748.“又要吃她的肉，用火将她烧尽”表出于憎恨，他们将谴责并在自己当中摧毁天主教特有的邪恶与虚假，视天主教为可诅咒的，并在自己当中将它除灭。这论及新教教徒，他们将如此对待这个淫妇，也就是天主教。“吃她的肉”表示出于憎恨谴责并在自己当中摧毁天主教特有的事物，也就是下文所说的邪恶与虚假；“用火将她烧尽”表示视天主教为可诅咒和亵渎的，并在他们自己当中将它除灭。“用火烧尽”之所以具有这种含义，是因为亵渎圣物的惩罚就是火烧；所以，按照神性律法：凡因敬拜别神而亵渎耶和华圣名的，要将他们自己，连同他们所有的都用火烧尽（申命记13:12-18）。因此，摩西用火焚烧了以色列人亵渎敬拜的金牛犊（出埃及记32:20；申命记9:21）。此外，亚伦的两个儿子因亵渎神圣事物而被天上的火烧灭（利未记10:1-6）。“陀斐特中的火与木柴”无非表示地狱之火，烧那些亵渎神圣事物的人（以赛亚书30:9；33；耶利米书7:11，31-32；19:5-6；列王纪下23:10）；因为他们在那里以令人发指的祭物（如自己的子女）敬拜摩洛。
由于但以理书（7章）中的第四个兽表示亵渎圣言、因而亵渎教会的神圣事物的天主（717节），故经上说它“被火焚烧”（但以理书7:11）。以敬拜人来取代敬拜主就是亵渎的敬拜，故此处说，他们“要用火将淫妇烧尽”，以此表示他们视天主教本身为可诅咒的，并在他们自己当中将它摧毁。“吃她的肉”之所以表示出于憎恨谴责并在自己当中摧毁天主教所特有的邪恶与虚假，是因为这就是“吃她的肉”所表示的，“肉”表示人所特有的事物，这些事物与良善并真理相关，在反面意义上与邪恶并虚假相关；“吃”表示耗尽，因而表示摧毁。“肉”（flesh，或译为肉体、肉身、血气、情欲等）表示人所特有的事物，这事物本身是邪恶的，这一点从以下经文明显看出来：
叫人活着的乃是灵，肉体是无益的。（约翰福音6:63）
从肉身生的就是肉身，从灵生的就是灵。（约翰福音3:6）
凡接待祂的，就赐他们权柄作神的儿女，这等人不是从血气生的，不是从情欲生的。（约翰福音1:12，13）
神想到他们不过是血气，是一阵去而不返的气息。（诗篇78:39）
埃及人不过是人，并不是神；它的马不过是血肉，并不是灵。（以赛亚书31:3）
耶路撒冷和放纵肉体的埃及人行淫。（以西结书16:26）
耶稣对彼得说，血肉不会将这些事指示给你。（马太福音16:17）
依靠人、将血肉当自己膀臂的有祸了。（耶利米书17:5）
由于“肉”表示人的统我或自我，那些憎恨他人的人，会攻击他人自己带有摧毁他们意图的事物，故这一点由“吃肉”来表示，如以下经文：
要死的，由他死，要被剪除的，由被剪除，余剩的，由他们吃彼此的肉。（撒迦利亚书11:9）
他们张口要吞以色列；各人吃自己膀臂上的肉，玛拿西吞吃以法莲，以法莲吞吃玛拿西。（以赛亚书9:12，20，21）
我必使那欺压你的吃自己的肉。（以赛亚书49:26）
各人吃其同伴的肉。（耶利米书19:9）
吃儿女的肉（耶利米书19:9；利未记26:29；申命记28:53）表示摧毁自己里面的真理和良善；因为“儿子”表示真理，“女儿”表示良善（参看139，543，546，612节）。此外，圣言论及“一切肉”（经上或译凡有血气的）；以此表示每个人（创世记6:12，13，17，19；以赛亚书40:5，6；49:26；66:16，23，24；耶利米书25:31；32:27；45:5；以西结书20:48，49）。
748. "And eat her flesh and burn her with fire." This symbolically means that Protestants will with hatred condemn and destroy in themselves the evils and falsities inherent in the Roman Catholic religion, and will renounce the religion itself and expunge it in themselves.
This is said of Protestants, who will deal thus with the harlot, that is, with the Roman Catholic religion. To eat her flesh means, symbolically, with hatred to condemn and destroy in themselves the inherent characteristics of that religion, which are evils and falsities, about which we will say more below. And to burn her with fire means, symbolically, to renounce that religion as profane and expunge it in themselves.
This is what burning with fire means because the penalty for profaning something holy was burning. Therefore, according to Divine law, people who profaned the name of Jehovah by worshiping other gods were burned with fire - they and all their belongings (Deuteronomy 13:12-18). Therefore Moses burned with fire the golden calf that the children of Israel were profanely worshiping (Exodus 32:20, Deuteronomy 9:21). Moreover, because two of Aaron's sons profaned holy things, they were consumed by fire from heaven (Leviticus 10:1-6). Nor is anything else symbolized by the fire and pyre in Tophet but the fire of hell, which awaits those who profane holy things (Isaiah 30:33, Jeremiah 7:11, 31-32; 19:5-6, 2 Kings 23:10), for there the people worshiped Molech with a heinous sacrifice. 1
[2] Since the fourth beast in Daniel 7 symbolizes a religion that profanes the Word and consequently the sanctities of the church (no. 717), therefore we are told that it was burned with fire (Daniel 7:11).
Now, because it is profane worship to worship a person instead of the Lord, we are accordingly told here that they burnt the harlot with fire, which symbolically means that they renounced the religion itself and expunged it in themselves.
To eat her flesh means, symbolically, with hatred to condemn and destroy in themselves the inherent characteristics of that religion, which are evils and falsities, because that is the symbolic meaning of eating her flesh. For flesh symbolizes the inherent characteristics of a thing which relate to goods and truths, and in an opposite sense, to evils and falsities, and to eat means, symbolically, to consume, thus to destroy.
That flesh symbolizes a person's inherent character, which in itself is evil, is clear from the following passages:
It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. (John 6:63)
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to be children of God...: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh... (John 1:12-13)
(God) remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again. (Psalms 78:39)
The Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. (Isaiah 31:3)
(Jerusalem) committed harlotry with the Egyptians..., great of flesh. (Ezekiel 16:26)
Jesus... said to (Peter), ."..flesh and blood has not revealed this to you...." (Matthew 16:17)
Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm... (Jeremiah 17:5)
[3] Because flesh symbolizes a person's inherent character, and people who hate others attack their personal character with the intention of destroying it, therefore to eat the flesh has also this symbolic meaning, as in the following passages:
Let the dying die, and the cut off be cut off. Those that are left eat each other's flesh. (Zechariah 11:9)
They shall devour Israel with the whole mouth... Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm - Manasseh, Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh. (Isaiah 9:12, 20-21)
I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh... (Isaiah 49:26)
...everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend... (Jeremiah 19:9)
To eat the flesh of sons and daughters (Jeremiah 19:9, Leviticus 26:29, Deuteronomy 28:53) means, symbolically, to destroy truths and goods in oneself, for sons symbolize truths, and daughters goods, as may be seen in nos. 139, 543, 545, 612[1-4] above.
Moreover, in the Word we find reference to "all flesh," and this symbolically means all mankind (Genesis 6:12-13, 17, 19).
Footnotes:
1. The heinous sacrifice consisted of "passing infants through the fire to Molech," by burning them alive on a sacrificial altar. Vestiges of this worship have been found elsewhere, as far as northern Africa. Tophet was a site in the valley of Hinnom at the foot of Mount Zion on the south side. Because of the nature of its worship, the valley of Hinnon (Ge' Hinnom = Gehenna) became synonymous with Hades or hell.
748. 'And they shall eat up her flesh, and burn her up with fire' signifies that out of hatred they will condemn and destroy with themselves the evils and untruths that are proper to that form of religion, and execrate and blot out with themselves the form of religion itself. This is concerning the Protestants who are going to do this with the harlot, that is, with the Roman Catholic form of religion. By 'to eat up her flesh' is signified to condemn with themselves out of hatred and to destroy the things proper to that form of religion, which are evils and untruths, concerning which [something] follows; and by 'to burn her up with fire' is signified to execrate the form of religion itself as profane and to blot it out with themselves. This is [the signification of] 'to burn up with fire' because the penalty for the profanation of what is holy was burning; and therefore it was of the Divine Law that:
Those who profaned the Name of Jehovah by worshipping other gods should themselves and all that they had be burnt up with fire. Deuteronomy 13:12-18 [H.B. 13-19].
Therefore:
Moses burned with fire the golden calf that the sons of Israel were profanely worshipping, Exodus 32; Deuteronomy 9:21.
And two sons of Aaron were consumed by fire out of heaven, because they were profaning holy things. Leviticus 10:1-6.
Nor is anything else signified by 'the fire and pile in Tophet' (Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 7:11, 31-32; 19:5-6; 2 Kings 23:10), than the fire of hell which is for those who profane holy things, for there they used to worship Molech by means of an abominable sacrifice.
[2] Since by 'the fourth beast' in Daniel 7, is signified a form of religion that profanes the Word and the holy things of the Church therefrom (717), it is therefore said that 'it was burnt up with fire' (Daniel 7:11). Now, because it is profane worship to worship a man in place of the Lord, therefore here it is said that they have burned the harlot up with fire, by which is signified that they have execrated that form of religion and blotted it out with themselves. The reason that by 'to eat up her flesh' is signified to condemn out of hatred and destroy with themselves the evils and untruths that are proper to that form of religion, is because that is signified by 'to eat up her flesh'; for by 'flesh' are signified the things proper to anyone, and these have relation to goods and truths, and in the opposite sense to evils and untruths, and by 'to eat up' is signified to consume, thus to blot out. That by 'flesh' is signified the proprium of anyone, which in itself is evil, is established from these passages:
It is the spirit that enlivens, the flesh is no use at all. John 6:63.
What has been born of the flesh is flesh, what has been generated by the spirit is spirit. John 3:6.
As many as received, He has given them authority that they might be the sons of God, who are neither of blood nor of the will of the flesh. John 1:12-13.
God has remembered that they are flesh, a breath that would go away and not return 1. Psalms 78:39.
Egypt is man and not God; and its horses are flesh and not spirit. Isaiah 31:3.
Jerusalem has committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, great in flesh. Ezekiel 16:26.
Jesus said to Peter, Flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee. Matthew 16:17.
Cursed is he who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm. Jeremiah 17:5.
[3] Because 'flesh' signifies man's proprium, and those who hate another attack his proprial things with the intention (animus) of destroying them, therefore this is signified by to eat flesh,' as also in these passages:
Let the dying one die, and let one that has been cut off be cut off, any of the rest shall eat up the flesh of another, Zechariah 11:9.
They shall eat up Israel with every mouth, they shall eat up a man the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh. Isaiah 9:12, 20-21 [H.B. 11, 19-20].
I will feed thine oppressors with their flesh. Isaiah 49:26.
They shall eat everyone the flesh of his companion. Jeremiah 19:9.
By 'to eat the flesh of sons and daughters' (Jeremiah 19:9; Leviticus 26:29; Deuteronomy 28:53) is signified to destroy truths and goods with themselves, for by 'sons' are signified truths and by 'daughters' goods, as may be seen above (139, 543, 545, 612). Besides, in the Word 'all flesh' is said, and by it is signified every man (Genesis 6:12-13, 17, 19; Isaiah 40:5-6; 49:26; 66:16, 23-24; Jeremiah 25:31; 32:27; 45:5; Ezekiel 20:48; 21:4-5).
Footnotes:
1. Reading abiret (would go away) instead of abivit (has gone away). Cf. Apocalypse Explained 1082[7].
748. And shall eat her flesh and burn her up with fire, signifies that from hatred they will condemn and destroy with themselves the evils and falsities which are proper to that religious persuasion, and they will hold the religious persuasion itself accursed, and will blot it out with themselves. This is concerning the Protestants, who will do thus with the harlot, that is, with the Roman Catholic religious persuasion. By "eating her flesh" is signified to condemn from hatred and to destroy among themselves the things proper to that religion, which are evils and falsities, as treated of in what follows; and by "burning her up with fire" is signified to hold that religious persuasion as accursed and profane, and to blot it out with themselves. That "to burn up with fire" has this meaning, is because the punishment of the profanation of what is holy was burning; wherefore it was of the Divine law that:
They who profaned the name of Jehovah by worshiping other gods, should themselves and all that they had be burned up with fire, (Deuteronomy 13:12-18).
Therefore the golden calf, which the sons of Israel profanely worshiped, Moses burned up with fire, (Exodus 32:20; Deuteronomy 9:21).
And the two sons of Aaron were consumed by fire from heaven, because they profaned holy things, (Leviticus 10:1-6).
Nor is anything else signified by "the fire and pile in Tophet," but the fire of hell, which is for those who profane holy things, (Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 7:11, 31-32; 19:5-6; 2 Kings 23:10);
for there they worshiped Moloch by a heinous sacrifice.
[2] Since by "the fourth beast" in Daniel 7 the religious persuasion which profanes the Word and thence the holy things of the church is signified, (717), it is therefore said, that "it was burnt up with fire" (Daniel 7:11). Now as it is profane worship to worship a man in place of the Lord, it is therefore said here, that "they should burn up the harlot herself with fire," by which is signified that they should hold as accursed the religious persuasion itself, and destroy it with themselves. The reason that "by eating her flesh" is signified to condemn from hatred and to destroy with themselves the evils and falsities which are proper to that religious persuasion, is because that is signified by "eating flesh:" for by "flesh" are signified the things proper to anyone, which have relation to goods and truths, and in the opposite sense to evils and falsities; and by "eating" is signified to consume, and thus to destroy. That by "flesh" is signified what is proper to anyone, which in itself is evil, is evident from these passages:
It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing, (John 6:63).
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is generated of the spirit i, (John 3:6) s spirit, (John 3:6).
As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, (John 1:12-13).
God remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and returneth not, (Psalms 78:39).
Egypt is man, and not God; and its horses are flesh, and not spirit, (Isaiah 31:3).
Jerusalem hath committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt great in flesh, (Ezekiel 16:26).
Jesus said to Peter, Flesh and blood hath not revealed these things to thee, (Matthew 16:17).
Cursed is he that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm, (Jeremiah 17:5).
[3] Because "flesh" signifies man's proprium, and they who hate another assail the things that are his own with the purpose of destroying them, this therefore is signified by "eating flesh," as also in these passages:
He that dieth let him die, and he that is cut off let him be cut off, let the rest eat each one the flesh of another, (Zechariah 11:9).
They shall eat up Israel with every mouth; they shall eat every man the flesh of his arm, Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, (Isaiah 9:12, 20-21).
I will feed thy oppressors with their own flesh, (Isaiah 49:26).
They shall eat everyone the flesh of his companion, (Jeremiah 19:9).
Eating the flesh of sons and daughters, (Jeremiah 19:9; Leviticus 26:29; Deuteronomy 28:53),
signified to destroy truths and goods with themselves; for by "sons" are signified truths, and by "daughters" goods, see above, (139, 543, 546, 612). Besides, in the Word "all flesh" is spoken of; and by it is signified every man, (Genesis 6:12-13, 17, 19; Isaiah 40:5-6; 49:26; 66:16, 23-24; Jeremiah 25:31; 32:27; 45:5; Ezekiel 20:48-49).
748. "Et carnes ejus comedent, et illam comburent igne," significat quod mala et falsa quae propria Religiosi istius sunt, ex odio damnabunt et apud se destruent, et ipsum Religiosum devovebunt et apud se delebunt. - Haec de Protestantibus, qui ita facturi sunt cum Meretrice, hoc est, cum Religioso Catholico Romano. Per "carnes ejus comedere" significatur propria Religiosi istius, quae sunt mala et falsa, ex odio damnare apud se et destruere, de quo sequitur; et per "illam comburere igne" significatur ipsum Religiosum ut prophanum devovere et apud se delere; quod "igne comburere" id sit, est quia poena prophanationis sancti fuit combustio; quare ex Lege Divina fuit, quod Qui prophanabant Nomen Jehovae colendo alios deos, illi et omnia illorum comburerentur igne, (Deuteronomius 13:13-19 (B.A. 12-18);
ideo Moses Vitulum aureum, quem filii Israelis profane colebant, combussit igne, (Exodus 32:(20); Deuteronomius 9:21);
Et bini filii Aharonis, quia prophanabant sancta, ex igne e caelo consumpti sunt, (Leviticus 10:1-6);
nec aliud per "ignem et rogum in Topheth" quam ignis Inferni, qui est illis qui prophanant sancta, significatur, (Esaias 30:33; Jeremias 7:11, 31-32; 119:5-6; 2 Regnum 23:10),
colebant enim ibi Molechum per nefandum sacrificium. Quoniam per "Bestiam quartam" (apud Danielem 7), significatur Religiosum quod prophanat Verbum et inde sancta Ecclesiae (717) 2, ideo dicitur quod "combusta sit igne," (Daniel 7:11). Nunc quia cultus prophanus est colere hominem loco Domini, ideo hic dicitur quod ipsam Meretricem "combusserint igne," per quod significatur quod ipsum Religiosum devoverint et apud se deleverint. Quod per "carnes ejus comedere" significetur mala et falsa, quae propria Religiosi istius sunt, ex odio damnare et apud se destruere, est quia id per "carnes comedere" 3significatur; per "carnes" enim significantur propria alicujus, quae se referunt ad bona et vera, et in opposito sensu ad mala et falsa, et per "comedere" significatur consumere, ita delere. Quod per "carnem" significetur proprium alicujus, quod in se est malum, constat ex his locis:
"Spiritus est qui vivificat, caro non prodest quicquam," (Johannes 6:63);
"Quod natum est ex carne, hoc caro est; quod generatum est a spiritu, spiritus est," (Johannes 3:6);
"Quotquot receperunt, dedit illis potestatem ut filii Dei essent, qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis," (Johannes 1:12-13);
"Deus recordatus quod caro illi, spiritus qui abivit non reverteretur," (Psalm 78:39);
"Aegyptus homo et non Deus, et equi ejus caro et non spiritus," (Esaias 31:3);
Scortata est Hierosolyma "cum filiis Aegypti magnis carne," (Ezechiel 16:26);
Jesus dixit Petro, "Caro et sanguis non haec revelavit tibi," (Matthaeus 16:17);
"Maledictus qui confidet homini, et ponit carnem brachium suum," (Jeremias 17:5).
Quia "caro" significat proprium hominis, ac illi qui odio habent alterum propria ejus aggrediuntur, animo destruendi illa, ideo per "carnes comedere" id significatur, ut quoque in his locis:
"Moriens moriatur, et exscindendo exscindatur, reliquae comedent quaelibet Carnem alterius," (Sacharias 11:9);
"Comedent Israelem omni ore; vir Carnem brachii sui comedent, Menasche Ephraimum, et Ephraimus Menaschen, (Esaias 9:11, 19-20 (B.A. 12, 20-21));
"Cibabo oppressores tuos Carne eorum," (Esaias 49:26);
"Quisque Carnem socii sui comedent," (Jeremias 19:9). 4
"Comedere carnem filiorum et filiarum," (Jeremias 19:9; Leviticus 26:29; Deuteronomius 28:53) 5,
significatur destruere vera et bona apud se; per "filios" enim significantur vera, et per "filias" bona, videatur supra (139, 543, 546, 612). Praeterea in Verbo dicitur "omnis caro, et per id significatur omnis homo, (Genesis 6:12-13, 17, 10; Esaias 40:5-6; 49:26; 66:16, 23-24; Jeremias 25:31; 32:27; 45:5; Ezechiel 20:48; 21:4-5 (B.A. 20:48-49)).
Footnotes:
1. 31, 32 pro "32, 33"
2. 717 pro "751"
3. carnes comedere pro "carnes ejus comedere"
4. xix. pro "xvi."
5. Jeremias 19:9; Leviticus 26:29; Deuteronomius 28:53 pro "Jeremias 17:5; 19:19"