928# “就是七位天使掌管末后的七灾”表示已完全摧毁教会，即摧毁它的一切良善和真理的整体上或整个范围内的邪恶和虚假，被主通过神性真理显露出来。这从“天使”、“七”、“灾”和“末后”的含义清楚可知：“天使”是指来自主的神性真理(参看AE130,302节)；“七”是指一切和完全(参看AE20,24,257,300节)；“灾”是指摧毁教会的邪恶和虚假(参看AE584节)。由于“七”是指一切和完全，所以“七灾”表示完全摧毁教会的整体上或整个范围内的邪恶和虚假。摧毁者的整体上或整个范围内的一切邪恶由数字“1600”来表示(启14:20；AE924节)；摧毁者的整体上或整个范围内的一切虚假由数字“666”来表示(启13:18；AE847节)。“末后”是指在一切良善和真理方面；因为那时，末后和终结之物到来了。由此清楚可知，“七位天使掌管末后的七灾”表示已完全摧毁教会，即摧毁它的一切良善和真理的整体上或整个范围内的邪恶和虚假，被主通过神性真理显露出来。启15:15–18描述了完全摧毁教会的邪恶和虚假是如何被主显露出来的。教会在一切良善和真理方面已经被摧毁，这一点可从以下事实明显看出来：基督教会从一开始就分裂成了两个教会，其中一个在启示录中被描述为龙和两只兽；另一个被描述为骑在朱红色兽上的淫妇和巴比伦。被描述为龙及其两只兽的，是改革宗的教会；被描述为淫妇和巴比伦的，是天主教的教会。唯信摧毁了改革宗的教会，对人类灵魂和天堂的统治则摧毁了天主教的教会。启示录第17和18章论述了天主教的教会在一切良善和由此而来的真理方面的毁灭；启示录第12和13章则描述了改革宗教会的毁灭，第16章则以“七位天使拿着盛满神烈怒的小瓶”进一步描述了后者的毁灭。
这两个教会在一切良善和真理方面都被邪恶和虚假摧毁了，这一点可从以下事实很清楚地看出来：如今，几乎没有人知道神是一，并且祂就是主，或什么是对主之爱、对邻之仁，因而什么是善行；人们甚至不知道信在本质上是什么，他们所谓的信不是信；也不知道什么是良心、自由意志、重生、属灵试探、洗礼、圣餐、天堂和地狱、圣言，以及其它许多东西。由于这一切都不为人知，所以良善和真理是隐藏的；世俗和肉体事物被爱胜过一切到何等程度，这一切就在何等程度上被轻视，甚至被弃绝；那时，邪恶取代良善进入，虚假取代真理进入；教会就这样被摧毁了。
928. Seven angels having the seven last plagues. That this signifies evils and falsities in their whole extent which have entirely devastated the church, as to all its goods and truths, made evident by Divine truth from the Lord, is clear from the signification of angels, as denoting Divine truths from the Lord (concerning which see above, n. 14:20, concerning which see n. 13:18, concerning which see n. 847); and from the signification of last, as denoting as to all goods and truths; for then is the last and what is consummated. From these things it is evident, that by the seven angels having the seven last plagues, are signified evils and falsities in their whole extent, that have entirely devastated the church, as to all its goods and truths, made evident by Divine truth from the Lord.
[2] How the evils and falsities that have entirely devastated the church were made evident by the Lord is described in the following parts of this chapter from verses 5 to 8. That the church is devastated as to all goods and truths, is evident from this, that the Christian Church, from its beginning, was divided into two, one of which is described in the Apocalypse by the dragon and the two beasts; but the other, by the whore sitting upon the scarlet beast, and by Babylon. That which is described by the dragon and his two beasts, is the church with the Reformed; and that which is described by the whore and by Babylon, is the church with the Papists. The church with the Reformed has been devastated by faith alone; and the church with the Papists, by dominion over the souls of men, and over heaven. The devastation of this latter church as to all goods and the truths therefrom is treated of in chapters xvii. and xviii.; and the devastation of the church with the Reformed is described in chapters xii. and xiii.; and further in chapter xvi., by the seven angels having vials full of the wrath of God.
[3] That both churches have been devastated as to all goods and truths by evils and falsities is perfectly clear from this, that hardly any one at this day knows that God is one, and that He is the Lord; also what love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are, and hence what are good works. Nor, indeed, is it known what faith is in its essence; and that what they call faith is not faith; nor, also, what is the nature of conscience, free will, regeneration, spiritual temptation, Baptism, the Holy Supper, Heaven and Hell, the Word, and several other things. And because these things are not known, goods and truths are hidden; and, in proportion as worldly and corporeal things are loved, in the same proportion they are lightly esteemed, indeed, are rejected; and then instead of goods, evils enter, and instead of truths, falsities enter. Thus the church is devastated.
928. Seven angels having the seven last plagues, signifies evils and falsities in the whole complex, that have wholly devastated the church as to all its goods and truths, made manifest by the Lord by means of Divine truth. This is evident from the signification of "angels," as being Divine truths from the Lord (See above, n. 847.) The above is evident also from the signification of "last," as being as to all goods and truths; for then comes what is last and finished. From all this it is clear that "seven angels having the seven last plagues" signify evils and falsities in the whole complex, that have wholly devastated the church as to all its goods and truths, made manifest by the Lord by means of Divine truth. How the evils and falsities that have wholly devastated the church were made manifest by the Lord is described in what follows in this chapter from the fifth to the eighth verse.
[2] That the church has been devastated as to all goods and truths can be seen from this, that the Christian Church has been divided from its beginning into two churches, one of which is depicted in Revelation by the dragon and the two beasts; and the other by the harlot sitting on the scarlet beast, and by Babylon. That which is depicted by the dragon and its two beasts is the church with the Reformed; and that which is depicted by the harlot and by Babylon is the church with the papists. The church with the Reformed has been devastated by faith alone; and the church with the papists by dominion over the souls of men, and over heaven. The devastation of this church as to all goods and truths therefrom is treated of in the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters; and the devastation of the church with the Reformed is described in the twelfth and thirteenth chapters, and further in the sixteenth chapter by "the seven angels having vials full of the anger of God."
[3] That both churches have been devastated in respect to all goods and truths by evils and falsities can be clearly seen from the fact that scarcely anyone at this day knows that God is one and that He is the Lord, or knows what love to the Lord is, or what charity towards the neighbor is, and therefore what good works are, or even what faith is in its essence, and that what is called faith is not faith; also what conscience is, what free will is, what regeneration is, what spiritual temptation is, what baptism is, what the Holy Supper is, what heaven and hell are, what the Word is, and many other things. And as all this is not known, goods and truths are concealed; and so far as worldly and bodily things are loved all these things are lightly esteemed and are even cast aside; and then evils enter in the place of goods, and falsities enter in the place of truths, and thus the church is devastated.
928. "Angelos septem habentes plagas septem ultimas." - Quod significet a Domino per Divinam in Verum manifestata mala et falsa in omni complexu, quae prorsus devastarunt ecclesiam quoad omnia bona et vera ejus, constat ex significatione angelorum, quod sint Divina vera a Domino (de qua supra, n. 130, 302); ex significatione "septem", quod sint omnia et prorsus (de qua [supra] , n. 20, 24, 257, 300); ex significatione "plagarum", quod sint mala et falsa quae devastarunt ecclesiam (de qua supra, n. 584): et quia "septem" sunt omnia et prorsus, inde per "septem plagas" significantur mala et falsa in omni complexu, quae prorsus devastant ecclesiam; (omnia mala in complexu quae illis qui devastant, significantur per numerum "mille sexcenta", cap. 14 vers. 20, de quo [supra] , n. 924; et omnia falsa in complexu quae illis qui devastant, significantur per numerum "sexcenta sexaginta et sex", cap. 13 vers. 18, de quo, n. 847); et ex significatione "ultimarum", quod sit quoad omnia bona et vera, nam tunc ultimum et consummatum est: ex his patet, quod per "angelos septem habentes plagas septem ultimas", significetur quod a Domino per Divinum Verum manifestata sint mala et falsa in omni complexu, quae prorsus devastarunt ecclesiam quoad omnia bona et vera ejus. Quomodo a Domino manifestata sunt mala et falsa, quae prorsus devastarunt ecclesiam, describitur in sequentibus hujus capitis (a versu 5 ad 8).
[2] Quod ecclesia quoad omnia bona et vera devastata sit, constare potest ex eo, quod Ecclesia Christiana a principio ejus divisa sit in duas, quarum una in Apocalypsi describitur per "draconem" et binas "bestias", altera vero per "meretricem insidentem bestiae coccineae" et per "Babyloniam"; illa quae describitur per "draconem" et binas ejus "bestias", est ecclesia apud Reformatos; et illa quae describitur per "meretricem" illam et per "Babyloniam", est ecclesia apud Pontificios. Ecclesia apud Reformatos devastata est per solam fidem, et ecclesia apud Pontificios per dominium super animas hominum et super caelum. De hujus ecclesiae devastatione quoad omnia bona et inde vera, agitur in cap. 17 et 18: et de ecclesiae devastatione apud Reformatos descripta est in cap. 12 et 13; et ulterius in cap. 16, per "septem angelos habentes phialas plenas ira Dei."
[3] Quod utraque ecclesia quoad omnia bona et vera per mala et falsa devastata sit, constare manifeste potest ex eo, quod vix aliquis hodie sciat quod Deus unus sit, et quod Ille sit Dominus; tum quid amor in Dominum, et quid charitas erga proximum, et inde quid bona opera; immo quid fides in sua essentia, et quod non fides sit quam vocant fidem; tum quid conscientia, quid liberum arbitrium, quid regeneratio, quid tentatio spiritualis, quid Baptismus, quid Sancta Cena, quid caelum et infernum, quale Verbum, praeter plura; et quia non illa sciunt, latent bona et vera, et quantum mundana et coporea amantur, tantum illa vilipenduntur, immo rejiciuntur, et tunc pro bonis intrant mala, et pro veris falsa; ita devastatur ecclesia.