1033# “坐在众水上的”表示统治圣言的一切，从而统治教会圣物的。这从“坐”和“水”的含义清楚可知：“坐”是指服从她的判决，并受其管辖，从而拥有统治权。这就是为何经上说“坐着审判”和“坐在宝座上”（AE687节）。“水”是指真理（参看AE71,483,518,854节），但在此是指圣言的一切，因为经上说“众水”，并论及“淫妇”，也就是巴比伦，巴比伦是指对圣言的玷污和亵渎，教会的一切良善和真理都来自圣言。“众水”也表示教会的圣物，因为教会的一切圣物都与来自圣言的良善和真理有关。
在耶利米书，“住在众水之上”具有相同的含义：耶和华指着巴比伦居民所说的话，祂已经作成。住在众水之上多有财宝的啊，你的结局到了，你所得好处的量满了。（耶利米书51:12–13）
由于“众水”表示圣言的真理，因而表示圣言的圣物，所以此处补充说：“多有财宝。”因为“财宝”表示神性真理，而神性真理在圣言中。“众水”在此也表示教会的圣物，这从对第15节经文的解释明显看出来，在那里，经上说：“你所看见那淫妇坐的众水，就是各人民、群众、民族和舌头。”在那里，“人民、群众、民族和舌头”是指教会的一切事物；由于在圣言中，“地”表示教会，因此，地上的人表示教会的一切事物。不过，关于这个主题，在对那节经文的解释中，我们会予以详述。巴比伦人使圣言的真理和教会的圣物服从他们的判决、管辖和统治，这一点可从以下事实明显看出来：他们说服民众相信，只有他们理解圣言，凡没有就任神职的，都不理解它；通过这种方式，他们使圣言的一切，因而使教会的一切都服从他们自己的统治。
此外，圣言在其字义上具有这种性质：它可以被用来确认任何异端。因为字义是由真理的表象构成的，这些表象把被称为属灵真理的真正的天堂真理包裹在自己里面；除非这些真理被揭示和显露出来，也就是说，除非它们在教会的教义中被教导，否则它们所呈现的表象可能会被利用和扭曲，以支持任何虚假，甚至支持邪恶。因为圣言的真正真理就像一个人，而构成字义的真理的表象就像他的衣服，仅凭这些衣服无法判断这个人是谁，或他是什么样。如果仅凭衣服就能判断一个人，那么国王可能会被称为仆人，仆人可能会被称为国王，好人可能会被称为坏人，坏人可能会被称为好人，以此类推。因此，那些妄称自己统治教会和天堂的一切的人能以上千种方式利用圣言的字义来支持他们的统治。他们轻而易举地做到这一点，因为他们将被称为神圣的教会的一切都置于人类的理解力之上，或说他们视其超越人类的理解力；当人们相信这一点，并且真正的真理没有被教导时，地狱的虚假可能会被称为真理，魔鬼的邪恶可能会被称为良善。事实上，简单人可能会被说服，相信教皇的法令同样神圣，甚至比圣言的诫命更神圣；尽管后者来自天堂，而前者大部分来自地狱。因为以世上的统治为目的、涉及教会的治理、信仰和敬拜的每项法令，都来自地狱，无论它在外在形式上如何出现，并且听起来如何像是来自圣言；而来自圣言的每条诫命都来自天堂，因为它以主对灵魂的拯救为目的。由此可见，“坐在众水上”当论及为淫妇的巴比伦时，表示统治圣言的一切，从而统治教会的圣物。
1033. That sitteth upon many waters. That this signifies ruling over all things of the Word, and thence over the holy things of the church, is evident from the signification of sitting, as denoting to subject to her judgment, and to bring under her jurisdiction, and thus to rule; whence it is that sitting in judgment is spoken of, and sitting upon a throne, as may be seen above (n. 687); and from the signification of waters, as denoting truths (concerning which see n. 71, 483, 518, 854); in this case all things of the Word, because it is said, many waters, and concerning the whore, which is Babylon, by which is meant the adulteration and profanation of the Word, from which is all the good and truth of the church. The reason why by many waters are also signified the holy things of the church is, that all holy things have reference to the goods and the truths of the Word.
[2] Similar things are signified by dwelling upon many waters, in Jeremiah:
"Jehovah shall do that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babel. O thou that dwellest upon many waters, upon many treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy gain" (51:12, 13).
Because many waters signify the truths of the Word, and hence the holy things of the church, it is also here added, upon many treasures, for by treasures are signified divine truths in the Word. That many waters here also signify the holy things of the church will be clear from the explanation of verse 15, where it is said: "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues." By peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues are there meant all things of the church; because by earth in the Word, is signified the church; and hence by those who are upon the earth, are signified all things thereof. But more will be said upon this subject in the explanation of that verse.
That the Babylonians have subjected the truths of the Word and the holy things of the church to their judgment, jurisdiction, and dominion, is evident from this, that they persuade the people that they alone understand the Word, and none that are not inaugurated into the ministry. And by this means they subject all things of the Word, and thence all things of the church, to their own dominion.
[3] The Word, in the sense of the letter, is also such, that it may be used to confirm any heresy whatever. For the literal sense, consisting of appearances of truth, holds enclosed in it the genuine truths of heaven, which are called spiritual truths; and unless these truths are revealed and laid bare, that is, unless they are taught in the doctrines of the church, the appearances in them may be used and perverted to favour any falsity whatever, and even to favour evil. For the genuine truths of the Word are like a man; and the appearances of truth, of which the sense of the letter consists, are like his garments; from these alone a judgment cannot be favoured as to who the man is and what he is. If a man were considered from his clothes alone, a king might be called a servant, and a servant a king; also a good man might be called an evil man, and an evil man a good man, and so on. Thus those who arrogate to themselves dominion over all things of the church and heaven, can apply the sense of the letter of the Word, in a thousand ways, to favour such dominion. And this they do quite easily, because all things of the church that are called holy, they regard as above the human understanding; and when this is believed, and no real truth is taught, infernal falsities may be called truths, and diabolical evils called goods. In fact, the simple may be persuaded that the edicts of the Pope are equally holy, indeed, more holy than the precepts of the Word, although the latter are from heaven, while the former, for the most part, are from hell. For every edict respecting the government, faith, and worship of the church that has dominion in the world for an end, however it may appear in the external form, and sound as if from the Word, is from hell. But every precept of the Word, because it looks to the salvation of souls by the Lord as the end, is from heaven.
From these things it is evident that by sitting upon many waters, when said of Babylon as a whore, is signified to rule over all things of the Word, and thence over the holy things of the church.
1033. That sitteth upon many waters, signifies that has dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church. This is evident from the signification of "to sit," as being to subject to her judgment and to bring under her jurisdiction, and thus to have dominion over. This is why the expressions "sitting in judgment" and "sitting upon a throne" are used (See above, n. 687). Also from the signification of "waters," as being truths (See n. 71, 483, 518, 854), but here all things of the Word, because it is said "many waters," and has reference to the "harlot," which is Babylon, by which is meant adulteration and profanation of the Word from which comes every good and truth of the church. "Many waters" signify also the holy things of the church, because all holy things of the church have reference to goods and truths, which are from the Word.
[2] "To dwell upon many waters" has a like signification in Jeremiah:
Jehovah shall do that which He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon. O thou that dwellest upon many waters, upon many treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy gain (Jeremiah 51:12-13).
Because "many waters" signify the truths of the Word, and thus the holy things of the church, it is here added, "upon many treasures"; for "treasures" signify Divine truths, which are in the Word. "Many waters" here signify also the holy things of the church, as will be evident from the explanation of the fifteenth verse, where it is said, "The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues," and "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues," there mean all things of the church; because the "earth" in the Word signifies the church, and thus those on the earth signify all things of the church. But on this more will be said in the explanation of that verse. That the Babylonians have subjected the truths of the Word and the holy things of the church to their judgment, jurisdiction, and dominion, can be seen from this, that they persuade the people that the Word is understood by them alone and not by any who have not been inaugurated into the ministry; and by this means they subject all things of the Word and thus all things of the church to their dominion.
[3] Moreover, the Word is such in the sense of its letter that it may be drawn aside to confirm any heresy whatever; for the sense of the letter consists of appearances of truth, which hold enclosed in them the genuine truths of heaven, which are called spiritual truths; and unless these truths are revealed and laid bare, that is, unless they are taught in the doctrines of the church, the appearances they present may be drawn over and perverted to favor any falsity whatever, and even to favor evil. For the genuine truths of the Word are like a man, and the appearances of truth, of which the sense of the letter consists, are like his garments, from which alone no judgment can be formed respecting who the man is or what he is. If a man were judged from his garments alone, a king might be called a servant, and a servant a king, and a good man might be called an evil man, and an evil man a good man; and so on. So those who arrogate to themselves dominion over all things of the church and heaven can apply the sense in its letter a thousand ways to favor their dominion. And this is an easy task, because all things of the church, which are called holy, they place above the human understanding, and when this is assented to and no genuine truth is taught, infernal falsities may be called truths, and devilish evils may be called goods; and the simple may even be persuaded that the edicts of the Pope are just as holy as the commandments of the Word, and even more holy; and yet these are from heaven, while those edicts are for the most part from hell. For every edict respecting government, faith, and worship in the church, that has for an end dominion in the world, however it may appear in the external form, and may sound as if from the Word, is from hell; while every commandment from the Word, because it has for its end the salvation of souls by the Lord, is from heaven. From all this it can be seen that "sitting upon many waters," when predicated of Babylon as a harlot, signifies having dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church.
1033. "Sedentis super aquis multis." - Quod significet dominans super omnia Verbi, et inde super sancta ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "sedere", quod sit suo judicio subjicere, et sui juris facere, ac ita dominari; inde est quod dicatur "sedere judicium", et "sedere super throno" (videatur supra, n. 687); et ex significatione "aquarum", quod sint vera (de qua (supra), n. 71, 483, 518, 854), hic omnia Verbi, quia dicitur "aquae multae", et de "meretrice", quae est Babylonia, per quam intelligitur adulteratio et profanatio Verbi, ex quo est omne bonum et verum ecclesiae. Quod per "aquas multas" etiam significentur sancta ecclesiae, est quia omnia ecclesiae sancta se referunt ad bona et vera, quae ex Verbo sunt.
[2] Similia per "habitare super aquis multis" significantur apud Jeremiam,
"Jehovah faciet id quod locutus est contra habitatores Babelis; quae habitas super aquis multis, thesauris multis, venit finis tuus, mensura lucri tui" (51:12, 13):
quia "aquae multae" significant vera Verbi, et inde sancta ecclesiae, etiam hic additur, "super thesauris multis", nam per "thesauros" significantur Divina vera, quae in Verbo sunt.
Quod "aquae multae" hic etiam significent sancta ecclesiae, patebit ab explicatione versus sequentis decimi quinti, ubi dicitur, "Aquae, quas vidisti, ubi meretrix sedet, sunt populi et turbae, gentes et linguae", et per "populos, turbas, gentes et linguas" ibi intelliguntur omnia ecclesiae, quia per "terram" in Verbo significatur ecclesia, et inde per illos qui super terra sunt significantur omnia ejus; sed de his plura in explicatione illius versus. Quod Babylonici vera Verbi et sancta ecclesiae suo judicio, juri et dominio subjecerint, constare potest ex eo, quod populo persuadeant quod illi soli intelligant Verbum, et non aliqui qui ministerio non inaugurati sunt; et per id omnia Verbi et inde omnia ecclesiae suo dominio subjiciunt.
[3] Verbum, quoad sensum litterae ejus, etiam tale est ut ad confirmandum quodcumlibet haereticum possit trahi; nam sensus litterae consistit ex apparentiis veri, quae genuina vera caeli, quae vocantur vera spiritualia, in se tenent inclusa; quae vera nisi revelantur et nudantur, hoc est, nisi docentur in doctrinis ecclesiae, possunt apparentiae illorum ad favorem cujuscunque falsi, immo ad favorem mali trahi, et perverti: sunt enim genuina vera Verbi sicut homo; et apparentiae veri ex quibus sensus litterae consistit sunt sicut vestimenta, ex quibus solis non judicari potest de homine, quis est et qualis est; si homo ex illis solis judicaretur, posset rex vocari servus, ac servus rex, tum bonus vocari malus, ac malus bonus, et sic porro; ita qui dominium super omnia ecclesiae et caeli sibi arrogant, possunt mille modis applicare sensum in littera suae dominationi; et hoc facili opera, quia omnia ecclesiae, quae sancta vocantur, supra intellectum humanum ponunt; quod dum creditur, et non aliquod genuinum verum docetur, possunt falsa infernalia dici vera, et diabolica mala dici bona: immo possunt simplices persuaderi quod edicta Papae sint aequae sancta, immo sanctiora, quam praecepta Verbi, cum tamen haec e caelo sunt, illa autem quoad insignem partem ex inferno: nam omne edictum pro regimine, fide et cultu in ecclesia, pro fine spectans dominium in mundo, qualecunque in externa forma apparuerit, et ex Verbo sonuerit, ex inferno est; at omne praeceptum ex Verbo, quia pro fine spectat salvationem animarum a Domino, ex caelo est. Ex his constare potest quod per "sedere super aquis multis", dum de Babylonia ut meretrice dicitur, significetur dominari super omnia Verbi, et inde super sancta ecclesiae.