753.启18:1.“这些事以后”表显明那些在天主教向教会和天堂的神圣事物施加权柄，旨在统治所有人，占有他人的一切财物。本书序言*阐述了天主教的教义，那些处于来自主的启示之人由此可以看出，他们只关注对世人灵魂的统治，以便自己被奉为神明，独占全世界的财物。由于目的在此，根本不在于灵魂的得救，所以他们只能从地狱，而非其它源头选取自己的教义；事实上，这些教义无法来自天堂，即来自主，只能来自他们自己，因为他们将主的一切事物都转到自己那里。还有比将主的身体与血，或圣餐中的饼与酒分开，公然与圣餐的设立作对，并且凭空想象这一切，只是为了日夜举行弥撒圣祭，以此谋取世俗利益更可憎的吗？还有比以神性祈祷敬奉死人，跪拜他们的像，以神圣的方式亲吻他们，甚至亲吻他们尸首的骨头和残骸，从而将人们引离神性敬拜，转而引向亵渎的敬拜，而这一切也是为了利益更可憎的吗？还有比在主日和其它节日将神性敬拜置于叫人不明白的弥撒，因而置于属身体及其情感的外在，却没有属于灵魂及其情感的内在，并将一切神圣归给前者，从而让所有人陷入无知而盲目的信仰，以便他们拥有统治权、谋取利益更可憎的吗？还有比将主神性权柄的一切转到自己那里更可憎的吗？这等于把主从祂的宝座上拖下来，让自己坐了上去。还有比将圣言，也就是神性真理本身从平信徒和普通百姓那里拿走，然后发布法令和教条以取而代之，而这些法令和教条里面几乎没有一个纯正的圣言真理更可憎的吗？这些就是启示录的这一章所论述的事。
注：本书序言部分论述了新教和天主教的基本教义，因专用术语多，翻译难度大，故未译出。
753. REVELATION: CHAPTER 18
1. Then after these things I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
2. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and it has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird!
3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her licentiousness, the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich owing to the potencies of her delights."
4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my peoples, lest you participate in her sins, and lest you become recipients of her plagues.
5. For her sins have mounted even to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6. Render to her as she rendered to you, repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
7. In the measure that she glorified herself and worked her pleasure, in the same measure give her torment and grief; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen and am not a widow, and will not see grief.'
8. "Therefore her plagues will come in one day - death and mourning and hunger. And she will be burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
9. And the kings of the earth who committed whoredom with her and delighted in her will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning,
10. standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'
11. And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise anymore:
12. merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones, and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of thyine wood, 1every kind of ivory vessel, every vessel of precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
13. and cinnamon, fragrances, ointment and frankincense, and wine, oil, flour, wheat, cattle, and sheep, and merchandise of horses, and wagons, and the bodies and souls of people.
14. The fruits that your soul longed for have gone from you, and all things rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.
15. "The merchants of these things, whom she made rich, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
16. and saying, 'Woe, woe, that great city, clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls,'
17. because in one hour such great riches were laid waste. Every helmsman, everyone traveling by ship, and sailors, as many as work at sea, stood at a distance
18. and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What other city may be compared to this great city?'
19. And they put dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, and saying, 'Woe, woe, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea were made rich by her wealth!' because in one hour they were destroyed.
20. "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has visited your judgment on her!"
21. Then a mighty angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus shall Babylon, that great city, be forcefully thrown down, and not be found anymore.
22. The sound of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters, shall not be heard in you anymore; no craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore; and the sound of a mill shall not be heard in you anymore.
23. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the sound of a bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, because by your sorcery all the nations were led astray.
24. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all those slain on the earth."
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING
The Contents of the Whole Chapter
Treatment of the Roman Catholic religion continues, that because of its adulterations and profanations of the Word's truths and so those of the church, it will perish (verses 1-8). Concerning the highest in its ecclesiastic order, their character and grief (verses 9, 10). Concerning those lower in that order (verses 11-16). Concerning the laity and common people who are kept obedient to them (verses 17-19). The joy of the angels because of that religion's removal (verse 20). Its destruction in the spiritual world because of its lacking any acknowledgment of truth, inquiry into truth, enlightenment in truth, or acceptance of truth, and its lacking therefore any conjunction of truth and goodness, which is what forms the church (verses 21-24).
The Contents of the Individual Verses:
| Verse Contents | Spiritual Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Then after these things I saw | A continuation concerning the Roman Catholic religion. |
| an angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. | A powerful influx of the Lord from heaven through Divine truth, so that His church was brought into the light of heaven. |
| 2. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, | It made known that by the Lord's Divine power, people who were caught up in that religion and at the same time in a love of exercising dominion because of it, were all destroyed in the spiritual world and cast into numerous hells. |
| and it has become a dwelling place of demons, | Their hells are ones marked by lusts to exercise dominion from the heat of self-love, and by lusts to profane heaven's truths from the spurious zeal of that love. |
| a prison for every foul spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird! | The evils willed and so done by the people in those hells, and the falsities entertained in thought and consequent intention, are diabolical, because the people have turned away from the Lord to themselves. |
| 3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her licentiousness, the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her, | They have produced nefarious dogmas, dogmas that are adulterations and profanations of the Word's goodness and truth, and have imbued with them all those born and brought up in the kingdoms under their domination. |
| and the merchants of the earth have become rich owing to the potencies of her delights." | The greater and lower in rank in that hierarchy who by their dominion over sacred things strive for Divine majesty and superregal glory, who continually seek to establish it by multiplying the number of monasteries and possessions under their control, and by collecting and accumulating the world's treasures without end, and who thus procure for themselves physical and natural pleasures by claiming for themselves a celestial and spiritual dominion. |
| 4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my peoples, lest you participate in her sins, and lest you become recipients of her plagues. | An exhortation from the Lord to all people, both to those caught up in that religion and to those not caught up in it, to beware of embracing it in acknowledgement and affection, lest they embrace its abominations with their souls and perish. |
| 5. For her sins have mounted even to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. | Its evils and falsities infest the heavens, but the Lord will protect the heavens from being violated by them. |
| 6. Render to her as she rendered to you, repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. | A just retribution and punishment after death, that the evils and falsities with which they led astray and destroyed others will, in accordance with the magnitude and character of them, come back upon themselves. |
| 7. In the measure that she glorified herself and worked her pleasure, in the same measure give her torment and grief; | To the degree of their elation of heart due to their dominion, and of their exultation in mind and body due to their riches, to the same degree they will experience after death an inner anguish owing to their being cast down and becoming objects of derision, and owing to their poverty and wretchedness. |
| for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen and am not a widow, and will not see grief.' | This is their lot, because owing to their elation of heart over their dominion, and exultation of spirit over their riches, they possess the confidence and conviction that they will dominate forever and defend themselves, and that they can never lose what they have. |
| 8. "Therefore her plagues will come in one day - death and mourning and hunger. | Consequently, at the time of the Last Judgment the punishments for the evils they have done will come back on themselves - death, which is life in hell and an inner anguish at being cast down from their domination - mourning, which is an internal anguish owing to their poverty and wretchedness instead of opulence - and hunger, which is the loss of any understanding of truth. |
| And she will be burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. | They will be embodiments of animosity toward the Lord and toward His heaven and church, because they see then that the Lord alone governs and reigns over everything in heaven and on earth, and not at all any person of himself. |
| 9. And the kings of the earth who committed whoredom with her and delighted in her will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, | The inner feelings of anguish in those who had been in a higher degree of dominion and its delights through their falsifications and adulterations of the Word's truths, which they made sacred tenets of the church, when they see them turned into profane ones. |
| 10. standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' | Their fear of punishments, and grievous lamentation then that that religion, so well fortified, could be so suddenly and completely overturned, and that they could perish. |
| 11. And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise anymore: | The lower in rank who serve and profit by its sanctities - here their feelings of anguish that after Babylon's destruction they cannot use them to make material gains as before. |
| 12. merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones, and pearls, | They no longer have these things because they do not have any of the spiritual goods and truths to which these things correspond. |
| fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, | They no longer have these because they do not have any of the celestial goods and truths to which such things correspond. |
| every kind of thyine wood, every kind of ivory vessel, | They no longer have these because they do not have any of the natural goods and truths to which such things correspond. |
| every vessel of precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; | They no longer have these because they do not have any knowledge of the goods and truths in ecclesiastical affairs to which such things correspond. |
| 13. and cinnamon, fragrances, ointment and frankincense, | They no longer have any worship that springs from spiritual goods and truths, because they have nothing inwardly in their worship that corresponds to the aforesaid things. |
| and wine, oil, flour, wheat, | They no longer have any worship that springs from celestial truths and goods, because they have nothing inwardly in their worship that corresponds to the aforesaid things. |
| cattle, and sheep, | They no longer have any worship that springs from the church's external or natural goods and truths, because they have nothing inwardly in their worship that corresponds to the aforesaid things. |
| and merchandise of horses, and wagons, and the bodies and souls of people. | All of these things depend on an understanding of the Word and on doctrine drawn from it, and on the goods and truths in the Word's literal sense, which these Roman Catholics do not possess, because they have falsified and adulterated them. |
| 14. The fruits that your soul longed for have gone from you, and all things rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. | All the blessings and felicities of heaven, including the external ones they wish for, will altogether fly away and be seen no longer, because they do not have in them any celestial or spiritual affections for goodness and truth. |
| 15. "The merchants of these things, whom she made rich, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, | The state before damnation of those who profited by various dispensations and promises of heavenly joys, and their fear and lamentation then. |
| 16. and saying, 'Woe, woe, that great city, clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls,' 17. because in one hour such great riches were laid waste. | Their grievous lamentation that their magnificence and material gains were so suddenly and completely destroyed. |
| "Every helmsman, everyone traveling by ship, and sailors, as many as work at sea, stood at a distance | Those called laymen, both those established in a greater position of eminence and those in a lesser one, down to the common people, who are devoted to that religion and love it and kiss it or acknowledge and venerate it at heart. |
| 18. and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What other city may be compared to this great city?' | Their mourning in a state apart over the damnation of that religion, which they believed to be preeminent over every other religion in the world. |
| 19. And they put dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, and saying, 'Woe, woe, that great city, | Their interior and exterior grief and mourning, which is a lamentation that so eminent a religion was completely destroyed and condemned, |
| in which all who had ships on the sea were made rich by her wealth!' because in one hour they were destroyed. | because by the sanctities of that religion they all gained absolution, as many as were willing to purchase it, and instead of worldly and temporal riches they received heavenly and eternal ones, |
| 20. "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has visited your judgment on her!" | so that angels in heaven, and people in the church who possess goods and truths from the Word, now rejoice at heart that those caught up in the evils and falsities of that religion have been removed and cast out. |
| 21. Then a mighty angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus shall Babylon, that great city, be forcefully thrown down, and not be found anymore. | By a powerful influx of the Lord from heaven, that religion will be cast headlong into hell, together with all its adulterated truths of the Word, and angels will never see it again. |
| 22. The sound of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters, shall not be heard in you anymore; | They will not have in them any affection for spiritual truth and goodness, nor any affection for celestial goodness and truth. |
| no craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore; | Those caught up in that religion because of its doctrine and a life in accordance with it are without any understanding of spiritual truth, and so are without any thought of spiritual truth, to the extent that they are left to themselves. |
| and the sound of a mill shall not be heard in you anymore. | Those caught up in that religion because of its doctrine and a life in accordance with it do not inquire into, investigate, or confirm spiritual truth, because the falsity they have accepted, affirmed, and so enrooted in themselves stands in the way. |
| 23. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, | Those caught up in that religion because of its doctrine and a life in accordance with it are without any enlightenment from the Lord and so without any perception of spiritual truth. |
| and the sound of a bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. | Those caught up in that religion because of its doctrine and a life in accordance with it have no conjunction of goodness and truth, which is what forms the church. |
| For your great men were the merchants of the earth, | Those higher in their church hierarchy are of such a character because they use their various prerogatives, including ones left to their discretion in the regulations of their order, to buy and sell and make material gains. |
| because by your sorcery all the nations were led astray. | Their nefarious arts and cunning schemes by which they turned the hearts of all away from a reverent worship of the Lord to a profane worship of people, living and dead, and of icons. |
| 24. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all those slain on the earth." | From that religion, meant by the city of Babylon, comes the adulteration and profanation of all the truth of the Word and so of the church, and falsity has consequently emanated from it throughout the whole Christian World. |
THE EXPOSITION
18:1 Then after these things I saw. This symbolizes a manifestation of the death and damnation of people who were in the Roman Catholic religion and exercised authority over the sanctities of the church and over heaven, with the intention of achieving dominion over all others and of acquiring all the possessions of others.
This is the symbolic meaning here of the phrase, "Then after these things I saw," because it is the subject dealt with in this chapter.
We introduced this work by first presenting the dogmas of that religion, that readers enlightened by the Lord may see that Roman Catholics look to no other end than dominion over people's souls, in order to be worshiped as gods and to acquire for themselves alone all the world's goods. And because that is their goal, and not at all the salvation of souls, they could not draw their dogmas from any other source than hell. For they could not draw them from heaven, that is, from the Lord, but took them from themselves, because they transferred everything belonging to the Lord to themselves.
What is more detestable than to divide the Lord's body and blood, or bread and wine, in the Holy Supper, clearly contrary to its institution, and this by fictions, solely for the sake of sacrifices of the Mass offered daily and nightly by which to gain the world?
What is more detestable than to worship dead people with a Divine invocation, and to fall upon the knees before their images and reverently kiss them - even to treat in this way the bones and remains of their dead bodies - so as to draw people away from worship of God and introduce them into a profane worship, and this, too, for the sake of material gains?
What is more detestable than to regard worship of God on Sundays and holy days as consisting in masses not understood, thus in external acts of the body and its feelings, apart from the internal participation of the soul and its affections, and to ascribe all holiness to those masses, so as to keep everyone in ignorance and in a blind faith, in order to obtain dominion and material gain?
What is more detestable than their transferring to themselves everything connected with the Lord's Divine authority, which is nothing else than to drag the Lord down from His throne and place themselves on it instead?
What is more detestable than to take the Word, which is Divine truth itself, from the laity and common people, and to give them instead edicts and dogmas which contain scarcely one genuine truth of the Word.
These are the subject in this chapter of the Apocalypse.
Footnotes:
1. Thyine wood has not been identified. It has been associated with citron wood, and also with scented wood in general.
753. THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
1. And after these things I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the land was illuminated by his glory.
2. And he shouted vigorously with a great voice, saying, It has fallen, Babylon the great has fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird.
3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom, and the kings of the land have committed whoredom with her; and the merchants of the land have become rich through the abundance of her luxuries (deliliae).
4. And I heard another voice out of heaven Saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you become partakers of her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
5. For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God has remembered her injustices.
6. Render unto her even as she has rendered unto you, double unto her double in accordance with her works; in the cup that she has mixed, mix unto her double.
7. As much as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give unto her so much torment and mourning; because she says in her heart, I sit a queen and am not a widow, and I Shall not see mourning.
8. On account of this in one day her plagues shall come, death and mourning and hunger; and she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God judging her.
9. And they shall weep for her, and wail over her, the kings of the land who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they see the smoke of her burning;
10. Standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that powerful city, for in one hour thy judgment has come.
11. And the merchants of the land shall weep and mourn over her, because no one is buying their merchandise any more.
12. Merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stone and pearl, and of fine linen and purple, and silk and scarlet, and all thyme wood, and every ivory vessel, and every vessel of precious wood, and of bronze, and iron, and marble.
13. And cinnamon, and incenses, and ointment (pigmentum), and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour and wheat, and beasts of burden, and sheep, and of horses, and of carriages, and of bodies, and the souls of men.
14. And the fruits of the longing of thy soul have departed from thee, and all things fat and splendid have departed from thee, and thou shalt not find them any more.
15. The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
16. And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, for in one hour so many riches have been devastated.
17. And every steersman, and everyone voyaging upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea, stood afar off,
18. And shouted seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, Was there ever anything like this great city!
19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried out weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, in which all having ships in the sea have been made rich by reason of her preciousness, for in one hour they have been devastated.
20. Exult over her, O heaven, and the holy apostles and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her.
21. And one robust angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, With such impetus shall Babylon be cast down, that great city, and shall not be found any more.
22. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and flute-players, and trumpeters, shall not be heard in thee any more, and every craftsman of every craft shall not be found in thee any more, and the voice of a mill shall not be heard in thee any more.
23. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee any more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in thee any more; because thy merchants were the great ones of the land, because by thy sorcery all the nations have been led astray.
24. And in her has been found the blood of the prophets and saints, and of all those slain upon the land.
THE SPIRITUAL SENSE
THE CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER
There is a continuation concerning the Roman Catholic form of religion.
That on account of adulterations and profanations of the truths (veritas) of the Word, and of the Church therefrom, it is going to perish (verses 1-8).
Concerning the highest ones in the ecclesiastical order there, what they are like, and concerning their mourning (verses 9-10).
Concerning the lower ones in that order (verses 11-16).
Concerning the laity and common people who are under obedience to them (verses 17-19).
The joy of the angels on account of the removal thereof (verse 20).
Concerning its destruction in the spiritual world on account of there being no acknowledgment, investigation, enlightenment, or reception, of the truth, and consequently no conjunction of truth and good, which makes the Church (verses 21-24).
THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES
1. After these things I saw, signifies a continuation concerning the Roman Catholic form of religion.
I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the land was illuminated by his glory, signifies the Lord's strong influx out of heaven by means of Divine Truth, in consequence of which His Church was in a heavenly light.
2. And he shouted vigorously with a great voice, saying, It has fallen, Babylon the great has fallen, signifies that he made it known that by the Lord's Divine power all who have been in that form of religion, and at the same time in the love of dominating thereby, have been destroyed in the spiritual world and cast into many hells.
And has become a habitation of demons, signifies that their hells are hells of the lusts of dominating derived from the fever of the love of self, and of the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven derived from the spurious zeal of that love.
And a hold of every unclean spirit and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird, signifies that the evils of will and thence of deed, and the untruths of thought and thence of deliberation, of those who are in those hells are diabolical, because they are turned away from the Lord to their own selves.
3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom, and the kings of the land have committed whoredom with her, signifies that they have brought forth wicked dogmas, which are adulterations and profanations of the good and truth of the Word, and with them have infected all those born and brought up in the kingdoms under their domination.
And the merchants of the land have become rich through the abundance of her luxuries (delitiae), signifies the greater and the less in rank in that hierarchy, who by a dominion over holy things aspire to Divine majesty and more than regal glory, and continually aim to establish it by a multiplication of monasteries and the possessions under them and by the treasures which without end they gather together and accumulate from the world, and thus procure for themselves bodily and natural delights as a result of the attribution of heavenly and spiritual dominion to themselves.
4. And I heard another voice out of heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you become partakers of her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues, signifies an exhortation from the Lord to all, both those who are in that form of religion and those who are not to beware of conjunction therewith by acknowledgment and affection, lest as to their souls they be conjoined with its abominations and perish.
5. For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God has remembered her injustices, signifies that its evils and untruths are infesting the heavens, and that the Lord is going to protect these [heavens] from the violence thence.
6. Render unto her even as she has rendered unto you, double unto her double in accordance with her works, in the cup that she has mixed, mix unto her double, signifies the just retribution and penalty after death, that then the evils and untruths with which they have led others astray and destroyed them are going to return upon themselves in accordance with the quantity and quality thereof.
7. As much as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give unto her so much torment and mourning, signifies that in proportion to the elation of heart resulting from dominion, and to the exultation of mind (animus) and body resulting from riches, after death they have internal grief in consequence of casting down and mockery, and of destitution and misery.
Because she says in her heart, I sit a queen and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning, signifies that they have these things because, as a result of the elation of heart over dominion and the exultation of mind (animus) over riches, they are in a trust and confidence that they are going to dominate perpetually and protect their own selves, and that they can never be deprived of these things.
8. On account of this in one day 1her plagues shall come, death and mourning and hunger, signifies that on account of this at the time of the last judgment the penalties for the evils that they have done are going to return upon them, these being a death that is infernal life and the inward (intestinus) grief resulting from the casting down from dominion, a mourning that is the internal grief resulting from destitution and misery in the place of opulence, and a hunger that is the deprivation of the understanding of everything true.
And she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God judging her, signifies that they are going to be hatreds against the Lord and against His heaven and Church, because they see then that the Only Lord has dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man of himself.
9. And they shall weep for her, and wail over her, the kings of the land who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they see the smoke of her burning, signifies the interior griefs of those who have been in higher dominion and its delights by means of the falsified and adulterated truths of the Word which they have made holy things of the Church, when they see them turned into profane things.
10. Standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that powerful city, for in one hour thy judgment has come, signifies their fear of the penalties, and then a grievous lamentation that that form of religion, so fortified, could be overturned so suddenly and clearly, and they could perish.
11. And the merchants of the land shall weep and mourn over her, because no one is buying their merchandise any more, signifies the lesser ones in rank who are ministering and making gain by means of holy things, here their griefs that after the destruction of Babylon they cannot profit by those means as before.
12. Merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearl, signifies that they no longer have those things, because they do not have the spiritual goods and truths to which such things correspond.
And of fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, signifies that they no longer have those things, because they do not have the celestial goods and truths to which such things correspond.
And all thyme wood and every ivory vessel, signifies that they no longer have those things, because they do not have the natural goods and truths to which such things correspond.
And every vessel of precious wood and of bronze and iron and marble, signifies that they no longer have those things because they do not have the scientific goods and truths in the things of the Church (scientifica bona et vera in rebus Ecclesiae) to which such things correspond.
13. And cinnamon and incenses and ointment (pigmentum) and frankincense, signifies that they no longer have a worship out of spiritual goods and truths, because they do not have anything inwardly in the worship that corresponds to the things named above.
And wine and oil and fine flour and wheat, signifies that they no longer have a worship out of celestial goods and truths, because they do not have inwardly in the worship the things that correspond to those named above.
And beasts of burden and sheep, signifies that they no longer have a worship out of external or natural goods and truths of the Church, because they do not have anything inwardly in the worship that corresponds to the things named above.
And of horses and of carriages and of bodies and the souls of men, signifies all those things in accordance with the understanding of the Word and the doctrine therefrom, and in accordance with the goods and truths of the sense of the letter thereof, which they do not have because they have falsified and adulterated them.
14. And the fruits of the longing of thy soul have departed from thee, and all things fat and splendid have departed from thee, and thou shalt not find them any more, signifies that all the blessings and felicities of heaven, even such external ones as are desired by them, are going to flee away altogether and no longer appear, because there are not any celestial and spiritual affections of good and truth with them.
15. And the merchants of these things who were made rich by her shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, signifies the state before damnation, and the fear and lamentation then of those who have made gain by means of various dispensations and promises of heavenly joys.
16. [And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet and decked with gold, precious stone and pearls, for in one hour so many riches have been devastated, signifies a grievous lamentation that their magnificent things and gains have been destroyed so suddenly and so clearly.]
17. And every steersman, and everyone voyaging upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea, signifies those who are called the laity, both those who have been placed in greater and those in lesser dignity even to the common people, who have been attached to that form of religion and love and embrace it or acknowledge and venerate it at heart.
Stood afar off, [18] and shouted seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, Was there ever anything like this [great] city!, signifies their mourning in a remote state over the damnation of that form of religion which they have believed to be supereminent above every religion in the world.
19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried out weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, signifies their interior and exterior grief and mourning, which is a lamentation that such an eminent form of religion has been altogether destroyed and damned.
In which all having ships in the sea have been made rich by reason of her preciousness, for in one hour they have been devastated, signifies on this account, that by means of the holy things of that form of religion all, as many as were willing to buy, have been pardoned (propitiati sunt), and for worldly and temporal riches have received heavenly and eternal riches [; and that now no one can buy them].
20. Exult over her, O heaven, and the holy apostles and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her, signifies that now the angels of heaven, and the men of the Church who are in goods and truths out of the Word, may rejoice at heart that those who are in the evils and untruths of that form of religion have been removed and rejected.
21. And one robust angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, With such impetus shall Babylon be cast down, that great city, and shall not be found any more, signifies that by means of the Lord's strong influx out of heaven that form of religion with all its adulterated truths of the Word will be cast headlong into hell, and that it is never going to appear to the angels any more.
22. And the voice of harpers and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters shall not be heard in thee any more, signifies that with them there will not be any affection of spiritual truth and good, nor any affection of celestial good and truth.
And every craftsman of every craft shall not be found in thee any more, signifies that those who are in that form of religion by virtue of doctrine and a life in accordance with it do not have any understanding of spiritual truth, and consequently neither any thought of spiritual truth, so far as this is of themselves.
And the voice of a mill shall not be heard in thee any more, signifies that those who are in that form of religion by virtue of its doctrine and a life in accordance therewith do not have any searching into, examination and confirmation of spiritual truth, because the untruth received and confirmed, and thus implanted, stands in the way.
23. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee any more, signifies that those who are in that form of religion by virtue of doctrine and a life in accordance therewith do not have any enlightenment from the Lord, nor consequently any perception of spiritual truth.
And the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in thee any more, signifies that those who are in that form of religion by virtue of doctrine and a life in accordance therewith do not have the conjunction of good and truth that makes the Church.
Because thy great ones 2were the merchants of the land, signifies that the higher ones in their ecclesiastical hierarchy are such because, by means of various, even arbitrary, rights left to them in the statutes of the order, they trade and make a profit.
Because by thy sorcery all the nations have been led astray, signifies their wicked arts and devices by means of which they have led the minds (animus) of all away from a holy worship of the Lord to a profane worship of men living and dead and of idols.
24. And in her has been found the blood of the prophets and saints, and of all those slain upon the land, signifies that as the result of the form of religion that is understood by 'the city Babylon' there is the adulteration and profanation of every truth of the Word, and consequently of the Church, and that untruth has emanated therefrom into the whole of Christendom.
Footnotes:
1. Reading die (day) instead of hera (hour), to conform with 765 and the text of the chapter.
2. In the Original Edition here and at verse 23 of the Contents the words magnates (great ones) and mercatores (merchants) appear in the reverse order compared with the text at the beginning of the chapter and in the Greek.
THE EXPOSITION
[verse 1] 'And after these things I saw' signifies a manifestation concerning the destruction and damnation of those who were in the Roman Catholic form of religion, and have exercised authority over the holy things of the Church and heaven with the purpose of having dominion over all and of obtaining possession of all the things belonging to others. These things are here signified by 'after these things I saw' because in this chapter it treats of them. The dogmas of that form of religion have been set out in the front of this work so that those who are in enlightenment from the Lord can see that they regard nothing else but dominion over men souls, to the end that they may be worshipped as gods and have sole possession of the goods of the whole world. And because that was the end, and not at all the salvation of souls, they could not select their dogmas from any other source than hell; for they could not [select them] out of heaven, that is, from the Lord, but only from themselves, because they transferred all things of the Lord to themselves. What is more detestable than to divide the Lord's body and blood, or the bread and wine, in the Holy Supper, in manifest contrast to the institution, and this by means of invented reasons (figmenta), and solely for the sake of the sacrifice of the Mass by day and night, by which they 'gain the world'? What is more detestable than to worship dead men with a Divine invocation, and to fall down on the knees to representations of them, and to kiss them with holy reverence, even the bones and remains of their corpses, and thus to lead the people away from a Divine worship and lead them into a profane worship, and this also for the sake of gains? What is more detestable than to place Divine worship on the Lord's days and feasts in masses not understood, thus in external things that are of the body and of the things that affect it, without the internal things that are of the soul and its affections, and to attribute all holiness to the former, and thus to keep all in ignorance and a blind faith so that they may have dominion and become enriched? What is more detestable than to transfer all things of the Lord's Divine authority to themselves, which is nothing else than to dethrone the Lord and set up themselves instead? What is more detestable than to take the Word, which is Divine Truth itself, away from the laity and common people, and in place of it issue edicts and dogmas in which there is scarcely one genuine truth of the Word? These are the things of which [the Word] treats in this chapter of the Apocalypse.
753. Revelation 18
1. And after these things I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened by his glory.
2. And he cried out mightily with a great voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird.
3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich from the abundance of her luxuries.
4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye become not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5. For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her injustices.
6. Render unto her even as she hath rendered unto you; and double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath mingled, mingle to her double.
7. As much as she hath glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and mourning give her, for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning.
8. For this shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning and famine; and she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9. And the kings of the earth shall weep for her, and wail over her, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning;
10. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city; for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one buyeth their merchandise any more;
12. Merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stone and pearls, and fine linen and purple, and silk and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel of precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13. And cinnamon and incense, and ointment and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour and wheat, and beasts of burden and sheep, and horses, and carriages, and bodies and souls of men.
14. And the fruits of the desire of thy soul have departed from thee, and all fat and splendid things have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
16. And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, and precious stone, and pearls; 1for in one hour so great riches were devastated.
17. And every pilot and everyone employed upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea, stood afar off,
18. And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city?
19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were made rich by her costliness; for in one hour they were devastated.
20. Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath judged your judgment upon her.
21. And one strong angel took up a stone like a great mill-stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be cast down, and shall not be found anymore.
22. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and pipers, and trumpeters shall not be heard in thee anymore; and no craftsman of any craft shall be found in thee anymore; and the voice of a millstone shall not be heard in thee anymore;
23. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in thee anymore; because thy merchants were the great ones of the earth; because by thy sorcery have all nations been seduced.
24. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.
Footnotes:
1. English version, verse 17 begins here.
THE SPIRITUAL SENSE
The contents of the whole chapter
Continuation concerning the Roman Catholic religious persuasion. That on account of adulterations and profanations of the truths of the Word, and thence of the church, it will perish (verses 1-8). Concerning the highest in the ecclesiastical order there, what their quality is, and concerning their mourning (verses 9-10). Concerning the lower ones in that order (verses 11-16). Concerning the laity and the common people, who are under obedience to them (verses 17-19). The joy of the angels on account of its removal (verse 20). Concerning its destruction in the spiritual world on account of its having no acknowledgment of, inquiry after, enlightenment in, and reception of truth, and hence no conjunction of truth and good, which makes the church (verses 21-24).
The contents of each verse
Verse 1. "After these things I saw," signifies a continuation respecting the Roman Catholic religious persuasion, (753). "I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened by his glory," signifies a strong influx of the Lord out of heaven by the Divine truth, from which His church was in celestial light, (754).
Verse 2. "And he cried out mightily with a great voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen," signifies that he made it known, that by the Lord's Divine power all who have been in that religion and at the same time in the love of domineering from it, were destroyed in the spiritual world, and cast into many hells, (755). "And is become a habitation of demons," signifies that their hells are the hells of the lusts of domineering from the fire of the love of self, and of the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven from the spurious zeal of that love, (756). "And a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird," signifies that the evils of will and thence of the deed, and the falsities of thought and thence of design, of those who are in those hells, are diabolical, because they are turned away from the Lord to themselves, (757).
Verse 3. "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her," signifies that they have put forth wicked dogmas, which are adulterations and profanations of the good and truth of the Word, and have imbued with them all that have been born and brought up in the kingdoms under their domination, (758). "And the merchants of the earth have become rich from the abundance of her luxuries," signifies the greater and less in rank in that hierarchy, who through dominion over holy things strive for Divine majesty and super-regal glory, and continually aim to establish it by the multiplication of monasteries and of possessions under them, and by the treasures which without end they gather together and heap up from the world, and thus procure to themselves corporeal and natural delights from the celestial and spiritual dominion attributed to them, (759).
Verse 4. "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye become not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues," signifies exhortation from the Lord to all, as well those who are in that religion as those who are not in it, to beware of conjunction with it by acknowledgment and affection, lest as to their souls they should be conjoined to its abominations, and should perish, (760).
Verse 5. "For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her injustices," signifies that its evils and falsities infest the heavens, and that the Lord will protect these from violence thence, (761).
Verse 6. "Render unto her even as she hath rendered unto you; double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath mingled, mingle to her double," signifies just retribution and punishment after death, that then the evils and falsities by which they have seduced and destroyed others, will return upon them, according to their quantity and quality, (762).
Verse 7. As much "as she hath glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and mourning give her," signifies that in the degree of their elation of heart from dominion and according to their exultation of mind and body from riches, they have after death internal pain from being cast down and derided, and from want and misery, (763). "For she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning," signifies that they have these things, because from elation of heart over their dominion and from exultation of mind over their riches, they are in trust and confidence that they will have dominion forever, and shall protect themselves, and that they can never be deprived of them, (764).
Verse 8. "For this in one hour 1shall her plague come, death and mourning and famine," signifies that on this account, at the time of the Last Judgment, the punishments of the evils which they have done will return upon them, which are death, which is infernal life, and internal grief from being cast down from dominion; mourning which is internal grief from want and wretchedness in place of opulence; and hunger, which is the deprivation of the understanding of all truth, (765). "And she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her," signifies that they will be hatreds against the Lord and against His heaven and church, because they then see that the Lord alone had dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man from himself, (766).
Verse 9. "And the kings of the earth shall weep for her and wail over her, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning," signifies the more interior pains of those who have been in higher dominion and its delights, by means of the falsified and adulterated truths of the Word which they made the holy things of the church, when they see them turned into profane things, (767).
Verse 10. "And standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city; for in one hour is thy judgment come," signifies their fear of punishments, and their grievous lamentation that that religious persuasion, so fortified, could be so suddenly and completely overturned, and that they could perish, (769).
Verse 11. "And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one buyeth their merchandise anymore," signifies the lesser in the order, who minister and make gain by holy things, here their griefs that after the destruction of Babylon they cannot make profits by them as before, (771).
Verse 12. "Merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls," signifies that they no longer have these things, because they have no spiritual goods and truths, to which such things correspond, (772). "And fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet," signifies that they no longer have these things, because they have not the celestial goods and truths to which such things correspond, (773). "And all thyine wood and every vessel of ivory," signifies that they no longer have these, because they have not the natural goods and truths to which such things correspond, (774). "And every vessel of precious wood and of brass and iron and marble" signifies that they no longer have these, because they have not the scientific goods and truths in things of the church to which such things correspond, (775).
Verse 13. "And cinnamon and incense and ointment and frankincense," signifies that they no longer have worship from spiritual goods and truths, because they have nothing within their worship, which corresponds to the things here named, (777). "And wine and oil and fine flour and wheat," signifies that they no longer have worship from celestial truths and goods, because they have not within their worship the things which correspond to those here named, (778). "And beasts of burden and sheep," signifies that they no longer have worship from the external or natural goods and truths of the church, because they have not anything within their worship which corresponds to the above mentioned things, (780). "And horses and carriages and bodies and souls of men," signifies all those things according to the understanding of the Word and doctrine thence, and according to the goods and truths of the sense of its letter, which they have not, because they have falsified and adulterated them, (781).
Verse 14. "And the fruits of the desire of thy soul have departed from thee, and all fat and splendid things have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more," signifies that all the blessedness and happiness of heaven, even the external, such as are desired by them, will altogether flee away, and will no longer appear, because they have no celestial and spiritual affections of good and truth, (782).
Verse 15. "And the merchants of these things, who became rich by her, shall stand afar off, for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning," signifies the state before damnation, and then their fear and lamentation who have made gain by various dispensations and promises of heavenly joys, (783).
Verse 16. "And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold and precious stone and pearls, for in one hour so great riches were devastated," signifies grievous lamentation that their magnificence and their gains are so suddenly and so fully destroyed, (785).
Verse 17. "And every pilot, and everyone employed upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea," signifies those who are called the laity, as well they who are placed in greater dignity as those that are in less, even to the common people, who are attached to that religious persuasion, and love and kiss it, or acknowledge and venerate it in heart, (786). "Stood afar off (verse 18) and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this city?" signifies their mourning in a remote state over the condemnation of that religious persuasion, which they believed to be supereminent above every religion in the world, (787).
Verse 19. "And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city," signifies their interior and exterior grief and mourning which is lamentation that so eminent a religious persuasion should be altogether destroyed and condemned, (788). "In which all that had ships in the sea were made rich by her costliness, for in one hour they were devastated," signifies on this account, that by the holy things of that religious persuasion all, as many as were willing to buy, were absolved, and for worldly and temporal riches received heavenly and eternal riches, (789).
Verse 20. "Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath judged your judgment upon her," signifies that the angels of heaven and the men of the church who are in the goods and truths from the Word should now rejoice in heart that those who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected, (790).
Verse 21. And one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city, Babylon, be cast down, and shall not be found anymore," signifies that by a strong influx of the Lord out of heaven, that religious persuasion with all its adulterated truths of the Word, will be cast headlong into hell, and will not appear to the angels anymore, (791).
Verse 22. "And the voice of harpers and musicians and pipers and trumpeters shall not be heard in thee anymore," signifies that there will not be with them any affection of spiritual truth and good nor any affection of celestial good and truth, (792). "And no craftsman of any craft shall be found anymore in thee," signifies that they who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and from a life according to it, have no understanding of spiritual truth, and thence no thought of spiritual truth, so far as it is from themselves, (793). "And the voice of a millstone shall not be heard in thee anymore," signifies that with those who are in that religious persuasion from its doctrine and from a life according to it, there is no searching for, investigation of and confirmation of spiritual truth, because the falsity received and confirmed, and thus implanted, stands in the way, (794).
Verse 23. "And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee anymore" signifies that they who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and from a life according to it, have no enlightenment from the Lord, and hence no perception of spiritual truth, (796). "And the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall not be heard in thee anymore," signifies that they who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and from a life according to it, have no conjunction of good and truth, which makes the church, (797). "For thy great ones were the merchants 2of the earth" signifies that the higher ones in their ecclesiastical hierarchy are such; because by the various and arbitrary rights left to them in the statutes of the order, they make gain and profit, (799). "For by thy sorcery all the nations were seduced," signifies their wicked arts and devices, by which they have led away the minds [animus] of all from the holy worship of the Lord to the profane worship of living and dead men and idols, (800).
Verse 24. "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth," signifies that from the religious persuasion which is meant by "the city Babylon" is the adulteration and profanation of every truth of the Word and thence of the church, and that falsity has emanated therefrom into the whole Christian world.
1. The original Latin has "hour," the Greek has "day," so also we read "day" in the chapter above, and in the explanation, 765
2. The clause, "Thy great ones were the merchants of the earth," in the text of the chapter and in the Greek is reversed, "Thy merchants were the great ones of the earth."
THE EXPLANATION
Verse 1. And after these things I saw, signifies the manifestation concerning the destruction and condemnation of those who were in the Roman Catholic religious persuasion, and exercised authority over the holy things of the church and heaven, with the purpose of having dominion over all, and of possessing all the goods of others. These things are here signified by "after these things I saw," because they are treated of in this chapter. The dogmas of that religious persuasion are prefixed to this work, that they who are in enlightenment from the Lord may see that they regard nothing else than dominion over the souls of men, to the end that they may be worshiped as gods, and may alone possess the goods of the whole world.
And because that was their end, and not at all the salvation of souls, they could not take their dogmas from any other source than from hell; for they could not from heaven, that is, from the Lord, but from themselves, because they transferred all things of the Lord to themselves. What is more detestable than to divide the body and blood of the Lord, or the bread and wine in the Holy Supper, manifestly against its institution, and this by fictions, and solely for the sake of the daily and nightly sacrifices of the Mass, by which they make worldly gains? What is more detestable than to worship dead men with Divine invocation, and to fall down on the knees to their images, and to kiss them in a holy manner, yea, the bones and remains of their dead bodies, and thus to lead away the people from Divine worship and to lead them into profane worship; and this also for the sake of gains? What is more detestable than to make Divine worship on the Lord's day and on festivals to consist in masses not understood, and thus in externals which are of the body and its affections without internals which are of the soul and its affections, and to ascribe to the former all sanctity, and thus to hold all in ignorance and blind faith, that they may have dominion and make gain? What is more detestable than to transfer all things of the Lord's Divine authority to themselves? which is nothing else than to draw down the Lord from His throne, and to put themselves upon it. What is more detestable than to take away the Word, which is the Divine truth itself, from the laity and the common people, and to issue edicts and dogmas in its place, in which there is scarcely one genuine truth of the Word? These are the things which are treated of in this chapter of Revelation.
753. CAPUT XVIII.
1. ET post haec vidi (alium) Angelum descendentem e Caelo, habentem potestatem magnam, et terra illustrata est a gloria ejus.
2. Et exclamavit in virtute voce magna, dicens, Cecidit, cecidit, Babylon magna, et facta est habitaculum daemoniorum, et custodia omnis Spiritus immundi, et custodia omnis avis immundae et exosae.
3. Quia ex vino irae Scortationis ejus biberunt omnes gentes, et reges terrae cum illa scortati Sunt; et mercatores terrae ex facultatibus deliciarum ejus ditati Sunt.
4. Et audivi aliam vocem e Caelo, dicentem, Exite ex illa, populi Mei, ne participes fiatis peccatorum ejus, et ne recipiatis ex plagis ejus.
5. Quoniam pertigerunt ejus peccata usque ad Caelum, et recordatus est Deus injustitiarum ejus.
6. Reddite illi quemadmodum illa reddidit vobis, duplicate ei dupla secundum opera ejus, in poculo quo miscuit miscete ei duplum.
7. Quantum glorificavit se ipsam et deliciata est, tantum date illi cruciatum et luctum, quia in corde suo dicit, Sedeo regina et vidua non Sum, et luctum non videbo.
8. Propter hoc in una die venient plagae ejus, mors et luctus et fames, et in igne comburetur, quia fortis Dominus Deus judicans illam.
9. Et deflebunt illam, et plangent super illa Reges terrae, qui cum illa scortati Sunt et deliciati, quando Viderint fumum combustionis ejus;
10. E longinquo Stantes propter timorem cruciatus ejus, dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna Babylon, urbs illa valida, quia in una hora Venit judicium tuum.
11. Et mercatores terrae flebunt et lugebunt super illa, quod merces eorum nemo emat amplius;
12. Merces auri et argenti et lapidis pretiosi et margaritae, et byssi et purpurae et serici et coccini, et omne lignum thyinum et omne vas eburneum, et omne vas ex ligno pretioso et aere et ferro et marmore;
13. Et cinnamomum et Suffimenta et pigmentum et thus, et vinum et oleum et similam et triticum, et jumenta et oves, et equorum et rhedarum et corporum, et animas hominum.
14. Et fructus desiderii animae tuae abiverunt a te, et Omnia pinguia et splendida abiverunt a te, et amplius non invenies illa.
15. Mercatores horum, qui divites facti ab illa, e longinquo Stabunt propter timorem cruciatus ejus, flentes et lugentes,
16. Et dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna, circumamicta bysso et purpura et coccino, et inaurata auro, et lapide pretioso, et margaritis, quia una hora devastatae sunt tantae divitiae.
17. Et Omnis gubernator, et omnis super navibus versans, et nautae, et quotquot mare operantur, e longinquo steterunt,
18. Et clamaverunt videntes fumum combustionis ejus, dicentes, Quae similis urbi isti magnae.
19. Et miserunt pulverem super capita sua, et clamaverunt flentes et lugentes, dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna, in qua ditati sunt omnes habentes naves in mari ex pretiositate ejus, quia una hora devastati sunt.
20. Exulta super ea Caelum, et sancti Apostoli et Prophetae, quia judicavit Deus judicium Vestrum de illa.
21. Et Sustulit unus Angelus robustus lapidem quasi molarem magnum, et projecit in mare, dicens, Sic Impetu dejicietur Babylon, illa magna urbs, et non invenietur amplius.
22. Et vox citharaedorum et musicorum, et tibicinum et buccinatorum, non audietur in te amplius, et omnis artifex omnis artis non invenietur in te amplius, et vox molae non audietur in te amplius;
23. Et lux lucernae non lucebit in te amplius, et vox sponsi et sponsae non audietur in te amplius; quia mercatores tui erant magnates terrae, quia veneficio tuo seductae sunt omnes gentes.
24. Et in ea sanguis Prophetarum et Sanctorum inventus est, et omnium occisorum super terra.
SENSUS SPIRITUALIS.
CONTENTUM TOTIUS CAPITIS.
CONTINUATUR DE RELIGIOSO ROMANO CATHOLICO:
QUOD PROPTER ADULTERATIONES ET PROPHANATIONES VERITATUM VERBI, ET INDE ECCLESIAE, PERITURUM SIT (vers. 1-8);
DE SUPREMIS IN ORDINE ECCLESIASTICO IBI, QUALES SUNT, ET DE LUCTU ILLORUM (vers 9, 10);
DE INFERIORIBUS IN ILLO ORDINE (vers. 11-16);
DE LAICIS ET VULGO, QUI SUB ILLORUM OBEDIENTIA (17-19);
ANGELORUM GAUDIUM PROPTER REMOTIONEM EJUS (vers. 20);
DE INTERITU EJUS IN MUNDO SPIRITUALI PROPTER NULLAM VERI AGNITIONEM, INQUISITIONEM, ILLUSTRATIONEM, RECEPTIONEM, ET INDE NULLAM CONJUNCTIONEM VERI ET BONI, QUAE FACIT ECCLESIAM (vers. 21-24).
CONTENTA SINGULORUM VERSUUM.
1. "Post haec vidi" significat continuationem de Religioso Catholico Romano (753); "vidi (alium) Angelum descendentem e Caelo, habentem potestatem magnam, et terra illustrata est a gloria Ejus," significat influxum Domini e Caelo fortem per Divinum Verum, ex quo Ecclesia Ipsius in luce caelesti fuit (754).
2. "Et exclamavit in virtute voce magna, dicens, Cecidit, cecidit Babylon magna," significat quod notum fecerit quod per Divinam potentiam Domini omnes qui in Religioso illo et simul in amore dominandi ex illo fuerunt, in mundo spirituali destructi sint, et in plura inferna conjecti (755); "et facta est habitaculum daemoniorum," significat quod inferna eorum sint inferna concupiscentiarum dominandi ex oestro amoris sui, et concupiscentiarum prophanandi vera Caeli ex zelo spurio illius amoris (756); "et custodia omnis spiritus immundi, et custodia omnis avis immundae et exosae," significat quod mala voluntatis et inde facti, et falsa cogitationis et inde consilii, illorum qui in infernis illis sunt, diabolica sint, quia aversi a Domino ad semet ipsos sunt (757).
3. "Quia ex vino irae scortationis ejus biberunt omnes gentes, et reges terrae cum illa scortati sunt," significat quod nefaria dogmata, quae sunt adulterationes et prophanationes boni et veri Verbi, protulerint, et illis omnes in regnis sub dominatione eorum natos et educatos imbuerint (758); "et mercatores terrae ex facultatibus deliciarum ejus ditati sunt," significat majores et minores ordinis in Hierarchia illa, qui per dominium super sancta aucupant Divinam Majestatem et superregiam gloriam, et continue affectant constabilire illam per multiplicationem monasteriorum et possessionum sub illis, et per thesauros, quos absque fine e mundo congregant et cumulant, et sic sibi comparant jucunditates corporeas et naturales ex attributo sibi dominio caelesti et spirituali (759).
4. "Et audivi aliam vocem e Caelo, dicentem, Exite ex illa, populi Mei, ne participes fiatis peccatorum ejus, et ne recipiatis ex plagis ejus," significat a Domino exhortationem ad omnes, tam qui in illo Religioso sunt, quam qui in illo non sunt, ut caveant sibi a conjunctione cum illo per agnitionem et affectionem, ne quoad animas conjungantur abominationibus ejus, et pereant (760).
5. "Quoniam pertigerunt ejus peccata usque ad Caelum, et recordatus est Deus injustitiarum ejus," significat quod mala et falsa ejus infestent Caelos, et quod hos Dominus a violentia inde tutaturus sit (761).
6. Reddite illi quemadmodum illa reddidit vobis, duplicate ei dupla secundum opera ejus, in poculo quo miscuit miscete ei duplum," significat justam retributionem et poenam post mortem, quod tunc mala et falsa, quibus seduxerunt et perdiderunt alios, super illos, secundum quantum et quale eorum, reditura sint (762).
7. "Quantum glorificavit se ipsam et deliciata est, tantum date illi cruciatum et luctum," significat quod in gradu secundum elationem cordis ex dominio, et secundum exultationem animae et corporis ex divitiis, post mortem sit illis internus dolor ex dejectione et subsannatione, et ex egestate et miseria (763); "quia in corde suo dicit, Sedeo regina et vidua non sum, et luctum non videbo," significat quod haec illis sint, quia ex cordis elatione super dominio, et animi exultatione super divitiis, in fiducia et confidentia sunt, quod perpetuo dominaturi sint, et semet ipsos tutaturi, et quod non possint illis usquam orbari (764).
8. "Propter hoc 1in una die 2venient plagae ejus, mors et luctus et fames," significat quod propterea tempore Ultimi Judicii, poenae malorum quae fecerunt, super illos rediturae sint, quae sunt mors quae est vita infernalis ac intestinus dolor ex dejectione a dominio, luctus qui est internus dolor ex egestate et miseria loco opulentiae, et fames quae est deprivatio intellectus omnis veri (765); "et in igne comburetur, quia fortis Dominus Deus judicans illam," significat quod futuri sint odia contra Dominum, et contra Ipsius Caelum et Ecclesiam, Quia tunc vident quod Solus Dominus super omnia in Caelis et in Terris dominetur et regnet, et ne hilum aliquis homo ex se (766).
9. "Et deflebunt illam, et plangent super illa reges terrae, qui cum illa scortati sunt et deliciati, quando viderint fumum combustionis ejus," significat interiores dolores illorum qui in superiori dominio et ejus jucundis fuerunt, per falsificata et adulterata vera Verbi, quae fecerunt sancta Ecclesiae, cum vident ea versa in prophana (767).
10. "Et e longinquo stantes propter timorem cruciatus ejus, dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna Babylon, urbs illa valida, quia in una hora venit judicium tuum," significat timorem illorum pro poenis, et tunc gravem lamentationem quod Religiosum id ita munitum tam subito et plane possit everti, et illi possint perire (769).
11. "Et mercatores terrae flebunt et lugebunt super illa, quod merces eorum nemo emat amplius," significat minores in ordine qui ministrant et per sancta lucrantur, hic illorum dolores quod post destructionem Babylonis non possint quaestus sicut prius per illa facere (771).
12. "Merces auri et argenti et lapidis pretiosi et margaritae," significat quod haec illis non amplius sint, quia illis non sunt spiritualia bona et vera, quibus talia correspondent (772); "et byssi et purpurae et serici et coccini," significat quod haec illis non amplius sint, quia illis non sint caelestia bona et vera, quibus talia correspondent (773); "et omne lignum thyinum et omne vas eburneum," significat quod haec illis non amplius sint, quia illis non sunt naturalia bona et vera, quibus talia correspondent (774); "et omne vas ex ligno pretioso et aere et ferro et marmore," significat quod haec illis non amplius sint, quia non sunt illis scientifica bona et vera in rebus Ecclesiae, quibus talia correspondent (775).
13. "Et cinnamomum et suffimenta et pigmentum et thus," significat quod non illis sit amplius cultus ex bonis et veris spiritualibus, quia non aliquid intus in cultu habent quod supra nominatis correspondet (777); "et vinum et oleum et similam et triticum," significat quod non illis amplius sit cultus ex veris et bonis caelestibus, quia non intus in cultu habent quae supra nominatis correspondent (778); "et jumenta et oves," significat quod non illis amplius sit cultus ex bonis et veris Ecclesiae externis seu naturalibus, quia non aliquid intus in cultu habent quod supra nominatis correspondet (780); "et equorum et rhedarum et corporum, et animas 3hominum," significat illa omnia secundum intellectum Verbi et doctrinam inde, et secundum bona et vera Sensus literae ejus, quae illis non sunt, quia illa falsificaverunt et adulteraverunt (781).
14. "Et fructus desiderii animae tuae abiverunt a te, et omnia pinguia et splendida abiverunt a te, et amplius non invenies illa," significat quod omnes beatitudines et felicitates Caeli, etiam externae quales ab illis cupiuntur, prorsus fugiturae sint, et non amplius appariturae, quia non aliquae affectiones boni et veri caelestes et spirituales apud illos (782).
15. "Et mercatores horum qui divites facti ab illa, e longinquo stabunt propter timorem cruciatus ejus, flentes et lugentes," significat statum ante damnationem, ac tunc timorem et lamentationem illorum, qui per varias dispensationes et promissiones gaudiorum caelestium, lucrati sunt (783).
(16. "Et dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna, circumamicta bysso et purpura et coccino, et inaurata auro, et lapide pretioso, et margaritis, quia una hora devastatae sunt tantae divitiae," significat gravem lamentationem quod magnifica et lucra eorum, tam subito et plane destructa sint) (785.)
17, 18. "Et omnis gubernator, et omnis super navibus versans, et nautae, et quotquot mare operantur," significat illos qui vocantur Laici, tam qui in majore dignitate quam qui in minore constituti sunt, usque ad plebem, qui Religioso isti addicti sunt, ac illud amant et osculantur, aut corde agnoscunt et venerantur (786); "e longinquo steterunt et clamaverunt videntes fumum combustionis ejus, dicentes, Quae similis urbi isti (magnae)," significat in statu remoto luctum eorum super damnatione istius Religiosi, quod crediderunt supereminens prae omni religione in mundo (787).
19. "Et miserunt pulverem super capita sua, et clamaverunt flentes et lugentes, dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna," significat dolorem et luctum eorum interiorem, et exteriorem, qui est lamentatio, quod tam eminens Religiosum prorsus destructum et damnatum sit (788); in qua ditati sunt omnes habentes naves in mari ex pretiositate ejus, quia una hora devastati sunt," significat propter id, quod per sancta Religiosi istius omnes, quotquot emere vellent, propitiati sint, et pro divitiis mundanis et temporariis receperint divitias caelestes et aeternas (789).
20. "Exulta super ea Caelum, et sancti Apostoli et Prophetae, quia judicavit Deus judicium vestrum de illa," significat ut gaudeant corde nunc angeli Caeli et homines Ecclesiae qui in bonis et veris ex Verbo sunt, quod remoti et rejecti sint qui in Religiosi istius malis et falsis sunt (790).
21. "Et sustulit unus Angelus robustus lapidem quasi molarem magnum, et projecit in mare, dicens, Sic impetu dejicietur Babylon, illa magna urbs, et non invenietur amplius," significat quod per fortem influxum Domini e Caelo Religiosum illud cum omnibus ejus adulteratis veris Verbi praeceps conjicietur in Infernum, et quod amplius nusquam angelis appariturum sit (791).
22. "Et vox citharaedorum et musicorum, et tibicinum et buccinatorum, non audietur in te amplius," significat quod apud illos non erit aliqua affectio veri et boni spiritualis, nec affectio boni et veri caelestis (792); "et omnis artifex omnis artis in te non invenietur amplius," significat quod illis qui in Religioso illo ex doctrina et ex vita secundum illam sunt, non sit aliquis intellectus veri spiritualis, et inde nec aliqua cogitatio veri spiritualis, quantum a se (793); et vox molae non audietur in te amplius," significat quod illis qui in Religioso isto ex doctrina ejus et ex vita secundum illam sunt, non sit aliqua inquisitio, scrutatio et confirmatio veri spiritualis, quia obstat falsum receptum et confirmatum et sic implantatum (794).
23. "Et lux lucernae non lucebit in te amplius," significat quod illis qui in Religioso isto ex doctrina et ex vita secundum illam sunt, non sit aliqua illustratio a Domino, et inde perceptio veri spiritualis (796); et vox sponsi et sponsae non audietur in te amplius," significat quod illis qui in Religioso isto ex doctrina et ex vita secundum illam sunt, sit nulla conjunctio boni et veri, quae facit Ecclesiam (797); "quia mercatores 4tui erant magnates 5terrae," significat quod superiores in Hierarchia Ecclesiastica illorum tales sint, quia per varia jura etiam arbitraria illis in statutis ordinis relicta, mercantur et quaestus faciunt (799); "quia veneficio tuo seductae sunt omnes gentes," significat illorum nefarias artes et astutias, per quas omnium animos a sancto cultu Domini ad prophanum cultum hominum vivorum et mortuorum atque idolorum abduxerunt (800).
24. "Et in ea sanguis Prophetarum et Sanctorum inventus est, et omnium occisorum super terra," significat quod ex Religioso, quod per "urbem Babylonem" intelligitur, sit adulteratio et prophanatio omnis veri Verbi et inde Ecclesiae, et quod inde emanaverit falsum in totum Christianum orbem (801).
EXPLICATIO.
(Vers. 1.) "Et post haec vidi," significat manifestationem de interitu et damnatione illorum, qui in Religioso Catholico Romano erant, et exercuerunt potestatem super sancta Ecclesiae et Caelum, animo dominandi super omnes, et possidendi omnia aliorum. - Haec significantur hic per "Post haec vidi," quia de his in hoc capite agitur. Praemissa sunt ante hoc Opus dogmata Religiosi istius, ut illi qui in illustratione a Domino sunt, videre possint quod non aliud spectent quam dominium super animas hominum, ob finem ut colantur sicut Dii, ac soli possideant bona totius mundi; et quia ille finis fuit, et prorsus non salus animarum, dogmata sua non potuerunt aliunde desumere quam ex Inferno; non enim potuerunt e Caelo, hoc est, a Domino, sed a semet, quia in se transtulerunt omnia Domini. Quid detestabilius quam dividere Corpus et Sanguinem Domini, seu Panem et Vinum, in Sacra Caena; manifeste contra institutionem, et hoc per figmenta, et unice propter Sacrificia Missae diurna et nocturna, per quae lucrantur mundum. Quid detestabilius quam colere mortuos homines invocatione Divina, ac super genubus procumbere ad simulacra eorum, et sancte osculari illa, imo ossa et reliquias cadaveris eorum, et sic abducere populos a cultu Divino, ac inducere in cultum prophanum, et hoc quoque propter lucrationes. Quid detestabilius quam ponere cultum Divinum diebus Dominicis et festis in Missis non intellectis, ita in externis quae corporis et ejus affectuum sunt absque internis quae animae et ejus affectionum sunt, ac illis omnem sanctitatem addicere, et sic tenere omnes in ignorantia et caeca fide, ut dominentur et lucrentur. Quid detestabilius quam in se transferre omnia Divinae potestatis Domini, quod non aliud est quam detrahere Dominum de Throno, et se superimponere. Quid detestabilius, quam Verbum, quod est ipsum Divinum Verum, auferre laicis et Vulgo, et loco ejus dare edicta et dogmata, in quibus vix unum genuinum verum Verbi est. Haec sunt, de quibus in hoc capite Apocalypseos agitur.
Footnotes:
1. hoc pro "haec"
2. die pro "hora"
3. animas pro "animae"
4. mercatores pro "magnates"
5. magnates pro "mercatores"