----中文待译----
1029. CHAPTER 17.
1. AND there came one of the seven angels having the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2. With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom.
3. And he carried me away, into a wilderness, in the spirit 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 crimson and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of the abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom.
5. And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the 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 a 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 ten horns.
8. The beast which thou sawest was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and go into perdition; and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder; they whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, but yet is.
9. This is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10. And they are seven kings; five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11. And the beast that was, and is not, he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13. These have one mind, and shall deliver up their power and authority to the beast.
14. These shall fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings and those that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall devour her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17. For God hath put into their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and 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, which hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth.
EXPLANATION.
BECAUSE in this and the following chapter the subject treated of is Babylon, therefore, before we proceed to the explanation of these chapters, it shall be shown what is meant by Babylon in general and particular; also what its quality is in the beginning, and what it becomes afterwards, by degrees.
By Babylon or Babel is meant the church consisting of those who by the holy things of the church aspire to dominion over the whole world, and this by means of dominion over the souls of men, claiming to themselves the power of saving whomsoever they will; and who at last seek and appropriate to themselves dominion over heaven and hell. And for this purpose they derive and transfer to themselves all the Lord's power, as if given to them by Him.
The church consisting of such is, in its beginning, not the same as it becomes in process of time. In the beginning they are zealous, as it were, for the Lord, the Word, for love and faith, and especially for the salvation of men. But in that zeal lies hidden the fire of ruling, which in process of time, and as dominion increases, breaks out, and in the degree in which it comes out into act, the holy things of the church become the means, and dominion itself the end. And when dominion becomes the end, then the holy things of the church are used as a means to that end, that is, to themselves. And then they not only make the salvation of souls dependent on their own power, but also appropriate to themselves all the Lord's Divine power. And when they do this, they then pervert all the good and all the truth of the church, and thus profane the holy things of the church. These things are Babylon.
[2] That this is the case has been shown me to the life. In the spiritual world there were those who affected a similar dominion. And because they knew that all power belonged to the Lord alone, they assumed, as it were, a zeal for Him, for heaven, and for the church, and laboured with all their power to worship the Lord alone, and to keep all things of the Word holy. They also arranged that sanctity and integrity should prevail in all. But it was permitted to be known that in that zeal an ardent desire to rule over all others was hidden; they believed that those things that they arranged would be accepted by the Lord. But, in fact, as soon as they obtained dominion, by degrees the end was revealed, which was not that the Lord but that they themselves might rule, and thus that the Lord might serve them, and not they the Lord; they were indignant if they were not allowed as gods to dispose everything according to their will. Indeed, it was seen that they made light of the Lord, and even rejected Him, if the power was not granted them of doing everything according to their own pleasure, and unless every decision of theirs was assented to. It was also seen that they were desirous, under any pretence, to transfer His Divine power to themselves if they dared, but they were afraid of being cast down into hell if they did so. By this it was shown how Babylon begins, and how it ends. One could, therefore, conclude, that while dominion becomes the end, and the holy things of the church the means, the worship of God is turned, under various pretences, into the worship of men, so that they themselves are actually gods, and the Lord is not really God, but is merely called so for the sake of form.
[3] Now, because dominion by means of the holy things of the church over the souls of men, over heaven, and over the Lord Himself, is inwardly profane, it follows that it is infernal. For the devils in hell covet nothing more than to exercise dominion over heaven, and over the Lord Himself; this they also attempt under various pretences. But while they are making the attempt, they are swallowed up by hell. Since, in the world, those who cast down the Lord from the seat of His kingdom, and place themselves upon it, are, in heart, like devils, it is evident that the church consisting of these must, in process of time, be devastated as to all the good and all the truth thereof; this is its end.
That they are devils is clear from the same in the spiritual world. Those who have exercised the Divine power of the Lord in the world speak, after death, in most holy terms concerning the Lord, and worship Him with every kind of external devotion. But when their interior states are seen (for these may be uncovered and seen in the spiritual world), it is seen that they are profane, because atheistical, and full of diabolical craftiness. Hence it was manifested that their holy externals served them as means to dominion as an end.
A conversation once arose among the spirits whether any devil in hell could do the same. Therefore one of the worst was called thence, and he was told that he should have dominion over many, if he could worship the Lord with sanctity, and acknowledge His Divine to be equal to that of the Father, and perform at the same time all things belonging to worship. On hearing that he could have dominion over many, he immediately became interiorly cunning, assumed a holy external, and worshipped the Lord more reverently than many angels, becoming angry with all those who did not adore Him. But as soon as he observed that dominion was not granted him, he became enraged against the Lord Himself, and not only denied His Divine and also the Divine of the Father, but cast reproaches upon both; for he was an atheist.
[4] That such is the nature of Babylon at this day is quite clear from this, that under the pretence of the keys being given to Peter, they have transferred to themselves all the Divine power of the Lord, having shut up Divine truth from the people by taking away the Word, and have given to the dictates of the Pope a sanctity equal, indeed actually superior, to that of the Word. They teach but little, if anything, about the fear and worship of God, but the fear and worship of themselves, and also the worship of holy things for the sake of themselves. It is therefore clear that Babylon at its end is the church void and empty of all the good of love to God, and of all the good of love towards the neighbour, and consequently of all truth. Consequently, it is no longer a church but an idolatry; and therefore it differs very little from the Gentilism of the ancients, who worshipped Baal, Ashtaroth, Baalzebub, and others; and yet had temples, stated feasts, altars, sacrifices, incense, drink-offerings, and other things, similar to those of the Jewish Church. These things are stated concerning Babylon at its beginning, and at its end, in order that it may be known why it is that Babel, in the Word, is sometimes exalted even to heaven, and sometimes cast down even to hell.
[5] That such is the nature of Babel is quite evident from the description and representation of it in the prophets, and especially in Daniel. First, from the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel:
Nebuchadnezzar the king saw in his dream a statue standing before him; "the head thereof was of fine gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs iron, and the feet part iron and part clay." Afterwards "a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the statue upon its feet, which were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces, and then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, were bruised together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor, so that the wind carried them away, and their place was no more found. But the stone which smote the statue became a great rock" (2:31-35).
From the interpretation of this dream by Daniel, it is evident that the state of the church which becomes Babylon, is there described from its beginning to its end. The reason why it is Babylon which is described is, that those things were seen by the king of Babel in a dream; and he also saw a statue over against him. It is also openly declared to the king by Daniel,
"Thou art this head of gold" (ver. 38).
The successive states of that church even to the last are described by the head, the breast, the arms, the belly, the thighs, the legs, and the feet of this statue; also by the gold, the silver, the brass, the iron, and the clay, of which the statue consisted from top to bottom. From these things it is evident that this church in its beginning was full of wisdom from the good of love to the Lord. For the head, which is highest, signifies wisdom; and gold the good of love to the Lord. That the last state of that church would be one which was destitute of all the good of love and of all wisdom, is signified by the toes of its feet being part iron and part clay. For this is thus interpreted by Daniel:
"Whereas thou sawest iron mingled with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man; but they shall not cleave one to the other, even as iron is not mixed with clay" (ver. 43).
The seed of man signifies Divine truth, thus the truth of the Word; and by this no coherence is effected, because it is falsified at the end of the church by being applied to the worship of men. The destruction of this church is described by the stone breaking in pieces all parts of the statue. By the stone is signified Divine truth; and the Lord as to Divine truth, by the rock which the stone became. Its destruction is the Last Judgment. The New Church, which will then be established by the Lord, is described by these words:
"The God of the heavens shall cause a kingdom to arise which shall not perish for ever, and his kingdom shall not be left to another people. It shall break in pieces and consume all those kingdoms, but itself shall stand for ever" (ver. 44).
[6] By kingdom, in this and other parts of the Word, is signified the church; similarly, by a man, in whose form the statue was.
The church which afterwards became Babylon is also described by the tree seen by King Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, in Daniel:
"I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great; the tree grew and became strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth; the leaf thereof was beautiful, and the flower thereof much, the beast of the field had shadow under it, and in its boughs dwelt the birds of heaven, and all flesh was fed from it. But behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven, crying with might, saying thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, and disperse the flower thereof, let the beasts flee from under, and the birds from its branches; but leave the stump of its root in the earth, and in a band of iron and brass, in the herb of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the beast in the grass of the earth; they shall change his heart from a man's, and the heart of a beast shall be given to him, while seven times shall pass over him, until they who live shall know that the Lord is the Most High in the kingdom of man" (4:10-17).
That King Nebuchadnezzar, consequently Babel itself, is meant by that tree, and all belonging to it, is openly declared in verses 20, 21, 22. And that the things heard befell the king, namely, that he was driven out from man, dwelt with the beasts of the field, ate grass like the oxen, until seven times had passed over him, is evident from verses 32, 33, 34 of that chapter. That these things came upon him because of the love of self, and the pride of his own dominion, is clear from these words of his:
"Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my strength, and for the glory of mine honour?" (ver. 30).
And afterwards when he was restored:
"I Nebuchadnezzar, honouring the King of the heavens, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment; and those who walk in pride, he is able to abase" (ver. 37).
By that state of Nebuchadnezzar is described the state of those, after death, who exalt themselves as gods over everything of the church; namely, that they are driven out from man, that they are no longer like men with respect to understanding; that they become beasts, and eat grass as oxen; and that their hairs grow like the eagles', and their nails like birds' claws; which signifies that they are utterly sensual; that instead of being intelligent they are foolish; and instead of being wise they are insane. To eat grass, to have hair like the eagles', and nails like birds' claws, signifies to become sensual.
[7] The successive states of the church, which at last became Babylon, are also described by the four beasts ascending out of the sea, in Daniel:
It was seen by him, that four beasts ascended out of the sea, "the first like a lion, but it had wings like an eagle, but the wings were plucked out, and it was lifted up from the earth and raised up on the feet as a man, and the heart of a man was given to it. Afterwards, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth, and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After these, behold, another like a leopard, which had four wings like birds upon the back, and four heads; and dominion was given to it. Afterwards a fourth beast, terrible and formidable, and exceeding strong, which had great iron teeth; and devoured, and brake in pieces, and trampled on the residue with its feet" (7:3-7).
That by these beasts also are described the successive states of the church, from its first to its last, may be seen above (n. 23-25.
[8] That the church which has become Babylon will then be destroyed, and a new church be established, which will worship the Lord, is meant by these words:
"I looked and, behold, with the clouds of the heavens, one like the Son of man. To him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and tongues, might worship him. His dominion is the dominion of an age, which shall not pass away; and his kingdom that which shall not perish. And the kingdom and dominion, and the majesty of the kingdoms under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is the kingdom of an age; and all dominions shall worship him, and obey him" (vers. 13, 14, 27).
By the Son of man is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, and as to the Word. That a church is to be established by Him, which will worship Him, is meant by dominion being given to Him, and glory and a kingdom, and His dominion being the dominion of an age which shall not pass away; and the church to be established by Him is meant by the kingdom given to the people of the saints. The reason why this will come to pass, when the church is made Babylon, that is, becomes so devastated that there is no longer any good nor any truth remaining in it, is because then is its end; thus, when there is no longer any church. This end is meant by the end of Babylon. Not that their idolatrous worship in the world is to be destroyed together with them. For this will continue; not, however, as the worship of any church, but as the worship of paganism. Therefore also after death these same persons come amongst the Pagans, and no longer among Christians. But from those who have not worshipped the Pope, nor the saints and graven images, but the Lord, a new church is formed by the Lord.
[9] The Babylonish idolatry is described in Daniel:
By the high statue which king Nebuchadnezzar set up, and concerning which an edict was published, that all should fall down and worship it; and that those who did not, should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace (3:1-7).
The same is also described in the same prophet:
By the decree published by Darius the Mede, that no one should ask a petition from any god, or any man, but from the king; and that whosoever asked anything from god or man within thirty days, should be cast into a den of lions (Daniel 6:8-10).
By these things Babel or Babylon is described as to dominion over holy things, and as to the arrogating of Divine power. And their destruction is described by all those who persuaded Darius to make that statute being cast into the den of lions, and devoured.
[10] Babel is also described in Daniel:
By Belshazzar the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, drinking wine out of the vessels of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar his father brought from the temple of Jerusalem, and at the same time praising their gods of gold and silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, when the writing upon the wall appeared to him; after which the king was slain that same night (5:1, to the end).
By these things was represented, and thence signified, the profanation of the holy things of the church by those who belong to Babylon, and who extend their dominion even to heaven; for it is said:
Thou exaltedst thyself above the Lord of the heavens, when they brought the vessels of his house before thee (ver. 23).
From these passages in Daniel it is evident, that by Babylon or Babel, in the Word, is meant the love of dominion over the world, and over heaven, and over the Lord Himself; and that the church of the Lord becomes successively Babylon; and that as it becomes Babylon, so it is devastated as to all the good of love and as to all the truth of faith; and that the end of it is, that it is no longer a church. And when it is no longer a church, it is reckoned among the idolatrous nations, with the exception of those who worship the Lord, account the Word holy, and admit instruction from it.
[11] Babel or Babylon is also described, in Isaiah:
"Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and again choose Israel, to set them in their land. It shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, that thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel. How hath the exactor ceased, the lust of gold ceased. Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of them that rule," whence "all the earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into singing; even the oaks shall rejoice on account of thee, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down no feller hath come upon us. Hell beneath is moved on account of thee, to meet thee in thy coming; it hath stirred up Rephaim on account of thee, all the mighty of the earth; it hath made to rise from their thrones all the kings of the nations; all they shall answer and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak like us? art thou become like to us? Thy magnificence is let down into hell, the tumult of thy psalteries; the worm is spread under thee, and the grubs over thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning, thou art cut down to the earth, thou art weakened beneath the nations; and yet thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars" of heaven, "and I will sit in the mount of the assembly, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like unto the Most High; but yet thou art cast down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee consider thee. Is this the man that moveth the earth, that maketh the kingdoms tremble, that hath made the world into a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof? Thou art cast forth from thy sepulchre, as an abominable shoot, the raiment of the slain that are thrust through with the sword, who descend unto the stones of the pit, as a carcase trodden under foot. Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulchre, for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of the malicious shall not be named for ever. Prepare the slaughter for his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers, that they may not rise and possess the earth, and fill the faces of the earth with cities. I will arise against them, saith Jehovah Zebaoth, and I will cut off from Babel the name and the residue, and the son and the grandson. I will make thee a heritage for the bittern, and into lakes of waters, and I will sweep her with the besom of destruction. And I will break Asshur in my land, and upon my mountains will I tread him under foot" (14:1-25).
All these things are said of Babel, and not of any devil, who was created an angel of light, and who, having become rebellious, was cast into hell, and from his primeval state was called "Lucifer, son of the morning." That Babel is here described is plain from verses 4 and 22 of this chapter, where the king of Babel and Babel are mentioned, for it is said:
"Thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel";
and afterwards:
"I will cut off from Babel the name and the residue."
It must be observed that by a king, in the Word, is signified the same as by his kingdom. The reason why Babel is called Lucifer, the son of the morning, is that, as said above, Babel, in the beginning, is the church which is zealous for the Lord, for the good of love, and for the truths of faith; although inwardly, in the zeal of her pastors, there lies hidden a fire of ruling by means of the holy things of the church, over all those whom they can subdue to themselves. Hence it is that Babel is called "Lucifer, the son of the morning." For the same reason he is also called "King of kings," into whose hand are given all things.
And also is called the head of the statue which was gold (Dan. 2:37, 38).
Then also, "The tree in the midst of the earth, great in height" (Dan. 4:7, 19).
[12] Babel in its beginning is also meant by
"The lion which had the wings of an eagle, and which afterwards appeared as a man, and a man's heart was given unto it" (Dan. 7:4).
And is called, "The ornament of the kingdoms and the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans" (Isaiah 13:19).
It is also mentioned amongst, "Those that know Jehovah" (Psalms 87:4).
Now because by Babel, in its beginning, is signified such a church, therefore the king of Babel is here called "Lucifer, the son of the morning;" Lucifer from the light of truth then, and son of the morning (aurora), from the first beginning of the light or of day. For the morning is the church in its beginning. But still, in that chapter, is described this church as to its state in the end, when Babylon is become a whore; which is its state, when there is no longer any good of love, or any truth of faith remaining. This its state is what is meant by the destruction and damnation thereof to hell. Their destruction spoken of in the Word is no other than that, after death, those are cast down into hell who have arrogated to themselves Divine power, and have exercised it; and for that purpose have kept the people of the earth in dense darkness or blindness, and in idolatrous worship, especially those who have led men away from the worship of the Lord.
[13] Because these are the things described in that chapter, the passages which have been quoted shall be briefly explained:- Jehovah shall have compassion upon Jacob, and shall again choose Israel, to set him in their land, signifies a new church to be established by the Lord after the end of Babylon. In that day thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel, and shalt say, How hath the exactor ceased, the lust of gold ceased, signifies liberation from the spiritual captivity and servitude, in which those were who were under the dominion of that [church]. Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of them that rule, signifies that they have no longer any power by means of truths from good, because they are in mere falsities from evil. Such is their impotence in the spiritual world. All the earth is at rest, they break forth into singing, even the oaks shall rejoice on account of thee, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down no feller hath come upon us, signifies that those who are in the knowledges of good and truth will no longer be infested by them. The land is a new church, which will be at rest from them. The oaks and the cedars of Lebanon are the knowledges of good and truth in the external and internal senses; the feller not coming upon them denotes no more infestation. Hell beneath is moved on account of thee, to meet thee in thy coming; it hath stirred up Rephaim on account of thee, all the mighty of the earth; it hath made to rise from their thrones all the kings of the nations, signifies the delight of revenge of those who are in hell. All they shall answer and say, Art thou become weak like us? art thou become like unto us? And thy magnificence cast down into hell, the tumult of thy psalteries, signifies that the delight is from the consideration, that it is become like to them, and in like manner in the falsities of evil. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning, thou art cut down to the earth, thou art weakened beneath the nations, signifies scorning because it is such, although in the beginning it was in heaven, because in the good of love and in the truths of faith. These things are said by those who are in hell, because nothing is more delightful to those who are there than to draw any one down from heaven, and to destroy by the falsities of evil. But yet thou hast said in thine heart, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, and I will sit in the mount of the assembly, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like to the Most High. These are also words of scorning upon the pride of their dominion, that still they reach to heaven, and arrogate to themselves Divine power, and thereby subject all things of heaven and all things of the church to their own will, in order that they may be worshipped and adored as gods. The mount of the assembly at the sides of the north, denotes where there is ascent into the heavens. Above the stars and above the heights of the cloud, denotes over Divine truth, stars denoting the knowledges of good and truth, and the heights of the cloud the interior truths of the Word. But notwithstanding thou art cast down to hell, to the sides of the pit, those who see thee consider thee. Is this the man that moveth the earth, that maketh the kingdoms tremble, hath made the world into a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof? is a continuation of the scorning of those who are in hell, and also of the glorying thence that it is cast down from heaven. The sides of the pit are the places in hell where are mere falsities of evil. By the earth, the kingdoms, and the world, is signified the church; and by cities are signified doctrinals. Thou art cast forth from thy sepulchre as an abominable shoot, the raiment of the slain, thrust through with the sword, who descend to the stones of the pit, as a carcase trodden under foot, signifies the state of their damnation. The garment of them that are slain, thrust through with the sword, and the carcase trodden under foot, signify the damnation of the profanation of truth. Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulchre, for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of the malicious shall not be named for ever, signifies more grievous damnation than of the rest, on account of having extinguished all things of the church. Prepare the slaughter for his sons for the iniquity of their fathers, that they may not arise and possess the earth, and fill the faces of the earth with cities, signifies the destruction of them for ever. I will cut off from Babel the name and the residue, and the son and the grandson, signifies total destruction, because they have no longer any thing of good or of truth. I will make thee a heritage for the bittern, and pools of waters, and I will sweep her with the besom of destruction, signifies the infernal falsity by the destruction of truth. I will break Asshur in my land, and upon my mountains will I tread him under foot, signifies that in the New Church there shall not be any reasonings from falsities against truths and goods. The things in this chapter may be seen more particularly explained in other parts of this work, as (n. 208, 223, 304, 331, 386, 405, 539, 589, 594, 608, 659, 687, 697, 724, 727, 730, 741, 768, 811.
[14] Again:
"So shall Babel be the ornament of kingdoms and the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans; as the overthrow of God, Sodom and Gomorrah, it shall not be inhabited for ever; it shall not be dwelt in even to generation and generation; so that the Arab shall not tarry there, nor the shepherds cause to lie down. But the Ziim shall be there, and their houses shall be filled with Ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there; the Iim also shall answer in her palaces, and the dragons in the palaces of their delights; her time is near to come, and her day shall not be drawn out" (Isaiah 13:19-22).
The subject treated of in the whole of that chapter is the total devastation of all things of the good, and of all things of the truth of the church, with those who are of Babylon. By so shall Babel be, in the literal sense, is meant the great city called Babel; but, in the spiritual sense, is meant the church which became Babylon. Babel is called the ornament of the kingdoms, and the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans, from the wisdom of that church in its beginning, as said before; but, in general, by Babel or Babylon is meant the church in which all the goods of love are destroyed and at last profaned; and by Chaldea, the church in which all the truths of faith are destroyed and at last profaned. Hence it is that it is called the overthrow of God, Sodom and Gomorrah; Sodom also signifying the destruction of all good by the love of self, and Gomorrah the destruction of all the truth therefrom. It shall not be inhabited for ever; it shall not be dwelt in even to generation and generation, signifies the destruction thereof to eternity; not to be inhabited for ever having respect to the destruction of good, and not to be dwelt in to generation and generation, having respect to the destruction of truth. For those who destroy good and truth, and afterwards in place of them embrace evil and falsity, cannot be reformed. It is otherwise with those who are in evils and falsities, but have not destroyed good and truth, as is the case with the Gentiles who are ignorant of good and truth. The Arab shall not tarry there, and the shepherds shall not cause to lie down, signifies that the church will become such a wilderness, the Arab denoting those who live in a wilderness, but do not continue there, because there is no corn or fruit, as is the case also with the flock of the shepherds, when there is no pasture. The Iim shall lie down there, and the houses shall be filled with Ochim, signifies infernal falsities and the evils pertaining to them, the Iim denoting infernal falsities, and the Ochim infernal evils; and the house is the mind of those who are of such a quality. The daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there, signifies that falsified truths and adulterated goods are there. Falsified truths are the daughters of the owl, and adulterated goods are the satyrs; and to dance denotes the joy from the filthy love which has adulterated the good of love. The Iim, shall answer in her palaces, and the dragons in the palaces of her delights, signifies those adulterations and falsifications in their doctrines.
[15] Babel is similarly described in other passages in the prophets. As in Jeremiah:
"O sword against Babel, O sword against her treasures, that they may be spoiled; a drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up, because it is a land of graven images, and they glory concerning horrible things; therefore the Ziim with the Iim shall dwell there, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell therein; she shall not sit any more for ever, nor shall she inhabit even to generation and generation; according to the overthrow of God, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbouring cities thereof, a man shall not dwell there, neither shall the son of man abide therein" (50:35, 37-40).
In the same:
"Flee out of the midst of Babel, and deliver a man his soul, lest ye be cut off for the iniquity thereof; a cup of gold is Babel in the hand of Jehovah, making drunken the whole earth. The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are insane. Babel hath fallen suddenly, and is broken in pieces. Behold I am against thee, destroying mountain, saith Jehovah, that destroyest the whole earth. And I will stretch out my hand against thee, and will roll thee down from the rocks, and I will make thee for a mountain of combustion. Neither shall they take from thee a stone for a corner. Babel shall become heaps, a dwelling of dragons, a stupor and hissing, no inhabitant" (51:6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 37).
In Isaiah:
"Hear now," Babel, "sitting securely, saying in her heart, I am, and there is no one else besides me. I shall not sit a widow, neither shall I know bereaving. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day, bereaving and widowhood. They shall come full upon thee, for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness, not seeing me. Thy wisdom and thy science hath seduced thee, while thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and there is none besides me. Therefore evil shall come upon thee, which thou knowest not to deprecate, and calamity shall fall upon thee, which thou shalt not be able to expiate; and there shall come upon thee suddenly a devastation that thou shalt not know" (47:8-11).
Thus is described the destruction of Babel not only there, but also in the whole of chapter 47 of Isaiah, also in the whole of chapters 50 and 51 of Jeremiah; also in Isaiah 21:8, 9, and in David (Psalms 136:1, 8, 9).
The adulteration of good and falsification of truth by the Jews is also described by their whoredoms in Egypt, and afterwards with the daughters of Asshur; and lastly with the daughters of Babel and the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 19:1, to the end; 23:1, to the end). And by whoredoms in Egypt is meant the falsification of truth from the natural man, which is effected by fallacies, appearances, and scientifics. By their whoredom with the daughters of Asshur is signified the falsification of truth from the rational man, which is effected by reasonings and sophistries from fallacies, appearances, and scientifics. By their whoredom with the daughters of Babel and with the Chaldeans is signified the adulteration of good and profanation of truth.
[16] When, therefore, the sons of Israel altogether departed from the statutes, that were representative of the spiritual things of the church by which they had communication with heaven, then they were all given into the hands of the king of Assyria. For there was no longer any representative church with them, and, consequently, no communication with heaven. Concerning their prevarications, and concerning their transportation by the king of Assyria into his cities, and also into Babel, see 2 Kings 17:1, to the end.
It came to pass similarly with the Jews, who, when they had so adulterated and profaned all the statutes, judgments, and laws, which represented the good of love and the truth of faith, that there was no longer anything of good and truth remaining, and when their church, consequently, became Babylon, then into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel were given not only their kings and princes, and the whole people, but also all the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and afterwards all the golden vessels thereof; and, moreover, the temple itself was burned.
Concerning which see 2 Kings 24:1-20; 25:1-26; also Isaiah 20:17, 18; 39:6, 7; Jeremiah 20:4, 5; 21:4-10; 25:1-12; 27:6-22; 28:1-16; 29:1-21; 32:1-5; 34:1-17, 18-22; 35:11; 38:17-23; 39:2-18; 41:1-12; 52:1, to the end.
Their transgressions were:
That they filled Jerusalem with innocent blood (2 Kings 24:4);
That they burned incense to Baal; made drink offerings to other gods; set up abominations in the house of Jehovah; built high places to Baal in the valley of Hinnom; delivered up their sons and daughters to Molech (Jeremiah 32:29-35);
by all of which is signified the profanation of the holy things of the church, the same kind of profanation that is also signified by Babel. Therefore, lest the land, by which the church was signified, should any longer be profaned by them, and also that Babel might thence fully put on its representation, it was said to them by Jeremiah that they should freely give themselves into the hands of the king of Babel; and that if they did not so give themselves up, but remained in the land, they should die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence (Jeremiah 25:1-11).
[17] But because the Lord should be born in that nation, and manifest Himself where the church then was, and where His Word was, therefore that nation, after a captivity of seventy years, was brought back from Babel, and the temple rebuilt. But still no other church remained with them, except that which was like the church Babylon, as is evident from many things which the Lord Himself said concerning that nation, and by the manner in which they received Him. Therefore Jerusalem was at last destroyed, and the temple burnt with fire.
[18] It must be observed in general, that every church at its beginning is like a virgin, but in process of time it becomes a whore. For by degrees it enters into the life of evil, and thence embraces the doctrine of falsity, as it gradually begins to love self and the world; and then from being a church it becomes either Babylon or Philistea, Babylon with those who love themselves above all things, and Philistea with those who love the world above all things. For as these two loves increase, so, the men of the church adulterate and falsify the goods and truths of the Word, which is from being a virgin to become a harlot.
That the first church after the Deluge would also have become Babylon, unless the Lord, by the dispersal of their religion, had impeded the attempt, is represented and signified by the tower reaching even to heaven, which the posterity of Noah began to build, treated of in Genesis (Arcana Coelestia 1283-1328).
After having thus shown from the Word what is signified in general and specifically by Babel or Babylon, we are now prepared to pass on to the explanation of those things that are foretold in this and the following chapter concerning its destruction.
1029. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 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 committed whoredom, and they that dwell on the earth 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 inwrought with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom.
5. And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and of the 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 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.
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 have not been 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; the five have fallen, and the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he is come he must remain a short time.
11. And the beast which 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 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 Lord of lords, and King of kings; also those 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 shall 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, which hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth.
EXPLANATIOn.
As this chapter and the following treat of Babylon, before these chapters are explained, what is meant by Babylon in general and in particular shall be told; also what it is in the beginning, and what it becomes afterwards by degrees. "Babylon" (or Babel) means the church consisting of those who by means of the holy things of the church strive to gain dominion over the whole world, and this by dominion over the souls of men, claiming to themselves authority to save whomsoever they will; and these finally seek dominion over heaven and hell and make it their own. And to this end they draw and transfer to themselves all the Lord's authority, as if it had been given them by Him. The church consisting of such is very different in the beginning from what it becomes in process of time. In the beginning they are as it were in zeal for the Lord, for the Word, for love and faith, and especially for the salvation of men. But in that zeal the fire of domineering lies hidden; and in process of time as dominion increases this breaks forth; and so far as it comes into act the holy things of the church become the means, and dominion itself the end; and when dominion becomes the end the holy things of the church are applied to that end, and thus to themselves; and then they not only ascribe the salvation of souls to their own authority, but they also appropriate to themselves all the Lord's Divine power. And when they do this they pervert every good and every truth of the church, and thus profane the holy things of the church. These things are "Babylon. "
[2] That this is so has been shown me to the life. In the spiritual world there were those who strove to gain such dominion; and as they knew that the Lord alone has all power, they put on a seeming zeal for Him and for heaven and for the church, and they labored with all their might to worship the Lord alone, and to observe in a holy way all things of the Word; and they arranged to have sanctity and integrity prevail in all. But it was granted to know that in such zeal an ardent desire of domineering over all others lay hidden, believing that the things they arranged would be acceptable to the Lord. For just as soon as they began to gain dominion, their end was gradually disclosed, which was that they and not the Lord should rule, and thus that the Lord should serve them and not they the Lord; and they were indignant if they were not permitted, like gods, to dispose everything at their will; and it was perceived also that they thought lightly of the Lord, and even rejected Him if He did not grant them authority to do all things as they pleased, and unless He assented to every decision of theirs. It was also perceived that if they dared, they would, under some pretext, transfer His Divine authority to themselves; but they were afraid of being for this reason cast down into hell. By this it was shown how Babylon begins and how it ends. The conclusion to be drawn from this was that when dominion becomes the end, and the holy things of the church become the means, the worship of God is turned, under various pretexts, into the worship of men; so that they themselves are actually gods, and the Lord is not actually God, but is so called for the sake of form.
[3] Now because dominion by means of the holy things of the church over the souls of men, over heaven, and over the Lord Himself, is inwardly profane, it follows that it is infernal; for the devils who are in hell desire nothing so much as to have dominion over heaven, and over the Lord Himself; and this they attempt to do under various pretexts, but as soon as they attempt it they are swallowed up by hell. And since those who in the world cast the Lord down from the seat of His kingdom and place themselves upon it, are in heart like devils, it is evident that a church made up of such must in process of time be devastated as to all its good and all its truth; and this is its end. That such are devils is evident from the same in the spiritual world. Those who have exercised the Lord's Divine authority in the world talk about the Lord after death in a most holy manner, and worship Him with all external devotion. But when their interiors are looked into (for in the spiritual world these can be uncovered and looked into) they are seen to be profane, because they are godless and full of diabolical craft; and from this it becomes clear that their holy externals had served them as means to an end, which was dominion. At one time the question arose among spirits whether any devil in hell could do the like; one of the worst was therefore summoned, and was told that he would receive dominion over many if he would worship the Lord with sanctity and acknowledge His Divine to be equal to the Divine of the Father, and at the same time would observe all things of worship. When he heard of dominion over many he immediately disposed his interiors to craft and his exteriors to holiness, and worshiped the Lord in a more holy manner than many angels, burning with anger against all who would not adore Him. But as soon as he observed that dominion was not given to him, he burned with anger against the Lord Himself, and denied both His Divine and the Divine of the Father, and even cast reproaches upon both; for he was an atheist.
[4] That such is Babylon at this day is clearly evident from the fact that under the pretext of the keys having been given to Peter, they have transferred to themselves all the Divine authority of the Lord, that they have shut up Divine truth from the people by taking away the Word, and that they have ascribed to the decrees of the Pope a holiness equal and even superior to the holiness of the Word; also that they teach little, if at all, the fear and worship of God, but only a fear and worship of themselves, and also a worship of the saints for the sake of themselves. All this makes clear that Babylon in its end is a church empty and void of all the good of love to God, and of all the good of love towards the neighbor, and consequently of all truth. It is therefore no longer a church but an idolatry, and as such it differs but little from the heathenisms of the ancients, who worshiped Baal, Ashtaroth, Beelzebub, and others, and yet had temples, appointed feasts, altars, sacrifices, incense, libations and other things like those of the Jewish Church. These things have been said about Babylon in its beginning and at its end, to make known why in the Word Babylon is sometimes extolled even to heaven, and sometimes cast down even to hell.
[5] That Babylon is such can be seen fully from the descriptions and representations of it in the Prophets, and especially in Daniel. First, from the statue of king Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel:
There appeared to king Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, a statue standing opposite the king; its head was of good gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of brass, its legs of iron, and its feet part of iron and part of clay. Afterwards a stone was cut out, not by hands, which smote the statue upon its feet, which were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces; and then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, were broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor; so that the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them. But the stone that smote the statue became a great rock (Daniel 2:31-35).
From the interpretation of this dream by Daniel, it is clear that it describes the state of the church that becomes Babylon, from its beginning to its end. It is Babylon that is described, for these things were seen by the king of Babylon in a dream, and he saw a statue opposite to him; also Daniel said plainly to the king:
Thou art its head which is gold (Daniel 2:38).
The successive states of this church even to the last are depicted by the head, breast, arms, belly, thighs, legs, and feet of that statue; likewise by the gold, silver, brass, iron and clay, of which the statue consisted from top to bottom. All this makes clear that this church in its beginning was full of wisdom from the good of love to the Lord. For its "head," which is the highest part, signifies wisdom, and "gold" signifies the good of love to the Lord. That the toes of its feet were "part of iron and part of clay" signifies that the last state of that church would be without any good of love and without any wisdom; for this is thus interpreted by Daniel:
Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of man; but they shall not cohere one with the other, even as iron doth not mingle with clay (Daniel 2:43).
"The seed of man" signifies the Divine truth, thus the truth of the Word; and by this no coherence is effected, because at the end of the church it is falsified by application to the worship of men. The destruction of this church is described by "the stone brake in pieces all parts of the statue." "Stone" signifies the Divine truth; and the "rock" which the stone became signifies the Lord as to the Divine truth. Its destruction is the Last Judgment. The New Church that will then be established by the Lord is described by these words:
The God of the heavens shall make a kingdom to arise which shall not perish for ages, and His kingdom shall not be committed to another people. It shall break in pieces and consume all those kingdoms, but itself shall stand for ages (Daniel 2:44).
Here and elsewhere in the Word "kingdom" signifies the church; so, too, does a "man," in the form of which the statue was.
[6] The church that afterwards became Babylon is also described by the "tree" seen by King Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, in Daniel:
I was looking, when behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great; the tree grew and became strong, and the height thereof reached even unto heaven, and the sight thereof even unto the end of all the earth; the leaf thereof was beautiful, and the flower thereof much; the beast of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of heaven dwelt in the branches of it, and all flesh was nourished by it. But behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven, crying with all might, saying thus, Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, and scatter his flower, let the beast flee from under him, and the birds from his branches; but leave the stump of his root in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the herb of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let his portion be with the beast in the grass of the earth; they shall change his heart from man's, and the heart of a beast shall be given to him, until seven times shall pass over him, until the living shall know that the Lord is the Most High in the kingdom of man (Daniel 4:10-17).
That King Nebuchadnezzar, consequently Babylon itself, is meant by that tree and all things of it, is plainly declared in verses 20-22; and that the things that were heard happened to the king, namely, that he was driven out from man, dwelt with the beast of the field, ate the herb like oxen, until seven times had passed over him, is evident from verses 32-34, of the same chapter. That these things came upon him because of the love of self and the pride of his own dominion is evident from these words of his:
Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power and for the glory of mine honor? (Daniel 4:30.)
And afterwards when he was restored:
I, Nebuchadnezzar, honor the King of the heavens, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment; and those that walk in pride He is able to humble (Daniel 4:37).
This state of Nebuchadnezzar depicts the state of those after death who exalt themselves as gods over all things of the church, namely, "they are driven out from man," which means that as to the understanding they are no longer like men; "they become beasts and eat grass like oxen," and "their hairs grow like eagles' feathers and their nails like birds' claws" signifies that they are wholly sensual, that in place of intelligence they have foolishness and in place of wisdom insanity; "to eat grass, to have hair like eagles' feathers, and nails like birds' claws" signifies to become sensual.
[7] The successive states of the church which at length became Babylon are described also by "the four beasts coming up out of the sea," in Daniel:
There appeared to him four beasts coming up out of the sea, the first was like a lion, but it had eagle's wings, but the wings were plucked out, and it was lifted up from the earth and raised up on the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. Afterwards another beast, a second, like a bear, and it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this, behold another like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings like those of birds, and four heads; and dominion was given to it. Afterwards a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible and exceedingly strong and it had great teeth of iron, it devoured and brake in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet (316, 556, 650, 780, 781). That in the first state they were in truths, and thus in intelligence, is signified by "the lion that had an eagle's wings," and that afterwards appeared "like a man, and a man's heart was given to it." That in the last state they are in falsities from evil of every kind is signified by "the fourth beast, that was dreadful, that devoured and brake in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet." Of this beast other things are said in verses 23-25.
[8] That the church that has become Babylon will then be destroyed, and a New Church established that will worship the Lord, is meant by these words:
I was seeing, and behold with the clouds of the heavens One like the Son of man. And there was given Him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and tongues might worship Him. His dominion is the dominion of an age, which shall not pass away; and His kingdom that which shall not perish. And the kingdom and the dominion and the majesty of kingdoms under all the heavens shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is the kingdom of an age; and all dominions shall worship Him and obey (Daniel 7:13-14, 27).
"The Son of man" means the Lord as to the Divine Human and as to the Word. That a church is to be established by Him that will worship Him is meant by the words, "there was given Him dominion and glory and a kingdom, and His dominion is the dominion of an age, which shall not pass away"; and the church that is to be established by Him is meant by "the kingdom given to the people of the saints." This would come to pass when the church had become Babylon, that is, so devastated that there is no longer any good or truth remaining in it, because then is its end, that is, there is then no longer a church. This end is meant by the end of Babylon. Not that the idolatrous worship of such in the world will be destroyed and themselves with it, for this will remain, but not as the worship of any church, but as the worship of paganism; consequently such after death will come among pagans, and be no longer among Christians. But from those who have adored the Lord, and not the Pope or saints or graven images, a New Church will be gathered up by the Lord.
[9] The Babylonish idolatry is described in Daniel:
By the high statue which king Nebuchadnezzar set up and which he decreed all should fall down to and adore; and those who did not should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:1-7).
This idolatry is described also in the same:
By the statute that Darius the Mede decreed, that no one should ask any petition from any god or from any man, but from the king; and that whosoever should ask anything from god or from man within thirty days, should be cast into a den of lions (Daniel 6:7-9).
By this "Babel" or "Babylon" is depicted as to dominion over holy things, and the assumption of Divine authority; and the destruction of such is described by all who persuaded Darius to make that statute being cast into the den of lions and devoured.
[10] Babylon is described also in Daniel:
By Belshazzar the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, drank wine out of the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought from the temple of Jerusalem, and at the same time they praised the gods of gold and silver, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, and then the writing on the wall appeared to him; after which the king was slain that same night (Daniel 5).
This represented and thus signified the profanation of the holy things of the church by those who are of Babylon, and who extend their dominion even unto heaven; for it is said:
Thou hast exalted thyself above the Lord of the heavens, when they brought the vessels of His house before thee (Daniel 5:23).
From these passages in Daniel it can be seen that "Babylon" or "Babel" means in the Word the love of dominion over the entire globe, likewise over heaven and over the Lord Himself, and that the church of the Lord successively becomes Babylon, and that as it becomes Babylon so it is devastated as to all the good of love and all the truth of faith; and that this is its end, that is, it is no longer a church; and when it is no longer a church it is reckoned among the idolatrous nations, except those in it who worship the Lord, regard the Word as holy, and admit instruction from it.
[11] "Babel" or "Babylon" is described also in Isaiah:
Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will again choose Israel, that He may set them in their own land. It shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow that thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babylon. How hath the exactor ceased, the lust of gold ceased. Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers, therefore the whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they have broken forth into singing. Even the oaks rejoice on account of thee, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down no woodcutter hath come upon us. Hell beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming; it hath stirred up Rephaim for thee, all the mighty of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall answer and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us? Thy magnificence is brought down into hell, the noise of thy psalteries; the worm is spread under thee, and the little worms cover thee. How hast thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the dawn. Thou hast been cut down to the earth, thou hast been weakened below the nations. And thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, on the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like the Most High. Yet in truth thou hast been brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee consider thee. Is this the man that moveth the earth, that maketh kingdoms to tremble, that hath made the world a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof? Thou hast been cast out of thy sepulcher, like an abominable shoot, a garment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit, like a carcass trodden under foot. Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulcher, for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of the wicked shall not be named forever. Prepare slaughter for his sons for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up and possess the land, and fill the faces of the land with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith Jehovah of Hosts, and I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son. I will make thee 1a heritage for the bittern and pools of waters, and I will sweep her with the besom of destruction. And I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains will I trample him (Isaiah 14:1-25).
All this is said of Babylon, and not of any devil who was created an angel of light, and became a rebel and was cast into hell, and from his first state was called "Lucifer, son of the dawn." That Babylon is here described is evident from the fourth and twenty-second verses of this chapter, where the king of Babylon and Babylon are mentioned, for it is said, "Thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babylon," and afterwards, "I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant." It is to be known that a king has a like signification in the Word as his kingdom. Babylon is called "Lucifer, son of the dawn," because, as has been said above, Babylon in the beginning is the church that is in zeal for the Lord, for the good of love, and for the truths of faith, although inwardly in the zeal of its pastors lies hidden the fire of dominating by means of the holy things of the church over all whom they can subdue to themselves. This is why Babylon is called "Lucifer, son of the dawn." For the same reason it is called:
King of kings, into whose hand all things are given (Daniel 2:37);
and also:
The head of the statue which was gold (Daniel 2:38);
likewise:
A tree in the midst of the earth, great in height (Daniel 4:10, 22).
[12] Again, Babylon in its beginning is meant by:
The lion that had the wings of an eagle, and afterwards appeared like a man, and a man's heart was given to it (Daniel 7:4);
and is called:
The ornament of the kingdoms and the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans (Isaiah 13:19);
and is mentioned among:
Those that know Jehovah (Psalms 87:4).
Now as Babylon in its beginning signifies such a church, the king of Babylon is here called "Lucifer, son of the dawn," "Lucifer" because of the light of truth at that time, and "son of the dawn" because of the beginning of light or of day, for "dawn" means the church in its beginning. But this chapter describes this church as to its state even to the end, when it has become "Babylon the harlot," which is its state when there is no longer any good of love nor any truth of faith left. This state of it is what is meant by its destruction and condemnation to hell. Their destruction in the world means nothing else than that after death hell is for those who have arrogated to themselves the Divine authority, and have exercised it, and to that end have held the peoples of the earth in dense thick darkness or blindness, and in idolatrous worship; especially those who have led men away from the worship of the Lord.
[13] As these are the things described in this chapter I will explain briefly the passages quoted from it. "Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will again choose Israel, that He may set him upon their own land," signifies a new church to be established by the Lord after the end of Babylon. "In that day thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the exactor ceased, the lust for gold ceased," signifies deliverance from the spiritual captivity and servitude in which those were who were under its dominion. "Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of those having dominion," signifies that they no longer have any power by means of truths from good, because they are in mere falsities from evil; such is their impotence in the spiritual world. "The whole earth is quiet; they have broken forth into singing, even the oaks rejoice on account of thee, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down no woodcutter hath come upon us," signifies that those who are in the knowledges of good and truth will no longer be infested by such, "earth" meaning a new church that will be at rest from them, "oaks" and "cedars of Lebanon" meaning the knowledges of good and truth in the external and the internal sense, "the woodcutter not coming upon them" meaning no more infestation. "Hell beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it has stirred up Rephaim for thee, all the mighty of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations," signifies the delight of revenge of those who are in hell. "All shall answer and say, Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us? Thy magnificence is brought down into hell, the noise of thy psalteries," signifies such delight on this account that the church has become like them, and is likewise in the falsities of evil. "How hast thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning, thou hast been cut down to the earth, thou hast been weakened below the nations," signifies derision because of its having become such, although in the beginning it was in heaven, because in the good of love and in the truths of faith. This was said by those who are in hell, because to those in hell nothing is more delightful than to be able to draw one down from heaven and destroy him by falsities of evil. "And thou hast said in thine heart, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, on the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like the Most High," are also words of derision respecting their pride of dominion, that they spread out even to heaven, and arrogate to themselves the Divine authority, and thus subject all things of heaven and all things of the church to their will, to the end that they may be worshiped and adored as gods, "the mount of assembly on the sides of the north" being where there is ascent into the heavens, "over the stars and over the heights of the cloud" being over the Divine truth, "stars" being the knowledges of good and truth, and "heights of the cloud" the interior truths of the Word. "Yet in truth thou hast been brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit; they that see thee consider thee. Is this the man that moveth the earth, that maketh kingdoms to tremble, that hath made the world a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof?" is a continuation of the derision of those who are in hell, and also of their glorying that the church has been cast down from heaven, "the sides of the pit" being places in hell where there are mere falsities of evil, "the earth, the kingdoms, and the world," signifying the church, and "cities" doctrinals. "Thou hast been cast out of thy sepulcher like an abominable shoot, a garment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit, like a carcass trodden under foot," signifies the state of their damnation, "a garment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword, and a carcass trodden under foot," signifying the condemnation of the profanation of truth. "Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulcher, for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of the wicked shall not be named forever," signifies more grievous condemnation than that of the rest, because all things of the church have been extinguished. "Prepare slaughter for his sons for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up and possess the land, and fill the faces of the land with cities," signifies their eternal destruction. "I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son," signifies total destruction, because they have no longer anything of good or of truth. "I will make thee 1a heritage for the bittern, and pools of waters, and I will sweep her with the besom of destruction," signifies infernal falsity through destruction of truth. "I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains will I trample him," signifies that in the New Church there shall spring up no reasonings from falsities against truths and goods. Furthermore, the things in this chapter may be seen more particularly explained in other parts of this work (as n. 208, 223, 304, 331, 386, 405, 539, 589, 594, 608, 659, 687, 697, 724, 727, 730, 741, 768, 811).
[14] In the same:
So shall Babylon, the ornament of kingdoms and the adornment of the magnificence of the Chaldeans, be as God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah; it shall not be inhabited forever; it shall not be dwelt in even from generation to generation; that the Arabian may not abide there, and the shepherds shall not make to lie down; but the ziim shall lie down there, and their houses shall be full of ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and the satyrs shall dance there. And the ijim shall answer in her palaces and dragons in her palaces of delights. Her time is near to come, and her day shall not be prolonged (Isaiah 13:19-22).
This entire chapter treats of the total devastation of all things of good and all things of truth of the church, with those who are of Babylon. "So shall Babylon be" means in the sense of the letter the great city called Babylon; but in the spiritual sense it means the church that has become Babylon. Babylon is called "the ornament of kingdoms and the adornment of the magnificence of the Chaldeans," because of the wisdom of that church in its beginning, as has been said before; but in general "Babel" or "Babylon" means the church in which all the goods of love have been destroyed and finally profaned, and "Chaldea" the church in which all the truths of faith are destroyed and finally profaned; and this is why it is said "as God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah," "Sodom" also signifying the destruction of all good by the love of self, and "Gomorrah" the destruction of all truth therefrom. "It shall not be inhabited forever, it shall not be dwelt in even from generation to generation," signifies its destruction to eternity, "not to be inhabited forever" relating to the destruction of good, and "not to be dwelt in from generation to generation" relating to the destruction of truth; for those who destroy good and truth and afterwards embrace in place of these evil and falsity cannot be reformed. It is otherwise with those who are in evils and falsities but have not destroyed good and truth, as are the Gentiles that have no knowledge of good and truth. "The Arabian shall not abide there, and the shepherds shall not make to lie down," signifies that the church will become such a desert, "the Arabian" meaning one who lives in a desert, but does not abide there, because there is no corn or fruit; and it is the same with the flocks of shepherds when there is no pasture. "The ijim 2shall lie down there, and the houses shall be full of ochim," signifies the infernal falsities and evils pertaining to them, "ijim" meaning infernal falsities, and "ochim" infernal evils, and "house" the mind of those who are such. "The daughters of the owl shall lie down there, and the satyrs shall dance there," signifies that falsified truths and adulterated goods shall be there, "daughters of the owl" meaning falsified truths, and "satyrs" adulterated goods, and "to dance" meaning the joy from filthy love which has adulterated the good of love. "The ijim shall answer in her palaces, and dragons in the palaces of delights," signifies these adulterated and falsified things in their doctrines.
[15] Babylon is likewise described in other passages in the prophets. As in Jeremiah:
O sword against Babylon, a sword against her treasures, that they may be spoiled; a drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up; for it is a land of graven images, and they glory in horrible things; therefore the ziim with the ijim shall dwell there, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell therein; she shall not sit anymore forever, nor shall she be inhabited even from generation to generation; according to God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah, and its neighboring cities, not a man shall dwell there, neither shall a son of man tarry therein (Jeremiah 50:35, 37-40).
In the same:
Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver a man his soul, lest ye be cut off for her iniquity. Babylon is a cup of gold in the hand of Jehovah, making the whole earth drunken; the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is fallen suddenly, and is broken in pieces. Behold I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith Jehovah, destroying the whole earth. And I will stretch out my hand against thee, to roll thee down from the rocks, and to make thee a mountain of burning. And they shall not take from thee a stone for a corner. Babylon shall become heaps, a habitation of dragons, an astonishment and a hissing, without inhabitant (Jeremiah 51:6-8, 25, 26, 37).
In Isaiah:
Hear now, O Babylon, sitting securely, saying in her heart, I and none like me besides; I shall not sit a widow, neither shall I know bereavement. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day, bereavement and widowhood. They shall come upon thee fully because of the multitude of thy sorceries and the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness, saying, No one seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge hath seduced thee, when thou hast said in thy heart, I and none like me besides. Therefore evil shall come upon thee which thou knowest not how to ward off, and calamity shall fall upon thee which thou shall not be able to expiate; and devastation shall come upon thee suddenly which thou knewest not (Isaiah 47:8-11).
Thus the destruction of Babylon is described not only here, but also in the whole of chapter 47 of Isaiah; also in the whole of chapters 50 and 51 of Jeremiah; also in Isaiah 21:8, 9; and in David (Psalms 137:1, 8, 9). Again, the adulteration of good and the falsification of truth by the Jews is described by their whoredoms in Egypt, and afterwards with the daughters of Assyria, and finally with the daughters of Babylon and with the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 16:1-63, 23:1-49). "Whoredom in Egypt" means falsification of truth from the natural man, which is effected by fallacies, appearances, and knowledges. Their whoredom with the daughters of Assyria signifies falsification of truth from the rational man, which is effected by reasonings and sophistries from fallacies, appearances, and knowledges. Their whoredom with the daughters of Babylon and with the Chaldeans signifies the adulteration of good and the profanation of truth.
[16] When, therefore, the sons of Israel wholly departed from the statutes which were representative of the spiritual things of the church, through which they had communication with heaven, they were all given into the hands of the king of Assyria; for there was no longer with them any representative church and consequently no communication with heaven. Respecting their offenses and their being carried away by the king of Assyria into his cities, and also into Babylon, see 2 Kings 17 to the end. The same thing happened to the Jews. When they had adulterated and profaned all the statutes, judgments, and laws that represented good and truth of faith, to the extent that there was no longer anything of good and truth left, and when their church thus became Babylon, then not only their kings and princes and the whole people, but also all the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and afterwards all its golden vessels, were given into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; and moreover the temple itself was burned (respecting this see 2 Kings 24:1-20; 25:1-26; also Isaiah 20:17, 18 [Editor's note: This reference is not correct]; Isaiah 39:6, 7; ; Jeremiah 20:4, 5; 21:4-10; 25:1-12; 27:6-22; 28:1-16; 29:1-21; 32:1-5; 34:1-7, 18-22; 35:11; 38:17-23; 39:2-18; 41:1-12; 52 end). Their transgressions were:
That they filled Jerusalem with innocent blood (2 Kings 24:4);
That they offered incense unto Baal, poured out drink-offerings unto other gods, set abominations in the house of Jehovah, built high places to Baal in the valley of Hinnom, delivered up their sons and daughters to Molech (Jeremiah 32:29-35).
All these signify the profanation of the holy things of the church. Such profanation is signified also by "Babylon." That the land, therefore, which signified the church might no longer be profaned by them, and also that Babylon might thus fully put on its representation, it was said to them by Jeremiah that they should surrender themselves voluntarily into the hands of the king of Babylon, and those who did not surrender themselves, but remained in the land, should die by the sword, famine, and pestilence (Jeremiah 25:1-11).
[17] But since the Lord was to be born in that nation and make Himself manifest where the church then was and where His Word was, so that nation after a captivity of seventy years was brought back from Babylon, and the temple was rebuilt. And yet no other church remained with them except a church like that called Babylon, as can be seen from many things which the Lord Himself said about that nation, and from the way they received Him; and for this reason Jerusalem was again destroyed, and the temple burnt with fire.
[18] It is to be known in general that every church in its beginning is like a virgin, but in process of time it becomes a harlot. For it enters gradually into a life of evil and thus embraces a doctrine of falsity, as gradually it begins to love self and the world; and then from being a church it becomes either Babylon or Philistia, Babylon with those who love self above all things, and Philistia with those who love the world above all things. For as these two loves increase, the men of the church adulterate and falsify the goods and truths of the Word, which is from being a virgin to become a harlot.
[19] The first church after the flood would have become Babylon, if the Lord by the dispersion of their religion had not prevented the attempt, represented and signified by the tower that was to reach even to heaven, which the posterity of Noah began to build (See respecting this in Arcana Coelestia 1283-1328). It having thus been shown from the Word what is signified in general and in particular by "Babylon," we are now prepared to pass on to the explanation of those things which are foretold in this and the following chapter about Babylon and its destruction.
Footnotes:
1. The photolithograph reads "thee," in n. 724 we read "her," which agrees with the Hebrew text.
2. Ijim in text where we read Ziim, which agrees with the Hebrew.
1029. CAPUT XVII.
1. 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 capitamontes 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, et 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 devastatam 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 verbaDei.
18. Et mulier, quam vidisti, est urbs magna habens regnum super reges terrae.
EXPLICATIO.
Quoniam in hoc capite et in sequenti agitur de Babylonia, ideo ante explicationem illorum capitum dicetur quid in genere et in specie per "Babyloniam" intelligitur, et qualis illa est in principio, et qualis fit postea per gradus. Per "Babyloniam" seu per "Babelem" intelligitur ecclesia ab illis qui per sancta ecclesiae affectant ad dominium super universum terrarum orbem, et hoc per dominium super animas hominum, vindicando sibi potestatem salvandi quoscunque volunt; et demum quaerunt et quoque sibi appropriant dominium super caelum et infernum: ob quem finem derivant et transferunt in se omnem potestatem Domini, sicut quod ab Ipso illis data sit. Ecclesia a talibus non sibi similis est in initio, sicut fit progressu temporis; in initio sunt sicut in zelo pro Domino, pro Verbo, pro amore et fide, et imprimis pro salute hominum; sed in illo zelo latet ignis dominandi, qui progressu temporis, sicut crescit dominium, erumpit; et quemadmodum in actum venit, fiunt sancta ecclesiae media, ac ipsum dominium fit finis; et cum dominium fit finis, tunc applicantur sancta ecclesiae ad finem, ita ad illos, et tunc non modo salutem animarum suae potestatis faciunt, sed etiam omnem Divinam potentiam Domini sibi appropriant: et cum hoc faciunt, tunc omne bonum et omne verum ecclesiae pervertunt, ita sancta ecclesiae profanant: haec sunt Babylonia.
[2] Quod ita sit, ad vivum mihi ostensum est. Fuerunt tales in mundo spirituali, qui simile dominium affectarunt; et quia noverunt quod soli Domino esset omnis potestas, tunc induerunt sicut zelum pro Ipso, proque caelo et pro ecclesia, et omni opera laborarunt ut Dominum solum colerent, atque omnia Verbi sancte custodirent; ordinaverunt etiam, ut sanctitas et integritas in omnibus regnaret. Sed datum est scire quod in zelo illo lateret ardens cupido dominandi super omnes alios, credentes quod illa quae ordinaverunt Domino accepta forent; verum enim vero, ut primum ceperunt dominium, per gradus revelabatur finis, qui erat quod non Dominus, sed illi imperarent, et sic quod Dominus illis serviret, et non illi Domino, indignati si non liceret illis sicut dii ad nutum omnia disponere: immo apperceptum est quod Dominum vilipenderent, immo rejicerent, si non dederit illis potestatem faciendi omnia ex lubitu, et nisi annueret omni arbitrio illorum. Apperceptum etiam est quod vellent in se sub aliqua specie transferre Divinam Ipsius potestatem, si ausi essent, timebant enim propterea dejectionem in infernum. Per hoc ostensum est quomodo Babylonia incohat, et quomodo terminatur. Ex eo etiam datum est concludere quod dum dominium fit finis, et sancta ecclesiae fiunt media, cultus Dei sub varia specie vertatur in cultum hominum, sic ut ipsi sint dii actu, et Dominus sit Deus non actu, quod dicitur, pro forma.
[3] Nunc quia dominium per sancta ecclesiae super animas hominum, super caelum, et super Ipsum Dominum, est interius profanum, sequitur quod sit infernale; diaboli enim qui in inferno sunt, non plus cupiunt quam dominari super caelum et super Ipsum Dominum; et quoque sub varia specie id aggrediuntur, verum dum in aggressu sunt absorbentur ab inferno. Quoniam in mundo illi qui Dominum de solio regni sui dejiciunt, et se super illo ponunt, in corde similes diaboli sunt, patet quod ecclesia ab illis successu temporis quoad omne bonum et quoad omne verum ejus devastetur: hic est finis ejus. Quod diaboli sint, ex iisdem in mundo spirituali constat: illi qui Divinam potestatem Domini in mundo exercuerunt, post mortem sanctissime loquuntur de Domino, et Ipsum cum omni devotione externa colunt; sed cum interiora illorum inspiciuntur, illa enim in mundo spirituali possunt retegi et inspici, datur videre quod profana sint, quia atheistica, in quibus diabolica astutia; inde quod sancta externa servirent illis pro mediis ad finem, qui erat dominium, patuit. Sermo quondam venit inter spiritus num aliquis diabolus in inferno simile potuisset facere: ideo unus inter pejores inde arcessitus est, et ei dictum est quod dominium super multos acciperet si potuisset sancte colere Dominum, et agnoscere Divinum Ipsius aequale Divino Patris, ac simul obire omnia cultus; ille cum audivit dominium super multos, statim interiora sua ad astutiam disposuit, et exteriora ad sanctitatem, et Dominum coluit sanctius quam multi angeli, excandescens contra omnes qui Ipsum non adorarent; sed ut primum animadvertit quod ei dominium non datum sit, excanduit contra Ipsum Dominum, et non modo Divinum Ipsius et quoque Divinum Patris negavit, sed etiam utrumque contumeliis affecit: erat enim atheus.
[4] Quod hodierna Babylonia talis sit, patet manifeste ex eo, quod sub specie clavorum Petro datorum in se omnem Divinam potestatem Domini transtulerint, quod Divinum Verum populo occluserint per ablationem Verbi, et quod dictaminibus Papae sanctitatem aequalem sanctitati Verbi addixerint, immo actualiter superiorem; quod parum, si quicquam, doceant timorem et cultum Dei, sed timorem et cultum sui, et quoque cultum sanctorum propter se: inde patet quod Babylonia in fine suo sit ecclesia vacua et inanis ab omni bono amoris in Deum, et ab omni bono amoris erga proximum, et consequenter ab omni vero; inde amplius non est ecclesia sed idololatria; et per id parum dissimilis gentilismis antiquorum, qui colebant Baales, Astaroth, Beelzebubum, et plures, et tamen habebant templa, festa stata, altaria, sacrificia, suffitus, libamina, et alia similia, quae Ecclesia Judaica habebat. Haec de Babylonia in initio ejus, et de illa in fine ejus, dicta sunt, ut sciatur unde est quod "Babel" in Verbo nunc extollatur usque in caelum, et nunc dejiciatur usque in infernum.
[5] Quod Babel talis sit, plene constare potest a descriptionibus et repraesentationibus ejus apud Prophetas, et imprimis apud Danielem. Primum a "statua" Regis Nebuchadnezaris, apud Danielem,
Visa est in somnio Regi Nebuchadnezari, statua stans e regione regis; ejus "caput aurum bonum, ejus pectus et brachia argentum, ejus venter et femora aes, ejus crura ferrum, ejus pedes ex parte ferrum, et ex parte argilla." Postea "excisus est Lapis qui non per manus, et percussit statuam super pedes ejus, qui erant ferrum et argilla, et contrivit illos, et tunc simul contrita sunt ferrum, argilla, aes, argentum et aurum, et facta sunt sicut palea de areis aestatis, ita etiam abstulit ea ventus; et ullus locus non inventus est illis. Lapis autem qui percussit statuam, factus est in Petram magnam" (2:31-35):
ex interpretatione istius somnii a Daniele, patet quod status ecclesiae, quae fit Babylonia, a principio ad finem ejus ibi describatur; quod sit Babylonia quae describitur, est quia Rex Babelis illa in somnio vidit, et quia vidit statuam e regione sui; tum aperte dicitur a Daniele ad regem,
"Tu es caput ejus, quod aurum" (vers. 38):
successivi ejus ecclesiae status usque ad ultimum descripti sunt per statuae illius caput, pectus, brachia, ventrem, femora, crura et pedes; tum per aurum, argentum, aes, ferrum, et argillam, ex quibus statua a summo ad imum constitit; ex illis patet quod ecclesia illa in principio suo fuerit ex bono amoris in Dominum plena sapientia, nam "caput" ejus, quod supremum, significat sapientiam, et "aurum" bonum amoris in Dominum: quod ultimus status illius ecclesiae futurus sit absque omni bono amoris et absque omni sapientia, significatur per quod "digiti pedum ejus essent ex parte ferrum, et ex parte argilla"; nam haec ita interpretatur Daniel,
"Quod vidisti ferrum mixtum cum argilla luti, commiscebunt se per semen hominis, sed non cohaerebunt unum cum altero, quemadmodum ferrum non commiscetur cum argilla" (vers. 43):
"semen hominis" significat Divinum Verum, ita verum Verbi; et per hoc non fit cohaerentia, quia id in fine ecclesiae falsificatur per applicationem ad cultum hominum. Interitus ecclesiae istius describitur per quod "Lapis contriverit omnia statuae"; per "Lapidem" significatur Divinum Verum, et per "Petram" in quam factus est Lapis, significatur Dominus quoad illud; interitus ejus est ultimum judicium. Nova ecclesia, quae tunc a Domino instaurabitur, describitur per haec,
"Surgere faciet Deus caelorum regnum quod in saecula non peribit, ac regnum Ipsius populo alii non permittetur; conteret et consumet omnia illa regna, ipsum autem stabit in saecula" (vers. 44):
per "regnum" hic et alibi in Verbo significatur ecclesia; similiter per "hominem", In cujus forma fuit statua.
[6] Ecclesia quae postea fit Babylonia, etiam describitur per "arborem" visam regi Nebuchadnezari in somnio, apud Danielem,
"Videns fui, cum ecce arbor in medio terrae, et altitudo ejus magna: crevit arbor et robusta facta est, ut altitudo ejus pertigerit usque ad caelum, et prospectus ejus usque ad finem omnis terrae; folium ejus pulchrum, et flos ejus multus, sub illa umbram habebat bestia agri, et in ramis ejus habitabant aves caeli, et ex ea alebatur omnis caro. .... Sed ecce vigil et sanctus de caelo descendit, clamans ex viribus, .. sic dicens: Excidite arborem, et amputate ramos ejus, et dispergite florem ejus; fugiat bestia a sub ea, et aves a ramis ejus; verum stirpem radicum ejus in terra relinquite, et in vinculo ferri et aeris, in herba agri, et in rore caelorum tingatur, et cum bestia pars ejus in gramine terrae; cor ejus ab homine mutabunt, et cor bestiae dabitur ei, dum septem tempora transibunt super eum; .... usque dum noverint viventes quod Dominus altissimus in regno hominis" (4:7-14 [B.A. 10-17]):
quod Rex Nebuchadnezar, proinde Babel, per arborem illam et per omnia ejus, intelligatur, apertis verbis dicitur (vers. 17, 18, 19 [B.A. 20, 21, 22]); et quod regi contigerint illa quae audita sunt, nempe quod "expulsus sit ab homine", "cum bestia agri habitaverit", "herbam sicut boves comederit, usque dum septem tempora transiverunt", constat a versibus 29, 30, 31 [B.A. 32, 33, 34), illius capitis: quod haec illi evenerint propter amorem sui et fastum dominii sui, constat ab his illius verbis,
"Nonne haec est Babel magna, quam ego aedificavi in domum regni, per robur fortitudinis meae, et in gloriam honoris mei?" (vers. 27 [B.A. 30]):
et postea cum restitutus est,
"Ego Nebuchadnezar ... honorans Regem caelorum, cujus omnia opera veritas, et viae Ipsius judicium; et qui ambulant in superbia, potest humiliare" (vers. 34 [B.A. 37]):
per statum illum Nebuchadnezaris describitur status illorum post mortem qui se sicut dii super omnia ecclesiae extollunt; quod nempe "expellantur ab homine", hoc est, quod non quoad intellectum sint sicut homines amplius; quod "fiant bestiae, et gramen sicut boves comedant", et quod "crines eorum sicut aquilarum crescant, et ungues eorum sicut avium", per quae significatur quod prorsus sensuales sint, quod loco intelligentiae illis sit fatuitas, ac loco sapientiae insania; "comedere gramen", "crinem sicut aquilarum, et ungues sicut avium habere", significat sensuales fieri.
[7] Status successivi ecclesiae, quae demum fit Babylonia, etiam describitur per "quatuor bestias ascendentes ex mari", apud Danielem,
Visum est ei quod quatuor bestiae ascenderint e mari; "prima sicut alae aquilae illi, ... sed evulsae sunt alae ejus, et sublata est e terra, et super pedes sicut homo erecta, et cor hominis datum ei. Dein .. bestia alia secunda similis urso, et ad latus unum erexit se, .. tres costae in ore ejus inter dentes ejus, insuper sic dicentes ei, Surge, comede carnem multam. Post haec, ... ecce alia sicut pardus, cui alae quatuor quales avibus, super tergo ..", et ei "quatuor capita; et dominium datum illi est. Postea .... bestia quarta terribilis et formidabilis et robusta valde, cui dentes ferri magni, comedit et contrivit, et reliquum pedibus suis conculcavit" (7:3-7):
quod per has "bestias" etiam successivi status ecclesiae a primo usque ad ultimum ejus descripti sint, videatur supra (n. 316, 556, 650, 780, 781): quod in primo statu fuerint in veris, et inde in intelligentia, significatur per "leonem cui alae aquilae", et qui postea apparuit "sicut homo, et ei cor hominis datum." Quod in ultimo statu sint in omnis generis falsis ex malo, significatur per "quartam bestiam, quae terribilis, comedit et contrivit, ac reliquum pedibus suis conculcavit"; de qua bestia plura dicuntur, vers. 23-25.
[8] Quod tunc ecclesia illa, quae facta Babylonia, destruetur, et nova ecclesia, quae Dominum colet, instaurabitur, intelligitur per haec ibi,
"Videns fui, ... et ecce cum nubibus caelorum sicut Filius hominis: .... Huic datum est dominium, .. gloria, et regnum, ut omnes populi, gentes et linguae Illum colerent; dominium Ipsius dominium saeculi quod non transibit, et regnum Ipsius quod non peribit. .... Et regnum et dominium, et majestas regnorum sub omnibus caelis, dabitur populo sanctorum altissimorum, cujus regnum regnum saeculi, et omnia dominia colent Ipsum, et obedient" (vers. 13, 14, 27):
per "Filium hominis" intelligitur Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum, et quoad Verbum; quod ab Ipso ecclesia instauranda sit quae Ipsum colet, intelligitur per quod Ipsi datum sit dominium, et gloria et regnum", quod "dominium Ipsius dominium saeculi quod non transibit"; et ecclesia ab Ipso instauranda intelligitur per "regnum datum populo sanctorum." Quod hoc futurum sit quando ecclesia facta est Babylonia, hoc est, ita devastata ut non amplius aliquod bonum nec verum ibi supersit, est quia tunc finis ejus est; ita quando non aliqua ibi ecclesia amplius: hic finis per "finem Babyloniae" intelligitur: non quod cultus illorum idololatricus in mundo, cum ipsis, destruendus sit, hic enim permansurus; verum non ut cultus alicujus ecclesiae, sed ut cultus paganismi; quare etiam iidem post mortem inter paganos veniunt, et non amplius inter Christianos. Ex illis autem, qui non Papam, nec sanctos et sculptilia, adoraverunt, sed Dominum, nova ecclesia a Domino colligitur.
[9] Idololatria Babylonica describitur apud Danielem,
Per statuam altam quam Rex Nebuchadnezar erexit, et de qua edixit ut omnes prociderent et adorarent illam, et quod qui id non facerent, projicerentur in medium fornacis ignis ardentis (3:1-7).
Eadem etiam describitur apud eundem,
Per statutum quod Darius Medus edixit, quod non peteret quis petitionem ab aliquo deo aut aliquo homine, nisi a rege; et quod qui a deo aut ab homine intra triginta dies aliquid petierit, conjiceretur in foveam leonum (6:8-10 [B.A. 7-9]):
per haec describitur Babel seu Babylonia quoad dominium super sancta, et quoad arrogationem Divinae potestatis; et exitium illorum describitur per quod omnes illi qui persuaserunt Dario ad faciendum statutum illud, conjecti sint in foveam leonum et devorati.
[10] Describitur etiam Babel apud Danielem,
Per quod Belschazar rex, magnates ejus, uxores ejus, et pellices ejus, biberint vinum ex vasis auri et argenti quae eduxerat Nebuchadnezar pater ejus e templo Hierosolymae, et quod simul laudaverint deos auri et argenti, aeris, ferri, ligni et lapidis, et quod tunc scriptura in pariete ei apparuerit: post quam rex illa nocte occisus est (5:1 ad fin. ):
per haec repraesentabatur et inde significabatur profanatio sanctorum ecclesiae ab illis qui e Babylonia sunt, ac dominium usque in caelum extendunt; nam dicitur,
"Supra Dominum caelorum exaltasti te, dum vasa domus Ipsius adduxerunt ante te" (vers. 23).
Ex his apud Danielem constare potest quod per "Babyloniam" seu per "Babelem" in Verbo intelligatur amor dominii super orbem terrarum, tum super caelum, et super Ipsum Dominum; et quod ecclesia Domini successive fiat Babylonia; et quod sicut fit Babylonia, ita quoad omne bonum amoris et quoad omne verum fidei devastetur, et quod id sit finis ejus, nempe, quod non amplius sit ecclesia; et dum amplius non est ecclesia, adnumeratur gentibus idololatricis; praeter illos qui Dominum adorant, sanctum habent Verbum, et instructionem ex illo admittunt.
[11] Babel seu Babylonia etiam describitur apud Esaiam,
"Miserebitur Jehovah Jacobi, et eliget denuo Israelem, ut ponat eos super terram eorum. .... Fiet in die quo quietem daturus est Jehovah tibi a dolore tuo, .... ut enunties hanc parabolam de rege Babelis: ... Quomodo cessavit exactor, cessavit auri cupido; confregit Jehovah baculum impiorum, virgam dominantium": unde "quiescit, quieta est omnis terra, insonuerunt jubilo; etiam quercus gaudent propter te, cedri Libani, Ex quo tu occubuisti, non ascendit caesor super nos. Infernus inferius commotus est propter te, obviam veniendo tibi; excitavit propter te Rephaim, omnes potentes terrae; surgere fecit e thronis eorum omnes reges gentium; omnes respondent et dicunt ad te, Etiamne tu infirmatus es sicut nos? nobis assimilatus es? Demissa est in infernum magnificentia tua, tumultus nabliorum tuorum; sub te substratus est vermis, et contegentes te vermiculus. Quomodo cecidisti de caelo, Lucifer, fili aurorae, excisus es in terram, infirmatus es infra gentes: atqui tu dixisti in corde tuo, In caelos ascendam, supra stellas" caeli "exaltabo thronum meum, et sedebo in monte conventus, in lateribus septentrionis; ascendam supra excelsa nubis, similis fiam Altissimo: verum enim vero ad infernum demissus es, ad latera foveae. Videntes te considerant te, Num hic est vir commovens terram, tremefaciens regna, posuit orbem in desertum, et urbes ejus destruxit? .... Tu projectus es e sepulcro tuo, sicut surculus abominabilis, vestimentum occisorum, confossi gladio, qui descendunt ad lapides foveae, sicut cadaver conculcatum. Non adunaberis cum illis in sepulcro, nam terram tuam perdidisti, populum tuum occidisti, non nominabitur in aeternum semen malitiosorum. Parate filiis ejus mactationem, ob iniquitatem patrum eorum, ut non resurgant et possideant terram, ac impleantur facies terrae urbibus. Surgam enim contra eos, dictum Jehovae Zebaoth, et exscindam Babeli nomen et residuum, et filium et nepotem. ... Ponam te in hereditatem anatariae, et stagna aquarum, et everram eam scopis perdendo. .... Et frangam Aschurem in terra mea, et super montibus meis conculcabo illum" (14:1-25):
haec omnia dicta sunt de Babele, et non de aliquo diabolo qui creatus lucis angelus, et rebellis factus dejectus est in infernum, et ex primaevo suo statu vocatus est "Lucifer, filius aurorae": quod Babel hic describatur, constat a versu 4, et a versu 22 hujus capitis, ubi Rex Babelis, et Babel nominatur; dicitur enim "Enunties hanc parabolam de rege Babelis"; et postea, "Exscindam Babeli nomen et residuum." Sciendum est quod in Verbo per "regem" simile significetur quod per "regnum" ejus: quod Babel dicatur "Lucifer, filius aurorae", est quia, ut supra dictum est, Babel in principio est ecclesia quae in zelo pro Domino, pro bono amoris et pro veris fidei, tametsi intus in zelo pastorum ejus latet ignis dominandi per sancta ecclesiae super omnes quos sibi possunt subjicere; inde est quod Babel dicatur "Lucifer, filius aurorae"; propterea etiam vocatur
"Rex regum", in cujus manum data sunt omnia:
et quoque vocatur
"Caput statuae, quod erat aurum" (Daniel 2:37, 38):
tum etiam
"Arbor in medio terrae, altitudine magna" (Daniel 4:7, 19 [B.A. 10, 22]).
[12] Babel in initio etiam intellecta est per
Leonem, cui alae aquilae, et qui dein apparuit sicut homo, et ei cor hominis datum (Daniel 7:4);
et vocatur
Ornamentum regnorum, et decus magnificentiae Chaldaeorum" (Esaias 13:19):
et memoratur inter
Cognoscentes Jehovam (Psalms 87:4).
Quia nunc per "Babelem" in initio significatur talis ecclesia, ideo rex Babelis hic vocatur "Lucifer, filius aurorae"; "Lucifer" ex luce veri tunc, et "filius aurorae" ex initiamento lucis seu diei; nam "aurora" est ecclesia in suo initio. Sed usque in eo capite describitur ecclesia illa quoad statum ejus in fine, quando facta est "Babylon meretrix", qui status ejus est quando non amplius aliquod bonum amoris, nec aliquod verum fidei, superest: hic status ejus est, qui intelligitur per exitium et per damnationem ejus ad infernum; destructio illorum in mundo non alia est, quam quod post mortem sit infernum illis qui sibi Divinam potestatem arrogaverunt, et illam exercuerunt, et ob illum finem populos terrae tenuerunt in densa caligine aut caecitate, et in cultu idololatrico, imprimis qui homines a cultu Domini abduxerunt.
[13] Quoniam haec sunt quae in capite illo describuntur, velim illa quae inde allata sunt breviter explicare. "Miserebitur Jehovah Jacobi, et eliget denuo Israelem, ut ponat illum super terram eorum", significat novam ecclesiam post finem Babyloniae a Domino instaurandam: "in die illo enuntiabis parabolam hanc de rege Babelis, et dices, Quomodo cessavit exactor, cessavit auri cupido", significat liberationem a captivitate et servitute spirituali, in qua fuerunt qui sub dominio illius: "confregit Jehovah baculum impiorum, virgam dominantium", significat quod non amplius aliqua potentia illis per vera ex bono, quia in meris falsis ex malo sunt; haec impotentia est illis in mundo spirituali: "quieta est omnis terra, insonuerunt jubilo, etiam quercus gaudent propter te, cedri Libani, Ex quo tu occubuisti, non ascendet caesor super nos", significat quod illi qui in cognitionibus boni et veri sunt non amplius infestentur ab illis; "terra" est nova ecclesia quae ab illis quieta erit, "quercus" et "cedri Libani" sunt cognitiones boni et veri in sensu externo et interno, "non ascendet caesor" est quod non amplius infestatio: "infernus inferius commotus est propter te, obviam veniendo tibi, excitavit propter te Rephaim, omnes potentes terrae, surgere fecit e throno eorum omnes reges gentium", significat jucundum vindictae illorum qui in inferno sunt: "omnes respondent et dicunt, Etiamne tu infirmatus es sicut nos? nobis assimilatus es? et demissa est in infernum magnificentia tua, tumultus nabliorum tuorum", significant jucundum illud ex eo, quod illis similis factus sit, et quod similiter in falsis mali: "quomodo cecidisti de caelo, Lucifer, fili aurorae, excisus es in terram, infirmatus es infra gentes", significant subsannationem quod talis factus sit, tametsi in principio fuerat in caelo, quia in bono amoris et in veris fidei; haec ab illis qui in inferno dicta sunt, quia illis qui ibi sunt nihil jucundius est quam ut possint aliquem e caelo detrahere, et per falsa mali perdere: "atque tu dixisti in corde tuo, Supra stellas caeli exaltabo thronum meum, et sedebo in monte conventus, in lateribus septentrionis, ascendam super excelsa nubis, similis fiam Altissimo", sunt quoque verba subsannationis super fastum dominii eorum, quod usque in caelum extendunt, et Divinam sibi potestatem arrogant, et sic omnia caeli et omnia ecclesiae suo arbitrio subjiciunt, ob finem ut colantur et adorentur sicut dii; "mons conventus ad latera septentrionis" est ubi est ascensus in caelos; "super stellas et super excelsa nubis" est super Divinum Verum ("stellae" sunt cognitiones boni et veri, "excelsa nubis" sunt vera interiora Verbi): "verumtamen ad infernum demissus es, ad latera foveae, videntes te considerant te, Num hic est vir commovens terram, tremefaciens regna, posuit orbem in desertum, et urbes ejus destruxit?" est continuatio subsannationis illorum qui in inferno sunt, et quoque gloriationis inde quod e caelo dejectus sit; "latera foveae" sunt loca in inferno ubi mere falsa mali sunt; per "terram", "regna" et "orbem" significatur ecclesia, et per "urbes" significantur doctrinalia: "tu projectus es e sepulcro tuo sicut surculus abominabilis, vestimentum occisorum, confossi gladio, qui descendunt ad lapides foveae, sicut cadaver conculcatum", significant statum damnationis illorum; "vestimentum occisorum", "confossi gladio", et "cadaver conculcatum" significant damnationem profanationis veri: "non adunaberis cum iis in sepulcro, nam terram tuam perdidisti, populum tuum occidisti, non nominabitur in aeternum semen malitiosorum", significant damnationem graviorem quam reliquorum, quia omnia ecclesiae exstinxerat: "parate filiis ejus mactationem ob iniquitatem patrum illorum, ut non resurgant, possideant terram, ac impleantur facies terrae urbibus" significant exitium illorum in aeternum: "exscindam Babeli nomen et residuum, et filium et nepotem", significant exitium totale, quia nihil boni et veri illis amplius est: "ponam te in hereditatem anatariae, et stagna aquarum, et everram eam scopis perdendo", significant falsum infernale per destructionem veri: "frangam Aschurem in terra mea, et super montibus meis conculcabo eum", significat quod in nova ecclesia non aliquae ratiocinationes ex falsis contra vera et bona existent. Praeterea illa quae in hoc capite sunt particularius explicata videantur in aliis locis hujus Libri (ut (supra, ) n. 208(b), 223(b), 304 (d, g), 331(b), 386(b), 405(e), 539(b), 589, 594(d), 608(a), 659(e), 687(b), 697(e), 724(e), 727(b), 730(b), 741(d), 768(e), 811(d).
[14] Apud eundem,
"Sic erit Babel, ornamentum regnorum et decus magnificentiae Chaldaeorum, sicut eversio Dei, Sodoma et Gomorrha; non habitabitur in aeternum, non incoletur usque in generationem et generationem, ita ut non moretur ibi Arabs, et pastores non faciant cubare; sed cubabunt ibi tziim, et implebuntur domus eorum ochim, et habitabunt ibi filiae noctuae, et saltabunt ibi satyri: respondebunt etiam ijim in palatiis ejus, et dracones in palatiis deliciarum ejus: propinquum est tempus ejus, ut veniat, et dies ejus non extrahetur" (13:19-22):
agitur in toto hoc capite de devastatione totali omnium boni et omnium veri ecclesiae apud illos qui e Babylonia sunt; per "Sic erit Babel", intelligitur in sensu litterae urbs magna Babel vocata, sed per illam in sensu spirituali intelligitur ecclesia quae facta est Babylonia: Babel vocatur "ornamentum regnorum, et decus magnificentiae Chaldaeorum", ex sapientia illius ecclesiae in principio ejus, ut prius dictum est; in genere autem per "Babelem" seu "Babyloniam" intelligitur ecclesia in qua omnia bona amoris destructa et demum profanata sunt, et per "Chaldaeam" ecclesia in qua omnia vera fidei destructa et demum profanata sunt; inde est quod dicatur "eversio Dei, Sodoma et Gomorrha"; "Sodoma" etiam significat destructionem omnis boni per amorem sui, et "Gomorrha" destructionem omnis veri inde: "non habitabitur in aeternum, non incoletur usque in generationem et generationem", significat destructionem ejus in aeternum; "non habitari in aeternum" spectat destructionem boni, et "non incoli in generationem et generationem" spectat destructionem veri; nam qui bonum et verum destruunt, et postea loco illorum amplectuntur malum et falsum, non possunt reformari; aliter illi qui in malis et falsis sunt, et non bonum et verum destruxerunt, ut sunt gentes quae ignorant bonum et verum: "non morabitur ibi Arabs, et pastores non cubare facient", significat quod ecclesia tale desertum fiet; "Arabs" est qui in deserto vivit, sed quia ibi non seges aut fructus, non moratur ibi; simile fit cum grege pastorum, quando non datur pascuum: "cubabunt ibi tziim, et implebuntur domus ochim", significat falsa et mala infernalia, quae illis; "tziim" sunt falsa infernalia, "ochim" sunt mala infernalia, "domus" est mens eorum qui tales sunt: "cubabunt ibi filiae noctuae, et satyri saltabunt ibi", significat quod ibi falsificata vera et adulterata bona; falsificata vera sunt "filiae noctuae", adulterata bona sunt "satyri", "saltare" est gaudium ex amore spurco qui bonum amoris adulteravit: "respondebunt ijim in palatiis ejus, et dracones in palatiis deliciarum", significat illa adulterata et falsificata in doctrinis illorum.
[15] Describitur Babel similiter in aliis locis apud Prophetas:
– Ut apud Jeremiam,
Gladie, contra Babelem; "gladie, contra thesauros ejus ut diripiantur; siccitas super aquas ut exarescant, quia terra sculptilium illa, et de horrendis gloriantur; ideo habitabunt tziim cum ijim, et habitabunt in ea filiae noctuae; non sedebit amplius in aeternum, nec inhabitabit usque in generationem et generationem: juxta eversionem Dei, Sodomam et Gomorrham, et vicinas ejus, ... non habitabit ibi vir, neque commorabitur in ea filius hominis" (50:35, 37-40).
Apud eundem,
"Fugite e medio Babelis, et eripite vir animam suam, ne exscindamini ob iniquitatem ejus: .... calix auri Babel in manu Jehovae, inebrians universam terram, de vino ejus biberunt gentes, ideo insaniunt gentes: subito cecidit Babel, et confracta est. .... Ecce Ego contra te, mons perdens, dictum Jehovae, perdens universam terram: et extendam manum meam contra te, ut devolvant te de petris, et dem te in montem combustionis: nec sumant de te lapidem pro angulo. .... Erit Babel in acervos, habitaculum draconum, stuporem et sibilum, nec habitator" (51:6-8, 25, 26, 37).
Apud Esaiam,
"Jam audi" Babel "sedens secure, dicens in corde suo, Ego et non sicut ego praeterea, non sedebo vidua, nec cognoscam orbitatem: atque venient tibi duo ista momento in die uno, orbitas et viduitas, plene venient super te, propter multitudinem praestigiarum tuarum, ob magnitudinem incantationum tuarum plurimam: confisa enim 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: ideo veniet super te malum, quod non scies deprecari, et cadet super te calamitas, quam non poteris expiare; et veniet super te subito devastatio, non scies" (47:8-11):
ita describitur destructio Babelis non solum ibi, sed etiam In toto capite 47 apud Esaiam; ac in toto capite 50 et in toto capite 51 apud Jeremiam; tum cap. 21:8, 9, apud Esaiam; Psalms 137:1, 8, 9, apud Davidem. Etiam adulteratio boni et falsificatio veri a Judaeis describitur per scortationes illorum in Aegypto, et dein cum filiis Aschuris, et demum cum filiis Babelis et cum Chaldaeis (Ezech. cap. 16:1 ad finem; et cap. 23:1 ad finem): et per "scortationem in Aegypto" intelligitur falsificatio veri ex naturali homine, quae fit per fallacias, apparentias et scientifica; per "scortationem eorum cum filiis Aschuris" significatur falsificatio veri ex rationali homine, quae fit per ratiocinationes et per sophistica ex fallaciis, apparentiis et scientificis; per "scortationem eorum cum filiis Babelis et cum Chaldaeis" significatur adulteratio boni et profanatio veri.
[16] Quando itaque filii Israelis prorsus recesserunt a statutis quae erant repraesentativa spiritualium ecclesiae, per quae illis communicatio fuit cum caelo, tunc omnes dati sunt in manus regis Assyriae, non enim amplius apud illos fuit aliqua ecclesia repraesentativa, et inde nec aliqua communicatio cum caelo. De praevaricationibus illorum, et de transportatione illorum a rege Assyriae in urbes ejus, et quoque in Babelem, videatur 2 Regnum 17:1 ad fin. Simile factum est cum Judaeis; illi postquam ita adulteraverunt et profanaverunt omnia statuta, judicia et leges, quae repraesentabant bonum amoris et verum fidei, ut nihil boni et veri amplius superesset, et cum inde ecclesia illorum facta est Babylonia, tunc dati sunt in manum Nebuchadnezaris regis Babelis; non modo reges et principes eorum, et universus populus, sed etiam omnes thesauri domus Jehovae, et postea omnia vasa aurea ejus, et insuper ipsum templum combustum est (De quibus videatur 2 Regnum 24:1-20; 25:1-26: et praeterea Esaias 20:17, 18; Esaias 39:6, 7; Jeremias 20:4, 5; 21:4-10; 25:1-12; 27:6-22; 28:1-16; 29:1-21; 32:1-5; 34:1-7, 18-22; 35:11; 38:17-23; 39:2-18; 41:1-12; 52:1 ad finem). Transgressiones eorum fuerunt,
Quod Hierosolymam impleverint sanguine innocente (2 Regnum 24:4);
Quod suffiverint Baali, libaverint libamina diis aliis, quod posuerint abominationes in domo Jehovae, aedificaverint excelsa Baali, in valle Hinnomi traduxerint filios et filias suas Molecho (Jeremias 32:29-30):
per quae omnia significatur profanatio sanctorum ecclesiae; qualis profanatio etiam significatur per "Babelem": quare ne terra, per quam significabatur ecclesia, ab illis amplius profanaretur, et quoque ut Babel inde repraesentationem suam plene indueret, dictum fuit illis a Jeremia ut se sponte darent in manus regis Babelis, et qui se non darent, sed remanerent in terra, morerentur gladio, fame, et peste (Jeremias 25:1-11).
[17] Verum quoniam Dominus in illa gente nasceretur, ac Se manifestaret ubi tunc fuit ecclesia, et ubi Ipsius Verbum, ideo gens illa post septuaginta annorum captivitatem a Babele reducta fuit, et templum reaedificatum est; sed usque non alia ecclesia quam similis ecclesiae quae vocatur "Babylonia", apud illos permansit, ut constare potest ex pluribus quae Ipse Dominus de gente illa locutus est, et quomodo Ipsum receperunt; quare Hierosolyma denuo destructa est, et templum igne combustum.
[18] In genere sciendum est quod omnis ecclesia in principio sit sicut virgo, sed progressu temporis fiat meretrix; per gradus enim intrat in vitam mali, et inde amplectitur doctrinam falsi, sicut per gradus incipit amare semet et mundum; et tunc ab ecclesia fit vel Babylonia vel Philisthaea; Babylonia ab illis qui se super omnia amant, et Philisthaea ab illis qui mundum super omnia amant; nam sicut illi bini amores crescunt, ita homines ecclesiae adulterant et falsificant bona et vera Verbi, quod est a virgine fieri meretrix.
[19] Quod ecclesia prima post diluvium etiam Babylonia facta fuisset, nisi Dominus per dispersionem religionis illorum conatum impedivisset, repraesentatur et significatur per "turrim quae pertingeret usque in caelum", quam posteri Noachi ingressi sunt aedificare (de qua, cap. 11:1-9 Geneseos; quae singillatim explicata sunt in Arcanis Caelestibus, a n. 1283 ad 1328). Postquam ex Verbo ostensum est quid per "Babelem" seu "Babyloniam" in genere et in specie significatur, accincti transire possumus ad explicandum illa quae in hoc et in sequente capite de Babylonia et de ejus exitio praedicta sunt.