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1088. (Verse 18) And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city. That this signifies the abominable doctrine of the church, is evident from the signification of the woman, as denoting the church; in this case that in which the truths and goods of the Word are profaned, and which is no longer a church but a religious persuasion, called Babel; and from the signification of a city, as denoting the doctrine of the church (see n. 223); in this case the doctrine of Babylon, which is an abominable doctrine, because it is from the goods and truths of the Word, which are the holy things of the church, profaned.
The woman, by whom the church is signified, is called a great city, which signifies doctrine, because the church exists from doctrine, and such as is the doctrine such is the church; in the present case such a religious persuasion. It is Babylon that is here meant by the city; and by Babylon, as a metropolis, is signified the same as by Babylonia, which is a kingdom, as also in Daniel, where it is called Babel. The same is also signified by other metropolitan cities as by kingdoms - as the Jewish kingdom by Jerusalem, the Israelitish kingdom by Samaria, the kingdom of Syria by Damascus. And by kingdom is signified the church, but by a metropolitan city the church as to doctrine.
Continuation concerning the Word:-
[2] Divine truth is what is called holy. But it is not holy before it is in its ultimate; and its ultimate is the Word in the literal sense; therefore, the Divine truth there is holy, and may be called the sanctuary. The reason is, that that sense contains and includes all the sanctities of heaven and the church.
It appears as if the Divine truths in the heavens, which are called spiritual and celestial, are more holy than the Divine truths in the literal sense of the Word, which are natural. But the Divine truths in the heavens, which are called spiritual and celestial, are comparatively like the lungs and heart in man, which, unless they were encompassed by ribs, and contained by the pleura and diaphragm, would not form the breast; for without these integuments - in fact, unless they were connected with them by bonds - they could not perform their vital functions. The spiritual things of the Word are like the breath of the lungs; its celestial things like the systole and diastole of the heart, and its natural things like the pleura, the diaphragm, and the ribs, with the moving fibres annexed, by means of which the motions are reciprocated.
[3] Moreover, the spiritual and celestial things of the Word are comparatively like the holy things of the tabernacle, these being the table, upon which was the shew bread; the golden altar, upon which was the incense; the perfumes and censer; also the lampstand with the lamps; and still more interiorly the cherubim, the mercy-seat, and the ark. All these were the holy things of the Jewish and Israelitish church; but still they could not be called holy and the sanctuary until they were covered over by curtains and veils. For without those coverings they would have stood under the naked sky, exposed to showers and storms, to the birds of heaven and the wild beasts of the earth, and also to robbers' by which they would be violated, plundered, and dispersed. So would it be with the Divine truths in the heavens, called spiritual and celestial, unless they were enclosed by natural truths, such as are the truths of the literal sense of the Word.
[4] Natural truths, which are the truths of the literal sense of the Word, are not the real truths of heaven, but they are the appearances thereof; and appearances of truth encompass, enclose, and contain the truths of heaven, which are genuine truths; and cause them to be in connection and order, and to cohere, as do the cardiac and pulmonary organs with their integuments and ribs, as said above. And when they are in connection and in order, then first they are holy, and not before. The literal sense of our Word does this by the appearances of truth, of which its ultimate consists; this is why this sense is essentially holy and Divine, and a sanctuary.
[5] But he who separates the appearances of truth from genuine truths, and calls the literal sense holy by and of itself, and not by these, and from these, and together with these, is much deceived. He who sees only the literal sense separates them, and does not examine its meaning, as is the case with those who do not read the Word from doctrine.
By the cherubim in the Word is meant guard and protection, lest the holy things of heaven should be violated, and lest the Lord should be approached except by love. And hence the literal sense of the Word is signified by them, for it guards and protects. It guards and protects in this way, in order that a man may think and speak according to the appearances of truth, while he is well-disposed, simple, and as it were a child; but he must beware lest he confirms the appearances to the destruction of genuine truth in the heavens.
1088. Verse 18. And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, signifies the heinous doctrine of the church. This is evident from the signification of "the woman," as being the church, here a church in which the truths and goods of the Word are profaned, which is no longer a church, but a religious persuasion that is called Babylon. Also from the signification of "city," as being the doctrine of the church (See n. 223, here the doctrine of Babylon, which doctrine is heinous, because it is from the truths and goods of the Word, from which are the holy things of the church, which have been profaned. This woman, by whom is signified the church, is called "a great city," which signifies doctrine, because only from doctrine can there be a church, and such as the doctrine is such is the church, here such is the religious persuasion. It is Babylon that is here meant by the "city;" and "Babylon" as a metropolis has a similar signification as "Babylonia" which is a kingdom; as also in Daniel, where it is called "Babel." Other metropolitan cities have a like signification as their kingdoms, as the Jewish kingdom and Jerusalem, the Israelitish kingdom and Samaria, the kingdom of Syria and Damascus. But while the kingdom signifies the church, the metropolitan city signifies the church as to doctrine.
(Continuation respecting the Word)
[2] The Divine truth is what is called holy, but only when it is in its ultimate, and its ultimate is the Word in the sense of the letter; therefore the Divine truth there is holy, and may be called a sanctuary, and for the reason that that sense contains and encloses all the holy things of heaven and the church. The appearance is that the Divine truths in the heavens, which are called spiritual and celestial, are more holy than the Divine truths in the sense of the letter of the Word, which are natural; but the Divine truths in the heavens, which are called spiritual and celestial, are comparatively like the lungs and heart in man, which form the chest only when they are encompassed by ribs, and enclosed in the pleura and diaphragm; for without these integuments they could not perform their vital functions, and even unless connected with them by bonds. The spiritual things of the Word are like the breathing of the lungs, its celestial things are like the systole and diastole of the heart, and its natural things are like the pleura, the diaphragm, and the ribs, with the moving fibers attached, by which the motions are made reciprocal.
[3] Again, the spiritual and celestial things of the Word are comparatively like the holy things of the tabernacle, which were the table upon which was the show bread, the golden altar upon which was the incense, the perfumes and the censer, also the lampstand with the lamps, and still further within the cherubim, the mercy seat and the ark. All these were the holy things of the Jewish and Israelitish church; nevertheless they could not be called holy and the sanctuary until they had been covered by curtains and veils, for without those coverings they would have stood under the naked sky, exposed to showers and storms, to the birds of heaven and the wild beasts of the earth, and also to robbers that would violate, plunder, and scatter them. So would it be with the Divine truths in the heavens, which are called spiritual and celestial, unless they were enclosed in natural truths, like the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word.
[4] Natural truths, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, are not the very truths of heaven, but are appearances of them; and appearances of truth encompass, enclose, and contain the truths of heaven, which are genuine truths, and cause them to be in connection and order and to act together, like the cardiac and pulmonary organs with their coverings and ribs, as has been said above; and when these truths are held in connection and in order they are holy, and not till then. This the sense of the letter of our Word does by means of the appearances of truth of which its ultimate consists; and this is why that sense is the holy Divine Itself and the sanctuary.
[5] But he is greatly mistaken who separates appearances of truth from genuine truths and calls these appearances holy by themselves and from themselves, and not the sense of the letter holy by genuine truths and from them and together with them. He separates these who sees only the sense of the letter and does not explore its meaning, as those do who do not read the Word from doctrine. The "cherubim" mean in the Word a guard and protection that the holy things of heaven be not violated, and that the Lord be approached only through love; consequently these signify the sense of the letter of the Word, because that is what guards and protects. It guards and protects in this manner that man can think and speak according to the appearances of truth so long as he is well-disposed, simple, and as it were an infant; but he must take heed not to so confirm appearances as to destroy the genuine truths in the heavens.
1088. [Vers. 18.] "Et mulier, quam vidisti, est urbs magna." - Quod significet nefandam doctrinam ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "mulieris", quod sit ecclesia, hic in qua vera et bona Verbi profanata sunt, quae non amplius est ecclesia, sed religiosum quod vocatur Babel; et ex significatione "urbis", quod sit doctrina ecclesiae (de qua [supra] , n. 223), hic doctrina Babylonis, quae doctrina nefanda est, quia ex veris et bonis Verbi, ex quibus sancta ecclesiae, profanatis. Mulier illa, per quam significatur ecclesia, vocatur "urbs magna", quae significat doctrinam, quia ecclesia non aliunde est quam ex doctrina, nam qualis doctrina talis ecclesia, hic tale religiosum; est Babylon quae hic intelligitur per "urbem"; et per "Babylonem", ut metropolin, simile significatur quod per "Babyloniam" quae est regnum, ut quoque apud Danielem, ubi "Babel" dicitur; simile etiam significatur per reliquas urbes metropoles quod per regna, sicut regnum Judaicum per "Hierosolymam", regnum Israeliticum per "Samariam", regnum Syriae per "Damascum"; ac per "regnum significatur ecclesia, per "urbem metropolin" autem ecclesia quoad doctrinam.
[2] (Continuatio de Verbo.)
Divinum Verum est quod vocatur sanctum; sed non prius sanctum est quam cum in ultimo suo est; ultimum ejus est Verbum in sensu litterae; quare Divinum Verum ibi est sanctum, et vocari potest sanctuarium; causa est, quia ille sensus continet et concludit omnia sancta caeli et ecclesiae. Apparet sicut Divina vera in caelis, quae spiritualia et caelestia vocantur, sint sancta prae Divinis veris in sensu litterae Verbi, quae sunt naturalia; sed Divina Vera in caelis, quae vocantur spiritualia et caelestia, sunt comparative sicut in homine pulmo et cor, quae nisi costis circumtecta forent, et inclusa pleurae et diaphragmati, non facerent pectus; nam absque illis integumentis non possent vitales suas functiones agere, immo nisi cum illis per vincula forent connexa: spiritualia Verbi sunt sicut spiritus pulmonum: caelestia ejus sunt sicut systole et diastole cordis; ac naturalia ejus sunt sicut pleura, diaphragma et costae cum fibris motricibus annexis, per quas reciprocantur motus.
[3] Porro spiritualia et caelestia Verbi sunt comparative sicut sancta Tabernaculi, quae fuerunt mensa super qua panes propositionis, altare aureum super quo thura, odoramenta et thuribulum, tum candelabrum cum lucernis, ac interius adhuc cherubi, propitiatorium et arca; haec omnia fuerunt sancta Ecclesiae Judaicae et Israeliticae; sed usque non potuerunt vocari sanctum et sanctuarium priusquam illa aulaeis et velis circumtecta fuerunt; absque tegumentis enim illa exstitissent nudo caelo, exposita imbribus et procellis, avibus caeli et feris terrae, et quoque furibus, quae illa violarent, diriperent et dispergerent: ita quoque Divina vera in caelis, quae vocantur spiritualia et caelestia, nisi inclusa forent veris naturalibus, qualia sunt vera sensus litterae Verbi.
[4] Vera naturalia, quae sunt vera sensus litterae Verbi, non sunt ipsa vera caeli, sed sunt apparentiae illorum; et apparentiae veri circumtegunt, includunt et continent vera caeli, quae sunt vera genuina, et faciunt ut in nexu et in ordine sint et cohaereant sicut cardiaca et pulmonaria cum suis tegumentis et costis, ut dictum est; et cum in nexu et in ordine sunt, tunc primum sunt sancta et non prius: hoc facit sensus litterae nostri Verbi per apparentias veri, ex quibus ultimum ejus consistit; inde est quod ille sit ipsum sanctum Divinum et sanctuarium.
[5] Qui autem separat apparentias veri a genuinis veris, et illas per se et ex se, et non per illas et ex illis, ac una cum illis, sensum litterae sanctum vocat, multum fallitur; ille separat qui sensum litterae solum videt, et non intellectum ejus explorat; ut faciunt qui non ex doctrina Verbum legunt. Per "cherubos" in Verbo intellecta est custodia et tutela, ne sancta caeli violentur, et ne Dominus adeatur nisi quam per amorem; inde per illos significatus est sensus litterae Verbi, nam ille custodit et tutatur: custodit et tutatur eo modo, quod homo possit cogitare et loqui secundum apparentias veri, dum probus est, simplex et quasi infans; sed cavebit ne apparentias confirmet usque ad destructionem genuini veri in caelis.