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783. And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. That this signifies that those who separate faith from life, by reasonings based on fallacies, establish their doctrinals, and confirm them, and thereby powerfully deceive, is evident from the signification of the beast to which the dragon gave his powers, as denoting reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life (concerning which see above, n. 774). The reason why those reasonings are from the fallacies of the senses is, that that beast appeared like a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear; and by the feet of a bear are signified fallacies; concerning which also see above (n. 781); and from the signification of giving his power, his seat, and great authority, as denoting to establish doctrinals and thus to confirm them; power signifying validity; the seat, the church as to doctrine, which is from falsities; and great authority signifying strengthening and confirmation thence. That these things coincide with reasonings and their fallacies was shown above.
[2] That those who separate faith from life, that is, from good works, have power, a seat, and great authority is not because the falsities in which they are have any power in themselves; for falsities from evil have no power at all, because all power is in truths from good. But falsities have power against falsities, as like over like. This is quite clear from the power of infernal spirits amongst themselves, which they exercise by means of imaginary things which resemble correspondences from which they desire to appear very powerful and strong; nevertheless they have no power at all against truths, and so completely so, that it is nothing. This might be confirmed from much experience were there space to enlarge so far in these explanations of the Apocalypse. It is evident solely from this fact, that the hells, in which there are myriads of myriads, are kept bound by the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, so that not one of them dare venture to raise a finger of his hand. It is also evident from this fact, that a thousand companies of evil spirits may be led, restrained, bound, and dispersed by one angel, by means of truths from the Lord; and this by merely looking at them from an intention of the will. Such power has been sometimes granted to me also, from the Lord.
That the church when at its end is in falsities and hence in evils, and in evils and hence in falsities, and yet that all power pertains to truths from good, which seem to be able to be given from the Lord by means of truths from the Word, may appear wonderful. The reason, however, is that falsities have power against those who are in falsities from evil; and at the end of the church those falsities govern; and when they do so, truths are not received. For this reason falsities cannot be dispersed by truths, and hence it is that the devil in such case is called powerful, and loosed from bonds.
[3] Hence it is that infernal falsity is called in the Word a lion, a bear, a wolf, and a beast; also a wild beast, strong and rapacious.
It is for this reason, that those who are in falsities are called, in the Word, powerful, mighty, robust, strong, heroes, rulers, terrible, formidable, and devastators; as is evident from various passages where they are treated of, as from the following in Jeremiah:
"Behold I bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, a mighty nation, all men of might" (5:15, 16).
Again:
"Go up ye horses, rage ye chariots, let the mighty men go forth" (46:9).
And again:
"A sword against the mighty that they may be dismayed" (50:36).
In Ezekiel:
"I will give" Pharaoh "into the hand of a mighty one of the nations" (31:11, 12).
In Hosea:
"Thou hast trusted to thy way, to the multitude of the mighty" (10:13).
And in Joel:
"A people great and strong, like heroes they run, they climb over the wall" (2:2, 7).
In Amos:
"The refuge of the swift perisheth, and the mighty shall not confirm his strength, neither shall the powerful deliver his soul, the mighty in his heart among heroes shall flee naked in that day" (2:14, 16).
In David:
"Rebuke the wild beast of the reed; the congregation of the mighty" (Psalm 68:31).
In 1 Samuel:
"The bows of the mighty are broken" (2:4).
In the Apocalypse:
"All the kings, and great men, and rich men, and chief captains, and the powerful, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks" (6:15).
In Matthew:
"The princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion, and the great men exercise power" (20:25).
In Luke:
"This is your hour and the power of darkness" (22:53).
Besides various other passages.
[4] To what has been said above it may be added, that infernal spirits believe themselves to be strong and powerful more than others. But this is because they prevail only against those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom; for thus one infernal spirit prevails over another, or one evil and its falsity against another evil and its falsity; and it is from this appearance that they believe themselves to be powerful. Such power, however, may be compared to that of a mite against a mite, or of a flea against a flea, of dust against dust, and of a straw against a straw; the power of these is only relative to their mutual strength. Add to this that infernal spirits are proud, and wish to be regarded as strong, mighty, and heroes for the most trivial reasons.
[5] Because the subject here treated of is the power and great authority which the dragon gave from himself to the beast rising up out of the sea, and hence the power of infernal spirits among each other, some mysteries shall here be disclosed concerning the arts they practise to acquire power in the spiritual world. There are some who procure to themselves power by means of the Word; for they are acquainted with some of its passages, which they repeat, and, by means of this, communication is effected with those who are in simple good, and thence conjunction with them as to externals; and in proportion as they are in that conjunction, they prevail over others. The reason is, that all things in the Word are truths, and all power belongs to truths, and the simple good are in truths; whence power is derived from conjunction with them, but only so long as that conjunction exists. This, however, does not continue long, because they are soon afterwards separated from one another by the Lord.
Some procure to themselves power by pretended affections of good and truth, and by affections pertaining to the love of what is sincere and just; by means of which also they induce the simple good to think favourably of them, and cherish goodwill towards them; and so they attract and adjoin them to themselves. And so long as that benevolent attitude intercedes as it were mutually, so long they are powerful more than others.
Some also procure to themselves power by means of representatives of various kinds, which are abuses of correspondences; and some by means of another kind. And because all power is in truths from good, and resides in the angels, therefore nothing is more earnestly desired by evil spirits than to attract good spirits to their side, because the evil prevail by this means. As soon, however, as they are separated from them, they are in the falsities of their own evil; and when they are in these, they are deprived of all power.
[6] This is the reason, moreover, why all the evil who flock out of the world, are first separated from the goods and truths which they knew only from memory, and thence professed with their lips; and when they are separated from these, their inner states appear, which consist of nothing but quantities of falsities from evils. And because, when they are in these, they have no longer any power, they fall down headlong into hell, as heavy bodies in the air fall to the earth. That goods and truths are taken away from the evil, is known from the Word; for the Lord says,
"Take away the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents; for to every one that hath shall be given, that he may have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath; but cast out the useless servant into outer darkness, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:28, 29, 30. Also Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26.)
783. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority, signifies that those who separate faith from life support and corroborate their doctrinals by reasonings from fallacies, and thus powerfully seduce. This is evident from the signification of the "beast" to which the dragon gave his powers, as being reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life (See above, n. 774). These reasonings are from the fallacies of the senses, because that beast appeared like a leopard, and his feet were "as of a bear," and "the feet of a bear" signify fallacies, 781.
Also from the signification of "giving his power, his throne, and great authority," as being to support and corroborate doctrinals; "power" signifying efficacy; "throne" the church in respect to doctrine that is from falsities, and "great authority" support and corroboration thereby. That this is added to their reasonings and their fallacies has been shown above.
[2] It is not because the falsities in which they are have any power in themselves that those who separate faith from life, that is, from good works, have "power, a throne, and great authority," for falsities from evil have no power whatever, since all power is in truths from good. But falsities have power over falsities, as like over like. This can be clearly seen from the power of infernal spirits with one another, which they exercise by things imaginary and by semblances of correspondences, by which they are desirous of seeming most powerful and mighty; but yet they have no power whatever against truths, and so wholly none that it is nothing at all. This I could confirm by much experience were there space to digress so far in these explanations of Revelation. But this can be seen from the fact that the hells, in which there are myriads of myriads, are so held bound by Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, that no one in them dares raise up a finger of his hand; also from this fact that a single angel by means of truths from the Lord is able to lead, to control, to bind, or to scatter a thousand companies of evil spirits, and this merely by a look from an intention of the will. Such power also has been sometimes granted to me by the Lord. It may seem strange that the church at its end should be in falsities and in evils from them, and in evils and in falsities from them, and yet that truths from good have all power; and it seems as if such truths might be given by the Lord by means of truths from the Word. But the reason is that falsities have power against those who are in falsities from evil; and at the end of the church these falsities reign, and when these reign truths are not received. For this reason falsities cannot be dispersed by truths, and therefore the devil is then called powerful, and loosed from bonds. This is why infernal falsity is called in the Word a "lion," a "bear," a "wolf," a "beast," also a "wild beast" strong and fierce.
[3] For the same reason those who are in falsities are called in the Word "powerful," "vigorous," "mighty," "strong," "heroes," "rulers," "terrible," "dreadful," and "wasters," as can be seen from various passages, as from the following.
In Jeremiah:
Behold I bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, a vigorous nation, all strong men (Jeremiah 5:15, 16).
In the same:
Go up ye horses, rage ye chariots, ye strong men go forth (Jeremiah 46:9).
In the same:
O sword against the strong, that they may be dismayed (Jeremiah 50:36).
In Ezekiel:
I will give Pharaoh into the hand of a strong one of the nations (Ezekiel 31:11, 12).
In Hosea:
Thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy strong ones (Hosea 10:13).
In Joel:
A people great and vigorous, like heroes they run, they climb over the wall (Joel 2:2, 7).
In Amos:
The refuge of the swift perisheth, and the strong shall not confirm his might, neither shall the powerful deliver his soul; he that is strong in his heart among heroes shall flee naked in that day (Amos 2:14, 16).
In David:
Rebuke the wild beast of the reed; the congregation of the strong (Psalms 68:30).
In the first book of Samuel:
The bows of the strong are broken (1 Samuel 2:4).
In Revelation:
All the kings, the great ones, the rich, the commanders of thousands, and the powerful, hid themselves in caves and in the rocks (Revelation 6:15).
In Matthew:
The rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them (Matthew 20:25).
And in Luke:
This is your hour and the authority of darkness (Luke 22:53);
and various other passages.
[4] To what has been said above it may be added, that infernal spirits believe themselves to be stronger and more powerful than others, but this for the reason that they prevail over those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, thus one infernal spirit over another infernal spirit, or one evil by means of falsity over another evil by falsity; from this appearance they believe themselves to be powerful. But such power may be compared to that of a mite against a mite, or of a flea against a flea, of dust against dust, or of chaff against chaff, the power of which is merely relative to their mutual forces. Add to this that infernal spirits are elated in mind, and wish to be called vigorous, strong, and heroes for the most trivial reasons.
[5] As "the power and great authority" that the dragon gave from himself to "the beast coming up out of the sea," thus the power of infernal spirits among one another, are here treated of, I will unfold some arcana respecting their arts for acquiring power in the spiritual world. There are some who acquire for themselves power by means of the Word, for they are acquainted with some passages of it, and these they recite, and by these a communication with the simple good is effected and conjunction with them in respect to externals; and so far as they are in that conjunction they prevail over others. The reason is that all things of the Word are truths, and truths have all power, and the simple good are in truths; so from conjunction with them they have power, but only so long as that conjunction continues, and this does not continue long, because they are very soon separated from each other by the Lord. Some acquire for themselves power by simulated affections of good and truth and by the affections belonging to the love of what is sincere and just; by these they lead the simple good to feel well disposed towards them and to cherish good will towards them, and to join themselves to them. And so long as that kindly feeling continues to be mutual they continue more powerful than others. Some acquire for themselves power by representatives of various kinds, which are abuses of correspondences; and some in other ways. And as truths that are from good have all power, and these are found with angels, so nothing is more desired by evil spirits than to attract good spirits to their side, because thus the evil prevail; but as soon as they are separated from these they are in the falsities of their own evil, and when they are in these they are deprived of all power.
[6] This, too, is why all the evil who flock out of this world are first separated from the goods and truths that they have merely known from memory, and thus carried in the mouth; and when they have been separated from these their interiors appear, which consist of nothing but masses of falsities from evils. And when they are in these, because they no longer have any power they fall down headlong into hell, as heavy bodies in the air fall to the earth. That goods and truths are taken away from the evil is known from the Word; for the Lord says:
Take the talent from him and give it to him that hath the ten talents; for unto everyone that hath shall be given that he may have abundance, but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye out the useless servant into the outer darkness; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:28-30; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26).
783. "Et dedit illi draco potentiam suam, et thronum suum, et potestatem magnam." Quod significet quod illi qui fidem a vita separant, per ratiocinationes ex fallaciis firment doctrinalia sua, et illa corroborent, et sic potenter seducant, constat ex significatione "bestiae", cui draco dedit suas vires, quod sint ratiocinia ex naturali homine confirmantia separationem fidei a vita (de qua supra, n. 774); quod ratiocinia illa sint ex fallaciis sensuum, est quia bestia illis visa est similis pardo, et pedes ejus sicut ursi, et per "pedes ursi" significantur fallaciae (de quibus etiam supra, n. 781 [a, b]); et ex significatione "dare potentiam, thronum suum, et potestatem magnam", quod sit firmare doctrinalia ac ita illa corroborare; "potentia" significat valorem, "thronus" significat ecclesiam quoad doctrinam, quae ex falsis, "et potestas magna" significat firmationem et corroborationem inde; quod haec accedant ratiociniis et eorum fallaciis, supra ostensum est.
[2] Quod 1
illis qui separant fidem a vita, hoc est, a bonis operibus, potentia, thronus et potestas sit, non est quia falsa, in quibus sunt, 2
aliquid potentiae in se habent, nam falsis ex malo prorsus nulla potentia est, quia omnis potentia est veris ex bono; sed falsa in falsa potentiam habent, quia similia in similia: hoc manifeste constare potest spirituum infernalium inter se, exercent enim illam per imaginativa et correspondentiarum simulacra, ex quibus volunt videri potentissimi et validissimi: sed usque illis prorsus nulla potentia est contra vera, et tam nulla, ut sit nihil; quod ex multa experientia confirmare potuissem, si locus exspatiandi usque illuc in explicationibus his super Apocalypsin daretur: hoc solum constare potest ex eo, quod inferna, in quibus myriades myriadum sunt, per Divinum Verum procedens a Domino teneantur vincta, ut nullus ex illis hiscat elevare digitum manus: tum etiam ex eo, quod millenae cohortes malorum spiritum possint ab uno angelo per vera a Domino duci, coerci, vinci, dispergi, et hoc modo per visum ex voluntatis intentione: talis potestas etiam mihi aliquoties a Domino data est. Quod ecclesia in fine ejus sit in falsis et inde malis, ac in malis et inde falsis, et tamen veris ex bono est omnis potestas, quae videntur ex Domino per vera ex Verbo posse dari, potest mirum apparere: sed causa est, quia falsa potestatem habent in illos qui in falsis ex malo sunt, et in fine ecclesiae regnant ea falsa, et quando ea regnant non recipiuntur vera; idcirco falsa per vera non possunt discuti; inde est quod diabolus dicatur tunc "potens", et "vinculis solutus." Inde est quod falsum infernale in Verbo dicatur "leo", "ursus", "lupus", ac "bestia" et "fera" valida et rapax.
[3] Ex eo etiam est quod illi qui in falsis sunt, in Verbo dicantur "potentes", "validi", "robusti", "fortes", "heroes", "dynastae", "terribiles", "formidabiles", et "vastatores", ut constare potest ex pluribus locis ibi, ut ex his: Apud Jeremiam,
"Ecce adducens super vos gentem e longinquo, domus Israelis, ...gens valida, .... omnes fortes" (5:15, 16);
apud eundem,
"Ascendite equi, ..insanite currus, ..exite fortes" (46:9);
apud eundem,
"Gladie contra fortes, ut 3
consternentur" (50:36);
apud Ezechielem,
"Dabo" Pharaonem "in manum fortis gentium" ( 4
apud Hoscheam,
"Confisus es viae tuae, multitudini fortium [tuorum] " (10:13);
apud Joelem,
"Populus magnus et validus, .... sicut heroes currunt, ...transcendunt murum" (2:2, 7);
apud Amos,
"Perit refugium veloci, et fortis non confirmabit robur suum, nec potens eripiet animam, .... fortis corde suo inter heroes fugiet nudus die illo" (2:14, 16):
apud Davidem,
"Increpa feram arundinis, congregationem fortium" (Psalms 68:31 [B.A. 30, in margine]):
in Libro Primo Samuelis,
"Arcus fortium fracti sunt" (2:4);
in Apocalypsi,
Omnes "reges.., ..magnates, ..divites, ..chiliarchi, et potentes, .... absconderunt se in speluncis, et in petris" (6:15);
apud Matthaeum,
"Principes gentium dominantur.., et magnates potestatem habent" (20:25);
apud Lucam,
"Haec vestra est hora, et potestas tenebrarum" (22:53);
et alibi pluries.
[4] Supradictis addendum est quod spiritus infernales se credant validos et potentes prae reliquis, sed hoc ex causa quia valent contra illos qui in malis et inde falsis sunt, ita infernalis spiritus contra infernalem spiritum, seu malum per falsum contra malum per falsum; ex illa apparentia est, quod credant se potentes: sed potentia illa comparari potest myricae contra myricam, pulici contra pulicem, pulveri contra pulverem, et paleae contra paleam, quorum potentia est relativa ad eorum mutuas vires. Accedit quod spiritus infernales animo elati sint, et ex levissima causa velint robusti, fortes et heroes audiri.
[5] Quia hic agitur de potentia et de potestate magna quam draco ex se dedit bestiae ex mari ascendenti, et inde de potentia spirituum infernalium inter se, velim aliqua arcana de artibus illorum comparandi sibi potentias in mundo spirituali detegere. Quidam comparant sibi potentiam per Verbum; norunt enim aliqua loca inde, et illa pronuntiant, ex quibus fit illis communicatio cum simplicibus bonis, et inde cum illis conjunctio quoad externa; et quantum in illa conjunctione sunt, tantum valent super alios: causa est, quia omnia Verbi sunt vera, et veris est omnis potentia, et simplices boni in veris sunt; unde ex conjunctione cum illis est potentia, sed quamdiu in conjunctione illa sunt, quae tamen non diu perstat, quia a Domino brevi post ab invicem separantur. Quidam comparant sibi potentiam per simulatas affectiones boni et veri, perque affectiones quae sunt amoris sinceri et justi per quas etiam simplices bonos ad bene sentiendum de illis, et ad bene volendum illis, attrahunt et adjungunt; et quamdiu benevolentia illa intercedit sicut mutua, tamdiu potentes sunt prae reliquis. Quidam comparant sibi potentiam per repraesentativa varii generis, quae sunt abusus correspondentiarum; quidam aliter: et quia veris quae a bono est omnis potentia, et illa apud angelos resident, inde malis spiritibus nihil optatius est quam attrahere bonos spiritus in suas partes, quia mali sic valent; at vero ut primum ab illis separantur, sunt in falsis sui mali; et cum in his sunt, tunc orbati sunt omni potentia.
[6] Haec etiam causa est quod omnes mali, qui e mundo alluunt, primum separentur a bonis et veris, quae solum memoria sciverunt, et inde ore tulerunt; et quando ab his separati sunt, apparent interiora eorum, quae non nisi quam ex congeriebus falsorum ex malis consistunt; et cum in his sunt, tunc quia illis non amplius aliqua potentia est, decidunt prone in infernum, sicut pondera in aere in terram. Quod malis bona et vera auferantur, notum est ex Verbo; dicit enim Dominus,
"Tollite..ab eo talentum, et date habenti decem talenta; habenti namque omni dabitur, ut abundet; ab eo autem qui non habet, etiam quod habet 5
auferetur: servum autem inutilem ejicite in tenebras exteriores; ibi erit planctus et stridor dentium" (Matthaeus 25:28-30; Marcus 4:25; Luca 8:18; 19:26).
Footnotes:
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5. The editors made a correction or note here.