631、启14:8.“又有一位天使接着说，那大城巴比伦倾倒了，倾倒了”表示现在就其信条和教义而言，天主教宗教被驱散了。“又有一位天使”表示现在来自主的一个新事物，如前所述(AR 626节)。“大城巴比伦”表示在其信条和教义方面的天主教宗教。“倾倒”表示被驱散，因为“倾倒了”论及城，而“被驱散”论及“巴比伦城”所表示的宗教及其教义。“城”表示教义(参看AR 194节)。现在这话之所以论及“巴比伦”，是因为主造了新基督天堂之后，同时又在那些属于天主教宗教的人当中造了一个新天堂。原因在于，由改革宗信徒聚集而成的基督天堂构成中心，天主教徒则在它周围；因此，当中心被新造时，某种新事物同时在周边产生。因为神性之光，即神性真理，从中间如同从一个中心向周围扩散，并将那里的事物也带回到秩序中。正因如此，此处才对巴比伦有某种提及，尽管它是第17和18章具体论述的主题。改革宗基督徒构成中心，天主教徒则形成它周围的一个很大的周边区域；属灵之光，即从主发出的神性真理，从中心扩散到周边一切区域，直到最后区域，这一点可见于《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》(104-113节)和小著《最后的审判》(48节)。从这些事可以看出，经上在论述了新基督天堂和福音传播之后，按顺序又提到了巴比伦；这也是“接着”所表示的。
631. 14:8 And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city." This symbolically means that the Roman Catholic religion has now been dispelled with respect to its dogmas and doctrines.
Another angel symbolizes something new now from the Lord, as in no. 626 above. The great city Babylon symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion with respect to its dogmas and doctrines. To fall means, symbolically, to be dispersed, for falling is said of a city, but dispersed is said of a religion and its doctrine, which is what the city Babylon symbolizes. That a city symbolizes doctrine may be seen in no. 194 above.
This declaration is now made about Babylon because after the Lord formed the New Christian Heaven, He at the same time formed a new one with people who were of the Roman Catholic religion. The reason is that the Christian heaven composed of the Protestant Reformed forms the core, and Roman Catholics are situated round about it. Consequently, when the core is new, what is on the peripheries is at the same time new. For the Divine light, which is Divine truth, propagates itself from the middle as a center into the peripheries round about, and the things that are in them are also put in order. It is for this reason that this brief reference to Babylon is made now, even though it is the subject taken up specifically in chapters 17, 18.
That Protestant Christians constitute the core, and Roman Catholics form the great peripheral area surrounding it, and that spiritual light, which is the Divine truth emanating from the Lord, radiates from the center all around to the peripheral areas, even to the last of them, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 104-113 and in the small work, The Last Judgment48.
It may be seen from this that after dealing with the New Christian Heaven and preaching the gospel, the declaration regarding Babylon follows in the sequence. This, too, is the symbolic meaning of the word "followed."
631. [verse 8] 'And another angel followed saying, It has fallen, that great city Babylon has fallen' signifies that the Roman Catholic form of religion as to its dogmas and doctrinal tenets has now been dispersed. By 'another angel' is signified a new thing now from the Lord, as above (626). By 'the great city Babylon' is signified the Roman Catholic form of religion as to its dogmas and doctrinal tenets. By 'to fall' is signified to be dispersed, for 'to fall' is said of a city, but 'to be dispersed' is said of the form of religion and the doctrine thereof which is signified by the 'city Babylon.' That by 'a city' doctrine is signified may be seen above (194). These things are now said of Babylon, because after the Christian New Heaven was made by the Lord, a new one was made at the same time with those who were of the Roman Catholic form of religion. This is because the Christian heaven that was gathered together out of the Reformed makes the core (meditullium), and the Papists (Pontifficii) are around it; and therefore when the core is new, then at the same time there is what is new in the surroundings. For the Divine Light, which is Divine Truth, spreads out all around from the middle as a centre into the surroundings and brings the things that are there also back into order. For this reason these few things are now related of Babylon, but it is treated of specifically in chapters 17 and 18. That the Reformed Christians constitute the core and that around this the Papists form a large surrounding zone, and that spiritual light, which is Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, spreads out as from its centre around into all the surroundings even to the last, may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE 104-113; also in the little work concerning THE LAST JUDGMENT 48. From these considerations it can be seen that these [words] about Babylon follow in order after [the Word] has treated of the Christian New Heaven and evangelisation. This indeed is signified by 'followed.
631. Verse 8. And another angel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, signifies that now the Roman Catholic religion as to its dogmas and doctrinals is dispersed. By "another angel" is signified now a new thing from the Lord, as above, (626). By "Babylon the great city," is signified the Roman Catholic religion as to its dogmas and doctrinals. By "falling" is signified to be dispersed, for "to fall" is said of a city, but "to be dispersed" of a religion and its doctrine, as signified by "the city Babylon." That "a city" signifies doctrine, see above, (194[1-4]). The reason why this is now said of "Babylon," is, because after the New Christian Heaven was made by the Lord, a new one was made at the same time of those who were of the Roman Catholic religion.
The reason is, because the Christian heaven collected out of the Reformed, constitutes the center, and the Papists are round about it; therefore, when the center is made new, something new is at the same time produced in the circumference. For the Divine light, which is the Divine truth, diffuses itself around, from the middle as from a center, to the circumference, and reduces the things which are there also to order. On this account some mention is here made of Babylon, but it is treated of more particularly in chapters 17, 18. That the Reformed Christians constitute the center, and that the Papists form a large circumference around it, and that spiritual light, which is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, diffuses itself as from its center to all the circumferences even to the last; may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture 104-113, and in the small work on the Last Judgment 48. From these things it may be seen, that this mention of Babylon follows in order, after treating of the New Christian Heaven and of evangelization; this is also what is signified by the expression, "followed."
631. (Vers. 8.) "Et alius Angelus secutus est, dicens, Cecidit, cecidit Babylon, urbs illa magna," significat quod nunc Religiosum Catholico Romanum quoad sua dogmata et doctrinalia dispersum sit.-Per "alium Angelum" significatur nunc novum a Domino, ut supra (626); per "Babylonem urbem magnam," significatur Religiosum Catholico Romanum quoad ejus dogmata et doctrinalia; per "cadere" significatur dispergi, nam "cadere" dicitur de urbe, at "dispergi de religioso et ejus doctrina quae per "Babylonem urbem" significatur. Quod per "urbem" significetur doctrina, videatur supra (194). Quod de "Babylone" haec nunc dicantur, est quia postquam Novum Caelum Christianum a Domino factum est, simul novum factum est cum illis qui e Religioso Romano Catholico fuerunt. Causa est quia Caelum Christianum, quod ex Reformatis collectum est, meditullium facit, ac Pontificii circum illud sunt; quare cum meditullium est novum, simul tunc in peripheriis fit novum; Divina enim Lux, quae est Divinum Verum, e medio ut e centro se circumcirca in peripherias propagat, ac illa quae ibi sunt, etiam in ordinem redigit; propter hanc causam haec pauca nunc de Babylone memorantur, in specie autem de illa agitur in cap. 17 et 18. Quod Christiani Reformati constituant meditullium, ac quod Pontificii circum illud faciant magnam peripheriam, et quod Lux spiritualis, quae est Divinum Verum procedens a Domino, se ut a suo centro propaget circum in omnes peripherias usque ad ultimam, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Scriptura Sacra 104-113; et in opusculo de Ultimo Judicio 48. Ex his videri potest, quod haec de Babylone sequantur in ordine, postquam actum est de Novo Caelo Christiano et de Evangelizatione; hoc etiam significatur per "secutus."