揭秘启示录
第十七章(717 - 752)
启示录17
1拿着七个小瓶的七位天使中，有一位来跟我说话，对我说，来；我将坐在众水上的大淫妇所要受的审判指示你；2地上的诸王与她行淫，地上的居民喝醉了她淫乱的酒。3在灵里，天使把我带到旷野；我就看见一个女人骑在朱红色的兽上，满了亵渎的名号，有七头十角。4那女人穿着紫色和朱红色的衣服，镶嵌着金子、宝石和珍珠，手拿盛满了可憎之物和她淫乱污秽的金杯。5在她额上有名写着，奥秘哉，大巴比伦，作地上的淫乱和可憎之物的母。6我又看见那女人喝醉了圣徒的血，和为耶稣作见证之人的血；我看见她，就大大惊奇。7天使对我说，你为什么惊奇呢？我要将这女人和驮着她的那七头十角兽的奥秘告诉你。8你所看见的兽，先前有，如今没有，将要从深渊中上来，又要走向灭亡；凡住在地上、名字从创世以来没有记在生命册上的，见先前有，如今没有，以后再有的兽，就必惊奇。9这就是有智慧的心思。那七头就是女人所坐的七座山。10又是七位王；五位已经倾倒了，一位还在，一位还没有来到；他来的时候，必须暂时存留。11那先前有，如今没有的兽，自己是第八位，和那七位同列，也走向灭亡。12你所看见的那十角，就是十王，他们还没有得国；但他们一时之间，要和兽同得权柄，与王一样。13这些人都有一个心思，将自己的能力和权柄给那兽。14这些人必与羔羊争战；但羔羊必胜过他们，因为祂是万主之主，万王之王；那些与羔羊同在的人被呼召、拣选，并且是忠信的。15天使又对我说，你所看见那淫妇坐的众水，就是各人民、群众、民族和舌头。16你所看见在那兽上的十角，这些必恨这淫妇，使她荒凉赤身，又要吃她的肉，用火将她烧尽。17因为神将遵行祂的心意，行一样的心意，把他们的国给那兽放在他们心里，直等到神的话都完结了。18你所看见的那女人，就是有一国管辖地上众王的大城。
灵义
整章内容
本章的主题是天主教的宗教：经上描述了它以哪种方式歪曲圣言，从而败坏教会的一切真理(1-7节)；它如何在那些服从它统治的人当中歪曲并败坏它们(8-11节)；在那些没有如此服从它统治的人当中，情况没那么严重(12-15节)。关于改革宗：他们已经摆脱了它的统治枷锁(16-17节)；它的统治仍在继续(18节)。
各节内容
启17:1.“拿着七小瓶的七位天使中，有一位来跟我说话”表示现在来自主、出于天堂至内层的关于天主教宗教的流注和启示(718节)。“对我说，来；我将坐在众水上的大淫妇所要受的审判指示你”表示在其对圣言真理的亵渎和玷污方面，关于这种宗教的启示(719节)。
启17:2.“地上的诸王与她行淫”表示它已经玷污了来自圣言的教会的真理和良善(720节)。“地上的居民喝醉了她淫乱的酒”表示由于那些在这种宗教里的人中间对圣言的玷污，在属灵事物上的疯狂(721节)。
启17:3.“在灵里，天使把我带到旷野”表示他在一种属灵状态下被带到那些教会的一切都被摧毁了的人那里(722节)。“我就看见一个女人骑在朱红色的兽上，满了亵渎的名号”表示这种宗教或宗教说服建立在被他们亵渎的圣言之上(723节)。“有七头十角”表示源于圣言的聪明，起初是神圣的，后来没有了或被废弃，最后是疯狂，以及不断源于圣言的大能(724节)。
启17:4.“那女人穿着紫色和朱红色的衣服”表示他们当中属于圣言的属天的神性良善和神性真理(725节)。“镶嵌着金子、宝石”表示他们当中属于圣言的属灵的神性良善和神性真理(726节)。”和珍珠”表示他们当中属于圣言的良善和真理的知识或认知(727节)。“手拿盛满了可憎之物和她淫乱污秽的金杯”表示该宗教源于被亵渎的圣言的圣物，以及被可怕的虚假玷污的圣言的良善和真理(728节)。
启17:5.“在她额上有名写着，奥秘哉，大巴比伦，作地上的淫乱和可憎之物的母”表示在其内层的品质方面的天主教的宗教或宗教说服，这内层的品质被隐藏：它从其源头上就已经玷污并亵渎了属于圣言、因而属于教会的事物，它的源头来自出于自我之爱而对统治教会的圣物和天堂，因而统治主及其圣言的一切的爱(729节)。
启17:6.“我又看见那女人喝醉了圣徒的血，和为耶稣作见证之人的血”表示这宗教因玷污和亵渎主、圣言、因而教会的神性真理和良善而疯狂(730节)。“我看见她，就大大惊奇”表示令人惊讶的是，该宗教内在是这样，而外在却不是这样(731节)。
启17:7.“天使对我说，你为什么惊奇呢？我要将这女人和驮着她的那七头十角兽的奥秘告诉你”表示揭示之前所看到的事物表示什么(732节)。
启17:8.“你所看见的兽，先前有，如今没有”表示在他们当中，圣言虽被承认是神圣的，但实际上并没有被承认(733节)。“将要从深渊中上来，又要走向灭亡”表示在教皇会议上几次审议平信徒和普通民众接受并阅读圣言，但都遭到拒绝(734节)。“凡住在地上、名字从创世以来没有记在生命册上的，见先前有，如今没有，以后再有的兽，就必惊奇”表示那些属于这种宗教的人，就是所有自它建立以来就旨在统治天地的人，都惊讶地发现，圣言虽被如此弃绝，却仍然存在(735节)。
启17:9.“这就是有智慧的心思”表示这是属世意义上的解释，但却是给那些处于来自主的属灵意义之人的(736节)。“那七头就是女人所坐的七座山，又是七位王”表示随着时间推移，这种宗教所依据的圣言的神性良善和神性真理被摧毁，最终被亵渎(737节)。
启17:10.“五位已经倾倒了，一位还在，一位还没有来到；他来的时候，必须暂时存留”表示圣言的一切神性真理都被摧毁了，除了这一个，即：天上地上所有的权柄都给了主；还有一个尚未受到质疑，但也不会幸存，即：主的人身是神性(738节)。
启17:11.“那先前有，如今没有的兽，自己是第八位，和那七位同列，也走向灭亡”表示如前面所解释的，圣言是神性良善本身，也是神性真理，但它从平信徒和普通民众那里被夺走，免得他们的领袖对它的亵渎和玷污出现，他们因此而退缩(739节)。
启17:12.“你所看见的那十角，就是十王，他们还没有得国”表示在那些居住在法国，没有那么受制于教皇统治的人当中，在来自神性真理的能力方面的圣言；然而，他们中间还没有形成一个与天主教的宗教完全分离的教会(740节)。“但他们一时之间，要和兽同得权柄，与王一样”表示圣言在他们中间有能力或力量，他们通过圣言而有能力或力量，就好像他们处于它的神性真理(741节)。
启17:13.“这些人都有一个心思，将自己的能力和权柄给那兽”表示他们一致承认对教会的管理和统治唯独通过圣言(742节)。
启17:14.“这些人必与羔羊争战；但羔羊必胜过他们，因为祂是万主之主，万王之王”表示为了承认其神性人身，主与他们的争战，因为在神性人身中的主就是天地之神，也是圣言(743节)。“那些与羔羊同在的人被呼召、拣选，并且是忠信的”表示那些唯独靠近并敬拜主的人是进入天堂的人，无论那些处于教会外在的人，还是那些处于教会内在和至内在的人(744节)。
启17:15.“天使又对我说，你所看见那淫妇坐的众水，就是各人民、群众、民族和舌头”表示那些具有这种宗教的各种教义和纪律，又具有它的各种宗教信仰和承认的人，在教皇的统治之下，但却处于被该宗教各种玷污和亵渎的圣言真理(745节)。
启17:16.“你所看见在那兽上的十角，这些必恨这淫妇”表示在新教徒当中，在来自神性真理的能力方面的圣言，这些新教徒完全摆脱了教皇统治的枷锁(746节)。“使她荒凉赤身”表示他们将摆脱它的虚假和邪恶(747节)。“又要吃她的肉，用火将她烧尽”表示他们将出于恨恶在他们自己中间谴责和摧毁该宗教特有的邪恶和虚假，视这种宗教本身为可诅咒的，并把它从他们中间抹去(748节)。
启17:17.“因为神将遵行祂的心意，行一样的心意，把他们的国给那兽放在他们心里”表示在他们中间，来自主的判决，即：他们应当彻底否定并诅咒天主教的宗教，从他们自己当中摧毁并根除它；以及一致的判断，即：他们应当承认圣言，将教会建立在圣言上(749节)。“直等到神的话都完结了”表示直到关于他们的一切预言都应验了(750节)。
启17:18.“你所看见的那女人，就是有一国管辖地上众王的大城”表示天主教的宗教在教义上在基督教界掌权，甚至在某种程度上仍在改革宗信徒中间掌权，尽管他们不在教皇的统治之下。
诠释
717、前文，就是7-16章(包括16章)，论述了改革宗；本章和下一章论述天主教徒，“巴比伦”是指他们当中那些声称自己有权柄打开和关闭天堂的人。因此，这里首先要说明“巴比伦”的具体含义。“巴比伦”或“巴别”是指出于自我之爱对统治教会圣物的爱；由于这爱会随着它的缰绳放松而攀升，并且教会的圣物也是天堂的圣物，所以“巴比伦”或“巴别”也表示对天堂的统治。由于这爱如此扮演魔鬼的角色，而魔鬼渴望达到类似目的，所以它只会通过玷污圣言的良善和真理来亵渎圣物，因此“巴比伦”或“巴别”也表示对神圣之物的亵渎，以及对圣言的良善和真理的玷污。这就是此处启示录中的“巴比伦”，以及在以下经文中，预言和历史圣言中的“巴别”的含义；以赛亚书：
论巴别：看哪，耶和华的日子临到，必有残忍；天上的众星群宿都不发光；日头一出，就变黑暗，月亮也不放光。我必使骄傲人的狂傲止息，使强暴人的傲慢降卑。巴别素来为列国的荣耀，必像神所倾覆的所多玛、蛾摩拉一样；只有旷野的走兽(tziim)躺卧在那里，他们的房屋满了夜枭(Ochim)，猫头鹰的女儿住在那里，萨梯在那里跳舞；鸮鸟(ijim) 必在她宫中呼应，龙必在她快乐的宫殿中回应。(以赛亚书13:1, 9-11, 19, 21-22)
更不用提这一整章中的其它许多话了。又：
你必提这诗歌论巴比伦王说，你的威势下到地狱；路西弗啊，你何竟从天坠落，你心里曾说，我要升到诸天，我要高举我的宝座在神众星以上。我要升到高云之上，我要变得像至高者；然而，你必被丢入地狱；我必兴起攻击你，将巴别的名号和所余剩的人，一并剪除。(以赛亚书14:4, 11-15, 22)
更不用提这一整章中的其它许多话了。耶利米书：
耶和华论巴比伦说：你们的母亲就极其抱愧，生你们的必然蒙羞；看哪，最末的，必成为旷野、旱地、沙漠。你们要在巴别的四围摆阵，射箭攻击她，不要爱惜箭枝；巴别在列族中何竟荒凉！她向耶和华以色列的圣者发了狂傲。有干旱临到她的众水，使它们干涸，因为这是有雕刻偶像之地，它以可怕之物为荣耀；所以猛兽(tziim)和土狼(ijim)必住在那里，猫头鹰也住在其中，正如神倾覆所多玛、蛾摩拉一样。(耶利米书50:1, 12, 14, 23, 29, 31, 38-40)
更不用提这一整章中论到巴别的其它许多话了。又：
巴别是耶和华手中的金杯，使全地沉醉；列族喝了她的酒，于是他们就疯了；离开她吧，因为她受的审判上达诸天，直升到云霄；行毁灭的山哪，就是毁灭全地的，看哪，我和你作对。我必使你从岩石上滚下来，使你成为烧毁的山。我必察罚巴别的彼勒；使他从口中吐出所吞的，叫列族不再流归他那里；巴别的城墙也必坍塌。看哪，日子将到，我必察罚巴别雕刻的偶像，使她全地蒙羞。巴别虽升到诸天，虽使她坚固的高处更坚固，荒废者必从我而来。我必使她的首领，智慧人，领袖，省长都沉醉，好叫他们睡一个时代的觉，不会醒起。(耶利米书51:1, 7, 9, 25, 44, 47, 53, 57)
更不用提这一整章中论到巴别的其它许多话了。以赛亚书：
巴别的童身女儿啊，下来坐在尘埃中，坐在地上吧；没有宝座；要拿磨磨面；露现大腿，趟过溪河，你的裸体必被露出，你的羞辱必被看见。你说，我必永为主母；所以你不思想结局；你倚靠自己的恶行，说，无人看见我；你的智慧、你的知识迷惑了你，你心里说，惟有我，除我以外再没有别人；毁灭必忽然来到，你却不知道；继续用你从幼年劳碌而行的魔法和你许多的邪术，或者可得益处，或者你变得可怕。(以赛亚书47:1-3, 7, 10-12)
更不用提这一章中论到巴别的其它许多话了。以下经文表示类似事物或品质；创世记：
从东边来的人试图在示拿地山谷建造一座城和一座塔顶通天的塔，耶和华从天上降临，变乱他们的语言；因此，那地名叫巴别(变乱)。(创世记11:1-9)
以下但以理书中的经文表示类似事物或品质：
巴别王尼布甲尼撒梦见的雕像，其脚是半铁半泥的，有一块非人手凿出来的石头打在这脚上，把脚砸碎，这像的所有部分都变得像禾场上的糠秕；这石头变成一个大磐石。(但以理书2:31-47)
又：
巴别王尼布甲尼撒造了一个大像，下令他们在它面前俯伏敬拜；凡不这样做的人都要扔在火窑中。(但以理书3:1-7等)
又：
那树渐长，高得顶天，从地极都能看见它，有一位守望者和圣者从天而降，吩咐伐倒这树，砍下枝子，摇掉叶子，抛散花朵；因为它代表巴别王，所以他被赶出离开世人，与兽同居，吃草如牛。(但以理书4:1-37)
又：
巴别王伯沙撒与大臣、皇后、妃嫔，用耶路撒冷圣殿的金银器皿饮酒，赞美金、银、铜、铁、石所造的神；因此，墙上有字，这王本人当天就被杀了。(但以理书5:1-31)
又：
根据巴别王玛代大流士的禁令；三十日内，不拘何人，若在王以外，或向神或向人求什么，必被扔在狮子坑中。(但以理书6:8-28)
又：
但以理所看到从海中上来的四个兽，其中第四兽甚是可怕，极其强壮，有大铁牙，它吞吃嚼碎，所剩下的用脚践踏；那时审判施行，案卷都展开了，那兽被杀，扔在火中焚烧；然后有一位像人子的，驾着天云而来，得了权柄、荣耀、国度，所有人民、民族和舌头都必敬拜祂；祂的权柄是永远的权柄，不能废去，祂的国必不灭亡。(但以理书7:1-14等)
717. REVELATION: CHAPTER 17
1. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
2. with whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her licentiousness."
3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her licentiousness.
5. And on her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whoredoms and Abominations of the Earth.
6. And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with great wonder.
7. But the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
8. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, those whose names have not been written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9. This is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
10. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must remain a short time.
11. And the beast that was, and is not, is itself the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to destruction.
12. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings that have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast.
13. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.
14. These will do battle with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
15. Then he said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues.
16. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
17. For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose, and to be of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
18. And the woman whom you saw is the great city which holds sway over the kings of the earth."
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING
The Contents of the Whole Chapter
The subject is the Roman Catholic religion. Described is the way in which it falsified the Word and so perverted all the church's truths (verses 1-7). How it falsified these and perverted them among peoples subject to its dominion (verses 8-11), but less among peoples who had not so subjected themselves to its dominion (verses 12-15).
Regarding the Protestant Reformed, that they had withdrawn themselves from the yoke of its domination (verse 16, 17). Its continuing domination anyway (verse 18).
The Contents of the Individual Verses:
| Verse Contents | Spiritual Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, | Influx now and a revelation from the Lord from the inmost of heaven about the Roman Catholic religion, |
| saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, | a revelation about that religion as regards its profanations and adulterations of the Word's truths, |
| 2. with whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, | that it adulterated the church's goods and truths that it had from the Word. |
| and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her licentiousness." | Its insanity in spiritual matters owing to the adulteration of the Word among those immersed in that religion. |
| 3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness. | John's being carried away in a spiritual state to people in whom everything of the church had been destroyed. |
| And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, | That religion resting on the Word that they profaned. |
| having seven heads and ten horns. | Their intelligence gained from the Word, at first reverent, later abandoned, and at last irrational, and their continued great power drawn from the Word. |
| 4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, | The celestial Divine good and truth contained in the Word among them. |
| and adorned with gold and precious stones | The spiritual Divine good and truth contained in the Word among them. |
| and pearls, | The concepts of goodness and truth contained in the Word among them. |
| having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her licentiousness. | That religion derived from the sacred contents of the Word profaned, and from its goods and truths defiled by dreadful falsities. |
| 5. And on her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whoredoms and Abominations of the Earth. | The Roman Catholic religion such as it is interiorly, which is concealed, that from its origin, springing from a love of exercising dominion from a love of self over the sanctities of the church and over heaven, thus over everything connected with the Lord and His Word, it defiled and profaned things having to do with the Word and so with the church. |
| 6. And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. | That religion irrational because of its adulterating and profaning the Divine truths and goods of the Lord, of the Word, and so of the church. |
| And when I saw her, I wondered with great wonder. | Astonishment that that religion is of such a character interiorly, when indeed it appears otherwise outwardly. |
| 7. But the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. | A disclosure of the symbolic meaning of the preceding events and scenes. |
| 8. The beast that you saw was, and is not, | The Word among them acknowledged as holy, and yet really not acknowledged. |
| and will ascend out of the abyss and go to destruction. | The laity's and common people's being given the Word and reading it deliberated several times in the papal Consistory, but rejected. |
| And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, those whose names have not been written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. | The astonishment of those who belong to that religion, of all those who from its commencement strove for dominion over heaven and earth, that even though the Word had been thus rejected, still it endures. |
| 9. This is the mind which has wisdom: | This is the interpretation in the natural sense, but intended for people who have the spiritual meaning from the Lord. |
| The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10. They are also seven kings. | The Divine goods and truths in the Word on which that religion was founded, in time destroyed and finally profaned. |
| Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must remain a short time. | The Word's Divine truths have all been destroyed but this one, that the Lord was given all authority in heaven and on earth, and a second one, which has not yet been called into question, and when it is, will not survive, namely, that the Lord's humanity is Divine. |
| 11. And the beast that was, and is not, is itself the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to destruction. | The Word, as mentioned previously, is Divine good itself and Divine truth, and it has been taken from the laity and common people to keep the Roman Catholic hierarchy's profanations and adulterations of it from appearing, and the people's turning away on that account. |
| 12. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings that have not yet received a kingdom, | The Word as to the power it has from Divine truths among Roman Catholics who live in France and are not so much under the yoke of papal dominion, who nevertheless have not yet formed among them therefore a church separate from the Roman Catholic religion. |
| but receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast. | The Word has force with them, and through the Word they prevail, as though they possessed its Divine truths. |
| 13. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. | They unanimously acknowledge that the only means of government and dominion over the church is through the Word. |
| 14. These will do battle with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; | The Lord's battle with them over an acknowledgment of His Divine humanity, because the Lord in that humanity is God of heaven and earth and also the Word. |
| and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." | People who turn to the Lord and worship Him alone are those who go to heaven, both those concerned with the external elements of the church and those concerned with its internal and inmost elements. |
| 15. Then he said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues. | Under papal dominion, but caught up in various ways in that religion's adulterated and profaned truths of the Word, are peoples of a varying doctrine and discipline, and of a varying religion and confession of it. |
| 16. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, | The Word as to the power it has from Divine truths among Protestants, who have thrown off entirely the yoke of papal dominion. |
| make her desolate and naked, | They will rid themselves of its falsities and evils. |
| eat her flesh and burn her with fire. | They will with hatred condemn and destroy in themselves the evils and falsities inherent in that religion, and will renounce the religion itself and expunge it in themselves. |
| 17. For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose, and to be of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast, | A judgment among them from the Lord that they should utterly repudiate and renounce the Roman Catholic religion and expunge and eradicate it in themselves, and a unanimous judgment that they should acknowledge the Word and found the church on it. |
| until the words of God are fulfilled. | Until all the things foretold about them have been fulfilled. |
| 18. And the woman whom you saw is the great city which holds sway over the kings of the earth." | The Roman Catholic religion will reign as to doctrine in the Christian world, and to some extent still also among the Protestant Reformed, even though the latter are not under papal dominion. |
THE EXPOSITION
The Protestant Reformed were the subject before this in chapters 7-16. The subject now in this chapter and the next is Roman Catholics, and those among them who claim for themselves the power of opening and closing heaven are meant by Babylon. We must first say here, therefore, what Babylon means specifically.
Babylon or Babel means a love of ruling over the sanctities of the church stemming from a love of self, and because this love increases to the degree it is given free rein, and the sanctities of the church are also the sanctities of heaven, therefore Babylon or Babel symbolizes dominion over heaven as well.
Moreover, because this love thus plays the part of the devil, who aspires to similar ends, it cannot help but profane sacred things by adulterating the Word's goods and truths. Consequently Babylon or Babel also symbolizes the profanation of what is sacred and the adulteration of the Word's goodness and truth.
These are the symbolic meanings of Babylon here in the book of Revelation, and of Babel in the following places in the prophetic and historical Word:
(Regarding) Babel... Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming, cruel...., ...the stars of heaven and their constellations do not give their light; the sun has been darkened in its rising, and the moon does not cause its light to shine....
"I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the violent...."
Babel, the glory of kingdoms..., will be as God's overthrowing of Sodom and Gomorrah... Ziyyim 1will lie down there, their houses will be full of 'ochim, 2and the offspring of owls will dwell there, and satyrs will caper there. 'Iyyim 3will reply in her palaces, and dragons in her pleasant palaces. (Isaiah 13:1, 9-11, 19, 21-22)
[2] Not to mention many other declarations throughout that chapter.
...you will take up this parable regarding the king of Babel...:
"Your magnificence has been brought down into hell....
."..you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer... ...you have said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God...; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol....
...I will rise up against them... and cut off from Babel the name and remnant...." (Isaiah 14:4, 11-15, 22)
[3] Not to mention many other declarations throughout that chapter.
...Jehovah spoke against Babel...: "Your mother was deeply ashamed; she who bore you was ashamed. Behold, the last of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land and a solitude....
"Put yourselves in array against Babel all around..., shoot at her, spare no arrows....
"How Babel has become a desolation among the nations!
."..she has behaved insolently against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel....
"A drought is against her waters, so that they are dried up. For it is the land of carved images, and glories in shocking things.
"Therefore ziyyim shall dwell there with 'iyyim, and the offspring of owls shall dwell in it..., as in God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah...." (Jeremiah 50:1, 12, 14, 23, 29, 31, 38-40)
[4] Not to mention may other declarations regarding Babel in that chapter.
"Babel was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank of her wine; therefore (they) are demented....
"Forsake her..., for her judgment reaches to heaven and rises up to the clouds....
"Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, that destroys all the earth... I will... roll you down from the rocks, and make you a burnt mountain....
"I will visit judgment on Bel in Babel, I will take the chewed food out of his mouth, so that the nations do not stream to him anymore. The wall of Babel also shall fall....
."..behold, the days are coming when I will visit judgment on the carved images of Babel, so that her whole land is ashamed....
"If Babel were to mount up to heaven, and if she were to fortify the height of her strength, yet from Me would come destroyers....
"Indeed, I will make drunk her princes and wise men, her leaders and her prefects..., so that they sleep the sleep of an age and do not awake...." (Jeremiah 51:7, 9, 25, 44, 47, 53, 57)
[5] Not to mention many other declarations throughout that chapter regarding Babel.
"Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground, without a throne... Take a millstone and grind meal... Uncover the thigh, pass through the rivers. Your nakedness shall be uncovered..., your shame will be seen....
"You said, 'I shall be a lady forever,' ...you did not remember the end....
"You trusted in your wickedness; you said, 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, when you said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me'....
"Ruin shall come upon you suddenly, without your knowing.
"Persist... in your enchantments, in the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth. Perhaps they will possibly be of some use, perhaps you will become fearsome." (Isaiah 47:1-3, 7, 10-12)
Not to mentioned many other declarations regarding Babel in that chapter.
[6] Similar qualities are symbolically meant by the city in Genesis 11:1-9 and by the tower whose top was in heaven, which the people coming from the east into the valley of Shinar began to build, people whose languages Jehovah, descending from heaven, confused, because of which the place was named Babel (confusion).
[7] Similar qualities are symbolically meant by the following things in Daniel:
By the statue that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, saw, whose feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, which the stone cut without hands struck and broke in pieces, and all the pieces of the statue became like chaff on the threshing floors, and the stone became a great rock (Daniel 2:31-47).
By the great statue that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, made, and commanded that people fall down before it and worship it, and that whoever did not do so would be cast into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:1-7ff.).
By the tree growing until its height reached heaven and it was visible to the end of the earth, which a watcher and holy one, coming down from heaven, ordered to be chopped down, stripped, cut up, and scattered; and because it represented the king of Babel, it came to pass that he was driven from mankind, dwelled with beasts, and ate grass like an ox (Daniel 4).
By Belshazzar, king of Babel, in company with his lords, wives and concubines, and his drinking wine from the gold and silver vessels of the temple in Jerusalem and praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron and stone, on which account the writing appeared on the wall and on that very day the king himself was slain (Daniel 5).
By the edict of Darius the Mede, king of Babel, that for thirty days no one petition anything from God or man, but from the king alone, or else be cast into a den of lions (Daniel 6:7-28).
And by the four beasts that Daniel saw come up from the sea, the fourth of which was dreadful and strong, and having huge iron teeth, it devoured and broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and judgment was set then, and the books were opened, and the beast was slain and its body given to the burning flame; and then one like the Son of Man was seen, coming with the clouds of heaven, to whom was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, and all people, nations and tongues will worship Him, His dominion being an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:1-14).
Footnotes:
1. A Hebrew word (צִיִּים), appearing six times in the Old Testament (Psalms 72:9; 74:14). It seems to refer to desert dwellers, and in contexts suggesting animals, to desert creatures, but the actual identity is unknown. It may not be a precise term.
2. Another Hebrew word (אֹחִים), appearing only once in the Old Testament. Isaiah 13:21 identifies them as birds of the night.
3. Another Hebrew word (אִיִּים), appearing only three times in the Old Testament (Isaiah 13:22; 34:14)
717. THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER
1. And there came one of the seven angels having the seven phials, and spoke with me, saying to Me, Come, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot sitting upon many waters.
2. With whom the kings of the land have committed whoredom, and those inhabiting the land have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom.
3. And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious Stone and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom.
5. And upon her forehead a name was written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the land.
6. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus, and I wondered, seeing her with a great wonder.
7. And the angel said unto me, Why dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast carrying her, having the seven heads and ten horns.
8. The beast that thou hast seen was, and is not, and is going to come up out of the deep and go away into perdition. And those dwelling upon the land shall wonder, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast that was and is not, but yet is.
9. This is the mind having wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman is sitting upon them.
10. And they are seven kings; five have fallen, and one is, another is not yet come, and when he comes he must remain a short while.
11. And the beast that was and is not, himself is the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going into perdition.
12. And the ten horns that thou hast seen are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings one hour with the beast.
13. These have one purpose (sententia), and shall surrender their power and authority to the beast.
14. These shall fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and they who are with Him are called, chosen and faithful.
15. And he says unto me, The waters that thou hast seen, where the harlot is sitting, are peoples and crowds and nations and tongues.
16. And the ten horns that thou hast seen upon the beast these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and eat up her flesh, and burn her up with fire.
17. Forasmuch as God has put in their heart to do His purpose, and to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until God's words shall 1be consummated.
18. And the woman whom thou hast seen is the great city, having a kingdom over the kings of the land.
THE SPIRITUAL SENSE
THE CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER
Concerning the Roman Catholic form of religion. There is described in what sort of way it had falsified the Word, and consequently perverted all the truths of the Church (verses 1-7): how it had falsified and perverted them with those who were subject to its dominion (verses 8-11): that [this had occurred] less with those who had not so subjected themselves to its dominion (verses 12-15).
Concerning the Reformed: that they had extricated themselves from the yoke of its domination (verses 16-17): concerning its domination still (verse 18).
THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES
1. And there came one of the seven angels having the seven phials, and spoke with me, signifies an influx and revelation now from the Lord out of the inmost of heaven concerning the Roman Catholic form of religion.
Saying unto me, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot sitting upon many waters, signifies a revelation concerning that form of religion as to its profanations and adulterations of the truth (veritas) of the Word.
2. With whom the kings of the land have committed whoredom, signifies that they have adulterated the truths and goods of the Church that are derived from the Word.
And those inhabiting the land have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom, signifies the insaneness in spiritual things resulting from the adulteration of the Word with those who are in that form of religion.
3. And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, signifies carried away in a spiritual state to those with whom all things of the Church have been devastated.
And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, signifies that form of religion upon the Word profaned by them.
Having seven heads, and ten horns, signifies intelligence derived from the Word, in the beginning holy, afterwards none, and at last insanity, and continually much power derived from the Word.
4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, signifies the celestial Divine Good and Divine Truth that are of the Word, with them.
And decked with gold and precious stone, signifies the spiritual Divine Good and Divine Truth that are of the Word, with them.
And pearls, signifies the cognitions of good and truth that are of the Word, with them.
Having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom, signifies that form of religion derived from the profaned holy things of the Word, and from its goods and truths defiled by means of dreadful untruths.
5. Upon her forehead written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the land, signifies what the Roman Catholic form of religion is like interiorly, which has been concealed: that as the result of its origin from the love of dominating out of the love of self over the holy things of the Church and over heaven thus over all things of the Lord and His Word, it has defiled and profaned the things that are of the Word and of the Church therefrom.
6. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus, signifies that form of religion being insane as the result of the adulterated and profaned Divine Truths and Goods of the Lord, of the Word, and of the Church therefrom.
And I wondered, seeing her with a great wonder, signifies astonishment at that form of religion being such interiorly, when yet exteriorly it appears otherwise.
7. And the angel said unto me, Why dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast carrying her, having the seven heads and ten horns, signifies the disclosure: what the things that precede and were seen signify.
8. The beast that thou hast seen, was and is not, signifies the Word with them acknowledged as holy, and yet in reality not acknowledged.
And is going to come up out of the deep and go away into perdition, signifies [that it was] several times deliberated in the Papal Consistory concerning the reception and reading of the Word by the laity and common people, but it was rejected.
And those dwelling upon the land shall wonder, whose names have not been written in the Lamb's 2book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast that was and is not, but yet is, signifies the bewilderment of all those who are of that form of religion, who from its establishment have aimed at dominion over heaven and earth, that the Word, although thus rejected, is still in existence.
9. This is the mind having wisdom, signifies that this interpretation is in the natural sense but is for those who are in the spiritual sense from the Lord.
The seven heads are seven mountains, and the woman is sitting upon them, [10.] and they are seven kings, signifies the Divine Goods and Divine Truths of the Word upon which that form of religion has been founded, in time destroyed and finally profaned.
Five have fallen, and one is, and another is not yet come, and when he comes he must remain a short while, signifies that all the Divine Truths of the Word have been destroyed except this one, that to the Lord was given all authority in heaven and on earth; and except this other one, which has not yet come into question, [and is] not going to continue, which is, that the Lord's Human is Divine.
11. And the beast that was and is not, himself is the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going into perdition, signifies that the Word, concerning which [something was said] before, is Divine Good Itself, and that it is Divine Truth, and that it is being taken away from the laity and the common people lest the profanations and adulterations made there by the leaders should appear, and they [the laity and common people] should withdraw
12. And the ten horns 3are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, signifies the Word as to the power derived from Divine Truths with those who are in the kingdom of France and are not in that manner under the yoke of the Papal dominion, with whom, however, there has not yet been formed a Church thus separated from the Roman Catholic form of religion.
But they receive authority as kings one hour with the beast, signifies that the Word has influence with them, and they have influence by means of the Word, as if they were in its Divine Truths.
13. These have one purpose, and shall surrender their power and authority to the beast, signifies that they unanimously acknowledge that government and dominion over the Church is solely by means of the Word.
14. These shall fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, signifies the Lord's fight with them about the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, because the Lord in that [Human] is the God of heaven and earth, and also is the Word.
And they who are with Him are called, chosen and faithful, signifies that those who approach and worship the Lord Only are the ones who come into heaven, both those who are in the external things of the Church and those who are in the internal and inmost things thereof.
15. And He says unto me, The waters that thou hast seen, where the harlot is sitting, are peoples and crowds, and nations and tongues, signifies that under the Papal dominion, but in the truths of the Word variously adulterated and profaned by that form of religion, there are those who belong thereto as the result of diversity in doctrine and discipline, and in religion and confession.
16. And the ten horns that thou hast seen upon the beast, these shall hate the harlot, signifies the Word as to its power derived from Divine Truths with the Protestants, who have altogether cast off from themselves the yoke of Papal dominion.
And shall make her desolate and naked, signifies that they will divest themselves of its untruths and evils.
And shall eat up her flesh, and burn her up with fire, signifies that out of hatred they will condemn and destroy with themselves the evils and untruths that are proper to that form of religion, and execrate and blot out with themselves the form of religion itself.
17. Forasmuch as God has put in their heart to do His purpose, and to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, signifies the judgment with them from the Lord, that they should altogether repudiate and execrate the Roman Catholic form of religion, and should blot it out and uproot it among themselves, and the unanimous judgment that they should acknowledge the Word and found the Church upon it.
Until God's words shall 4be consummated, signifies until all the things that have been foretold concerning them have been fulfilled.
18. And the woman whom thou hast seen is the great city having a kingdom over the kings of the land, signifies that as to doctrine the Roman Catholic form of religion reigns in Christendom, and to some extent even still with the Reformed although they are not under the Papal dominion.
THE EXPOSITION 5
In the things preceding from chapter 7 to chapter 16 inclusive [the Word] has treated of the Reformed. Now in this and the following chapter it treats of the followers of the Pontiff (Pontificii), among whom those who have claimed for themselves the power of opening and shutting heaven are understood by 'Babylon.' Here therefore it shall first be said what specifically is understood by 'Babylon.' By 'Babylon' or 'Babel' is understood the love, derived from the love of self, of dominating over the holy things of the Church; and because that love mounts up so far as it has free rein, and the holy things of the Church are also the holy things of heaven, therefore by 'Babylon' or 'Babel' is also signified dominion over heaven. And because that love actuates the devil, who aims at similar things, he cannot but profane holy things by adulterating the goods and truths of the Word. Therefore by 'Babylon' or 'Babel' is signified also the profanation of holy things, and the adulteration of the good and truth of the Word. These are the things that are signified by 'Babylon' here in the Apocalypse, and by 'Babel' in the prophetical and historical Word, in these passages:
Concerning Babel: Behold the day of Jehovah is coming, cruel. The stars of the heavens and the constellations thereof shall not shine with their light (lux); the sun has been darkened in his rising, and the moon is not causing her light (lumen) to gleam. I will cause the elation of the proud to cease, and will lay low the pride of the violent. Babel, the ornament of kingdoms, shall be as God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah. Ziim 6shall lie down there, their houses shall be filled with ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall prance there, ijim shall answer in her palaces, and dragons in the palaces of her delights. Isaiah 13:1, 9-11, 19, 21-22; besides many other things in the whole of that chapter.
Thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel: Thy magnificence has been sent down into hell. Thou hast fallen down from heaven, O Lucifer; thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like the Most High. But yet thou hast been sent down into hell. I will arise against thee, 7and cut off from Babel the name and the remnant. Isaiah 14:4, 11-15, 22;
Jehovah has spoken against Babel: Your mother was ashamed exceedingly, she who bare you (genetrix vestra) was suffused with shame; behold the last [of the nations is] a wilderness, a drought and a solitude. Arrange yourselves against Babel round about, shoot the javelin against her, and do not spare the arrows. How Babel has been brought into desolation among the nations! she has acted insolently against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel. A drought is upon her waters, that they may dry up, for it is a land of graven images, and it glories in horrible things; therefore ziim shall dwell there with ijim, and owls shall dwell therein, according to God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah. Jeremiah 50:1, 12, 14, 23, 29, 31, 38-40; besides many other things concerning 'Babel' in the whole of that chapter.
Babel is a goblet of gold in the hand of Jehovah, making the entire land drunken. The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are mad. Forsake her, for her judgment has reached to the heavens, and has lifted itself up even to the clouds. Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, destroying the entire land. I will roll thee down from the rocks, and I will turn thee into a mountain of burning. I will visit upon Bel in Babel; and I will draw forth his mouthful out of his mouth, that the nations may no longer flow together unto him; even the wall of Babel shall collapse. Behold the coming days in which I shall visit upon the graven images of Babel, that her whole land may be ashamed. Though Babel should ascend into the heavens, and though she should fortify the highplace of her strength, from Me shall wasters come. Yea, I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, and her guides and her leading men, that they may sleep the sleep of an age and not awake. Jeremiah 51:7, 9, 25, 44, 47, 53, 57; besides many other things in the whole of that chapter concerning 'Babel.'
Come down and sit upon the dust, O virgin daughter of Babel, sit on the ground; there is no throne. Take a mill-stone and grind meal; uncover the thigh, pass over rivers, thy nakedness shall be uncovered, thy disgrace shall be seen. Thou hast said, I shall be mistress to eternity; thou hast not remembered the end. Thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, [There is] no seeing me; thy wisdom and thy knowledge has led thee astray, while thou hast said in thy heart, I, and there is none else like me; devastation shall come suddenly, thou shalt not know. Stand fast in thy enchantments, in the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth. Perchance they can be of some use, perchance thou shalt become terrible. Isaiah 47:1-3, 7, 10-12; besides more concerning' Babel' in that chapter. Similar things are signified by:
The city and the tower, whose top [was to be] in heaven, which those coming out of the east attempted to build in the valley of Shinar whose lip Jehovah going down out of heaven confounded, whence the name of the place [was] Babel (confusion). Genesis 11:1-9.
Similar things are signified by the following passages in Daniel:
By the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel, the feet of which were partly iron and partly clay, which the stone cut out not by hand smote and ground to pieces, and all of the statue became as chaff on threshing-floors; and the stone was made into a great rock. Daniel 2:31-47.
By the great statue which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel made, and commanded that they should fall down and adore before it, and that those who would not do so should be cast into the furnace of fire. Daniel 3:1-7 seq.
By the tree growing until its height should reach to heaven, and the sight of it to the end of the land, which the Watcher and Holy One coming down out of heaven commanded to be hewed down, lopped, broken up, and scattered about: and because the king of Babel was represented thereby, it came to pass that he was driven away from man, was dwelling with the beasts, and eating grass like an ox. Daniel 4:1 to the end.
By the fact that Belshazzar king of Babel with his nobles, wives and concubines, was drinking wine out of the vessels of gold and silver of the Jerusalem temple, and was praising gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron and stone; on account of which the wall was written on, and the king himself was slain on the same day Daniel 5 to the end. By the decree of Darius the Mede, king of Babel, that no one within the space of 30 days should ask anything from God or man, but from the king only: if otherwise, he should be cast into the den of lions. Daniel 6:7; [H.B. 8] to the end.
And by the four beasts coming up out of the sea seen by Daniel, the fourth of which [was] terrible, strong, having great teeth of iron, it devoured and crushed in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet. And that then the judgment was set, and the books were opened, and the beast was slain and consigned to be burnt by fire. And that then there was seen coming with the clouds of heaven One like the Son of Man, to Whom was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, and all peoples and nations and tongues shall worship Him; His dominion is the dominion of an age that shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not perish. Daniel 7:1-14 seq.
Footnotes:
1. Reading consummentur (shall be consummated) as in 750, instead of consummarentur (should be consummated).
2. The Original Edition has Agni (the Lamb's or of the Lamb) here, but it is not found in the text of the chapter nor at 735.
3. The Original Edition omits 'that thou hast seen' here and at 740.
4. See footnote to verse 17.
5. In the Original Edition the whole of this paragraph is marked with quotation marks.
6. Reading ziim as in Hebrew instead of jiim.
7. Hebrew has 'them.
717. Revelation 17
1. And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven vials and spoke with me, saying unto me, Come; I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot, that sitteth upon many waters;
2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed whoredom, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom.
3. And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom.
5. And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth.
6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus; and when I saw her, I wondered with great wonder.
7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns.
8. The beast that thou sawest, was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition; and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast that was and is not, and yet is.
9. This is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sitteth upon them.
10. And they are seven kings; five have fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he is come, he must remain a short time.
11. And the beast that was, and is not, is himself the eighth, and is of the seven; and he goeth into perdition.
12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom; but they receive authority as kings one hour with the beast.
13. These have one mind, and they shall give over their power and authority unto the beast.
14. These shall fight with the Lamb; but the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is the Lord of lords and King of kings; and they who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.
15. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, and nations and tongues.
16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire.
17. For God gave into their hearts to do His mind, and to do one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be consummated.
18. And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city that hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth.
THE SPIRITUAL SENSE
The contents of the whole chapter
Concerning the Roman Catholic religion: It is described in what manner it had falsified the Word, and thence had perverted all the truths of the church (verses 1-7); how it had falsified and perverted them with those who were subject to its dominion (verses 8-11); that it was less with those who had not thus subjected themselves to its dominion (verses 12-15). Concerning the Reformed: That they had withdrawn themselves from the yoke of its domination (verses 16-17); concerning its domination still (verse 18).
The Contents of Each Verse
Verse 1. "And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven vials, and spoke with me" signifies influx and revelation now from the Lord out of the inmost of heaven, concerning the Roman Catholic religion, (718). "Saying unto me, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters," signifies revelation concerning that religion as to its profanations and adulterations of the truths of the Word, (719).
Verse 2. "With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom," signifies that it has adulterated the truths and goods of the church which are from the Word, (720). "And the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom," signifies insanity in spiritual things from the adulteration of the Word with those who are in that religion, (721).
Verse 3. "And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness," signifies that he was carried in a spiritual state to those with whom all things of the church were devastated, (722). "And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy," signifies that religion founded upon the Word profaned by them, (723). "Having seven heads and ten horns," signifies intelligence from the Word, holy at the beginning, afterwards none, and at length insanity, and much power from the Word continually, (724).
Verse 4. "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet," signifies the celestial Divine good and Divine truth, which are of the Word, among them, (725). "And inwrought with gold and precious stones," signifies spiritual Divine good and Divine truth, which are of the Word, with them, (726). "And pearls," signifies the knowledges of good and truth, which are of the Word, with them, (727). "Having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom," signifies that religion from the holy things of the Word profaned, and from its goods and truths defiled by direful falsities, (728).
Verse 5. "Upon her forehead 1written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth," signifies the Roman Catholic religion, as to its interior quality, which is concealed, that from its origin, from the love of dominating, from the love of self over the holy things of the church and over heaven, and thus over all things of the Lord and His Word, it has defiled and profaned the things which are of the Word and thence of the church, (729).
Verse 6. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus," signifies that religion insane from adulterated and profaned Divine truths and goods of the Lord, of the Word, and thence of the church, (730). "And when I saw her I wondered with great wonder," signifies astonishment that that religion is such interiorly, when yet it appears otherwise exteriorly, (731).
Verse 7. "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns," signifies the disclosure of what the things which precede and were seen signify, (732).
Verse 8. "The beast which thou sawest was, and is not," signifies the Word acknowledged as holy with them, and yet really not acknowledged, (733). "And is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition," signifies deliberation at different times in the Papal Consistory respecting the reception and reading of the Word by the laity and the common people, but rejected, (734). "And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast which was, and is not, and yet is," signifies the amazement of those who are of that religion, all who from its establishment have aimed at dominion over heaven and earth, that the Word, although thus rejected, still is, (735).
Verse 9. "This is the mind that hath wisdom," signifies that this is the interpretation in the natural sense, but for those who are in the spiritual sense from the Lord, (736). "The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sitteth upon them (verse 10): and they are seven kings," signifies the Divine goods and Divine truths of the Word, upon which that religion is founded, destroyed in time, and at length profaned, (737). "Five have fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he is come, he must remain a short time," signifies that all the Divine truths of the Word have been destroyed except this one, that all the power in heaven and in earth was given to the Lord; and except another, which has not yet come into question, but will not remain, which is, that the Lord's Human is Divine, (738).
Verse 11. "And the beast, that was, and is not, is himself the eighth, and is of the seven, and he goeth into perdition," signifies that the Word, as explained above, is the Divine good itself, and that it is the Divine truth; and that it is taken away from the laity and the common people, lest the profanations and adulterations made in it by their leaders should appear, and they should on that account recede, (739).
Verse 12. "And the ten horns 2are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom," signifies the Word as to power from Divine truths with those who are in the kingdom of France, and are not so much under the yoke of the Papal dominion; with whom however there has not yet been formed a church fully separated from the Roman Catholic religion, (740). "But they receive authority as kings one hour with the beast," signifies that the Word has power with them, and they by the Word are as if they were in its Divine truths, (741).
Verse 13. "These have one mind, and they shall give their power and authority to the beast," signifies that they acknowledge unanimously that government and dominion over the church are solely through the Word, (742).
Verse 14. "These shall fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is the Lord of lords and King of kings," signifies the Lord's combat with them concerning the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, because in it the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and is also the Word, (743). "And they who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful," signifies that they who approach and worship the Lord alone are they that come into heaven, as well they who are in the externals of the church as they that are in its internals and inmosts, (744[1-2]). Verse 15. "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, and nations and tongues," signifies that they are under the Papal dominion, but in the truths of the Word variously adulterated and profaned by that religion, who are of its varieties of doctrine and discipline, and its varieties of religion and confession, (745).
Verse 16. "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the harlot," signifies the Word as to power from Divine truths with the Protestants, who have altogether cast off from themselves the yoke of the Papal dominion, (746). "And shall make her desolate and naked," signifies that they will put off from themselves its falsities and evils, (747). "And shall eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire," signifies that from hatred they will condemn and destroy from among themselves the evils and falsities which are proper to that religion, and will hold that religion itself accursed, and will blot it out from among them, (748).
Verse 17. "For God gave into their hearts to do His mind, and to do one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast," signifies judgment with them from the Lord, that they should altogether repudiate and hold accursed the Roman Catholic religion, and should destroy and root it out from among themselves; and the unanimous judgment, that they should acknowledge the Word, and should found the church upon it, (749). "Until the words of God should be consummated," signifies until all the things which have been foretold concerning them shall be fulfilled, (750).
Verse 18. "And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city that hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth," signifies that the Roman Catholic religion reigns as to doctrine in the Christian world, and also still in some measure among the Reformed, although they are not under the Papal dominion.
THE EXPLANATION
Verse 1. What goes before, from chapter 7 to chapter 16, inclusive, treats of the Reformed; this chapter and the next treat of the Papists, among whom they who have claimed to themselves the power of opening and shutting heaven are meant by "Babylon." Here therefore it shall first be said what is specifically meant by "Babylon." By "Babylon" or "Babel" is meant the love of dominion over the holy things of the church from self-love, and because that love ascends in proportion as the reins are relaxed to it, and as the holy things of the church are also the holy things of heaven, therefore by "Babylon" or "Babel" is also signified dominion over heaven. And because this love thus acts the part of the devil, because it aspires to the same things, it cannot do otherwise than profane things holy, by adulterating the goods and truths of the Word, therefore by "Babylon" or "Babel" is also signified the profanation of what is holy, and the adulteration of the good and truth of the Word. Such is the signification of "Babylon" here in Revelation, and of "Babel" in the prophetic and historical Word, in these passages:
Concerning Babel: Behold the day of Jehovah cometh cruel; the stars of the heavens and the constellations thereof shall not shine with their light; the sun is darkened in his rising, and the moon shall not cause her light [lumen] to shine. I will cause the exaltation of the proud to cease, and I will humble the pride of the violent. Babel, the ornament of kingdoms, shall be as God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah; the tziim shall lie there, their houses shall be filled with the ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and the satyrs shall dance there; the ijim shall answer in her palaces, and the dragons in the palaces of her delights, (Isaiah 13:1, 9-11, 19, 21-22).
Besides many other things in the whole of the chapter.
Thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel: Thy magnificence is brought down into hell; thou hast fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend the heavens, above the stars of God I will exalt my throne, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like the Most High; but yet thou shalt be brought down to hell; I will rise against thee, 3and will cut off from Babel the name and residue, (Isaiah 14:4, 11-15, 22).
Besides more things in the whole chapter.
Jehovah hath spoken against Babel: Your mother was exceedingly ashamed, she that brought you forth was suffused with shame; behold, the last end shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. Set yourselves in array against Babel round about, shoot against her, spare no arrows; how is Babel become a desolation among the nations! She acted insolently against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel. A drought is upon her waters, that they may dry up, because it is a land of graven images, and it glories in horrible things; therefore the ziim shall dwell there with the ijim, and the owls shall dwell therein, as God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, (Jeremiah 50:1, 12, 14, 23, 29, 31, 38-40).
Besides many other things concerning "Babel" in that whole chapter.
Babel is a cup of gold in the hand of Jehovah, making the whole earth drunken; the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are mad; forsake her, for her judgment hath reached to the heavens, and hath lifted itself up even to the clouds; behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, that destroyest the whole earth. I will roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a mountain of burning. I will visit upon Bel in Babel; I will bring forth his morsel out of his mouth, that the nations may no longer flow together unto him; yea the wall of Babel shall fall. Behold the days are coming, in which I will visit upon the graven images of Babel, that her whole land may be ashamed. Though Babel should ascend into the heavens, and though she should fortify the high places of her strength, from Me shall wasters come. Yea, I will make drunk her princes and her wise ones, and her leaders, and her primates, that they may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake, (Jeremiah 51:1, 7, 9, 25, 44, 47, 53, 57).
Besides many other things concerning "Babel" in that whole chapter.
Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babel, sit on the earth; there is no throne; take the millstones and grind meal; uncover the thigh, pass over the streams, thy nakedness shall be uncovered, thy disgrace shall be seen. Thou hast said, I shall be mistress to eternity; thou didst not remember the end; thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, No one seeth me; thy wisdom and thy knowledge hath seduced thee, when thou saidst in thy heart, I, and there is none else like me; devastation shall come suddenly, thou shalt not know; persist in thy enchantments, in the multitude of thy sorceries, in which thou hast labored from thy youth, peradventure they will be able to profit, peradventure thou shalt become terrible, (Isaiah 47:1-3, 7, 10-12).
Besides other things concerning "Babel" in that chapter. Similar things are signified by:
The city and tower whose head was in heaven, which they that came from the east attempted to build in the valley of Shinar, whose speech Jehovah descending from heaven confounded; whence the name of the place was called "Babel" [confusion] (Genesis 11:1-9).
Similar things are signified by the following passages in Daniel:
By the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel, the feet of which were partly iron and partly clay, which the stone cut out not by a hand smote and ground to pieces, and all the parts of the statue became as the chaff in the threshing floors; and the stone became a great rock, (Daniel 2:31-47).
By the great image which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel made, and commanded that they should fall down and adore before it; and that they who would not should be cast into the furnace of fire, (Daniel 3:1-7).
By the tree that grew until its height reached unto heaven, and the sight of it unto the end of the earth, which a watcher and a holy one, coming down from heaven, commanded to hew down, to cut off, to strip off, and to scatter; and because the king of Babel was represented by it, it came to pass that he was driven away from man, dwelt with the beasts, and ate the herbage like an ox, (Daniel 4).
By Belshazzar king of Babel drinking wine with his nobles, wives, and concubines, out of the vessels of gold and silver of the temple of Jerusalem, and praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, and stone; on account of which there was a writing on the wall, and the king himself was slain the same day, (Daniel 5).
By the decree of Darius the Mede, king of Babel; that no one for thirty days should seek anything from God or man, but from the king alone; if otherwise, he should be cast into the den of lions, (Daniel 6:8-28).
And by the four beasts seen by Daniel to come up out of the sea, of which the fourth, terrible, strong, having great teeth of iron, it devoured and crushed in pieces, and trampled the residue with his feet; and that then the judgment was set, and the books were opened, and the beast was slain, and given into the burning of fire; and that then there was seen coming with the clouds of heaven one like the Son of man, to whom was given dominion and glory and the kingdom, and all peoples, and nations and tongues shall worship Him; His dominion is the dominion of an age which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not perish, (Daniel 7:1-14).
Footnotes:
1. The original Latin omits "name."
2. The original Latin omits "which thou sawest."
1. The Hebrew has "them."
717. CAPUT XVII.
ET venit unus ex septem Angelis habentibus Septem phialas, et locutus cum me, dicens mihi, Veni, ostendam tibi judicium Meretricis magnae Sedentis super aquis multis;
2. Cum qua scortati sunt Reges terrae, et inebriati sunt ex vino scortationis ejus inhabitantes terram.
3. Et detulit me in desertum in spiritu, et vidi Mulierem Sedentem super Bestia coccinea, plena nominibus blasphemiae, habente Capita septem, et cornua decem.
4. Et Mulier circuminduta purpura et coccino, et inaurata auro et lapide pretioso et margaritis, habens aureum poculum in manu sua, plenum abominationibus et immunditie scortationis ejus.
5. Et super fronte ejus nomen scriptum, Mysterium, Babylon magna, mater scortationum et abominationum terrae.
6. Et vidi Mulierem inebriatam ex sanguine sanctorum, et ex sanguine testium Jesu, et admiratus sum videns illam, admiratione magna.
7. Et dixit mihi Angelus, Quare admiraris? ego tibi dicam mysterium Mulieris, et Bestiae portantis illam, habentis septem Capita et decem Cornua.
8. Bestia, quam vidisti, erat et non est, et futura est ascendere ex abysso, et in interitum abire: et mirabuntur habitantes Super terra, quorum non scripta nomina in Libro vitae a fundatione mundi, videntes Bestiam, quae erat et non est, attamen est.
9. Haec mens habens Sapientiam: septem Capita Montes sunt Septem ubi Mulier sedet super illis.
10. Et Reges septem Sunt; quinque ceciderunt, et unus est, alter nondum Venit; et quando venerit, brevi illum oportet manere.
11. Et Bestia, quae erat et non est, ipsa octavus est, de Septem est, et in interitum abit.
12. Et decem Cornua, quae vidisti, decem Reges sunt, qui regnum nondum acceperunt, sed potestatem tanquam Reges unam horam accipiunt cum Bestia.
13. Hi unam Sententiam habent, et potentiam et potestatem suam Bestiae tradent.
14. Hi cum Agno pugnabunt, Sed Agnus Vincet illos, quia Dominus dominorum est et Rex regum; et qui cum Ipso, vocati, electi et fideles.
15. Et dicit mihi, Aquae quas vidisti, ubi Meretrix sedet, populi et turbae Sunt, et gentes et linguae.
16. Et decem Cornua quae vidisti super Bestia, hi odio habebunt Meretricem, et desolatam facient illam, et nudam, et carnes ejus comedent, et illam comburent Igne.
17. Quoniam Deus dedit in corda illorum facere sententiam ejus, et facere unam sententiam, et dare regnum suum Bestiae, donec consummentur 1verba Dei.
18. Et Mulier, quam vidisti, est urbs magna, habens regnum Super Reges terrae.
SENSUS SPIRITUALIS.
CONTENTUM TOTIUS CAPITIS.
DE RELIGIOSO ROMANO CATHOLICO:
DESCRIBITUR QUALITER FALSIFICAVERAT VERBUM, ET INDE OMNIA VERA ECCLESIAE PERVERTERAT (vers. 1-7);
QUOMODO ILLA FALSIFICAVERAT ET PERVERTERAT APUD ILLOS QUI DOMINIO EJUS SUBJECTI SUNT (vers. 8-11);
QUOD MINUS APUD ILLOS QUI NON ITA DOMINIO EJUS SE SUBJECERANT (vers. 12-15).
DE REFORMATIS:
QUOD SE JUGO DOMINATIONIS EJUS SUBTRAXERINT (vers. 16, 17);
DE DOMINATIONE EJUS USQUE (18).
CONTENTA SINGULORUM VERSUUM.
1. "Et venit unus ex septem Angelis habentibus septem phialas, et locutus cum me," significat nunc influxum et revelationem a Domino ex intimo Caeli de Religioso Catholico Romano (718); dicens mihi, (Veni,) ostendam tibi judicium Meretricis magnae sedentis super aquis multis," significat revelationem de illo Religioso quoad prophanationes ejus et adulterationes veritatum Verbi (719).
2. "Cum qua scortati sunt Reges terrae," significat quod adulteraverit vera et bona Ecclesiae quae ex Verbo (720); "et inebriati sunt ex vino scortationis ejus inhabitantes terram," significat insanitionem in spiritualibus ex adulteratione Verbi apud illos qui in Religioso illo sunt (721).
3. "Et detulit me in desertum in spiritu," significat in statu spirituali delatum ad illos apud quos omnia Ecclesiae devastata sunt (722); "et vidi Mulierem sedentem super Bestia coccinea, plena nominibus blasphemiae," significat Religiosum illud super Verbo ab illis prophanato (723); "habente capita septem et cornua decem," significat intelligentiam ex Verbo principio sanctam, postea nullam, et tandem insaniam, ac potentiam ex Verbo continue multam (724).
4. "Et Mulier circuminduta purpura et coccino," significat Divinum Bonum et Divinum Verum caeleste, quae sunt Verbi, apud illos (725); "et inaurata auro et lapide pretioso," significat Divinum Bonum et Divinum Verum spirituale, quae sunt Verbi, apud illos (726); "et margaritis," significat cognitiones boni et veri, quae sunt Verbi, apud illos (727); "habens aureum poculum in manu sua, plenum abominationibus et immunditie scortationis ejus, significat Religiosum illud ex sanctis Verbi prophanatis, et ex bonis et veris ejus per dira falsa conspurcatis (728).
5. "(Et) super fronte ejus (nomen) scriptum, Mysterium, Babylon magna, mater scortationum et abominationum terrae," significat Religiosum Catholico Romanum quale est interius quod reconditum, quod ex ortu suo ab amore dominandi ex amore sui super sancta Ecclesiae et super Caelum, ita super omnia Domini et Verbi Ipsius, conspurcaverit et prophanaverit illa quae Verbi et inde Ecclesiae sunt (729).
6. "Et vidi Mulierem inebriatam ex sanguine sanctorum et ex sanguine testium Jesu," significat Religiosum illud insaniens ex adulteratis et prophanatis Divinis Veris et Bonis Domini, Verbi et inde Ecclesiae (730); "et admiratus sum videns illam admiratione magna," significat stuporem quod Religiosum illud tale sit 2interius, cum tamen aliter apparet (731).
7. "Et dixit mihi Angelus, Quare admiraris ego tibi dicam mysterium Mulieris et Bestiae portantis illam, habentis septem capita et decem cornua," significat detectionem, quid illa quae praecedunt et visa sunt significant (732).
8. "Bestia quam vidisti, erat et non est," significat Verbum apud illos Pro sancto agnitum, et tamen realiter non agnitum (733); "et futura est ascendere e, abysso, et in interitum abire," significat deliberatum in Consistorio Papali aliquoties de receptione et lectione Verbi a Laicis et Vulgo, sed rejectum (734); "et mirabuntur habitantes super terra, quorum non scripta nomina in Libro vitae Agni a fundatione mundi, videntes Bestiam, quae erat et non est, attamen est, "significat obstupescentiam illorum qui e Religioso illo sunt, omnes qui ab instauratione ejus affectarunt dominium super Caelum et Terram, quod Verbum, tametsi ita rejectum, usque sit (735).
9, 10. "Haec mens habens sapientiam," significat quod haec interpretatio sit in Sensu naturali, sed pro illis qui in Sensu spirituali a Domino sunt (736); "septem Capita Montes sunt septem, et Mulier sedet super illis, et Reges septem sunt," significat Divina Bona et Divina Vera Verbi, super quibus Religiosum illud fundatum est, tempore destructa et tandem prophanata (737); "quinque ceciderunt, et unus est et alter nondum venit: et quando venerit, brevi illum oportet manere," significat quod omnia Divina Vera Verbi destructa sint, praeter unum hoc, quod Domino data sit omnis potestas in Caelo et in Terra; et praeter alterum, quod nondum in quaestionem venit, (et cum venit) non permansurum est, quod est, quod Humanum Domini sit Divinum (738).
11. "Et Bestia, quae erat et non est, ipsa octavus est, et de septem est, et in interitum abit," significat quod Verbum, de quo prius, sit Ipsum Divinum Bonum, et quod sit Divinum Verum, et quod auferantur Laicis et Vulgo, ne prophanationes et adulterationes ibi ab Antesignanis factae appareant, et illi propterea recedant (739).
12. "Et decem Cornua (, quae vidisti,) decem Reges sunt, qui nondum regnum acceperunt," significat Verbum quoad potentiam ex Divinis veris apud illos qui in regno Galliae sunt, et non ita sub jugo Dominii Papalis sunt, apud quos tamen nondum Ecclesia ita separata a Religioso Catholico Romano facta est (740); "sed potestatem tanquam Reges unam horam accipiunt cum Bestia," significat quod Verbum apud illos valeat, et illi per Verbum sicut in Divinis veris ejus essent (741).
13. "Hi unam sententiam habent, et potentiam et potestatem suam Bestiae tradent," significat quod illi unanimiter agnoscant quod regimen et dominium super Ecclesiam unice fit per Verbum (742).
14. "Hi cum Agne pugnabunt, sed Agnus vincet eos, quia Dominus dominorum est et Rex regum." significat pugnam Domini cum illis de agnitione Divini Humani Ipsius, quia Dominus in Illo est Deus Caeli et Terrae, et quoque Verbum (743); "et qui cum Ipso vocati, electi et fideles," significat quod qui Dominum Solum adeunt et colunt, sint qui in Caelum veniunt, tam qui in Ecclesiae externis sunt, quam qui in ejus internis et intimis sunt (744).
15. "Et dicit mihi, Aquae quas vidisti, ubi Meretrix sedet, populi et turbae sunt, gentes et linguae," significat Quod sub Dominio Papali sint, sed in veris Verbi a Religioso illo diversimodo adulteratis et prophanatis, qui ex varia doctrina et disciplina, et ex varia religione et confessione ejus sunt (745).
16. "Et decem Cornua quae vidisti super Bestia, hi odio habebunt Meretricem," significat Verbum quoad potentiam ex Divinis Veris apud Protestantes, qui jugum Dominii Papalis a se prorsus rejecerunt (746); "et desolatam facient illam, et nudam," significat quod exuent se falsis et malis ejus (747); "et carnes ejus comedent, et illam comburent igne," significat quod mala et falsa, quae propria illius Religiosi sunt, ex odio damnabunt et apud se destruent, et ipsum Religiosum devovebunt et apud se delebunt (748).
17. "Quoniam Deus dedit in corda illorum facere sententiam ejus, et facere unam sententiam, et dare regnum suum Bestiae," significat judicium apud illos a Domino, quod Religiosum Catholico Romanum prorsus repudiarent et devoverent, et apud se delerent et exstirparent, ac judicium unanimum quod Verbum agnoscerent, et super illo Ecclesiam fundarent (749), "donec consummentur 3verba Dei," significat usque dum impleta sunt omnia quae de illis praedicta sunt (750).18. "Et Mulier, quam vidisti, est urbs magna habens regnum super reges terrae," significat quod Religiosum Catholico Romanum quoad Doctrinam regnet in Christiano Orbe, et ad aliquam partem etiam adhuc apud Reformatos, tametsi non sub Dominio Papali sunt (751).
EXPLICATIO.
Actum est in antecedentibus, a capite 7 ad Caput 16 inclusive, de Reformatis; agitur nunc in hoc capite et in sequente de Pontificiis, inter quos illi qui sibi potestatem aperiendi et claudendi Caelum vindicaverunt, intelliguntur per "Babyloniam." Hic itaque primum dicetur quid in specie per "Babyloniam" intelligitur. Per "Babyloniam" seu "Babelem" intelligitur Amor dominandi super sancta Ecclesiae ex amore sui; et quia ille amor scandit quousque laxatur ei frenum, et sancta Ecclesiae etiam sunt sancta Caeli, ideo per "Babyloniam" seu "Babelem' etiam significatur Dominium super Caelum. Et quia illi amor sic agit Diabolum, qui similia affectat, ille non potest aliter quam prophanare sancta, adulterando bona et vera Verbi; ideo per "Babyloniam" seu "Babelem" etiam significatur Prophanatio sancti, ac Adulteratio boni et veri Verbi. Haec sunt quae significantur per "Babyloniam" hic in Apocalypsi, et per "Babelem" in Verbo Prophetico et Historico, in his locis:
De Babele: "Ecce dies Jehovae venit crudelis: stellae caelorum et sidera illorum non lucent luce sua; obtenebratus est Sol in ortu suo, et Luna non splendere facit lumen suum. Cessare faciam elationem superborum, et fastum violentorum humiliabo. Babel, ornamentum regnorum, erit sicut eversio Dei Sodoma et Gomorrha cubabunt ibi tziim, 4implebuntur domus eorum ochim, et habitabunt ibi filiae noctuae, et satyri saltabunt ibi, respondebunt ijim in palatiis ejus, et dracones in palatiis deliciarum ejus," (Esaias 13:1, 9-11, 19, 21-22; 5praeter plura alia in toto illo capite).
"Enunties hanc parabolam de Rege Babelis: Demissa est in Infernum magnificentia tua: cecidisti de Caelo Lucifer; tu dixisti in corde tuo, Caelos ascendam, super stellas Dei exaltabo thronum meum, ascendam super excelsa nubis, similis fiam Altissimo veruntamen in Infernum demissus es: surgam contra eos, 6et exscindam Babeli nomen et residuum," (Esaias 14:4, 11-15, 22; 7praeter plura in toto illo capite).
"Locutus est Jehovah contra Babelem: Pudefacta est Mater vestra valde, pudore suffusa est Genetrix vestra; ecce postremitas desertum, siccitas et solitudo. Disponite vos contra Babelem circum circa, jaculamini contra eam, nec parcite telis: quomodo facta est in desolationem Babel inter gentes: contra Jehovam insolenter egit, contra Sanctum Israelis: siccitas super aquas ejus ut exarescant, quia terra sculptilium illa, et de horrendis gloriatur; ideo habitabunt ibi tziim cum ijim, et habitabunt in ea noctuae, juxta eversionem Dei Sodomam et Gomorrham," (Jeremias 50:1, 12, 14, 23, 29, 31, 38-40; 8praeter plura alia de "Babele" in toto illo capite)
"Calix auri Babel in manu Jehovae, inebrians universam terram de vino ejus biberunt gentes, ideo insaniunt: deserite eam, quia pertigit ad Caelos judicium ejus, et extulit se usque ad nubes: ecce Ego contra te, Mons perdens, perdens universum terram: devolvam te de petris, et dabo te in montem combustionis. Visitabo super Belem in Babele; extraham bolum ejus ex ore ejus, ut non amplius confluant ad eum gentes; etiam murus Babelis concidet. Ecce dies venientes, quibus visitabo super sculptilia Babelis, ut omnis terra ejus pudefiat. Si ascenderit Babel in Caelos, et si muniverit excelsum roboris sui, a Mecum venient vastatores. Imo inebriabo principes ejus, et sapientes ejus, et duces ejus, et antistites ejus, ut dormiant somnum saeculi, nec evigilent," (Jeremias 51:7, 9, 24, 44, 47, 53, 57; 9praeter plura alia in toto illo capite de "Babele");
Descende et sede super pulvere, virgo filia Babelis, sede in terra; non thronus: sume molam et mole farinam; revela femur, transi flumina; reveletur nuditas tua, videatur opprobrium tuum. Dixisti, In aeternum ero domina non recordata es finis: confisa es in malitia tua: dixisti, Non videns me; sapientia tua et scientia tua seduxit te, dum dixisti in corde tuo, Ego, et non sicut ego praeterea: veniet subito devastatio. non scias: persta in incantationibus tuis,in multitudine praestigiarum tuarum, in quibus laborasti a juventute tua, forte poterunt prodesse, forte terribilis fies," (Esaias 47:1-3, 7, 10-12; praeter plura de "Babele" in illo capite).
Similia significantur per "Urbem" et "Turrim,"
Cujus caput in Caelo, quam venientes ex Oriente in valle Schinear aedificare aggressi sunt, quorum labia Jehovah e Caelo descendens confudit; unde nomen loci "Babel" (confusio) (Genesis 11:1-9).
Similia significantur per haec sequentia apud Danielem:
Per statuam visam Nebuchadnezari Regi Babelis, cujus pedes erant ex parte ferrum et ex parte argilla, quam Lapis excisus non per manum percussit et contrivit, et facta sunt omnia statuae sicut palea in areis, et Lapis factus est in Petram magnam, (2:31-47);
Per statuam magnam, quam Nebuchadnezar Rex Babelis fecit, et mandavit ut coram illa prociderent et adorarent et quod qui non facerent, projicerentur in fornacem ignis, (3:1-7, seq.);
Per arborem crescentem usque dum altitudo ejus pertingeret Caelum, et prospectus ejus ad finem terrae, quam Vigil et Sanctus e Caelo descendens jussit ut excideretur, amputeretur, discuteretur et dispergeretur; et quia Rex Babelis per illam repraesentabatur, factum est quod depelleretur ab homine, cum bestiis habitaret, herbam sicut bos comederet, (4);
Per quod Belshazar Rex Babelis cum magnatibus, uxoribus et pellicibus suis, biberet vinum ex vasis auri et argenti Templi Hierosolymitani, et laudaret deos auri, argenti, aeris, ferri et lapidis; propter quae scriptum est in pariete, et ipse Rex in eodem die occisus est, (Daniel 5);
Per edictum Darii Medi Regis Babelis, quod nemo intra triginta dies peteret aliquid a Deo nec ab homine, sed a Rege solo; si secus, conjiceretur in foveam leonum, (Daniel 6:8 ad fin);
Perque quatuor bestias ascendentes ex mari visas Danieli, quarum quarta terribilis, robusta, habens dentes ferri magnos comedit et contrivit, et reliquum pedibus conculcavit; et quod tunc judicium consederit, et libri aperti sunt, et occisa sit bestia, et data in combustionem ignis: et quod tunc visus sit cum nubibus Caelorum veniens sicut Filius Hominis, Cui datum est dominium et gloria et regnum, et omnes populi et gentes et linguae Ipsum colent; "dominium Ipsius dominium saeculi quod non transibit, et regnum Ipsius quod non peribit," (Daniel 7:1-14, seq.).
Footnotes:
1. consummentur pro "consummarentur" (Vide 750; tum quoque Apoc. Explic., ed. photolith.)"
2. sit pro "fit"
3. consummentur pro "consummarentur"
4. tziim pro "jiim"
5. 1, 9-11, 19, 21, 22 pro "1, 9, 10, 11, 14, 19, 21, 22"
6. eos pro "te"
7. 22 pro "21"
8. 1, 12, 14, 23, 29, 31, 38-40 pro "1, 13, 14, 23, 29, 31, 34, 39, 40"
9. 7, 9, 25, 44, 47, 53, 57 pro "1, 7, 9, 20, 44, 47, 53, 57"