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879. Saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen. That this signifies the damnation and destruction of those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine power, is evident from the signification of is fallen, is fallen, as denoting the being condemned and altogether destroyed; and from the signification of Babylon, as denoting those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine power. It is said, "is fallen, is fallen," because it is said of Babylon as a city. But when by Babylon are meant those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine power, and by a great city, all things of their doctrine, then by falling is signified to be destroyed. "To fall" is thus changed into "to be destroyed," according to the meaning of the subject.
What is signified by Babylon in general and particular will be explained in chapters 17 and 18, where Babylon and its destruction are treated of.
The subject treated of in this verse is Babylon; and in the four following, the beast of the dragon; and afterwards, to the end of this chapter, the devastation of the church in general. The reason why Babylon and the beast of the dragon are here treated of is, that the devastation of the church, first in general, and afterwards specifically, and finally the Last Judgment, are treated of in the verses that follow.
[2] But concerning the devastation of the church these things must be stated. Every church in its beginning is in the love of doing goods, and in the love of knowing truths; but in process of time it is devastated as to goods and as to truths, because good and truth exist no longer in the church. It is devastated, first, by the love of ruling, by means of holy things, successively over men's souls, and at length over heaven and over the Lord Himself. And this is described in the Apocalypse by Babylon, and by the whore sitting upon the scarlet beast. It is devastated, secondly, by faith separated from charity, thus from the goods of life; and at length by faith alone, in which there is nothing of truth. This is described in the Apocalypse by the dragon and by his two beasts.
[3] These are the two things into which the primitive loves of the church, which, as was said, were the love of doing goods and the love of knowing truths, decline; and when this comes to pass, the church is devastated. The love of doing goods is successively changed into the love of doing evils, which are then called goods; and the love of knowing truths into the love of knowing falsities, which are then called truths. In the case of those who are described by Babylon, every good of the church is adulterated, and hence, also, every truth thereof, the one being a result of the other. But with those who are described by the dragon, every truth of the church is falsified, and hence, too, every good thereof, the one being a result of the other. And this happens among the Reformed, who have adopted faith alone as the essential of the church; but the former occurs among the Papists, who have made dominion over the holy things of heaven the essential of the church. But how faith alone has devastated the church, has been shown above, where the dragon and his two beasts are treated of; and how the dominion over the holy things of heaven has devastated the church, will be shown in the explanation of chapters xvii. and xviii.
From these things it is now evident whence it is that Babylon is treated of in this verse, the beast of the dragon in the four following, and thence to the end of the chapter the devastation of the church in general; and afterwards, in chapters xv. and xvi., the devastation of the church in particular.
879. Saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon, signifies the condemnation and destruction of those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine authority. This is evident from the signification of "Fallen, fallen," as being that they were condemned and wholly destroyed; also from the signification of "Babylon," as being those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine authority. It is said, "Fallen, fallen," because it is said of Babylon as a city; but when "Babylon" means those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine authority, and "a great city" means all things of their doctrine, then "to fall" signifies to be destroyed. "To fall" is thus changed into "to be destroyed" in accordance with the subject predicated. What "Babylon" signifies in general and in particular will be told in chapters 17 and 18 which treat of Babylon and its destruction. This verse treats of Babylon; and the four following of the beast of the dragon; and what follows, to the end of this chapter, of the devastation of the church in general. Babylon and the beast of the dragon are here treated of because the devastation of the church, first in general and afterwards in particular, and finally the Last Judgment, are treated of in the verses that follow.
[2] But respecting the devastation of the church this must be premised. Every church in its beginning is in the love of doing goods, and in the love of knowing truths; but in process of time it is so devastated in respect to goods and truths that there is no longer any good or any truth in the church. In the first place, by degrees, it is devastated by the love of ruling over the souls of men, by means of holy things, and finally over heaven and over the Lord Himself. This is described in Revelation by "Babylon," and by "the harlot sitting upon the scarlet beast." Secondly, it is devastated by faith separated from charity and thus from the goods of life, and finally by faith alone in which there is nothing of truth. This is described in Revelation by "the dragon" and "his two beasts." In these two, the primitive loves of the church, which were, as has been said, the love of doing goods and the love of knowing truths, came to an end; and when they had come to an end in these the church was devastated. The love of doing goods is changed by degrees into the love of doing evils that are called goods; and the love of knowing truths is changed into the love of knowing falsities that are called truths.
[3] With those who are described by "Babylon" every good of the church is adulterated, and thus every truth of it, for the one is a consequence of the other; while with those who are described by "the dragon" every truth of the church is falsified, and thus every good of it, for the one is a consequence of the other. This latter takes place with the Reformed, who have accepted faith alone as the essential of the church; but the former takes place with the Papists, who have made dominion over the holy things of heaven the essential of the church. But in what way faith alone has devastated the church has been shown above, where "the dragon and his two beasts" are treated of; and how dominion over the holy things of heaven has devastated the church will be shown in the explanation of chapters 17 and 18. From all this it can now be seen why Babylon is spoken of in this verse, the beast of the dragon in the four verses that follow, and the devastation of the church in general from that to the end of the chapter, and afterwards the devastation of the church in particular in chapters 15 and 16.
879. "Dicens, Cecidit, cecidit Babylon." Quod significet damnationem et destructionem illorum qui Divinam Domini potestatem in se transtulerunt, constat ex significatione "Cecidit, cecidit", quod sit quod damnati et prorsus destructi sint; et ex significatione "Babylonis", quod sint qui Divinam Domini potestatem in se transtulerunt. Dicitur, "Cecidit, cecidit", quia de Babylone ut urbe; sed cum per "Babylonem" intelliguntur illi qui Divinam Domini potestatem in se transtulerunt, et per "urbem magnam" omnia doctrinae illorum, tunc per "cadere" significatur destrui; sic vertitur "cadere" in destrui, secundum praedicationem subjecti. Quid "Babylon" in genere et in specie significat, infra (ad cap. 17 et 18), ubi de Babylone et ejus destructione agitur, dicetur. Agitur in hoc versu de Babylone, et in quatuor sequentibus de bestia draconis, ac postea ad finem hujus capitis de devastatione ecclesiae in genere: causa quod de Babylone et de draconis bestia agatur, est quia in sequentibus de devastatione ecclesiae primum in genere, et postea in specie agitur, et demum de ultimo judicio.
[2] Sed de devastatione ecclesiae haec praemittenda sunt: Omnis ecclesia in principio suo est in amore faciendi bona, et in amore sciendi vera; at temporis tractu devastatur illa quoad bona et quoad vera, usque adeo ut amplius non sit aliquod bonum nec aliquod verum in ecclesia. Devastatur primum per amorem imperandi per sancta, et successive super animas hominum, et tandem super caelum, et super Ipsum Dominum; hoc in Apocalypsi describitur per "Babylonem", et per "meretricem sedentem super bestia coccinea": secundo devastatur per fidem separatam a charitate, ita a bonis vitae, et tandem per solam fidem, in qua nihil veri est; hoc in Apocalypsi describitur per "draconem" et per "binas ejus bestias." Illa duo sunt in quae primitiva ecclesiae, quae, ut dictum est, fuerunt amor faciendi bona et amor sciendi vera, desinunt; in quae cum desierunt, ecclesia devastata est: amor faciendi bona mutatur successive in amorem faciendi mala, quae vocant bona; et amor sciendi vera, in amorem sciendi falsa, quae vocant vera.
[3] Apud illos qui per "Babylonem" describuntur, omne bonum ecclesiae adulteratur, et inde quoque omne verum ejus, nam unum sequitur alterum; apud illos autem qui per "draconem" describuntur, falsificatur omne verum ecclesiae, et inde quoque omne bonum ejus, unum enim sequitur alterum: hoc fit apud Reformatos, qui solam fidem pro essentiali ecclesiae acceptarunt; illud apud Pontificios, qui dominium super sancta caeli essentiale ecclesiae fecerunt. Sed quomodo sola fides devastavit ecclesiam, supra ostensum est, ubi de "dracone" et de "binis ejus bestiis" actum est; at quomodo dominium super sancta caeli ecclesiam devastavit, infra, ad caput 17 et 18 dicetur. Ex his nunc constare potest, unde est quod in hoc versu dicatur de "Babylone", in quatuor sequentibus de "bestia draconis", et inde ad finem hujus capitis de devastatione ecclesiae in genere, ac postea (cap. 15 et 16) de devastatione ecclesiae in specie.