758.启18:3.“因为各族都喝了她邪淫烈怒的酒。地上的君王与她行淫”表他们颁布恶毒的信条，这些信条都是对圣言良善和真理的玷污和亵渎，被灌输给凡在受他们统治之国中出生并受教育的人。这些话就表示这一切，这一点从前面的解释明显看出来（631，632，720，721节）；那里有类似的话，无需在此赘述；仅说明耶利米书中也有类似论及巴比伦或巴别的话:
巴比伦素来是耶和华手中的金杯，使全地沉醉，各族喝了她的酒就癫狂了。（耶利米书51:7）
还有：
巴比伦必令人嗤笑，他们火热的时候，我必为他们设摆酒席，使他们沉醉，好叫他们快乐，睡了长觉，永不醒起。（耶利米书51:37，39）
他们所喝并沉醉的“酒”表示他们的信条；至于这些信条何等恶毒，可参看前文（753节）。其中就有这么一个恶毒信条：他们照其信条所做的行为通过将主的功与义转录到这些行为、从而转录到自己里面而产生功德；然而，仁的一切和信的一切，或一切良善与真理，皆来自主；凡来自主的，在接受者里面仍旧是主的。因为凡来自主的，皆为神性，这神性永远不可能变成人自己的。神性能在人里面，但不在他的小我或统我（proprium）里面，因为人的小我或统我（proprium）无非是恶；因此，人若将神性之物据为己有，当成自己的，不仅玷污它，还亵渎它。来自主的神性极其敏感地与人的小我或统我隔离，并被提升在它之上，绝不会浸于其中。但由于他们已将主的一切神性转到自己那里，从而据为己有，所以它在降下的时候，就像从系柏油的源泉流出的柏油水。这个信条就是如此，即：称义才是真正的成圣；他们的圣徒本身是神圣的，而事实上，唯有主才是神圣的（启示录15:4）。关于行为中的功德的详细内容，可参看1758年于伦敦出版的《新耶路撒冷及其天堂教义》（150-158节）一书。
758. 18:3 "For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her licentiousness, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her." This symbolically means that Roman Catholics 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.
That this is the symbolic meaning of these words can be seen from the explanations in nos. 631, 632 and 720, 721 above, where similar imagery occurs, and we have no need to add more, except to say that similar statements regarding Babel are made in Jeremiah:
Babylon was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank of her wine; therefore they are deranged. (Jeremiah 51:7)
And:
Babylon shall become... a hissing... When they are inflamed I will lay their feasts; I will make them drunk, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake. (Jeremiah 51:37, 39)
The wine that they drink that makes them drunk symbolizes their dogmas, and how nefarious these are may be seen in no. 753 above. One of those dogmas is this nefarious one, that the works people do in conformity with their tenets earn merits, by causing the Lord's merit and righteousness to be transcribed into the works and thus into them. And yet every bit of charity, and every bit of faith, or all good and truth, comes from the Lord, and what comes from the Lord continues to be the Lord's in its recipients. For what comes from the Lord is Divine, which can never become a person's own.
Something Divine can be present in a person, but not in his native self, for a person's native self is nothing but evil. Therefore someone who claims for himself something Divine as his own, not only defiles it, but also profanes it. Something Divine from the Lord is kept carefully separate from a person's native self, being elevated above it and never immersed in it.
But because Roman Catholics have transferred all the Lord's Divinity to themselves, and so have appropriated it as their own, it flows like rainwater mixed with pitch, from a fountain of tar.
The case is the same with the dogma that justification is real sanctification, and that their saints are holy in themselves, even though the Lord alone is holy (Revelation 15:4).
For more on the subject of merit, see The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine (London, 1758), nos. 150-158! Could not find a match for this book: nos. .
758. [verse 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. That these things are signified by these words can be established from the things expounded above (631-632 and 720-721) where there are similar words, to which there is no need to add more; only that similar things are said of Babel in Jeremiah:
Babel is a goblet of gold in the hand of Jehovah making the entire land drunk. The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are mad. Jeremiah 51:7.
Let Babel be for hissing; when they have become warm, I will set their feasts and will make them drunk, that they may exult, and may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake, Jeremiah 51:[37,] 39.
By the 'wine' that they drink, and by which they are made drunk, their dogmas are signified; and how wicked these are may be seen above (753). Among them also there is this wicked thing, that the works that are done in accordance with their doctrinal tenets produce merits by transcribing the merit and justice of the Lord into those works, and thus into themselves; when yet everything of charity and everything of faith, or every good and truth, is from the Lord; and what is from the Lord remains the Lord's with the recipients. For what is from the Lord is Divine, and this can never be made the proprium of a man. The Divine can be with a man, but not in his proprium, for the man's proprium is nothing but evil; and therefore he who attributes the Divine to himself as proprium not only defiles it but also profanes it. The Divine from the Lord is exquisitely separated from the proprium of a man, and is elevated above it and never immersed therein. But because they have transferred to themselves everything of the Lord's Divine, and have thus appropriated it to themselves, it flows like bituminous water while it is raining, out of a spring which is bitumen. It is similar with the dogma that justification is a real sanctification, and that their saints are holy in themselves, when yet the Lord only is Holy (Revelation 15:4). More things may be seen concerning merit in the work CONCERNING THE NEW JERUSALEM AND ITS HEAVENLY DOCTRINE, published at London in the year 1758, (150-158).
758. Verse 3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth 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 educated in the kingdoms under their domination. That this is signified by these words may be evident from the explanations above, (631, 632, 720, 721); where are like things, to which there is no need of adding more; only that similar things are said of Babel in Jeremiah:
A cup of gold is Babel in the hand of Jehovah making the whole earth drunken, the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are insane, (Jeremiah 51:7).
Also:
Let Babel be a hissing, when they have grown warm, I will make their banquets, and I will make them drunken, that they may exult, and may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake, (Jeremiah 51:37, 39).
By "the wine" which they drink, and by which they are made drunk, their dogmas are signified; and how wicked these are, may be seen above, (754). Among them also is this wicked one, that the works which they do according to their doctrinals make merits, by transcribing into them, and thus into themselves, the Lord's merit and justice; when yet all of charity and all of faith, or all good and truth, are from the Lord; and what is from the Lord remains the Lord's with the recipients. For what is from the Lord is Divine, which can never become man's own. The Divine can be with a man, but not in his proprium, for man's proprium is nothing but evil; wherefore he who attributes to himself what is Divine as his own, not only defiles it, but also profanes it. The Divine from the Lord is exquisitely separated from man's proprium and is elevated above it, and is never immersed in it. But because they have transferred to themselves all the Divine of the Lord and thus have appropriated it to themselves, it flows like bituminous water, when it rains, from a spring which is bitumen. It is similar with that dogma, that justification is real sanctification; and that their saints are holy in themselves, when yet the Lord alone is holy, (Revelation 15:4). More may be seen concerning merit in the work concerning The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 150-158, published at London in the year 1758.
758. (Vers. 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. - Quod haec per illa verba significentur, constare potest ab explicatis supra (631, 632, 720, 721), ubi similia, quibus plura adjicere non opus est; solum quod similia de Babele dicantur apud Jeremiam:
"Calix auri Babel in manu Jehovae, inebrians universam terram; de vino ejus biberunt gentes, ideo insaniunt," (51:7);
tum,
"Sit Babel in sibilum; cum incaluerint, ponam convivia eorum, et inebriabo eos, ut exultent, et dormiant somnum saeculi, nec evigilent," (51:(37,) 39).
Per "vinum," quod bibunt, et quo inebriantur, significantur dogmata eorum; quae quam nefaria sunt, videatur supra (754); inter illa etiam est hoc nefarium, quod opera, quae fiunt secundum doctrinalia eorum, faciant merita, transcribendo meritum et justitiam Domini in illa et sic in illos; cum tamen omne charitatis et omne fidei, seu omne bonum et verum est a Domino, et quod est a Domino manet Domini apud recipientes; nam quod est a Domino est Divinum, quod nusquam fieri potest proprium hominis. Divinum potest apud hominem esse, sed non in ejus proprio, nam proprium hominis non est nisi quam malum; quare qui Divinum addicat sibi ut proprium, non modo conspurcat illud sed etiam prophanat illud. Divinum a Domino exquisite separatur a proprio hominis, ac elevatur super id, et nusquam ei immergitur. - Sed quia omne Divinum Domini in se transtulerunt, et sic appropriaverunt sibi illud, fluit id sicut aqua bituminosa, dum pluit, ex fonte qui est bitumen. Simile est cum illo dogmate quod justificatio sit realis sanctificatio, et quod sancti eorum sint sancti in se, cum tamen Dominus solus est Sanctus, (Apocalypsis 15:4). Videantur plura de Merito in Opere De Nova Hierosolyma et de Doctrina ejus caelesti, Londini anno 1758 edito (150-158).