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1010. (Verse 16) And gathered them into a place called, in the Hebrew, Armageddon. That this signifies a state of combat from falsities against truths, arising from the love of self with the men of the church, is evident from the signification of gathering them together into a place, namely, to battle, as denoting to dispose them for combat from falsities against truths. The reason why a state of combat is denoted is, that place signifies the state of a thing; and the reason why it is from falsities against truths is, that it is meant that the dragon gathered them together. For in chapter xii. it is said:
That the dragon went to make war with the rest of the seed of the woman, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (ver. 17).
And concerning the beast ascending out of the sea in chapter xiii.:
That it was given him to make war with the saints and to overcome them (ver. 7).
And here now the place where they were to be gathered together and enter upon the battle is named.
It is believed that by Armageddon is meant Megiddo, where Josiah, king of Judah, fighting against Pharaoh, was overthrown (see 2 Kings 23:29, 30; 2 Chron. 35:20-24; and also Zech. 12:11). But what is there signified by Megiddo, in the spiritual sense, is not yet known, therefore it shall be stated. By Armageddon is signified the love of honour, rule, and super-eminence. This love is also signified by Megiddo in the old Hebrew tongue, as is evident from the signification of that word in Arabic. Nor is anything else meant by Armageddon in the heavens; for all the places mentioned in the Word signify things and states.
[2] The reason why the love of honour, rule, and super-eminence denotes the last state of the church, when falsities are about to fight against truths is, that this love is about to rule in the church at its end; and when this love rules then also falsity from evil rules and overcomes truth. For this love more than all others extinguishes the light of heaven, and induces the darkness of hell; for that love is the very proprium of man. And a man cannot by any power be drawn away from his proprium and raised towards heaven as long as this love rules. And the proprium in which this love altogether immerses a man is nothing but evil and falsity. That a man from this love is in thick darkness as to all things of heaven and the church, consequently, in utter falsities, does not appear to the man who is in it, because their natural light (lumen) appears to be so bright that spiritual light is extinguished; but that bright light is the result of a false light (lumen), for it is enkindled by the love of glory, thus, by the love of self-intelligence, which intelligence, seen in heaven, is insanity and foolishness. When, therefore, this love rules in the church, it is all over with it; for neither the understanding of truth, nor the will of good any longer exists with any one. For honour, rule, and super-eminence afford the highest pleasure, and are felt as the greatest good, and the latter are the end for the sake of which all other things are considered. And, in this case, all goods and truths, as well civil and moral as spiritual, serve as means that are loved only for the end and according to the degree in which they serve it. And if they do not serve, they are accounted as vile and rejected. So also with respect to all uses, civil, moral, or spiritual. It is otherwise when uses are regarded as the end, and a man does not attribute glory and honour to his own person, but to the uses themselves, according to their excellence. Then honour, rule, and super-eminence are the means, and they are esteemed only so far as they are serviceable to uses as means. From these things the meaning of Armageddon is in some measure evident.
[3] It has also been shown me to the life, that this love has vastated the church, and adulterated all its goods and truths, not only in the kingdoms of Babylon, but in all other kingdoms. For almost every one at this day, when he comes, after death, into the spiritual world, takes with him from the natural world the desire to be honoured, to rule, and to be above others, and there are very few who love uses for the sake of uses. For their desire is, that uses may serve, and that honour, which is not a use, may command; and when this rules, which, separated from use, is nothing, no lot or inheritance can be given them in the heavens, where uses alone rule. For the kingdom of the Lord is a kingdom of uses. For when these rule, then the Lord rules, because uses are goods, and all good is from the Lord. This now is the state of the church made manifest as to things rational; this state is signified by the sixth angel pouring out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and is the subject now treated of.
Continuation concerning the Sixth Precept:-
[4] Thus far concerning adulteries. What adultery is shall now also be stated. Adulteries are all the whoredoms that destroy conjugial love. The whoredom of a husband with the wife of another, or with any woman, whether she is a widow, a virgin, or a harlot, is adultery, when this is done from disgust, or from aversion to marriage. So also the whoredom of a wife with a married man, or with a single man, when this is done for a similar reason. Also the whoredoms of any man, not married, with the wife of another, and of any woman, not married, with the husband of another, are of adultery, because they destroy conjugial love, by turning their minds from marriage to adultery. The delights of varieties, although with harlots, are also the delights of adultery; for the delight of variety destroys the delight of marriage.
The delight of the defloration of virgins without marriage as the end is also the delight of adultery; for those who are in that delight afterwards desire marriage only for the sake of defloration, which being accomplished, they loathe marriage.
In a word, all whoredom which destroys what is conjugial, and extinguishes its love, is adultery, or pertains to adultery. What, however, does not destroy what is conjugial, nor extinguish the love thereof, is fornication gushing forth from a certain instinct of nature towards marriage, which from various causes cannot yet be entered into.
1010. Verse 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon, signifies a state of combat from falsities against truths, arising from the love of self with the men of the church. This is evident from the signification of "gathering them together into a place," that is, for battle, as being to arrange for fighting, from falsities against truths. This means a state of combat, because "place" signifies the state of a thing, and it means from falsities against truths, because it is meant that the dragon gathered them together; for in chapter 12 it is said:
The dragon went away to make war with the remnant of the woman's seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (verse Revelation 12:17);
and of the beast coming up out of the sea in chapter 13:
It was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them (verse Revelation 13:7).
And here the place where they were to be gathered together and to begin the battle is named. It is believed that Armageddon means Megiddo, where Josiah, king of Judah, fighting against Pharaoh was defeated (See 2 Kings 23:29, 30; 2 Chronicles 35:20-24; also Zechariah 12:1). But what "Megiddo" there signifies in the spiritual sense is not yet known; therefore it shall be told. "Armageddon" signifies the love of honor, of rule, and of supereminence. This love is also signified by "Megiddo" in the old Hebrew tongue, as is evident from the meaning of that word in Arabic. Nor is anything else meant by "Armageddon" in the heavens; for all places mentioned in the Word signify things and states.
[2] The love of honor, of rule, and of supereminence is the last state of the church, when falsities are about to fight against truths, because that love is about to rule in the church in its last times, and when that love rules, falsity from evil rules also, and this overcomes truth; for that love more than all other loves extinguishes the light of heaven and induces the darkness of hell, because that love is man's very own [proprium]; and by no force can man be drawn away from what is his own [proprium] and raised up towards heaven so long as that love rules; and one's own [proprium] in which man is wholly immersed by that love is nothing but evil and falsity. That man from that love is in thick darkness as to all things of heaven and the church, consequently in mere falsities, does not appear to the man who is in it, because according to the brilliancy of the natural light [lumen] in them spiritual light [lux] is extinguished; but that brilliancy is from a delusive light [lumen], for it is a light [lumen] kindled from the love of glory, thus from the love of self-intelligence; and when that intelligence is seen in heaven it is insanity and folly; therefore when that love rules in the church it is all over with it, for no one has any longer any understanding of truth or any will of good; since honor, rule, and supereminence constitute the highest pleasure, and are felt as the highest good; and the highest pleasure and the highest good are the end for the sake of which all other things are regarded; and then all goods and truths, civil, moral, and spiritual, serve as means, which are loved only from the end and to the extent that they serve the end, and when they do not so serve they are utterly despised and rejected. This is true of all uses, civil, moral, or spiritual. It is otherwise when uses are made the end, and man does not attribute glory and honor to his own person, but to the uses themselves according to their excellence. Then honor, rule, and supereminence are the means, and are esteemed only to the extent that they serve uses as means. From all this it can in some measure be seen what "Armageddon" means.
[3] Moreover, it has been shown me to the life that that love has devastated the church and adulterated all its goods and truths, not only in the kingdoms of Babylon but in all other kingdoms. For almost everyone at this day when he comes after death into the spiritual world carries with him out of the natural world the desire to be honored, to rule, and to be supereminent; and there are very few who love uses for the sake of uses, but it is their will that uses should serve, and that honor, which is not a use, should govern; and when that rules which when separated from use is nothing, there can be no lot or inheritance granted them in the heavens where uses alone rule, since the kingdom of the Lord is a kingdom of uses; and when these rule the Lord rules, since uses are goods, and all good is from the Lord. This, then, is the state of the church manifested as to things rational, which state is signified by "the sixth angel pouring out his vial upon the great river Euphrates," and is the state here treated of.
(Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment)
[4] Thus far adulteries have been considered; and now it shall be told what adultery is. Adulteries are all the whoredoms that destroy conjugial love. Whoredom of a husband with the wife of another or with any woman, whether a widow or a virgin or a harlot, is adultery when done from loathing or aversion to marriage; likewise the whoredom of a wife with a married man, or with a single man when done for a like reason. Again, the whoredoms of any unmarried man with the wife of another, and of any unmarried woman with the husband of another, are adulteries, because they destroy conjugial love by turning their minds away from marriage to adultery. The delights of varieties although with harlots are the delights of adultery, for the delight of variety destroys the delight of marriage. So, too, the delight of the defloration of virgins without the end of marriage is also the delight of adultery; for those who are in that delight afterwards desire marriage only for the sake of defloration, and when that is accomplished they loathe marriage. In a word, all whoredom that destroys the conjugial and extinguishes its love is adultery or pertains to adultery; while that which does not destroy the conjugial and does not extinguish its love is fornication springing from a certain instinct of nature towards marriage, which for various reasons cannot yet be entered into.
1010. (Vers. 16.) "Et congregavit illos in locum dictum Hebraice Armageddon." - Quod significet statum pugnae ex falsis contra vera oriundum ex amore sui apud homines ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "congregare illos in locum", nempe ad proelium, quod sit disponere ad pugnandum ex falsis contra vera; quod sit status pugnae, est quia "locus" significat statum rei; et quod sit ex falsis contra vera, est quia intelligitur quod "draco" congregaverit; nam (in) capite 12 dicitur
Quod draco abiverit ad gerendum bellum cum reliquis ex semine mulieris, observantibus mandata Dei, et habentibus testimonium Jesu Christi (vers. 17);
et de ejus bestia ascendente ex mari, cap. 13,
Quod datum sit ei bellum gerere cum sanctis, et eos vincere (vers. 7).
Hic nunc nominatur locus ubi congregandi sunt, et proelium inituri.
Creditur per "Armageddon" intelligi Megiddonem, ubi Joschia Rex Jehudae pugnans contra Pharaonem clade affectus est (De qua agitur, 2 Reg. 23:29, 30; 2 Chronicles 35:20-24; et quoque Sacharia 12:11);
sed quid per "Megiddonem" ibi in sensu spirituali significatur, adhuc ignoratur; quare dicetur. Per "Armageddon" significatur amor honoris, imperii et supereminentiae; hic amor etiam per Megiddonem in lingua vetusta Hebraea significatur, ut patet a significatione illius vocis in lingua Arabica; nec aliud per "Armageddon" intelligitur in caelis, nam omnia loca nominata in Verbo significant res et status.
[2] Quod amor honoris, imperii et supereminentiae sit status ultimus ecclesiae, quando falsa oppugnatura sunt vera, est quia ille amor in ecclesia in ultimis temporibus ejus regnaturus est, et cum ille amor regnat tunc quoque regnat falsum ex malo, et hoc vincit verum; ille enim amor prae omnibus aliis amoribus exstinguit lucem caeli, et inducit tenebras inferni; causa est, quia ille amor est ipsum proprium hominis, et homo a suo proprio nulla vi potest subduci et versus caelum elevari, quamdiu ille amor regnat; et proprium, in quod ille amor prorsus immergit hominem, non est nisi quam malum et falsum. Quod homo ex illo amor sit in caligine quoad omnia quae caeli et ecclesiae sunt, consequenter in meris falsis, non apparet homini qui in illo est, ex causa, quia lumen naturale apud illos tantum splendet quantum spiritualis lux exstinguitur; sed splendor ille est ex lumine fatuo, est enim lumen accensum ex amore gloriae, ita ex amore propriae intelligentiae; quae intelligentia spectata in caelo est insania et fatuitas: quando ergo hic amor in ecclesia regnat, tunc actum est de illa, nam non amplius est alicui intellectus veri ac voluntas boni; honor enim, imperium, et supereminentia est summa voluptas, et sentitur sicut summum bonum; et quod summa voluptas et summum bonum est, hoc etiam est finis propter quem omnia; et tunc omnia bona et vera, tam civilia et moralia quam spiritualia, serviunt pro mediis, et media amantur solum ex fine, et quatenus inserviunt fini; et si non inserviunt, prorsus vilipenduntur et rejiciuntur, ita quoque omnes usus civiles, morales et spirituales: aliter dum usus pro fine sunt, et homo non addicat gloriam et honorem suae personae, sed ipsis usibus secundum eorum excellentiam; tunc honor, imperium et supereminentia sunt media, et non aestimantur nisi quatenus inserviunt usibus pro mediis. Ex his aliquatenus constare potest quid intelligitur per "Armageddon. "
[3] Ad vivum etiam ostensum est quod ille amor vastaverit ecclesiam, et adulteraverit omnia bona et vera ejus, non modo in regnis Babyloniae, sed etiam in regnis reliquis; unusquisque fere hodie, post mortem, dum venit in mundum spiritualem, secum e mundo naturali fert, quod velit honorari, imperare et supereminere, et paucissimi qui amant usus propter usus; volunt enim ut usus serviant, et honor, qui non usus est, imperet; et quando id regnat, quod separatum ab usu non aliquid est, non illis sors et hereditas dari potest in caelis, ubi regnant soli usus, est enim regnum Domini regnum usuum; nam dum hi regnant, tunc Dominus regnat, quia usus sunt bona, et omne bonum est a Domino. Hic nunc est status ecclesiae manifestatus quoad rationalia, qui status significatur per "sextum angelum effundentem phialam suam super magnum fluvium Euphratem"; de quo statu nunc actum est.
[4] (Continuatio de Sexto Praecepto.)
Haec dicta sunt de adulteriis; nunc dicetur etiam quid adulterium. Adulteria sunt omnes scortationes quae amorem conjugialem destruunt; scortatio mariti cum uxore alterius, vel cum femina, sive sit vidua, sive virgo, sive meretrix, est adulterium, dum hoc fit ex fastidio aut ex aversatione ad conjugium; similiter scortatio uxoris cum viro uxorato aut cum viro caelibe, dum hoc fit ex simili causa. Etiam scortationes cujusvis viri non uxorati cum uxore alterius, et cujusvis feminae non maritatae cum viro alterius, sunt adulterii, quia amorem conjugialem destruunt, avertendo animos illorum a conjugio ad adulterium. Jucunda varietatum tametsi cum scortis sunt etiam jucunda adulterii, nam jucundum varietatis destruit jucundum conjugii. Jucundum deflorationis virginum absque fine conjugii, est etiam jucundum adulterii; nam qui in illo jucundo sunt, illi postea solum volunt conjugium propter deflorationem; qua peracta, conjugium fastidiunt. Verbo, omnis scortatio quae destruit conjugiale, et exstinguit amorem ejus, est adulterium aut adulterii; quae autem non destruit conjugiale, nec exstinguit amorem ejus, est fornicatio scaturiens ex quodam naturae instinctu ad conjugium, quod ob varias causas nondum iniri potest.