. [2] As regards purgatory, I can aver that it is purely a Babylonish fiction for the sake of gains, and that it neither does nor can exist. Every man after death first comes into the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and is there prepared either for heaven or for hell, everyone according to his life in the world; and in that world no one has torment; but the evil first come into torment, when after preparation they come into hell. There are innumerable societies in that world, and joys in them similar to those on earth, for the reason that they who are there are conjoined with men on the earth, who are also in the midst between heaven and hell. Their externals are there successively put off, and thus their internals are opened; and this until the ruling love, which is indeed the life's love, and the inmost, and the one that governs their externals, is revealed; and when this is revealed, the man's real quality appears; and according to the quality of that love, he is sent forth from the world of spirits to his place, if good into heaven, and if evil, into hell. That it is so has been given to me to know of a certainty, because it has been granted to me by the Lord to be together with those who are in that world, and to see all things, and thus to relate it from experience itself; and this now for twenty years. Therefore I can assert that purgatory is a fiction, which may be called diabolical; because it is for the sake of gains, and for the sake of power over souls, even of the deceased, after death.

Verse 16. And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, precious stone and pearls, because in one hour so great riches are devastated, signifies grievous lamentation that their magnificence and gains are so suddenly and totally destroyed. By "woe, woe," grievous lamentation is signified, as above (n. 769). By "that great city," is signified the Roman Catholic religious persuasion, as it is said to be "arrayed in fine linen and purple, and inwrought with gold;" which cannot be said of a city, but of a religious persuasion. By "arrayed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, precious stone, and pearls" are signified similar things as above (n. 725-727), where are the same words, in general, magnificent things in external form. "Because in one hour so great riches are devastated" signifies that their gains are so suddenly and totally destroyed. By "one hour" is signified suddenly and totally, as above (n. 769); because by time and all the things of time states are signified (n. 476). It is manifest from this, that the things which were adduced above are signified by these words. Very similar things are said of the devastation of Babel in Jeremiah: The land of Babel is full of guilt against the Holy one of Israel; the thoughts of Jehovah stand against her, to make her a desolation; they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundations, for thou shalt be a waste for an age. Babel shall become heaps, a habitation for dragons, an astonishment and a hissing. Babel is reduced to desolation, the sea goeth up over her, she is covered with the multitude of the waves, her cities are reduced to desolation, a land of drought and of solitude (Jer. 51:5, 26, 29, 37, 41-43).

Verse 17. And every pilot, and everyone employed upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea, signifies those who are called the laity, as well they who are appointed in greater dignity as those that are in less, down to the common people, who are attached to that religious persuasion, and love and kiss it, or acknowledge and venerate it in heart. From the ninth to the sixteenth verse the clergy are treated of, who have been in dominion from that religious persuasion, and have exercised the Lord's Divine authority, and by it have made gain of the world. Those are now treated of, who are not in any order of the ministry, but still love and kiss that religious persuasion, and acknowledge and venerate it in heart, who are called the laity. By "every pilot" are meant the highest of them, who are emperors, kings, dukes, and princes. By "everyone employed upon ships" those are meant who are in various functions in a higher or a lower degree. By "sailors" are meant the lowest, who are called the common people. By "as many as work at sea," are meant all in general who are attached to that religious persuasion, and love and kiss it, or acknowledge and venerate it in heart. [2] That all these are here meant, is manifest from the series of things in the spiritual sense; and from the signification of "being upon ships," and of "being employed upon ships," and of "sailors;" and from the signification of "them that work at sea." By the "pilots of ships," and "those employed upon them," and "sailors," no others can be meant but those who contribute the things which are above called merchandise, which are those things which they collect into their treasuries, as also possessions, and who receive benedictions and beatification in return, as merits, and other similar things which they desire for their souls. And when these are meant, it is manifest that by "every pilot" the highest of them are meant; by "everyone employed upon ships," all in offices subordinate to them; and by "sailors," the lowest. That by "ships" spiritual merchandise is meant, which are the knowledges of truth and good, may be seen above (n. 406); here natural merchandise; and they take back spiritual, as they think. The reason that by "as many as work at sea" are meant all, whoever they be, who love and kiss that religious persuasion, or acknowledge and venerate it in heart, is because that religious persuasion is signified by "the sea;" for by "the sea" the external of the church is signified, see above (n. 238, 290, 403-405, 470, 565b, 659, 661); and this religious persuasion is merely external. Similar things are signified by this in Isaiah: Thus said Jehovah your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, for your sake have I sent to Babel, and will cast down all her bars, whose cry is in the ships; thus said Jehovah, I who have given a way in the sea and a highway in the mighty waters (Isa. 43:14, 16). "A cry in the ships" is spoken of, as here also, that "they stood afar off, and cried from the ships." And likewise in Ezekiel: At the voice of the cry of thy captains shall the suburbs tremble, and all that hold the oar shall come down out of thy 786-1 ships, all the sailors and captains of the sea, and shall cry bitterly over thee (Ezek. 27:28-30). But this is concerning the devastation of Tyre, by which the church as to the knowledges of truth and good is signified. [3] But it is to be known, that no others are here meant but those who love and kiss that religious persuasion, and in heart acknowledge and venerate it. But they who are of the same religious persuasion, and acknowledge it indeed because they were born and brought up in it, and do not know anything of their devices and snares for arrogating to themselves Divine worship, and for possessing all the property of all in the world, and still do goods from a sincere heart, and likewise turn their eyes to the Lord, these come among the happy after death; for, being instructed there they receive truths, and reject the adoration of the pope, and the invocation of the saints, and acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth, and are taken up into heaven, and become angels. On which account also there are many heavenly societies of them in the spiritual world, over which are set the honorable, who have lived in the same manner. It has been given to see that some also were set over those societies, who were emperors, kings, dukes, and princes; who indeed acknowledged the pontiff as the highest official of the church, but not as the vicar of the Lord; and who acknowledged likewise some things from the papal bulls, but yet held the Word holy, and acted justly in their administration. Concerning these some things may be seen in the Continuation concerning the Last Judgment and concerning the Spiritual World (n. 58 and 60), related from experience.

Verse 18. Stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What is like unto this city, signifies their mourning in a remote state over the condemnation of that religious persuasion, which they believed to be supereminent above every religion in the world. By "their standing afar off" is signified while they are yet in a state remote from damnation, and still in fear of punishments (n. 769, 783). By their "crying," their mourning is signified. By "the smoke of burning" is signified condemnation on account of the adulteration and profanation of the Word (n. 766, 767). By their saying, "What is like unto this city," is signified that they believed that that religious persuasion was supereminent above every religion in the world. By "that great city" that religious persuasion is signified, as often above. That they believe that religious persuasion to be supereminent above every religion, and that it is the mother, the queen, and the mistress, is known, also that it is continually instilled by the canons and monks, that they should believe so; and it is also known to those who give attention, that they do this from the fire of having dominion and gain. Yet still, on account of the authority of their domination, they cannot recede from all its externals; but still they can recede from its internals, since all liberty has been left and is left to man's will and understanding, and thence to his affection and thought.

Verse 19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, signifies their interior and exterior grief and mourning, which is lamentation, that so eminent a religious persuasion should be altogether destroyed and condemned. By "casting dust upon the heads" interior grief and mourning are signified on account of the destruction and condemnation spoken of in what follows. By "crying out, weeping and mourning," is signified exterior grief and mourning; by "weeping" is signified mourning of soul, and by "mourning" grief of heart. By "Woe, woe, that city," is signified grievous lamentation over her destruction and condemnation. That "woe" signifies lamentation over calamity, infelicity, and condemnation, and hence "woe, woe," a grievous lamentation, may be seen (n. 416, 769, 785); and that "city" signifies that religious persuasion (n. 785; and elsewhere). That interior pain and mourning on account of the destruction and condemnation is signified by "casting dust upon the head," may be evident from the following passages: They shall cry bitterly, and shall cast dust upon their heads, and shall roll themselves in ashes (Ezek. 27:30). The daughters of Zion sit upon the earth, they have cast dust upon their heads (Lam. 2:10). The friends of Job rent their mantles, and sprinkled dust upon their heads (Job 2:12). Come down and sit in the dust, O daughter of Babel, sit on the earth, there is no throne for thee (Isa. 47:1; besides other places). The reason of their casting dust upon their heads, when they grieved inmostly, was because "dust" signifies what is condemned, as is manifest from Gen. 3:14; Matt. 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:10-12; and "dust upon the head" represented the acknowledgment that of themselves they were condemned, and thus repentance (as in Matt. 11:21; Luke 10:13). That "dust" signifies what is condemned, is because the earth over the hells in the spiritual world consists of mere dust without grass and herbage.

In which all that had ships in the sea were made rich from her costliness, for in one hour they were devastated, signifies on this account, that by the holy things of that religious persuasion, all, as many as were willing to buy, were absolved, and for worldly and temporal riches received spiritual and eternal riches, and that now not any. By "being made rich from her costliness" is signified to appease God by the holy things of that religious persuasion, or to believe that for temporal and temporary merchandise or riches they would receive spiritual and eternal merchandise or riches; that is, that for gold, silver, precious stone, pearls, purple, and the other things which are enumerated (verses 12, 13), they would receive blessings and felicities after death. These things are meant by the costliness, with which they say that they were made rich by that city. That they also speak thus is known. By "they were devastated in one hour" is signified that on account of the destruction of that religious persuasion, no one can hereafter buy their holy things. From these things it is manifest, that by these words are signified the things which were quoted above. That the holy things of the church are signified by things costly, is manifest from these passages: Blessed of Jehovah is the land of Joseph, for the precious things of heaven, for the precious things of the products of the sun, and for the precious things of the produce of the months, and for the precious things of the hills of eternity, and for the precious things of the earth (Deut. 33:13-16). Is Ephraim My precious son? a child of delights? (Jer. 31:20) By "Ephraim" the understanding of the Word is meant. The sons of Zion were esteemed more precious than pure gold (Lam. 4:2). "The sons of Zion" are the truths of the church. Besides elsewhere, as Isa. 13:12; 43:4; Ps. 36:7; 45:9; 49:8; 72:14. Hence now it is that it is said that from that city all that had ships in the sea were made rich by her costliness.

Verse 20. Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath judged your judgment upon her, signifies that the angels of heaven and the men of the church, who are in goods and truths from the Word, should rejoice in heart that those who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. "Exult over her, O heaven," signifies that the angels of heaven should now rejoice in heart, for exultation is joy of the heart. "And ye holy apostles and prophets" signifies, and together with them the men of the church who are in the goods and truths from the Word. By "the apostles" those are signified who are in the goods and thence in the truths of the church from the Word, and abstractly the goods and thence the truths of the church from the Word (n. 79); and by "prophets" are signified truths from good from the Word (n. 8, 133), who are called holy, because "the apostles and prophets," as was said, signify abstractly the goods and truths of the Word, which in themselves are holy, because the Lord's (n. 586, 666). "For God hath judged your judgment upon her," signifies because they who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. That no others are rejected, may be seen above (n. 786). The joy of the angels of heaven over the removal and rejection of those who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion, is treated of in the following chapter from verses 1-9; here only that they should rejoice. But the angelic joy is not from their condemnation, but from the New Heaven and the New Church, and the salvation of the faithful; which things cannot be given before they are removed, which is done and has been done by the Last Judgment; on which subject something will be seen in the explanation of verses 7-9 of the following chapter. From this it may be evident that "Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath judged your judgment upon her," signifies that the angels of heaven and the men of the church, who are in goods and truths from the Word, should rejoice in heart, that they who are the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. Who cannot see that the apostles and prophets spoken of in the Word are not here meant? They were few, and not more excellent than others; but by them are meant all in the Lord's church who are in goods and truths from the Word; as also by the twelve tribes of Israel, spoken of above (n. 349). By "the apostle Peter" the truth or faith of the church is meant; by "the apostle James," the charity of the church; and by "the apostle John," the works of charity of the men of the church.

Verse 21. And one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city, Babylon, be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore signifies that by a strong influx of the Lord out of heaven that religious persuasion with all its adulterated truths of the Word will be cast headlong into hell, and will not at all appear to the angels anymore. By "one strong angel took up," a powerful influx of the Lord out of heaven is signified; for by "an angel" is signified the Lord, and His operation, which is effected through heaven (n. 258, 415, 465, 649); here, because he is called a "strong angel," and "he took up a stone like a great millstone," powerful operation is signified,