758、启18:3.“因为所有民族都喝了她淫乱烈怒的酒，地上的列王与她行淫”表示他们提出邪恶的教条，这些教条是对圣言的良善和真理的玷污和亵渎，被灌输给所有在他们统治下的国家出生和长大的人。这些话表示这些事，这一点可从前面(AR 631, 632, 720, 721节)的解释明显看出来；那里有类似的话，无需在此赘述；只说明，在耶利米书中，类似的话论及巴别：
巴别素来是耶和华手中的金杯，使全地沉醉，列族喝了她的酒，因此他们就癫狂了。(耶利米书51:7)
又：
巴别必令人嗤笑，他们火热的时候，我必设摆他们的酒席，使他们沉醉，好叫他们狂欢，睡一个时代的觉，不再醒起。(耶利米书51:37, 39)
他们所喝并沉醉的“酒”表示他们的教条；至于这些教条何等恶毒，可参看前文(AR 753节)。其中就有这么一个恶毒的教条：他们照其教条所做的作为通过将主的功德和公义转录到这些作为中，从而转录到他们自己里面而构成或产生功德；而事实上，仁爱的一切和信仰的一切，或一切良善和真理，都来自主；凡来自主的，在其接受者里面仍是主的。因为凡来自主的，都是神性，这神性永远不可能变成人自己的。神性能与人同在，或存在于人里面，但不在他的自我里面，因为人的自我无非是邪恶；因此，人若将神性之物归给自己，当成他自己的，不仅玷污它，还亵渎它。来自主的神性与人的自我小心、完美地分离，并高于它，从不沉浸在它里面。但由于他们将主的一切神性都转给了自己，从而将其据为己有，所以神性在如雨般降下时，就像柏油水从柏油泉中流出一样。以下教条也是如此，即：称义是真正的成圣；他们的圣徒本身是神圣的，而事实上，唯独主是神圣的(启示录15:4)。关于作为中的功德，详情可参看1758年于伦敦出版的《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》(150-158节)。
758. 18:3 "For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her licentiousness, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her." This symbolically means that Roman Catholics have produced nefarious dogmas, dogmas that are adulterations and profanations of the Word's goodness and truth, and have imbued with them all those born and brought up in the kingdoms under their domination.
That this is the symbolic meaning of these words can be seen from the explanations in nos. 631, 632 and 720, 721 above, where similar imagery occurs, and we have no need to add more, except to say that similar statements regarding Babel are made in Jeremiah:
Babylon was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank of her wine; therefore they are deranged. (Jeremiah 51:7)
And:
Babylon shall become... a hissing... When they are inflamed I will lay their feasts; I will make them drunk, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake. (Jeremiah 51:37, 39)
The wine that they drink that makes them drunk symbolizes their dogmas, and how nefarious these are may be seen in no. 753 above. One of those dogmas is this nefarious one, that the works people do in conformity with their tenets earn merits, by causing the Lord's merit and righteousness to be transcribed into the works and thus into them. And yet every bit of charity, and every bit of faith, or all good and truth, comes from the Lord, and what comes from the Lord continues to be the Lord's in its recipients. For what comes from the Lord is Divine, which can never become a person's own.
Something Divine can be present in a person, but not in his native self, for a person's native self is nothing but evil. Therefore someone who claims for himself something Divine as his own, not only defiles it, but also profanes it. Something Divine from the Lord is kept carefully separate from a person's native self, being elevated above it and never immersed in it.
But because Roman Catholics have transferred all the Lord's Divinity to themselves, and so have appropriated it as their own, it flows like rainwater mixed with pitch, from a fountain of tar.
The case is the same with the dogma that justification is real sanctification, and that their saints are holy in themselves, even though the Lord alone is holy (Revelation 15:4).
For more on the subject of merit, see The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine (London, 1758), nos. 150-158! Could not find a match for this book: nos. .
758. [verse 3] 'For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom, and the kings of the land have committed whoredom with her' signifies that they have brought forth wicked dogmas, which are adulterations and profanations of the good and truth of the Word, and with them have infected all those born and brought up in the kingdoms under their domination. That these things are signified by these words can be established from the things expounded above (631-632 and 720-721) where there are similar words, to which there is no need to add more; only that similar things are said of Babel in Jeremiah:
Babel is a goblet of gold in the hand of Jehovah making the entire land drunk. The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are mad. Jeremiah 51:7.
Let Babel be for hissing; when they have become warm, I will set their feasts and will make them drunk, that they may exult, and may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake, Jeremiah 51:[37,] 39.
By the 'wine' that they drink, and by which they are made drunk, their dogmas are signified; and how wicked these are may be seen above (753). Among them also there is this wicked thing, that the works that are done in accordance with their doctrinal tenets produce merits by transcribing the merit and justice of the Lord into those works, and thus into themselves; when yet everything of charity and everything of faith, or every good and truth, is from the Lord; and what is from the Lord remains the Lord's with the recipients. For what is from the Lord is Divine, and this can never be made the proprium of a man. The Divine can be with a man, but not in his proprium, for the man's proprium is nothing but evil; and therefore he who attributes the Divine to himself as proprium not only defiles it but also profanes it. The Divine from the Lord is exquisitely separated from the proprium of a man, and is elevated above it and never immersed therein. But because they have transferred to themselves everything of the Lord's Divine, and have thus appropriated it to themselves, it flows like bituminous water while it is raining, out of a spring which is bitumen. It is similar with the dogma that justification is a real sanctification, and that their saints are holy in themselves, when yet the Lord only is Holy (Revelation 15:4). More things may be seen concerning merit in the work CONCERNING THE NEW JERUSALEM AND ITS HEAVENLY DOCTRINE, published at London in the year 1758, (150-158).
758. Verse 3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth committed whoredom with her, signifies that they have put forth wicked dogmas, which are adulterations and profanations of the good and truth of the Word, and have imbued with them all that have been born and educated in the kingdoms under their domination. That this is signified by these words may be evident from the explanations above, (631, 632, 720, 721); where are like things, to which there is no need of adding more; only that similar things are said of Babel in Jeremiah:
A cup of gold is Babel in the hand of Jehovah making the whole earth drunken, the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are insane, (Jeremiah 51:7).
Also:
Let Babel be a hissing, when they have grown warm, I will make their banquets, and I will make them drunken, that they may exult, and may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake, (Jeremiah 51:37, 39).
By "the wine" which they drink, and by which they are made drunk, their dogmas are signified; and how wicked these are, may be seen above, (754). Among them also is this wicked one, that the works which they do according to their doctrinals make merits, by transcribing into them, and thus into themselves, the Lord's merit and justice; when yet all of charity and all of faith, or all good and truth, are from the Lord; and what is from the Lord remains the Lord's with the recipients. For what is from the Lord is Divine, which can never become man's own. The Divine can be with a man, but not in his proprium, for man's proprium is nothing but evil; wherefore he who attributes to himself what is Divine as his own, not only defiles it, but also profanes it. The Divine from the Lord is exquisitely separated from man's proprium and is elevated above it, and is never immersed in it. But because they have transferred to themselves all the Divine of the Lord and thus have appropriated it to themselves, it flows like bituminous water, when it rains, from a spring which is bitumen. It is similar with that dogma, that justification is real sanctification; and that their saints are holy in themselves, when yet the Lord alone is holy, (Revelation 15:4). More may be seen concerning merit in the work concerning The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 150-158, published at London in the year 1758.
758. (Vers. 3.) "Quia ex vino irae scortationis ejus biberunt omnes gentes, et reges terrae cum illa scortati sunt," significat quod nefaria dogmata, quae sunt adulterationes et prophanationes boni et veri Verbi, protulerint, et illis omnes in regnis sub dominatione eorum natos et educatos imbuerint. - Quod haec per illa verba significentur, constare potest ab explicatis supra (631, 632, 720, 721), ubi similia, quibus plura adjicere non opus est; solum quod similia de Babele dicantur apud Jeremiam:
"Calix auri Babel in manu Jehovae, inebrians universam terram; de vino ejus biberunt gentes, ideo insaniunt," (51:7);
tum,
"Sit Babel in sibilum; cum incaluerint, ponam convivia eorum, et inebriabo eos, ut exultent, et dormiant somnum saeculi, nec evigilent," (51:(37,) 39).
Per "vinum," quod bibunt, et quo inebriantur, significantur dogmata eorum; quae quam nefaria sunt, videatur supra (754); inter illa etiam est hoc nefarium, quod opera, quae fiunt secundum doctrinalia eorum, faciant merita, transcribendo meritum et justitiam Domini in illa et sic in illos; cum tamen omne charitatis et omne fidei, seu omne bonum et verum est a Domino, et quod est a Domino manet Domini apud recipientes; nam quod est a Domino est Divinum, quod nusquam fieri potest proprium hominis. Divinum potest apud hominem esse, sed non in ejus proprio, nam proprium hominis non est nisi quam malum; quare qui Divinum addicat sibi ut proprium, non modo conspurcat illud sed etiam prophanat illud. Divinum a Domino exquisite separatur a proprio hominis, ac elevatur super id, et nusquam ei immergitur. - Sed quia omne Divinum Domini in se transtulerunt, et sic appropriaverunt sibi illud, fluit id sicut aqua bituminosa, dum pluit, ex fonte qui est bitumen. Simile est cum illo dogmate quod justificatio sit realis sanctificatio, et quod sancti eorum sint sancti in se, cum tamen Dominus solus est Sanctus, (Apocalypsis 15:4). Videantur plura de Merito in Opere De Nova Hierosolyma et de Doctrina ejus caelesti, Londini anno 1758 edito (150-158).