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1034. (Verse 2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed whoredom. That this signifies that they have falsified all the truths of the church, is evident from the signification of committing whoredom, as denoting to falsify (concerning which see n. 1:5, 6).
Again:
"The Lamb hath made us kings and priests, that we might reign upon the earth" (5:10; also 16:12, 14).
[2] Because by kings are signified truths from good, they also signify, in the opposite sense, falsities from evil. For most expressions in the Word have also an opposite sense. Such is the signification of kings in the following parts of this chapter:
The seven heads of the beast "are also seven kings, five have fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come, and when he doth come he must abide but a short time" (ver. 11).
Also:
"The ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings" (ver. 12).
As also:
"The woman is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (ver. 18).
Similarly in the following passages, where it is said,
That the beast, the kings of the earth, and their army, made war with him that sat on the white horse (Apoc. 19:18).
From these things it is evident what is signified by the kings of the earth committing whoredom with the whore sitting upon many waters, namely, the falsification of the truths of the church by those who belong to Babylon. Similarly in the following passages, where it is said,
That the kings of the earth committed whoredom with that woman, "and the merchants of the earth waxed rich, from the abundance of her delicacies."
Likewise:
"The kings of the earth, who have committed whoredom, and lived delicately with her, shall weep over her and bewail her" (Apoc. 18:3, 9, 10).
Similar things are signified by the kings in Daniel:
That the ten horns of the fourth beast "are ten kings, which shall arise from that kingdom, and another after them, who shall be diverse from the former, who shall humble three kings" (7:24).
[3] The reason why kings signify those who are in truths from good, and, abstractedly, truths from good is, that the Lord is called king from Divine truth, and priest from Divine good; and hence the heaven where Divine truth reigns is called "His throne." This is why the angels in the heavens, and men on earth, who are in truths from good from the Lord, are called sons of the king, also sons of the kingdom, and heirs; therefore these are they who are meant by kings where the Lord is called the "King of kings," as in verse 14 of this chapter, and in chapter 19:16, and elsewhere.
1034. Verse 2. With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, signifies that they have falsified all the truths of the church. This is evident from the signification of "committing whoredom," as being to falsify (See n. Revelation 1:5-6).
Again:
The Lamb made us kings and priests, that we might reign upon the earth (Revelation 5:10; likewise Revelation 16:12, 14).
[2] Because "kings" signify truths from good, they also signify in the contrary sense falsities from evil. For most expressions in the Word have also a contrary sense. Such is the signification of "kings" in the following passages in this chapter:
The seven heads of the beast are seven kings; the five are fallen, and the one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he is come he must continue a little while (Revelation 16:10).
Also:
The ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings (Revelation 16:12).
Again:
The woman is the great city which hath kingship over the kings of the earth (Revelation 16:18).
So, too, in a subsequent passage, where it is said:
That the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, made war with Him that sat on the white horse (Revelation 19:19).
All this makes clear the signification of the words "the kings of the earth committed whoredom with the harlot that sitteth upon many waters," namely, that the truths of the church have been falsified by those who are of Babylon. So again in a subsequent passage, where it is said that:
The kings of the earth committed whoredom with that woman, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich from the abundance of her delicacies. The kings of the earth, who have committed whoredom and lived deliciously with her, shall weep and lament over her (Revelation 18:3, (Revelation 18:9)Revelation 18:11).
"Kings" have a like signification in Daniel:
As for the ten horns of the fourth beast, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings (Daniel 7:24).
[3] "Kings" signify those who are in truths from good, and in an abstract sense truths from good, because the Lord is called "king" from Divine truth, and "priest" from Divine good; and therefore the heaven where Divine truth reigns is called "His throne." For the same reason angels in the heavens and men on earth who are in truths from good from the Lord are called "sons of the king," also "sons of the kingdom" and "heirs;" consequently such are meant by "kings" where the Lord is called "King of kings" (as in the fourteenth verse of this chapter, and in chapter 19 Revelation 17:17; and elsewhere (Revelation 19:16).
1034. (Vers. 2.) "Cum qua scortati sunt reges terrae." - Quod significet quod falsificaverint omnia vera ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "scortari", quod sit falsificare (de qua (supra), n. 141, 161, 817(c), 881); et ex significatione "regum terrae", quod sint vera ecclesiae ("reges" sunt vera, et "terra" est ecclesia). Plurimis in locis in Verbo dicuntur "reges", et creditur quod per illos intelligantur reges, aut regna illorum; sed per illos in Verbo intelliguntur omnes qui in veris ex bono a Domino sunt, et in sensu abstracto, in quo est sensus spiritualis, vera ex bono; quod haec intelligantur per "reges", videatur supra (n. 29, 31, 553, 624(e), 625); quod adhuc constare potest ex sequentibus his, in Apocalypsi,
Jesus Christus "Princeps regum terrae", qui "fecit nos reges et sacerdotes" (1:5, 6);
alibi,
Agnus fecit "nos reges et sacerdotes, ut regemus super terra" (5:10: similiter cap. 16:12, 14).
[2] Quia per "reges" significantur vera ex bono, etiam per illos in opposito sensu significantur falsa ex malo; nam pleraque in Verbo etiam oppositum sensum habent; haec itaque per "reges" significantur in sequentibus hujus capitis: –
Capita bestiae septem "etiam reges septem sunt; quinque ceciderunt et unus est, alter nondum venit; et quando venerit, brevi illum oportet manere" (vers. 10):
tum,
"Decem cornua quae vidisti, decem reges sunt" (vers. 12);
ut et,
"Mulier ... est urbs magna habens regnum super reges terrae" (vers. 18):
similiter in sequentibus, ubi dicitur,
Quod bestia, reges terrae, et exercitus eorum, facerent bellum cum Sedente super Equo albo (Apocalypsis 19:19).
Ex his patet quid significatur per quod "reges terrae scortati sint cum meretrice sedente super aquis multis", nempe quod vera ecclesiae ab illis qui e Babylonia sunt, falsificata sint. Similiter in sequentibus, ubi dicitur,
Quod reges terrae cum muliere illa scortati sint, "et mercatores terrae ex facultatibus deliciarum ejus ditati." Tum, "Deflebunt eam, et plangent super illa reges terrae, qui cum ea scortati et deliciati sunt" (Apocalypsis 18:3, 9, 11).
Similia per "reges" significantur apud Danielem,
"Quod ad cornua (decem)" bestiae quartae, "ex eo regno decem reges surgent, et alius .. post eos, qui diversus erit a prioribus, qui tres reges humiliabit" (7:24).
[3] Quod "reges" significent illos qui in veris ex bono sunt, et abstracte vera ex bono, est quia Dominus vocatur "Rex" ex Divino Vero, et "Sacerdos" ex Divino Bono; et inde caelum ubi Divinum Verum regnat, vocatur "thronus Ipsius": ex eo est, quod angeli in caelis et homines in terris, qui in veris ex bono a Domino sunt, dicantur "filii Regis", tum "filii regni", ac "heredes"; quare illi sunt qui intelliguntur per "reges, "
ubi Dominus vocatur "Rex regum" (Ut in hujus capitis versu 14; et cap. 19:16; et alibi).