765.启18:8.“为此，在一天之内，她的灾殃要一齐来到，就是死亡，悲哀，饥荒”表因此缘故，在最后审判之时，他们所行邪恶的惩罚会报应到他们身上，这惩罚就是死亡，死亡就是地狱的生命，和因着统治被推翻而遭受的内在悲伤；悲哀就是因贫苦和悲惨取代富有导致的内在悲伤；饥荒就是丧失对一切真理的理解。之所以说“为此”，是因为“她心里说，我坐着作皇后，并不是寡妇，决不会看见悲哀”，正如前文所述（764节）。“一天之内”表示最后审判之时，也就是所谓的“审判日”。“灾殃”表示对他们在世所行邪恶的惩罚，那时，这些邪恶会报应他们。“死亡”表示地狱的生命，和因着统治被推翻而遭受的内在悲伤，也就是上面所说的痛苦（763节）；对此，下文很快有所说明。“悲哀”表示因贫苦和悲惨取代富有导致的内在悲伤（764节）。“饥荒”表示丧失对一切真理的理解。天主教中那些出于自我之爱进行统治，只为自己不爱功用的人就陷入这三样灾，或惩罚。这些人内心其实是无神论者，因为他们将一切归给自己的智谋和自然界。这个族群中其他具有如此性质，但没有深入思考的人是偶像崇拜者。灾殃或惩罚，也就是所谓的“饥荒”表示丧失对一切真理的理解（参看323节）。诚然，每个人只要活在人世，都拥有理性，也就是理解真理的官能；这种官能在每个人死后仍保留。然而，那些在世时出于自我之爱和对自己聪明的骄傲而充满宗教虚假的人死后不愿理解真理；不愿仿佛就不能。出于不愿的这种不能就在所有这类人当中，并由此不断增长，以致出于为了统治而渴望虚假的快乐，他们不断吸收新确认虚假，从而在理解或认知上变成纯粹的虚假，并永远保持下去。耶利米书中有关巴比伦的这些话也表示类似的事：
你们的母巴比伦就极其抱愧，生你们的必然蒙羞；看哪，她要列在诸国之末，成为旷野，旱地，沙漠；因耶和华的忿怒，必无人居住，要全然荒凉；凡经过巴比伦的要受惊骇，又因她所遭的灾殃嗤笑。（以赛亚书50:12，13）
765. 18:8 "Therefore her plagues will come in one day - death and mourning and hunger." This symbolically means that 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.
"Therefore" refers to the fact that she said in her heart, "I sit as queen and am not a widow, and will not see grief," as explained just above in no. 764. In one day means, symbolically, at the time of the Last Judgment, called also the Day of Judgment. Plagues symbolize punishments for the evils they did in the world, which will then come back on them. Death symbolizes life in hell, and internal anguish at being cast down from their dominion, which in no. 763 above is called torment. We will say something about this death below. Mourning symbolizes an inner anguish owing to their poverty and wretchedness instead of wealth, as explained also in no. 764 above. Hunger symbolizes the loss of any understanding of truth.
People of the Roman Catholic religion who have exercised dominion from a love of self and without a love of useful services for their own sake, suffer these three plagues or punishments. They are also atheists at heart, since they attribute everything to their own prudence or to nature. All the rest of that tribe who are of the same character, but who do not think deeply within themselves, are idolaters.
That the plague or punishment called hunger means the loss of any understanding of truth may be seen in no. 323 above.
Every person, indeed, while living in the world, possesses rationality, that is, a faculty for understanding truth. This faculty continues to exist in every person after death. Yet those who from a love of self or a conceit in their own intelligence have imbued themselves with religious falsities in the world, after death refuse to understand truth, and to refuse is be virtually unable. This inability owing to a lack of will is found in all people of the character described, and it increases as the delight in their lust for falsity to gain dominion draws them to imbue themselves with new falsities to support it, so that intellectually they become embodiments of nothing but falsity and remain so to eternity.
Similar statements are made regarding Babylon in Jeremiah:
Your mother was deeply ashamed; she who bore you was filled with shame. Behold, the last of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land and a desert. Because of the wrath of Jehovah she shall not be inhabited, but shall be a complete wasteland. Everyone who passes by Babylon shall be astounded, and shall hiss at all her plagues. (Jeremiah 50:12-13)
765. [verse 8] 'On account of this in one day her plagues will 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. By 'on account of this' is understood because she has said in her heart 'I sit a queen and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning,' of which just above (764). By 'in one day' is signified at the time of the last judgment, which is indeed called 'the day of judgment.' By the 'plagues' are signified the penalties for the evils that they have done in the world, which are then going to return upon them. By 'death' is signified the infernal life and inward grief resulting from the casting down from dominion which was above (763) called torment, concerning which death something follows. By 'mourning' is signified the internal grief resulting from destitution and misery in place of opulence, as also above (764). By 'hunger' is signified the deprivation of the understanding of everything true. Into these three 'plagues' or penalties come those of that form of religion who have had a dominion resulting from the love of self and no love of uses except for the sake of self. These are also atheists at heart, since they attribute all things to the prudence of the proprium and to nature. The rest of that kind, who are such but do not think interiorly in themselves, are idolaters. That by the plague or penalty that is called 'hunger' is understood the deprivation of the understanding of everything true may be seen above (323). Every man indeed, so long as he is living in the world, has rationality, that is, the faculty of understanding what is true. This faculty remains with every man after death. Yet those who out of the love of self and the pride of self-intelligence have absorbed untruths of religion in the world are not willing after death to understand what is true; and to be unwilling is as it were not to be able. This inability resulting from unwillingness is with all such and is increased for this reason, that out of the delight of the lust for untruth for the sake of dominion they continually absorb new confirming untruths, and thus become nothing but untruths and remain so to eternity. Similar things are understood by these words concerning Babel in Jeremiah:
Your mother has been exceedingly ashamed, she who bare you has blushed with shame; behold the outcome is a wilderness, a dryness and a desert. From the wrath of Jehovah it shall not be inhabited, but shall be a total devastation. Every one passing by Babel shall be astonished, and shall hiss over all her plagues Jeremiah 1 12-13.
765. Verse 8. For this in one day shall her plagues 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 inward grief from being cast down from dominion; mourning, which is internal grief from want and misery in place of opulence; and famine, which is the deprivation of the understanding of all truth. By "for this" is meant because she said in her heart, "I sit a queen, and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning," concerning which just above, (764). By "in one day" the time of the Last Judgment is signified, which is also called the Day of Judgment. By "plagues" are signified the punishments of the evils which they did in the world, which will then return upon them. By "death" is signified infernal life and inward grief from being cast down from dominion, which is called torment above, (763); concerning which death something will be said presently. By "mourning" is signified internal grief from want and misery in place of opulence, as also above, (764). By "famine" the deprivation of the understanding of all truth is signified. Into these three plagues or punishments those of that religious persuasion come, who have had dominion from the love of self, and with no love of uses except for the sake of self. These are also atheists in heart, since they attribute all things to their own prudence and to nature. The rest from that nation, who are such, but do not think interiorly in themselves, are idolaters. It may be seen above, (323), that the deprivation of the understanding of all truth is meant by the plague or punishment which is called "famine." Every man indeed, as long as he lives in the world, has rationality, that is, the faculty of understanding truth. This faculty remains with every man after death. Still they who have imbued falsities of religion in the world from the love of self and the pride of their own intelligence, after death are not willing to understand truth; and not to be willing is as it were not to be able. This inability from unwillingness is with all such, and is increased from this, that from the delight of the lust of falsity for the sake of dominion they continually imbue new confirming falsities, and thus become as to the understanding mere falsities, and remain so to eternity. Similar things are meant by these words concerning Babel in Jeremiah:
Your mother is greatly ashamed, she that bare you is suffused with shame; behold, the end shall be a wilderness, dryness, and a desert; from the anger of Jehovah it shall not be inhabited, but shall be a total devastation; everyone that passeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and shall hiss over all her plagues, (Jeremiah 50:12-13).
765. (Vers. 8.) "Propter hoc in una die venient plagas 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. -Per "propter hoc" intelligitur, quia in corde suo dixit, "Sedeo regina et vidua non sum, et luctum non videbo," de quibus mox supra (764); per "una die" significatur tempore Ultimi Judicii, quod etiam Dies Judicii vocatur; per "plagas" significantur poenae malorum quae fecerunt in mundo, quae tunc super illos rediturae sunt; per "mortem" significatur vita infernalis, ac intestinus dolor ex dejectione a dominio, qui supra (763) 1vocatur "cruciatus," de qua morte aliquid sequitur; per "luctum" significatur internus dolor ex egestate et miseria loco opulentiae, ut quoque supra (764) per "famem" significatur deprivatio intellectus omnis veri; in has tres plagas seu poenas, veniunt illi ex isto Religioso qui ex amore sui et nullo amore usuum nisi propter se, dominati sunt; hi quoque corde athei sunt, quoniam propriae prudentiae ac naturae omnia attribuunt; reliqui ex illa gente, qui tales sunt, sed non interius in se cogitant, idololatrae sunt; quod per plagam seu poenam quae vocatur "fames," intelligatur deprivatio intellectus omnis veri, videatur supra (323). Est quidem cuivis homini, quamdiu in mundo vivit, rationalitas, hoc est, facultas intelligendi verum. Haec facultas manet apud omnem hominem post mortem; usque illi qui ex amore sui et fastu propriae intelligentiae imbuerunt falsa religionis in mundo, post mortem non volunt intelligere verum, et non velle est sicut non posse; hoc non posse ex non velle est apud omnes tales, et augetur ex eo, quod ex jucundo concupiscentiae falsi propter dominium continue imbuant nova falsa confirmantia, et sic fiunt quoad intellectum mera falsa, ac ita manent in aeternum. Similia intelliguntur per haec de Babele apud Jeremiam:
"Pudefacta est Mater vestra valde, pudore suffusa est Genetrix vestra ecce postremitas desertum, siccitas et solitudo: ab ira Jehovae non habitabitur, sed erit devastatio tota; omnis transiens praeter Babelem obstupescet, et sibilabit super omnibus plagis ejus," (1:12, 13).
Footnotes:
1. 763 pro "764"