728.“手拿金杯，杯中盛满了可憎之物，和她淫乱的污秽”表该宗教源于被亵渎的圣言神圣事物，以及其被可怕的虚假所玷污的良善与真理。 “杯”或“酒杯”与“酒”所表相同，因为它是盛东西的（参看672节）。“巴比伦的酒”表示天主教义的可怕虚假（632，635节）。“可憎之物”表示对神圣事物的亵渎；“淫乱的污秽”表示对圣言的良善与真理的玷污。因此，“手拿金杯，杯中盛满了可憎之物，和她淫乱的污秽”表示天主教就在于被亵渎和玷污的教会神圣事物，以及其被可怕的虚假所亵渎的良善和真理。这些事与主对文士和法利赛人所说的话很相似：
你们这假冒为善的文士和法利赛人有祸了，因为你们好像粉饰的坟墓，外面好看，里面却装满了死人的骨头和一切的污秽。（马太福音23:27）
728. Having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her licentiousness. This symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion derived from the sacred contents of the Word profaned, and from its goods and truths defiled by dreadful falsities.
A cup or chalice has the same symbolic meaning as wine, because it is the containing vessel, as may be seen in no. 672 above, and the wine of Babylon symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion in respect to its dreadful falsities (nos. 632, 635). Abominations symbolize profanations of whatever is holy, and the filthiness of her licentiousness symbolizes defilings of the Word's goodness and truth. Consequently, the woman's having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her licentiousness symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion consisting of the sacred contents of the Word profaned, and of its goods and truths defiled by dreadful falsities.
The words here are like those the Lord spoke to the scribes and Pharisees:
Woe to you..., hypocrites! For you make yourselves like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27)
728. 'Having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom' signifies that form of religion derived from the profaned holy things of the Word, and from its goods and truths defiled by means of dreadful untruths. That by a 'cup' or goblet the same is signified as by 'wine,' for it is the containant, may be seen above (672); and by 'the wine of Babylon' is signified that form of religion as to its dreadful untruths (632, 635). By 'abominations' are signified profanations of what is holy; and by 'the uncleanness of whoredom' are signified defilements of the good and truth of the Word. Consequently by 'having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom' is signified that form of religion consisting of the profaned holy things of the Church, and of the goods and truths of the Word defiled by means of dreadful untruths. These things are similar to those that the Lord said to the Scribes and Pharisees:
Woe unto you hypocrites, for you make yourselves like whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful on the outside, but within are full of the bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27.
728. Having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom, signifies that religious persuasion from the holy things of the Word profaned, and its goods and truths defiled by direful falsities. That by "a cup" or "chalice" the same thing is signified as by "wine," because it is what contains, may be seen above, (672), and by "the wine of Babylon" is signified that religious persuasion as to its direful falsities, (632, 635). By "abominations" are signified the profanations of what is holy; and by the "uncleanness of whoredom" are signified the defilements of the good and truth of the Word. Therefore by "having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom," is signified that religious persuasion consisting of the holy things of the church profaned and defiled, and of the goods and truths of the Word profaned, by direful falsities. These things are similar to what the Lord said to the Scribes and Pharisees:
Woe unto you hypocrites, for ye make yourselves like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful on the outside, but within are full of the bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness, (Matthew 23:27).
728. "Habens aureum poculum in manu sua, plenum abominationibus et immunditie scortationis ejus," significat Religiosum illud ex sanctis Verbi prophanatis, et ex bonis et veris ejus per dira falsa conspurcatis. -Quod per "poculum" seu "calicem" simile significetur quod per "vinum," quia est continens, videatur supra (672), et per "vinum Babylonis" significatur Religiosum illud quoad dira ejus falsa (632, 635); per "abominationes" significantur prophanationes sancti; et per "immunditiem scortationis" significantur conspurcationes boni et veri Verbi; inde per "habens aureum poculum in manu sua plenum abominationibus et immunditie scortationis ejus," significatur Religiosum illud consistens ex sanctis Ecclesiae prophanatis, et ex bonis et veris Verbi per dira falsa conspurcatis. Haec similia sunt illis quae Dominus dixit ad Scribas et Pharisaeos:
"Vae vobis hypocritae, quia similes vos facitis sepulchris dealbatis, quae foris quidem apparent pulchra, intus vero 1plena sunt ossibus mortuorum, et omni immunditie," (Matthaeus 23:27).
Footnotes:
1. vero pro "vera"