1049# 启17:6.“我又看见那女人喝醉了圣徒的血”表示因邪恶之虚假而疯狂的一种宗教说服，暴行就是出于这邪恶之虚假而向神性真理施行的。这从“女人”、“喝醉”和“圣徒的血”的含义清楚可知：“女人”是指“巴比伦”在一般意义上所指的宗教说服，如前所述（AE1042节）；“喝醉”是指因邪恶之虚假而在属灵事物上的疯狂（对此，参看AE376f,1035节）；“圣徒的血”是指神性真理，在此是指向它们所施的暴行，因为它暗示着流血。“血”表示神性真理（可参看AE30,328a,329,476,748节），“流血”表示向神性真理所施的暴行（AE329f,g节）。经上说“圣徒的血”，是因为那被称为神圣的，是圣言的神性真理，还因为“圣徒”在灵义上不是指圣徒，而是指圣物；圣言的属灵意义，即灵义没有人、地方或时间的观念；但圣言的属世意义则不同。
至于这两种意义如何彼此不同，这清楚可见于圣言的许多经文，如此处，经上说：“他看见那女人喝醉了圣徒的血，和为耶稣作见证之人的血。”这些话在属世意义上的意思是，巴比伦流了圣徒的血和那些为主作见证之人的血；然而，这些话在属灵意义上的意思是，巴比伦向神性真理施暴，还向对主的见证施暴。这层意义就包含在这些话里面，这一点也可从以下事实看出来，或推断出来：现代巴比伦并没有杀害圣徒或主的见证人，因为它崇拜圣徒，甚至直到偶像崇拜，主虽具有至高无上的外在神圣性，但教皇具有内在神圣性。这清楚表明，这不是所理解的东西，相反，有某种更内在的东西隐藏在这些话里面；也就是说，他们向神性真理施暴，也向主的神性权柄施暴；因为他们通过歪曲、玷污和亵渎圣言而向神性真理施暴；众所周知，他们通过将主的神性权柄转移到自己身上而向这权柄施暴。（关于亵渎续）
前面说过，最严重的那种亵渎，就是当圣言的真理在信仰上被承认，并在生活上被确认，后来人又因邪恶从信仰和生活中退出，或即便他没有从信仰中退出，却仍生活邪恶时。然而，一个从童年时期到青春期都处于信仰和照之的生活，后来成年时从信仰和信仰的生活中退出的人没有犯亵渎罪。原因在于，童年时期的信仰只是记忆的信仰，是老师在这个孩子里面的信仰；而成年的信仰是理解力的信仰，因而是人自己的信仰。人若从这种信仰中退出，并过着违背它的生活，就能亵渎它，但不能亵渎前者。因为除了进入理解力，并由此进入意愿的东西外，没有什么东西能进入并影响人的生活；在成年之前，人不会出于自己的理解力来思考，也不会出于自己的意愿来行动。在此之前，他只是出于知识思考，并且只是出于服从行动；这些不会成为他生命的一部分，因而不能被亵渎。
总之，凡一个人出于理解力所思、所说、所行的，加上意愿的同意，就都属于他的生命，或成为他生命的一部分；它若是神圣的，就会因他的退出而被亵渎。但这种亵渎是更重还是更轻，则取决于真理的品质和由此而来的信仰的品质，也取决于从它们当中退出的品质；因此，这种亵渎有许多具体的区别。
1049. (Verse 6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints. That this signifies a religious persuasion inducing insanity from the falsities of evil from which violence is offered to Divine truths, is evident from the signification of the woman, as denoting the religious persuasion which, in a general sense, is meant by Babylon, as above, n. 1042; and from the signification of being drunken, as denoting to be insane in spiritual things from the falsities of evil (concerning which see above, n. 376, 1035), and from the signification of the blood of the saints, as denoting Divine truths; in the present case, violence offered to them, because it is implied that blood was shed. That blood signifies Divine truth may be seen (n. 30, 328, 329, 476, 748). And that the shedding of blood signifies the offering of violence to Divine truths (n. 329). It is said, the blood of the saints, because the Divine truths of the Word are called holy, and because by saints, in the spiritual sense, are not meant saints, but holy things. For the spiritual sense of the Word is without the idea of person, place, and time; its natural sense is different.
[2] How those two senses differ from each other may be plainly seen in many passages of the Word, as in this, where it is said that the woman was seen drunk with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the witnesses or martyrs of Jesus. By which words, in the natural sense, is meant that Babylon shed the blood of the saints, and the blood of those who testified concerning the Lord. Whereas by those words, in the spiritual sense, is meant that Babylon offered violence to Divine truths, and also to the testification of the Lord. That this sense is contained in those words may also be seen or concluded from this, that the modern Babylon has not killed the saints, or the witnesses of the Lord; for it adores the saints idolatrously, and the Lord with supreme although external sanctity, but the Pope with internal sanctity.
It is therefore evident that these are not the things to be understood, but that something more interior lies concealed in these words; that is, that they have offered violence to Divine truths, and also to the Lord's Divine power; for they have offered violence to Divine truths by falsifying, adulterating, and profaning the Word; that they have offered violence to the Lord's Divine power by transferring it to themselves, is well known.
Continuation concerning Profanation:-
[3] It was said that the most grievous kind of profanation is, when the truths of the Word are acknowledged in faith, and confirmed in the life, and a man afterwards recedes from faith and lives wickedly, or if he does not recede from faith, yet still lives wickedly. He, however, is not guilty of profanation who in childhood, and even to adolescence, is in faith and in a life according thereto, and, afterwards, in manhood recedes from faith and from the life of faith. The reason is, that the faith of childhood is that of the memory, and the faith of his teacher in him, whereas the faith of manhood is that of the understanding, and thence a man's own.
This faith may be profaned if a man recedes from it and lives contrary to it, but not the former. For nothing enters a man's life and affects it, but what comes into the understanding and thence into the will; and a man does not think from his own understanding and act from his own will until he arrives at adult age. Before this he thought merely from knowledge, and acted only from obedience. These do not become part of his life, and therefore cannot be profaned. In a word, whatever a man thinks, speaks, and does, from the understanding, the will assenting to it, belongs to his life, or becomes part of his life; and this, if it is holy, is profaned by his receding from it.
But the profanations of this kind are more grievous and lighter according to the quality of the truth and of the faith therefrom, and according to the quality of the good and of the life therefrom, and according to the quality of the recession from them; there are, therefore, many specific differences in this profanation.
1049. Verse 6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, signifies a religious persuasion that is insane from falsities of evil, from which violence is done to Divine truths. This is evident from the signification of "the woman," as being the religious persuasion that is meant in a general sense by "Babylon" (as above, n. 1042); also from the signification of "to be drunken," as meaning to be insane in spiritual things from falsities of evil (See above, n. 376, 1035); also from the signification of "the blood of the saints," as being Divine truths, here violence done to them, because it is meant that the blood was shed. (That "blood" signifies the Divine truth may be seen in n. 30, 328, 329, 476, 748; and that "shedding blood" signifies violence done to Divine truth, n. 329. It is said "the blood of the saints," because the Divine truths of the Word are what are called holy because by "saints" in the spiritual sense saints are not meant, but things holy; for in the spiritual sense of the Word there is no idea of person, place or time; but it is otherwise with its natural sense.
[2] How these two senses differ from each other can be clearly seen in many passages of the Word, as here where it is said that he "saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the witnesses or martyrs of Jesus," and in the natural sense these words mean that Babylon shed the blood of the saints, and the blood of those who bore witness to the Lord; while in the spiritual sense these words mean that Babylon did violence to Divine truths, and also to testification concerning the Lord. That this sense is contained in these words can also be seen or concluded from this, that the modern Babylon has not slain the saints nor the witnesses of the Lord, for it worships saints even to idolatry, and the Lord with supreme though external sanctity, but the Pope with internal sanctity; which makes clear that this is not what is to be understood, but that something more interior lies hidden in these words, which is, that they have done violence to Divine truths, and also to the Lord's Divine authority; for they have done violence to Divine truths by falsifying, adulterating, and profaning the Word; and it is known that they have done violence to the Lord's Divine authority by transferring it to themselves.
(Continuation respecting Profanation)
[3] It has been said that the most grievous kind of profanation is when the truths of the Word are acknowledged in faith and confirmed in the life, and man afterwards recedes from faith and lives in evil, or if he does not recede from faith he nevertheless lives in evil. But one who is in faith and in the life according to it from childhood to youth, and afterwards in adult age recedes from faith and from the life of faith, does not profane, for the reason that the faith of childhood is the faith of the memory, and is the master's faith in the child; while the faith of adult age is the faith of the understanding, and thus man's own faith. This faith man can profane if he recedes from it and lives contrary to it, but not the former. For nothing enters the life of man and affects it except what comes into the understanding and from that into the will; and man does not think from his own understanding and act from his own will until he arrives at adult age. Before that he has thought merely from knowledge and has acted merely from obedience; and this does not make a part of his life, and therefore cannot be profaned.
[4] In a word, whatever a man thinks, speaks, and does from the understanding with the will favoring it, this belongs to his life or comes to be of his life; and if this is holy it is profaned by his receding. But the profanations of this kind are more grievous or are lighter according to the quality of the truth and the consequent faith, and according to the quality of the good and the consequent life, and according to the quality of the withdrawal from these; and therefore there are many specific differences in this profanation.
1049. (Vers. 6.) "Et vidi mulierem inebriatam ex sanguine sanctorum." - Quod significet religiosum insaniens ex falsis mali, ex quibus violentia illata est Divinis veris, constat ex significatione "mulieris", quod sit religiosum quod in communi sensu intelligitur per "Babylonem" (ut supra, n. 1042); ex significatione "inebriari", quod sit insanire in spiritualibus ex falsis mali (de qua supra, n. 376(f), 1035); et ex significatione "sanguis sanctorum", quod sint Divina vera, hic violentia illis illata, quia intelligitur quod sanguinem effuderit: (quod "sanguis" significet Divinum Verum, videatur (supra, ) n. 30, 328(a), 329, 476, 748; et quod "effundere sanguinem" significet violentiam Divinis veris inferre, n. 329 (f, g)): dicitur "sanguis sanctorum", quia Divina vera Verbi sunt quae dicuntur sancta, et quia per "sanctos" in sensu spirituali non intelliguntur sancti, sed sancta; spiritualis enim sensus Verbi est absque idea personae, loci et temporis; aliter sensus ejus naturalis.
[2] Quomodo bini illi sensus inter se differunt, manifeste potest videri in multis locis Verbi, ut hic, quod dicatur quod "viderit mulierem inebriatam a sanguine sanctorum, et ex sanguine testium seu martyrum Jesu", per quae verba in sensu naturali intelligitur quod Babylon effuderit sanguinem sanctorum, et sanguinem illorum qui testificati sunt Dominum; at per illa verba in sensu spirituali intelligitur quod Babylon violentiam intulerit Divinis veris, et quoque testificationi Domini: quod hic sensus illis verbis insit, potest etiam videri aut concludi ex eo, quod hodierna Babylon non occiderit sanctos, nec testes Domini, adorat enim sanctos usque ad idololatriam, et adorat Dominum suprema sanctitate, tametsi externa, et Papam interna; inde patet quod haec non sint quae intelligenda sunt, sed quod aliquid interius in illis verbis lateat; quod est, quod violentiam intulerint Divinis veris, et quoque Divinae potestati Domini; per id enim violentiam intulerunt Divinis veris, quod Verbum falsificaverint, adulteraverint, et profanaverint; quod violentiam intulerint Divinae potestati Domini per id quod illam in se transtulerint, notum est.
[3] (Continuatio de Profanatione.)
Dictum est quod gravissimum genus profanationis sit, quando vera Verbi agnoscuntur fide et confirmantur vita, et homo postea a fide recedit et vivit male, vel si non recedit a fide at usque vivit male. Sed tamen non profanat qui in pueritia usque ad adolescentiam in fide est et in vita secundum illam, ac postea in virili aetate a fide et a vita fidei recedit: causa est, quia fides pueritiae est fides memoriae, et est fides magistri in illo, at fides aetatis virilis est fides intellectus, et inde fides propria hominis; haec fides profanari potest si homo recedit ab illa et vivit contra illam, non autem prior: nihil enim intrat vitam hominis, et illam afficit, nisi quod venit in intellectum et inde voluntatem; et homo non ex suo intellectu cogitat, et ex sua voluntate facit, priusquam aetate adolevit; antea solum ex scientia cogitavit, et ex obedientia fecit; haec non fiunt vitae ejus, ita non profanari possunt.
[4] Verbo, quicquid homo ex intellectu favente voluntate cogitat, loquitur et facit hoc vitae ejus est, aut vitae ejus fit; et hoc, si sanctum est, per recessionem profanatur. Sed profanationes hujus generis sunt graviores et leviores secundum quale veri et inde fidei, et secundum quale boni et inde vitae, et secundum quale recessionis ab illis: quare sunt hujus profanationis differentiae specificae plures.