揭秘启示录
第十六章(676 - 716)
启示录16
1我听见有大声音从殿中出来，向那七位天使说，你们去，把盛神烈怒的小瓶倒在地上。2第一位便去，把他的小瓶倒在地上；就有恶而且毒的疮，生在那些有兽印记、拜兽像的人身上。3第二位天使把他的小瓶倒在海里，海就变成好像死人的血；海中一切活的灵魂都死了。4第三位天使把他的小瓶倒在江河与众水的泉源里；它们就变成了血。5我听见众水的天使说，今在、昔在的主啊，你是公义的，是神圣的，因为你已经判断这些事。6他们曾流圣徒与先知的血，你给他们血喝；他们是应得的。7我又听见另一位从祭坛中说，是的，主神，全能者啊，你的判断又真实又公义。8第四位天使把他的小瓶倒在日头上；叫他能用火烤人。9人被大热所烤，就亵渎那有权掌管这些灾的神之名，并不悔改将荣耀归给祂。10第五位天使把他的小瓶倒在兽的宝座上；兽的国就黑暗了；他们因痛苦就咬自己的舌头。11又因自己的痛苦和疮，就亵渎天上的神；并不悔改他们的作为。12第六位天使把他的小瓶倒在幼发拉底大河上；河水就干了，好叫那从日出之地所来的众王的道路得以预备。13我又看见三个污灵，好像青蛙，从龙口、兽口和假先知的口中出来。14他们本是鬼魔的灵，施行迹象，出去到地上和全世界的列王那里，召集他们去赴那神全能者大日的争战。15看哪，我来像贼一样；那警醒，看守衣服，免得赤身而行，叫他们见他羞耻的，有福了。16他就把他们聚集在一个地方，希伯来话叫作哈米吉多顿。17第七位天使把他的小瓶倒在空气中，就有大声音从天上殿中的宝座上出来，说，成了。18又有响声，闪电，雷轰，并有大地震，这样大的地震，是自从地上有人以来，未尝有过的。19那大城裂为三段，列族的城也都倒塌了。大巴比伦在神面前被想起，要把那盛神烈怒的酒杯递给她。20各海岛都逃避了，众山也不见了。21又有大雹子，仿佛有一他连得重，从天上降在人身上；人因这雹灾就亵渎神；因为这雹灾极大。
灵义
整章内容
在本章，改革宗教会的邪恶和虚假通过来自天堂的流注而被揭露(1节)：该流注进入神职人员(2节)；进入平信徒(3节)；进入他们对圣言的理解(4-7节)；进入他们的爱(8,9节)；进入他们的信(10,11节)；进入他们的内在推理(12-15节)；进入在一起的这一切事物，或说同时进入这一切事物(17-21节)。
各节内容
启16:1.“我听见有大声音从殿中出来，向那七位天使说，你们去，把盛神烈怒的小瓶倒在地上”表示从主而来的从天堂的至内层进入改革宗教会的流注，那里有那些在教义和生活上处于与仁分离之信的人(676节)。
启16:2.“第一位便去，把他的小瓶倒在地上”表示(该流注)进入那些处于改革宗教会的内层，研究唯信称义的教义，被称为神职人员的人(677节)。“就有恶而且毒的疮”表示对教会的一切良善和真理具有毁灭性的内在邪恶和虚假(678节)。“生在那些有兽印记、拜兽像的人身上”表示在那些过着唯信的生活，并接受唯信教义的人中间(679节)。
启16:3.“第二位天使把他的小瓶倒在海里”表示在教会中那些处于教会的外在，并处于唯信，被称为平信徒的人当中的流注(680节)。“海就变成好像死人的血；海中一切活的灵魂都死了”表示他们中间的地狱虚假，圣言的一切真理，随之教会和信仰的一切真理都因这虚假而灭绝了(681节)。
启16:4.“第三位天使把他的小瓶倒在江河与众水的泉源里”表示流注进入他们中间对圣言的理解(683节)。“它们就变成了血”表示被歪曲的圣言真理(684节)。
启16:5.“我听见众水的天使说”表示圣言的神性真理(685节)。”今在、昔在的主啊，你是公义的，是神圣的，因为你已经判断这些事”表示这判断是出于现在是，过去也是圣言的主的圣治，否则，圣言会遭到亵渎(686节)。
启16:6.“他们曾流圣徒与先知的血”表示这是因为当只有一个信条，即：没有律法作为的唯信使人得救，被接受时，它会败坏取自圣言的一切教义真理(687节)。“你给他们血喝，他们是应得的”表示那些在教义和生活上都确认唯信的人被允许歪曲圣言的真理，从被歪曲的真理中吸收生命(688节)。
启16:7.“我又听见另一位从祭坛中说，是的，主神，全能者啊，你的判断又真实又公义”表示确认这神性真理的圣言的神性良善(689节)。
启16:8.“第四位天使把他的小瓶倒在日头上”表示进入他们爱的流注(690节)。“叫他能用火烤人”表示对主之爱折磨他们，他们处于源于其爱之快乐的邪恶欲望(691节)。
启16:9.“人被大热所烤，就亵渎那有权掌管这些灾的神之名”表示由于强烈的邪恶欲望所产生的自我之爱的快乐，他们不承认主之人身的神性，然而，一切爱之良善和信之真理都是从它那里流出的(692节)。“并不悔改将荣耀归给祂”表示因此，他们不能以任何信来接受主在其人身方面也是天地之神，尽管圣言教导了这一点(693节)。
启16:10.“第五位天使把他的小瓶倒在兽的宝座上”表示进入他们信的流注(694节)。“兽的国就黑暗了”表示只有虚假出现(695节)。“他们因痛苦就咬自己的舌头”表示他们不能忍受真理(696节)。
启16:11.“又因自己的痛苦和疮，就亵渎天上的神”表示他们因源于内在虚假和邪恶的厌恶或抵触而不能承认唯独主是天地之神(697节)。“并不悔改他们的作为”表示尽管从圣言得到教导，他们仍不从信之虚假和随之而来的生活邪恶中退出(698节)。
启16:12.“第六位天使把他的小瓶倒在幼发拉底大河上”表示进入他们内在推理的流注，他们通过这些推理确认唯信称义(699节)。“河水就干了，好叫那从日出之地所来的众王的道路得以预备”表示对那些从主处于源于良善的真理，要被引入新教会的人来说，他们推理的虚假被移除了(700节)。
启16:13.“我又看见从龙口、兽口和假先知的口中出来”表示从建立在神性的三位格三位一体的教义，和没有律法作为的唯信称义的教义上的神学中所感知到的东西(701节)。“三个污灵，好像青蛙”表示只有推理和歪曲真理的欲望产生(702节)。
启16:14.“他们本是鬼魔的灵”表示它们是对歪曲真理和基于虚假推理的欲望(703节)。“施行迹象，出去到地上和全世界的列王那里，召集他们去赴那神全能者大日的争战”表示断言或郑重声明，他们的虚假是真理，煽动整个教会中所有处于这些虚假的人攻击新教会的真理(704节)。
启16:15.“看哪，我来像贼一样；那警醒，看守衣服的，有福了”表示主的降临，以及那时为那些仰望主，坚定不移地处于遵行祂的诫命，即圣言真理的生活之人所建的天堂(705节)。“免得赤身而行，叫他们见他羞耻”表示免得他们与那些没有处于真理的人联系在一起，也免得他们的地狱之爱出现(706节)。
启16:16.“他就把他们聚集在一个地方，希伯来话叫作哈米吉多顿”表示虚假和真理争战的状态，以及源于对统治和优越的爱的摧毁新教会的意图或欲望(707节)。
启16:17.“第七位天使把他的小瓶倒在空气中”表示流注同时进入他们中间的一切(708节)。“就有大声音从天上殿中的宝座上出来，说，成了”表示主如此显明，教会的一切都被摧毁了，现在最后的审判即将来临(709节)。
启16:18.“又有响声，闪电，雷轰”表示推理，对真理的歪曲和基于邪恶之虚假的论据(710节)。“并有大地震，这样大的地震，是自从地上有人以来，未尝有过的”表示教会的一切似乎都在震动、骚乱、倾覆，并被拖出天堂(711节)。
启16:19.“那大城裂为三段，列族的城也都倒塌了”表示这些东西彻底摧毁了教义方面的教会，因而也摧毁了它所产生的一切异端(712节)。“大巴比伦在神面前被想起，要把那盛神烈怒的酒杯递给她”表示那时天主教宗教信条的毁灭(713节)。
启16:20.“各海岛都逃避了，众山也不见了”表示不再有任何信之真理，也不再有任何爱之良善(714a节)。
启16:21.“又有大雹子，仿佛有一他连得重，从天上降在人身上”表示可怕而残暴的虚假，圣言的一切真理，因而教会的一切真理都通过它们被摧毁了(714b节)。“人因这雹灾就亵渎神；因为这雹灾极大”表示他们因确认了自己里面的这些虚假，所以就否认真理到这种程度：因源于其内在虚假和邪恶的厌恶或抵触，他们不能认识它们(715节)。
诠释
676、启16:1.“我听见有大声音从殿中出来，向那七位天使说，你们去，把盛神烈怒的小瓶倒在地上”表示从主而来的从天堂的至内层进入改革宗教会的流注，那里有那些在教义和生活上处于与仁分离之信的人，该流注剥夺了他们的真理和良善，揭露了他们所处的虚假和邪恶，从而将他们与那些信主，并从主处于仁及其信的人分离。这是本章的内容概要。“殿”表示前一章(启15:5)所提到的法版之帐幕的殿，这殿表示天堂的至内层，在那里，主在圣言中存在于祂的神圣中，并存在于律法，即十诫中(AR 669节)。来自那里的“大声音”表示一个神性命令，即：去倒小瓶。“七位天使”是指主，如前所述(AR 657节)。“把(盛灾的)小瓶倒在地上”表示进入改革宗教会的流注；“倒小瓶”表示流注，“地”表示教会(AR 285节)。
本章继续论述改革宗信徒当中的教会；但下一章的主题涉及天主教会，然后涉及最后的审判，最后涉及新教会，也就是新耶路撒冷(参看序言和AR 2节)。第八章和第九章论述“拿着(他们所吹的)七枝号的七位天使”，并且由于那里发生了许多类似的事，所以此处要说明，那七位天使表示什么，这七位天使又表示什么。那七位天使所吹的“七枝号”表示检查并显明那些处于与仁分离之信的人所处的虚假和邪恶；而“盛满末后七灾的七小瓶”表示他们的毁灭和完结，因为在他们被毁灭之前，最后的审判不会施行在他们身上。
在灵界，毁灭和完结以这种方式发生：那些在教义上处于虚假，因而在生活上处于邪恶的人被剥夺了他们只在属世人中所拥有，并用来伪装成基督徒的一切良善和真理；一旦被剥夺这些良善和真理，他们就与天堂分离，并与地狱结合。然后，他们照着欲望的不同种类而被安排在灵人界的各个社群，然后这些社群就沉没了。
来自天堂的一种流注剥夺了他们的良善和真理。这流注源于真正的真理和良善，他们因这流注而备受折磨和痛苦，几乎就像一条蛇被放在火上，或被扔在蚁丘上一样。因此，他们弃绝天堂的良善和真理，也就是教会的良善和真理，最终谴责它们，因为他们觉得地狱般的折磨是它们造成的。当这一切发生时，他们就陷入自己的邪恶和虚假，并与善人分离。这些就是本章“倒出盛满末后七灾的小瓶”所描述和表示的事。这些小瓶不是真地盛有“七灾”所表示的邪恶和虚假，相反，它们是真正的真理和良善，其效果就如所描述的一样。因为这些天使从“法版之帐幕的殿中”出来，这殿表示天堂的至内层，那里只有在神性圣洁中的真理和良善(启示录15:6)。
论到这种毁灭和完结，主说了这些话：
凡有的，还要给他，叫他丰富有余；凡没有的，连他所有的，也要夺去。(马太福音13:12; 马可福音4:25)
马太福音：
把才干从他那里夺来，给那有十个才干的；因为凡有的，还要给他，叫他充足；没有的，连他所有的也要夺过来。(马太福音25:28, 29; 路加福音19:24-26)
676. REVELATION: CHAPTER 16
1. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God onto the earth."
2. So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and an evil and noxious sore formed in people who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image.
3. Then the second angel poured out his bowl onto the sea, and it became blood as though of a dead man, and every living creature in the sea died.
4. Then the third angel poured out his bowl onto the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was, and holy, Because You have judged these things.
6. For they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For they are deserving."
7. And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments."
8. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl onto the sun, and it was given to him to scorch people with fire.
9. And people were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
10. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of their suffering.
11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and because of their sores, and did not repent of their works.
12. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be made ready.
13. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
14. For they are spirits of demons that perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15. "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and preserves his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."
16. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.
17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, "It is done!"
18. And there were voices and lightnings and thunderings; and there was a great earthquake, such as had not occurred since people were on the earth, so great was the earthquake.
19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.
20. Then every island fled away, and mountains were not found.
21. And great hail from heaven about the weight of a talent fell upon people. And people blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, as the plague was exceedingly great.
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING
The Contents of the Whole Chapter
In this chapter the evils and falsities in the church of the Protestant Reformed are exposed by influx from heaven (verse 1) - by influx into the clergy (verse 2), into the laity (verse 3), into the understanding of the Word in them (verses 4-7), into the love in them (verses 8, 9), into the faith in them (verses 10, 11), into the interior reasonings in them (verses 12-15), and into all of these at the same time (verses 17-21).
The Contents of the Individual Verses:
| Verse Contents | Spiritual Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God onto the earth." | An influx from the Lord from the inmost of heaven into the church of the Protestant Reformed, where those people are found who are caught up in a faith divorced from charity, as to faith and as to life, |
| 2. So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, | into those taken up with the interior tenets of the church of the Protestant Reformed, who study the doctrine of justification by faith alone and are called the clergy. |
| and an evil and noxious sore formed | Interior evils and falsities destructive of every good and truth in the church, |
| in people who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. | in those clergy who live faith alone and accept the doctrine teaching it. |
| 3. Then the second angel poured out his bowl upon the sea, | Influx into those people in the church who are concerned with its external elements and are caught up in that faith, and are called the laity. |
| and it became blood as though of a dead man, and every living creature in the sea died. | The infernal falsity in them by which every truth in the Word was extinguished, and so also every truth in the church and in faith. |
| 4. Then the third angel poured out his bowl onto the rivers and springs of water, | Influx into the understanding of the Word in them. |
| and they became blood. | The Word's truths falsified. |
| 5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: | The Word's Divine truth. |
| "You are righteous, O Lord, | The One who is and who was, and holy, |
| Because You have judged these things. | This judgment is of the Divine providence of the Lord, who is and was the Word, which otherwise would be profaned, |
| 6. For they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, | And this because when just the one tenet is accepted, that faith alone saves apart from works of the law, it corrupts all doctrinal truths from the Word. |
| And You have given them blood to drink. | For they are deserving." |
| Those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone in doctrine and life have been permitted to falsify the Word's truths and to infuse their life with those falsified truths. | 7. And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments." |
| The Divine goodness in the Word supporting that Divine truth. | 8. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl onto the sun, |
| Influx into the people's love. | and it was given to him to scorch people with fire. |
| Love toward the Lord tormented them, because they were caught up in lusts for evils emanating from the delight of their love. | 9. And people were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; |
| Owing to the delight of the love of self arising from their grievous lusts for evils, they did not acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord's humanity, even though from it flows every goodness of love and truth of faith. | and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. |
| Because of this they cannot accept with any faith that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, even in respect to His humanity, even though it is what the Word teaches. | 10. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast, |
| Influx into the people's faith. | and his kingdom became full of darkness; |
| Nothing but falsities appeared. | and they gnawed their tongues because of their suffering. |
| They could not endure truths. | 11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and because of their sores, |
| They could not acknowledge the Lord alone to be God of heaven and earth, owing to feelings of repugnance springing from interior falsities and evils. | and did not repent of their works. |
| Despite being instructed from the Word, they still did not turn away from the falsities of their faith or their consequent evil practices. | 12. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates, |
| Influx into the people's interior reasonings by which they defend justification by faith alone. | and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be made ready. |
| The falsities in those reasonings removed in the case of people who possess truths from the Lord that spring from goodness, and who are to be introduced into the New Church. | 13. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, |
| A perception that from a theology founded on the doctrine of a trinity of persons in the Godhead and on the doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works of the law | three unclean spirits like frogs. |
| there arose nothing but reasonings and lusts to falsify truths. | 14. For they are spirits of demons |
| They were lusts to falsify truths and to reason on the basis of falsities. | that perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. |
| Assertions that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church. | 15. "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and preserves his garments, |
| The Lord's advent and heaven then for people who look to Him and remain steadfast in a life in accordance with His precepts, which are the Word's truths, | lest he walk naked and they see his shame." |
| so as not to be associated with people who are without any truths, and have their hellish loves appear. | 16. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. |
| A state of combat, of falsities against truths, and, arising from a love of dominion and preeminence, a mind to destroy the New Church. | 17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, |
| Influx into all of these things in them at the same time. | and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, "It is done!" |
| It was thus made manifest by the Lord that every element of the church was destroyed, and that the Last Judgment was now imminent. | 18. And there were voices and lightnings and thunderings; |
| Reasonings, falsifications of truth, and arguments in consequence of the falsities accompanying evil. | and there was a great earthquake, such as had not occurred since people were on the earth, so great was the earthquake. |
| Seeming shocks, convulsions, upsets and drawings down from heaven of every element of the church. | 19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. |
| By these events that church was utterly destroyed as regards its doctrine, and so too all the heresies that emanated from it. | And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. |
| The destruction also at that time of the dogmas of the Roman Catholic religion. | 20. Then every island fled away, and mountains were not found. |
| There was no longer any truth of faith, nor any goodness of love. | 21. And great hail from heaven about the weight of a talent fell upon people. |
| Dreadful and atrocious falsities, by which every truth in the Word and so in the church was destroyed. | And people blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, as the plague was exceedingly great. |
| Because the people entrenched such falsities in themselves, they denied truths to the extent that they could not recognize them, owing to feelings of repugnance springing from their interior falsities and evils. |
THE EXPOSITION
16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God onto the earth." This symbolizes an influx from the Lord from the inmost of heaven into the church of the Protestant Reformed, where those people are found who are caught up in a faith divorced from charity, as to faith and as to life, to take truths and goods from them and reveal the falsities and evils in which they are caught up, and in this way to separate them from people who believe in the Lord and who possess charity from Him and its accompanying faith.
This in brief is what is contained in this chapter. The temple means the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony previously spoken of in chapter 15:5, and it symbolizes the inmost of heaven where the Lord is present in His holiness in the Word and in the Law contained in the Ten Commandments (no. 669). The loud voice from it symbolizes a Divine command for the seven angels to go and pour out the bowls. The seven angels mean the Lord, as in no. 657 above. Pouring out the bowls containing plagues onto the earth symbolizes an influx into the church of the Protestant Reformed. Pouring out the bowls symbolizes influx, and the earth symbolizes the church (no. 285).
[2] The subject continues to be the church among the Protestant Reformed. In the following chapter it will be the church among Roman Catholics; after that it will be the Last Judgment; and finally the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, as may be seen in the Preface and in no. 2.
Chapters 8, 9 above described seven angels who had seven trumpets, which they sounded, and because many similar things occur there, we will say here what those seven angels symbolized and what these do here. The seven trumpets which the seven angels sounded symbolize an examination and exposure of the falsities and evils possessed by people who are caught up in a faith divorced from charity. But the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues symbolize the purging and ultimate end of these people, since the Last Judgment cannot be executed upon them until they have been purged.
[3] The purging and ultimate end of them is brought about in the spiritual world in the following way: People caught up in falsities as to doctrine and so in evils as to life have taken from them all the goods and truths that they possessed merely in their natural self, by which they put on the appearance of being Christian people. When these goods and truths have been taken away, the people are separated from heaven and joined to hell. And then in the world of spirits they are arranged in accordance with the varieties of their lusts into societies, which later sink down.
[4] They have goods and truths taken from them by influx from heaven. The influx originates from genuine truths and goods by which they are tormented and tortured, much like a snake placed near a fire or cast upon an anthill. Therefore they reject the goods and truths of heaven, which are also the goods and truths of the church, and finally condemn them, because these cause them what feels like the torment of hell. When this happens they retreat into their evils and falsities and are separated from people who are good.
These are the things described in this chapter and symbolized by the emptying out of the bowls containing the seven last plagues.
The bowls did not contain these evils and falsities symbolized by the plagues, but had in them genuine truths and goods, whose effect was as described. For the angels came from the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony, which means the inmost of heaven, where nothing but truths and goods in a Divine and holy state are found (Revelation 15:6).
[5] This is the purging and ultimate end spoken of by the Lord when He said:
...whoever has, to him more will be given, that he may have greater abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. (Matthew 13:12, Mark 4:25)
...take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, that he may have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. (Matthew 25:28-29, cf. Luke 19:24-26)
676. THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER
1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the phials of the wrath of God onto the land.
2. And the first angel went away and poured out his phial upon the land, and an evil and hurtful sore was produced in the men having the mark of the beast and adoring his Image.
3. And the second angel poured out his phial into the sea, and it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul died in the sea.
4. And the third angel poured out his phial into the rivers and into the fountains of waters, and blood was produced.
5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art just, O Lord, Who Is and Who Was, and art Holy, because Thou hast judged these.
6. Because they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they deserve it (quia digni sunt).
7. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments.
8. And the fourth angel poured out his phial into the sun, and it was given him to strike men down with heat by means of fire.
9. And men were scorched with the great heat, and blasphemed the Name of God having authority over these plagues, and they did not repent (resipiscere) to give Him glory.
10. And the fifth angel poured out [his] phial upon the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was made dark, and they were gnawing their tongues because of annoyance.
11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven for their annoyances, and for their sores, and they did not repent of their works.
12. And the sixth angel poured out his phial upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, that the way of kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared.
13. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
14. For they are the spirits of demons doing signs to go away to the kings of the land and of the whole world (orbis), to gather them together to the war of that great day of God Omnipotent.
15. Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he who is awake and takes care of his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.
16. And he gathered them together into the place termed in Hebrew Armageddon.
17. And the seventh angel poured out his phial into the air, and there went forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven out of the throne, saying, It has been done.
18. And voices and lightnings and thunders were produced, and there was a great earthquake such as has not occurred since there came to be men upon earth, an earthquake of such magnitude.
19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the growing anger of His wrath.
20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21. And great hail as of the weight of a talent came down from heaven upon men, and men blasphemed God for the plague of hail, because the plague thereof was exceedingly great.
THE SPIRITUAL SENSE
THE CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER
In this chapter the evils and untruths in the Church of the Reformed are disclosed by means of an influx out of heaven (verse 1).
Into the clergy (verse 2).
Into the laity (verse 3).
Into the understanding of the Word with them (verses 4-7).
In to the love with them (verses 8-9).
Into the faith with them (verses 10-11).
Into the interior reasonings with them (verses 12-15).
Into all these things together (verses 17-21).
THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES
1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the phials of the wrath of God onto the land, signifies an influx from the Lord out of the inmost of heaven into the Church of the Reformed where those are who are in faith separated from charity as to doctrine and as to life.
2. And the first angel went away and poured out his phial upon the land, signifies into those who are in the interior things of the Church of the Reformed and busy themselves with the doctrine of justification by faith alone, and are called the clergy.
And an evil and hurtful sore was produced, signifies interior evils and untruths destructive of everything good and true in the Church.
In the men having the mark of the beast, and adoring his image, signifies with those who are living faith alone, and receiving its doctrine.
3. And the second angel poured out his phial upon the sea, signifies an influx with those there who are in its [the Church's] external things, and in that faith, and are called the laity.
And it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul died in the sea, signifies infernal untruth with them by which every truth of the Word, and consequently of the Church and of faith, has been extinguished.
4. And the third angel poured out [his] phial into the rivers and fountains of waters, signifies an influx into the understanding of the Word with them.
And blood was produced, signifies falsified truths of the Word.
5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, signifies the Divine Truth of the Word.
Thou art just, O Lord, Who Is and Who Was, and art Holy, because Thou hast judged these things, signifies that this is of the Divine Providence of the Lord, Who is and Who was the Word, which otherwise would be profaned.
6. Because they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, signifies this on account of the fact that the single tenet, that faith alone saves without the works of the law, when received perverts all the true doctrinal tenets out of the Word.
And Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they deserve it, signifies that those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone in both doctrine and life, had been permitted to falsify the truths of the Word, and to absorb life (imbuere vitam) out of the falsified truths.
7. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments, signifies the Divine Good of the Word confirming that Divine Truth.
8. And the fourth angel poured out his phial into the sun, signifies an influx into their love.
And it was given him to strike men down with heat by means of fire, signifies that love directed to the Lord was torturing them because they were in the lusts of the evils derived from the delight of their loves.
9. And men were scorched with the great heat, and blasphemed the Name of God having authority over these plagues, signifies that, on account of the delight of the love of self arising from the grievous lusts of the evils, they did not acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord's Human, from which nevertheless every good of love and truth of faith inflows.
And they did not repent (resipiscere) to give Him glory, signifies that on account of this they are unable to receive with any faith, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth even as to His Human, although the Word teaches this.
10. And the fifth angel poured out his phial upon the throne of the beast, signifies an influx into their faith.
And his kingdom was made dark, signifies that nothing but untruths were appearing.
And they were gnawing their tongues because of annoyance, signifies that they were not enduring truths.
11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven for their annoyances and for their sores, signifies that they could not acknowledge the Lord Only to be the God of heaven and earth on account of the resistances resulting from interior untruths and evils.
And did not repent of their works, signifies that although instructed out of the Word still they do not withdraw from untruths of faith and the consequent evils of life.
12. And the sixth angel poured out his phial upon the great river Euphrates, signifies an influx into their interior reasonings by which they confirm justification by faith alone.
And its water was dried up, that the way of kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared, signifies that the untruths of those reasonings have been removed with those who from the Lord are in truths derived from good, and are to be introduced into the New Church.
13. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, signifies what is perceived out of a theology founded upon the doctrine of a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, and upon the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law.
Three unclean spirits like frogs, signifies that nothing but reasonings and the lusts of falsifying truths were arising.
14. For they are the spirits of demons, signifies that they were the lusts of falsifying truths and of reasoning out of untruths.
Doing sighs to go away to the kings of the land and of the whole world, to gather them together to the war of that great day of God Omnipotent, signifies protestations that their untruths are true, and the inciting of all in the whole of that Church who are in the same untruths to attack the truths of the New Church.
15. Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he who is awake and takes care of his garments, signifies the Lord's coming, and heaven then with those who look to Him and remain constant in a life in accordance with His precepts, which are the truths of the Word.
Lest he walk naked, and they see his shame, signifies lest they should be with those who are in no truths, and their infernal loves should appear.
16. And he gathered them together into the place termed in Hebrew Armageddon, signifies the state of the combat fought with untruths against truths, and the intention (animus) of destroying the New Church, originating out of a love of command and supereminence.
17. And the seventh angel poured out his phial into the air, signifies an influx into all the things at once with them.
And there went forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven out of the throne, saying, It has been done, signifies [that] it was thus made manifest by the Lord that all things of the Church have been devastated, and that the last judgment is at hand.
18. And voices and lightnings and thunderings were produced, signifies reasonings, falsifications of truth, and arguments derived from untruths of evil.
And there was a great earthquake, such as has not occurred since there came to be men upon earth, an earthquake of such magnitude, signifies as it were the tremors, convulsions, overturnings, and acts of dragging down out of heaven of all things of the Church.
19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, signifies that by these things that Church as to doctrine has been entirely destroyed, and so too have all the heresies that have emanated from it.
And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the growing anger of His wrath, signifies the destruction also at that time of the dogmas of the Roman Catholic form of religion.
20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found, signifies that there was no longer any truth of faith, nor any good of love.
21 And great hail as the weight of a talent came down from heaven upon men, signifies the dreadful and horrible untruths by means of which every truth of the Word and consequently of the Church has been destroyed.
And [men] blasphemed God for the plague of hail, because the plague thereof was exceedingly great, signifies that because they have confirmed such untruths with themselves, they have denied truths to such an extent that they cannot recognise them on account of the resistances originating from their interior untruths and evils.
THE EXPOSITION
[verse 1] 'And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the phials of the wrath of God onto the land' signifies an influx from the Lord out of the inmost of heaven into the Church of the Reformed where those are who are in faith separated from charity as to doctrine and as to life, for the purpose of taking truths and goods away from them and uncovering the evils and untruths in which they are, and thus separating them from those who do believe in the Lord, and from Him are in charity and its faith. In summary form these are the things that are contained in this chapter. By 'the temple' is signified 'the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony,' of which [something was said] in the preceding chapter (15:5). By this is signified the inmost of heaven where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word, and in the Law which is the Decalogue (669). By 'a great voice' therefrom is signified the Divine command that they should go and pour out the phials. By 'the seven angels' is understood the Lord, as above (657). By 'to pour out the phials' in which the plagues are 'onto the land' is signified an influx into the Church of the Reformed; by 'to pour out the phials' the influx is signified, and by 'the land' is signified the Church (285).
[2] It is still treating of the Church with the Reformed, but in the following chapter it treats of the Church with the Roman Catholics, and afterwards of the last judgment, and finally of the New Church that is the New Jerusalem. Let the Preface and 2 be seen. chapters 8 and 9 above treat of 'seven angels having seven trumpets' which they sounded, and because many similar things occur there it will be stated here what is signified by the former 'seven angels' and what by the latter. By the 'seven trumpets' which the seven angels sounded is signified the examination and making manifest of the untruths and evils in which those are who are in faith separated from charity. By 'the seven phials full of the seven last plagues,' however, is signified the devastation and consummation thereof, for a last judgment cannot be executed upon them in advance of their having been devastated.
[3] A devastation and consummation in the spiritual world is brought about in this manner: from those who are in untruths as to doctrine and in evils of life therefrom are taken away all the goods and truths that they have possessed in the natural man only, and by virtue of which they have pretended to be Christian men. When these have been taken away they are separated from heaven and conjoined with hell, and then in the world of spirits they are arranged into societies in accordance with the varieties of the lusts, and these afterwards sink down.
[4] Goods and truths are then taken away from them by means of an influx out of heaven. The influx is effected out of genuine truths and goods, as the result of which they are tortured and tormented scarcely otherwise than as a serpent put upon a fire or thrown on an ant-hill. They therefore reject from themselves the goods and truths of heaven, which also are the goods and truths of the Church, and at length they condemn them. This is because they have felt as it were an infernal torment resulting from them. When this has come to pass they enter into their own evils and untruths and are separated from the good. These are the things that are described in this chapter, and are signified by the throwing down of the 'phials' in which were 'the seven last plagues.' Not that there were in the phials the evils and untruths that are signified by the plagues, but there were genuine truths and goods, the effect of which was such as has been described. For the angels went 'out of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony,' by which is understood the inmost of heaven where there are nothing but truths and goods in Divine holiness (chapter 15:6).
[5] This is the devastation and consummation of which the Lord speaks in these words:
Whosoever has, to him will be given that he may have more abundantly; but whosoever has not, even what he has will be taken away from him. Matthew 13:12; Mark 4:25.
Take the talent from him and give to him having ten talents, for to everyone who has shall be given that he may be in abundance, but from him who has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Matthew 25:28-29; Luke 19:24-26.
676. Revelation 16
1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the vials of the anger of God into the earth.
2. And the first went forth and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there came an evil and noxious sore on the men that had the mark of the beast, and that adored his image.
3. And the second angel poured out his vial into the sea; and it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul in the sea died.
4. And the third angel poured out his vial into the rivers and into the fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art just, O Lord, who art, and who wast, and art holy, because Thou hast judged these things.
6. Because they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy.
7. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Yea, O Lord God Almighty, true and just art Thy judgments.
8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and it was given him to scorch men with fire.
9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God who hath authority over these plagues, and they repented not to give Him glory.
10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became dark, and they gnawed their tongues for distress.
11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven for their distresses and for their sores, and repented not of their works.
12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared.
13. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
14. For they are spirits of demons, doing signs, to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15. Behold, I come as a thief; happy is he that is awake and keepeth his garments, that he may not walk naked, and they see his shame.
16. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon.
17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there went forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done.
18. And there were voices, and lightnings, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great.
19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His anger.
20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21. And great hail as of the weight of a talent cometh down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail: for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
THE SPIRITUAL SENSE
The contents of the whole chapter
In this chapter the evils and falsities in the church of the Reformed are disclosed by influx out of heaven (verse 1): Into the clergy (verse 2): Into the laity (verse 3): Into their understanding of the Word (verses 4-7): Into their love (verses 8-9): Into their faith (verses 10-11): Into their interior reasonings (verses 12-15): Into all things of them together (verses 17-21).
The contents of each verse
Verse 1. "And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go, and pour out the vials of the anger of God into the earth," signifies influx from the Lord from the inmost of heaven into the church of the Reformed, where they are who are in faith separated from charity as to doctrine and as to life, (676).
Verse 2. "And the first went forth, and poured out his vial on the earth," signifies into those who are in the interiors of the church of the Reformed, and study the doctrine of justification by faith alone, and are called the clergy, (677). "And there came an evil and noxious sore," signifies interior evils and falsities destructive of all good and truth in the church, (678). "Upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and that adore his image," signifies in those who live faith alone and receive the doctrine of it, (679).
Verse 3. "And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea" signifies influx among those there who are in its externals, and in that faith, and are called the laity, (680). "And it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul died in the sea," signifies infernal falsity with them, by which every truth of the Word and thence of the church and of faith was extinguished, (681).
Verse 4. "And the third angel poured out his vial into the rivers and the fountains of waters," signifies influx into the understanding of the Word with them, (683). "And they became blood," signifies the truths of the Word falsified, (684).
Verse 5. "And I heard the angel of the waters saying," signifies the Divine truth of the Word, (685). "Thou art just, O Lord, who art, and who wast, and art holy, because Thou hast judged these things," signifies that this is from the Divine Providence of the Lord, who is and who was the Word, which otherwise would be profaned, (686).
Verse 6. "Because they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets," signifies that this is for the reason, that this alone, that faith alone without the works of the law saves, being received, perverts all doctrinal truths from the Word, (686). "And Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy," signifies that it was permitted those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone in doctrine and in life, to falsify the truths of the Word, and to imbue their life from falsified things, (688).
Verse 7. "And I heard another out of the altar, saying, Yea, O Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments," signifies the Divine good of the Word confirming that Divine truth, (689).
Verse 8. "And the fourth angel poured out his vial into the sun," signifies influx into their love, (690). "And it was given him to scorch men with fire," signifies that love to the Lord tortured them, because they were in the lusts of evils from the delight of their love, (691).
Verse 9. "And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who hath authority over these plagues," signifies that on account of the delight of the love of self arising from vehement lusts of evils they did not acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord's Human, from which nevertheless flows all good of love and truth of faith, (692). "And they repented not to give Him glory," signifies that on that account they cannot receive with any faith that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth as to His Human also, although the Word teaches it, (693).
Verse 10. "And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast," signifies influx into their faith, (694). "And his kingdom became dark," signifies that nothing but falsities appeared, (695).
Verse 11. "And they gnawed their tongues for distress," signifies that they could not endure truths, (696). "And they blasphemed the God of heaven for their distresses and for their sores," signifies that they could not acknowledge the Lord alone to be the God of heaven and earth on account of resistance from interior falsities and evils, (697). "And repented not of their works," signifies that though instructed from the Word, they still do not recede from falsities of faith and the evils of life thence, (698).
Verse 12. "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates," signifies influx into their interior reasonings, by which they confirm justification by faith alone, (699). "And the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared," signifies that the falsities of their reasonings were removed with those who are in truths from good from the Lord, and are to be introduced into the New Church, (700).
Verse 13. "And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet," signifies the perception that from a theology founded upon the doctrine of the Trinity of Persons in the Divinity, and upon the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law, (701). "Three unclean spirits like frogs," signifies that there arose mere reasonings and lusts of falsifying truths, (702).
Verse 14. "For they are spirits of demons," signifies that they were the lusts of falsifying truths and of reasoning from falsities, (703). "Doing signs, to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that great day of God Almighty," signifies attestations that their falsities are truths, and the stirring up of all in the whole of that church who are in the same falsities, to attack the truths of the New Church, (704).
Verse 15. "Behold, I come as a thief; happy is he that is awake and keepeth his garments," signifies the Lord's coming, and heaven then for those who look to Him, and remain steadfast in a life according to His precepts, which are the truths of the Word, (705). "That he may not walk naked, and they see his shame," signifies lest they should be with those who are in no truths, and their infernal loves should appear, (706).
Verse 16. "And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon," signifies the state of combat from falsities against truths, and the disposition of destroying the New Church, arising from the love of dominion and supereminence, (707).
Verse 17. "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air," signifies influx into all things together with them, (708). "And there went forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done," signifies that it was thus made manifest by the Lord, that all the things of the church were devastated, and that now the Last Judgment is at hand, (709).
Verse 18. "And there were voices, and lightnings and thunders," signifies reasonings, falsifications of truth, and arguments from the falsities of evil, (710). "And there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great," signifies as it were shakings, convulsions, overturnings, and the drawing down from heaven of all the things of the church, (721).
Verse 19. "And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell," signifies that the church as to doctrine was altogether destroyed by them, and so too all the heresies which have emanated from it, (712). "And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His anger," signifies the destruction also at that time of the dogmas of the Roman Catholic religion, (713).
Verse 20. "And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found," signifies that there was no longer any truth of faith, nor any good of love, (714a). Verse 21. "And great hail as of the weight of a talent cometh down from heaven upon men," signifies direful and atrocious falsities, by which every truth of the Word and thence of the church was destroyed, (714b). "And they blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great," signifies that because they confirmed such falsities with themselves, they denied truths to such a degree that they could not know them, on account of repugnances arising from their interior falsities and evils, (715).
THE EXPLANATION
Verse 1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the vials of the anger of God into the earth, signifies influx from the Lord out of the inmost heaven into the church of the Reformed, where they are who are in faith separated from charity as to doctrine and as to life, to deprive them of truths and goods, and lay open the falsities and evils in which they are, and thus to separate them from those who believe in the Lord, and are in charity and its faith from him. This is a summary of what is contained in this chapter. By "the temple" is signified the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony, mentioned in the foregoing chapter, (Revelation 15:5), whereby is signified the inmost of heaven, where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word, and in the Law which is the Decalogue, (669). By "a great voice" thence, is signified a divine mandate to go and pour out the vials. By "the seven angels" the Lord is meant, as above, (657). By "pouring out the vials upon the earth," which contained the plagues, is signified influx into the church of the Reformed; by "pouring out the vials" is signified the influx, and by "the earth" is signified the church, (285).
[2] The church with the Reformed is still treated of; but in the next chapter the subject is concerning the Roman Catholic church, and afterwards concerning the Last Judgment, and finally concerning the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem (see the preface and 2). Chapters 8, 9 treat of "the seven angels who had the seven trumpets," which they sounded, and since many similar things occur there, it shall here be said what is signified by those seven angels, and what by these. By "the seven trumpets," which the seven angels sounded, is signified the exploration and manifestation of the falsities and evils, in which they are who are in faith separated from charity; but by "the seven vials full of the seven last plagues," is signified their devastation and consummation, for the Last Judgment is not executed upon them until they are devastated.
[3] Devastation and consummation in the spiritual world take place in this manner: From those who are in falsities as to doctrine, and thence in evils as to life, are taken away all the goods and truths which they possessed only in the natural man, and from which they simulated Christian men; on being deprived of which, they are separated from heaven, and conjoined with hell. And then they are arranged into societies in the world of spirits according to the varieties of lusts, and afterwards these societies sink down.
[4] They are deprived of goods and truths by an influx from heaven. The influx is effected from genuine truths and goods, by which they are tortured and tormented; scarcely otherwise than as a serpent when put near a fire, or thrown upon an ant hill. Therefore they reject from themselves the goods and truths of heaven, which are also the goods and truths of the church, and at last they condemn them because they feel as if infernal torment proceeded from them. When this has come to pass, they enter into their own evils and falsities, and are separated from the good. These are the things which are described and signified in this chapter by "the pouring out of the vials, wherein were the seven last plagues." The vials did not contain the evils and falsities signified by "the plagues," but they were genuine truths and goods, the effect of which was such as has been described. For the angels went out of "the temple of the tabernacle of testimony," by which is meant the inmost of heaven, where there are nothing but truths and goods in Divine holiness, (Revelation 15:6).
[5] Of this devastation and consummation the Lord speaks in these words:
Unto everyone that hath, to him shall be given, that he may have more abundantly; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath, (Matthew 13:12; Mark 4:25).
Take the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents; for unto everyone that hath shall be given, that he may abound, but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that he hath, (Matthew 25:28-29; Luke 19:24-26).
676. CAPUT XVI.
1. Et audivi vocem magnam e Templo dicentem septem Angelis, Ite et effundite phialas irae Dei in terram.
2. Et abivit primus, et effudit phialam suam super terram, et factum est ulcus malum et noxium in hominibus habentibus characterem Bestiae, et imaginem ejus adorantibus.
3. Et secundus Angelus effudit phialam suam in mare, et factus est sanguis tanquam mortui, et omnis anima viva mortua est in mari.
4. Et tertius Angelus effudit phialam suam in fluvios et in fontes aquarum, et factus est sanguis.
5. Et audivi Angelum aquarum dicentem, Justus Domine es, Qui Est et Qui Fuit, et Sanctus, quia haec judicasti;
6. Quia sanguinem Sanctorum et Prophetarum effuderunt, et sanguinem illis dedisti bibere, digni enim Sunt.
7. Et audivi alium ex Altari dicentem, Etiam Domine Deus Omnipotens, vera et justa judicia Tua.
8. Et quartus Angelus effudit phialam suam in solem, et datum est illi aestu affligere homines per ignem.
9. Et aestuaverunt homines aestu magno, et blasphemarunt Nomen Dei habentis potestatem super plagas has, et non resipuerunt dare Ipsi gloriam.
10. Et quintus Angelus effudit phialam (suam) super thronum Bestiae, et factum est regnum ejus tenebrosum, et mandebant linguas suas prae molestia.
11. Et blasphemarunt Deum Caeli prae molestiis suis, et prae ulceribus suis, et non resipuerunt ex operibus suis.
12. Et sextus Angelus effudit phialam suam super fluvium magnum Euphratem, et exsiccata est aqua ejus, ut pararetur Via regum ab ortu solis.
13. Et Vidi ex ore Draconis, et ex ore Bestiae, et ex ore Pseudoprophetae, spiritus tres immundos similes ranis.
14. Sunt enim spiritus daemonum facientes signa ad abeundum ad reges terrae et orbis totius, ad Congregandum illos in bellum diei illius magni Dei Omnipotentis.
15. Ecce Venio sicut fur; beatus qui vigilat et servat vestimenta sua, ut non nudus ambulet, et videant pudorem ejus.
16. Et Congregavit illos in locum diem Hebraice Armageddon. 17. Et septimus Angelus effudit phialam suam in aerem, et exivit vox magna e Templo Caeli e Throno, dicens, Factum est.
18. Et factae sunt voces et fulgura et tonitrua; et terrae motus factus est magnus, qualis non factus est ex quo homines facti sunt super terra, talis terrae motus adeo magnus.
19. Et facta est urbs magna in tres partes, et urbes gentium Ceciderunt; et Babylon magna Venit in memoriam coram Deo, dare illi poculum vini excandescentiae irae Ipsius.
20. Et omnis insula fugit, et montes non inventi sunt.
21. Et grando magna quasi talenti pondo descendit de Caelo super homines; et blasphemarunt homines Deum prae plaga grandinis, quia magna erat plaga ejus valde.
SENSUS SPIRITUALIS.
CONTENTUM TOTIUS CAPITIS.
DETEGUNTUR IN HOC CAPITE MALA ET FALSA IN ECCLESIA REFORMATORUM PER INFLUXUM E CAELO (vers. 1);
IN CLERICOS (vers. 2);
IN LAICOS (vers. 3);
IN INTELLECTUM VERBI APUD ILLOS (vers. 4-7);
IN AMOREM APUD ILLOS (vers. 8, 9);
IN FIDEM APUD ILLOS (vers. 10, 11);
IN RATIOCINIA INTERIORA APUD ILLOS (vers. 12-15);
IN OMNIA ILLORUM SIMUL (vers. 17-21).
CONTENTA SINGULORUM VERSUUM.
1. "Et audivi vocem magnam e Templo, dicentem septem Angelis, Ite, et effundite phialas irae Dei in terram," significati influxum a Domino ex intimo Caeli in Ecclesiam Reformatorum ubi illi qui in Fide separata a Charitate quoad doctrinam et quoad vitam sunt (676).
2. "Et abivit primus, et effudit phialam super terram," significat in illos qui in interioribus Ecclesiae Reformatorum sunt, et doctrinae Justificationis per solam Fidem student, et vocantur Clerici (677); et factum est ulcus malum et noxium," significat interiora mala et falsa destructiva omnis boni et veri in Ecclesia (678); "in hominibus habentibus characterem Bestiae, et imaginem ejus adorantibus," significat apud illos qui vivunt solam Fidem, et recipiunt doctrinam ejus (679).
3. "Et secundus Angelus effudit phialam suam super mare," significat influxum apud illos ibi, qui in externis ejus sunt, et in fide illa, et vocantur Laici (680); "et factus est sanguis tanquam mortui, et omnis anima viva mortua est in mari," significat apud illos falsum infernale, per quod omne verum Verbi et inde Ecclesiae et fidei exstinctum est (681).
4. "Et tertius Angelus effudit phialam (suam) in fluvios et fontes aquarum," significat influxum in intellectum Verbi apud illos (683); "et factus est sanguis," significat vera Verbi falsificata (684).
5. "Et audivi Angelum aquarum dicentem," significat Divinum Verum Verbi (685); "Justus es Domine, Qui est et Qui Fuit, et Sanctus, quia haec judicasti," significat quod hoc sit Divina Providentia Domini, Qui; est et Qui fuit Verbum, quod alioquin prophanaretur (686);
6. "Quia sanguinem Sanctorum et Prophetarum effuderunt," significat illud propter causam, quia unicum illud, quod sola Fides absque Operibus Legis salvet, receptum pervertit omnia doctrinalia vera ex Verbo (687); "et sanguinem eis dedisti bibere, quia digni sunt," significat quod permissum fuerit illic, qui in sola Fide et doctrina et vita se confirmaverunt, falsificare vera Verbi, et imbuere vitam ex falsificatis (688).
7. "Et audivi alium ex Altari, dicentem, Etiam Domine Deus Omnipotens, vera et justa judicia Tua, significat Divinum Bonum Verbi confirmans Divinum Verum illud (689).
8. "Et quartus Angelus effudit phialam suam in Solem," significat influxum in amorem illorum (690); et datum est illi aestu affligere homines per ignem," significat quod amor in Dominum illos torqueret, quia in concupiscentiis malorum ex jucundo amoris illorum erant (692).
9. "Et aestuaverunt homines aestu magno, et blasphemarunt Nomen Dei habentis potestatem super plagas has," significat quod propter jucundum amoris sui oriundum ex gravibus concupiscentiis malorum non agnoverunt Divinitatem Humani Domini, a Quo tamen influit omne bonum amoris et verum fidei (692); "et non resipuerunt dare Ipsi gloriam," significat quod propterea non possint aliqua fide recipere, quod Dominus sit Deus Caeli et Terrae, etiam quoad Humanum, tametsi Verbum id docet (693).
10. "Et quintus Angelus effudit phialam suam super thronum Bestiae," significat influxum in fidem illorum (694); et factum est regnum ejus tenebrosum," significat quod non apparent nisi falsa (695); "et mandebant linguas suas prae molestia," significat quod non sustinerent vera (696).
11. "Et blasphemarunt Deum Caeli prae molestiis suis et prae ulceribus suis," significat quod non agnoscere potuerit Dominum Solum esse Deum Caeli et Terrae propter repugnantias ex interioribus falsis et malis (697); et non resipuerunt ab operibus suis," significat quod tametsi instructi ex Verbo usque non recedant a falsis fidei et inde malis vitae (698).
12. "Et sextus Angelus effudit phialam suam super fluvium magnum Euphratem," significat influxum in ratiocinia interiora illorum, per suae confirmant Justificationem per solam Fidem (699); "et exsiccata est aqua ejus, ut pararetur via regum ab ortu solis," significat quod remota sint falsa ratiociniorum illorum apud eos qui a Domino in veris ex bono sunt, ac in Novam Ecclesiam introducendi (700).
13. "Et vidi ex ore Draconis, et ex ore Bestiae, et ex ore Pseudoprophetae," significat perceptum ex theologia fundata super doctrina de Trinitate Personarum Divinitatis, et super doctrina Justificationis per solam Fidem sine Operibus Legis (701); "spiritus tres immundos similes ranis," significat quod orirentur merae ratiocinationes et cupiditates falsificandi vera (702).
14. "Sunt enim spiritus daemonum," significat quod essent cupiditates falsificandi vera et ratiocinandi ex falsis (703); "facientes signa ad abeundum ad reges terrae et totius orbis, ad congregandum illos in bellum diei illius magni Dei Omnipotentis," significat contestationes quod falsa eorum sint vera, et excitationes omnium in tota illa Ecclesia, qui in iisdem falsis sunt, ad impugnandum vera Novae Ecclesiae (704).
15. "Ecce venio sicut fur; beatus qui vigilat, et servat vestimenta sua," significat Adventum Domini, et tunc Caelum illis qui spectant ad Ipsum, et permanent in vita secundum praecepta Ipsius, quae sunt vera Verbi (705); "ut non nudus ambulet, et videant pudorem ejus," significat ne sint cum illis qui in nullis veris sunt, et appareant amores infernales eorum (706).
16. "Et congregavit illos in locum dictum Hebraice Armageddon," significat statum pugnae ex falsis contra vera, et animum destruendi Novam Ecclesiam, oriundum ex amore imperii et supreminentiae (707).
17. "Et septimus Angelus effudit phialam suam in aerem," significat influxum in omnia simul apud illos (708); "et exivit vox magnae Templo Caeli e Throno, dicens, Factum est," significat sic manifestatum a Domino, quod omnia Ecclesiae devastata sint, et quod nunc Ultimum Judicium instet (709).
18. "Et factae sunt voces et fulgura et tonitrua," significat ratiocinationes, falsificationes veri, et argumentationes ex falsis mali (710); "et terrae motus factus est magnus, qualis non factus equo homines facti sunt super terra, talis terrae motus adeo magnus, significat omnium Ecclesiae quasi concussiones, paroxysmos, inversiones, et detractiones e Caelo (711).
19. "Et facta est urbs magna in tres partes, et urbes gentium ceciderunt," significat quod Ecclesia illa quoad doctrinam ab illis prorsus destructa sit, pariter omnes haereses quae ab illa emanarunt (712); "et Babylon magna venit in memoriam coram Deo, dare illi poculum vini excandescentiae irae Ipsius," significat tunc etiam destructionem dogma tum Religiosi Catholico Romani (713).
20. "Et omnis insula fugit, et montes non inventi sunt," significat quod non aliquod verum fidei amplius, nec aliquod bonum amoris amplius (714).
21. "Et grando magna quasi talenti pondo descendit de Caelo super homines," significat dira et atrocia falsa per quae omne verum Verbi et inde Ecclesiae destructum est (714(b)); "et blasphemarunt (homines) Deum prae plaga grandinis, quia magna erat plaga ejus valde," significat quod quia confirmaverunt apud se talia falsa, negaverint vera adeo ut non possint cognoscere illa, propter repugnantias oriundas ex interioribus illorum falsis et malis (715).
EXPLICATIO (Vers. 1.) "Et audivi vocem magnam e Templo, dicentem septem Angelis, Ite et effundite phialas irae Dei in terram," significat influxum a Domino ex intimo Caeli in Ecclesiam Reformatorum ubi illi qui in Fide separata a Charitate quoad doctrinam et quoad vita in sunt, ad auferendum illis vera et bona, et ad aperiendum falsa et mala in quibus sunt, et sit ad separandum illos ab illis qui credunt in Dominum, et ab Ipso in charitate et ejus fide sunt. - Haec sunt in summario quae continentur in hoc capite. Per "Templum" significatur Templum Tabernaculi Testimonii, de quo in praecedente capite, (15:5), per quod significatur Intimum Caeli, ubi Dominus in Sua sanctitate in Verbo, et in Lege quae Decalogus, est (669); per "vocem magnam" inde, significatur Divinum mandatum, quod irent et effunderent phialas; per "septem Angelos" intelligitur Dominus, ut supra (657); per "effundere phialas," in quibus plagae, "in terram" significatur influxus in Ecclesiam reformatorum; per "effundere phialas" significatur influxus, et per "terram" significatur Ecclesia (285). Agitur adhuc de Ecclesia apud Reformatos, in sequente autem capite de Ecclesia apud Romano Catholicos, et postea de Ultimo Judicio, et demum de Nova Ecclesia, quae est Nova Hierosolyma (videatur Praefatio, et 2). Supra, (8 et 9) agitur de "septem Angelis habentibus septem tubas," quibus clanxerunt; et quia plura similia ibi occurrunt, dicetur hic quid per illos septem Angelos, et quid per hos, significatur. Per "septem tubas," quibus clanxerunt septem Angeli, significatur exploratio et manifestatio falsorum et malorum, in quibus sunt qui in Fide separata a Charitate; at per "septem phialas plenas septem plagis ultimis" significatur devastatio et consummatio illorum, nam non prius fit Ultimum Judicium super illos, quam cum devastati sunt. Devastatio et consummatio in mundo spirituali fit hoc modo: illis, qui in falsis quoad doctrinam et inde in malis quoad vitam sunt, auferuntur omnia bona et vera, quae solum in naturali homine possiderunt, et ex quibus simulaverunt homines Christianos; quibus ablatis separati sunt e Caelo, et conjuncti Inferno; et tunc in Mundo spirituum secundum varietates concupiscentiarum disponuntur in societates, quae postea subsidunt. Auferuntur illis bona et vera per influxum e Caelo. Influxus fit ex genuinis veris et bonis, ex quibus torquentur et cruciantur, vix aliter quam sicut serpens admotus igni, aut projectus super acervum formicarum; quare rejiciunt bona et vera Caeli (quae etiam sunt bona et vera Ecclesiae) a se, ac demum damnant illa, ex causa, quia ex illis sicut cruciatum infernalem sentiverunt; quo facto intrant in sua mala et falsa, et separantur a bonis. Haec sunt quae in hoc capite describuntur et significantur per "projectionem phialarum, in quibus erant septem plagae ultimae." In phialis non erant illa mala et falsa quae per "plagas" significantur, sed erant genuina vera et bona, quorum effectus fuit qualis descriptus est; exiverunt enim Angeli ex "Templo Tabernaculi Testimonii," per quod intelligitur intimum Caeli, ubi non sunt nisi quam vera et bona in Divina Sanctitate, (xv. vers.6) Devastatio et consummatio haec est de qua Dominus loquitur his verbis:
"Quicunque habet, dabitur illi, ut abundantius habeat: quicunque autem non habet, etiam quod habet, auferetur ab eo," (Matthaeus 13:12); 1Marcus 4:25);
"Tollite ab illo talentum, et date habenti decem talenta; nam habenti omni dabitur ut abundet, et ab eo autem qui non habet, etiam quod habet auferetur ab eo," (Matthaeus 25:28-29; Luca 19:24-26).
Footnotes:
1. 12 pro "21"