772.启18:12.“这货物就是金，银，宝石，珍珠”表他们不再拥有这些事物，因为他们没有与这类事物相对应的属灵良善和真理。他们的“货物”无非表示此处所提及的事物；因为众所周知，他们拥有大量金、银、宝石和珍珠，他们利用他们使之成为神圣神性事物的这个宗教来获取这些东西。在最后审判前，那些属巴比伦的人就拥有这类东西；因为那时他们被允许自行形成诸天堂，并千方百计从天上为自己获取这类东西，甚至像在世时那样堆满他们的库房。然而，最后的审判之后，当他们所虚构的诸天堂被摧毁时，所有这些东西都化为尘埃、灰烬，被东风吹走，如亵渎的灰尘那样撒在他们的地狱上。关于这些事，可阅读1758年于伦敦出版的《最后的审判》（关于巴比伦毁灭的相关内容）一书中通过所见之物来描述的事。
由于天主教被推翻，他们被投入地狱，所以他们的状态如此悲惨，以至于他们不知道何为金、银、宝石和珍珠。这是因为金银和宝石对应于属灵的良善和真理，珍珠对应于对它们的认知。由于他们不再有真理和良善，也没有对它们的认知，取而代之的是邪恶和虚假，以及对它们的认知，所以他们无法拥有这些事物，只能拥有诸如与其状态相对应的东西，就是色彩丑陋的廉价材料，还有一些他们像以前对上述宝物那样心系的一些海贝。
要知道，灵界有自然界中的一切事物，唯一不同的是：灵界万物皆为对应，因为它们对应于灵界居民的内在。那些通过圣言处于源自主出于神性真理和良善的智慧之人拥有壮丽辉煌之物，而那些处于源自虚假和邪恶的疯狂之人则拥有对之物。这种对应关系自创造时，也就是当心智的属灵之物被允许沉入身体的感官之物时就存在；因此缘故，在灵界，只要进入某人的房间，谁都能知道他的品性。
由此可知，“这货物就是金，银，宝石，珍珠”表示他们不再拥有这些事物，因为他们没有与这类事物相对应的属灵良善和真理，以及对良善和真理的认知。由于对应，“金”表示良善，“银”表示真理（参看211，726节）。“宝石”表示属灵真理（231，540，726节）。“珍珠”表示对良善和真理的认知（727节）。
772. 18:12 "Merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones, and pearls." This symbolically means that these Roman Catholics no longer have these things because they do not have any of the spiritual goods and truths to which these things correspond.
Their merchandise symbolizes just the things listed here, for we know that the Roman Catholic hierarchy possesses gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls in abundance, and that they have acquired them by the sanctities of their religion which they have presented as Divine and sacred.
Those coming from Babylon had these things before the Last Judgment, for it was then granted them to form for themselves apparent heavens and by various arts to procure for themselves such things from heaven, indeed to fill their storerooms with them as they did in the world. However, after the Last Judgment, when their counterfeit heavens were destroyed, all of these were then reduced to dust and ash and were carried away by an east wind and strewn over their hells as a profane dust. But on this subject, read what we witnessed and described in the short work, The Last Judgment and Babylon Destroyed (London, 1758).
[2] Since the overthrow of that religion and its adherents' being cast down into hell, they are in such a wretched state that they do not know what gold, silver, precious stones and pearls are. That is because gold, silver and precious stones correspond to spiritual goods and truths, and pearls to concepts of these; and since they do not have any of these truths and goods, nor any concepts of them, but instead of them have evils and falsities and concepts of these, they cannot have what they had before, but only such things as correspond, which are cheap and ugly-colored materials. They also have some seashells, and they set their heart on them, as they did previously on the valuables listed above.
[3] It should be known that the spiritual world contains everything found in the natural world, the only difference being that everything in the spiritual world is a correspondent form, for these forms correspond to the interior qualities of the inhabitants, being splendid and magnificent in the case of people governed by wisdom gained from Divine truths and goods from the Lord through the Word, and being the opposite in the case of those governed by irrational thinking arising from falsities and evils.
This correspondence from creation exists when the spiritual component of the mind descends into the sensory component of the body. Consequently, in the spiritual world everyone knows the character of another when he enters the other's own room.
[4] It can be seen from this that no one's buying their merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones, and pearls means symbolically that they no longer have these material gains, because they do not have any of the spiritual goods and truths, or any concepts of these, to which these things correspond.
To be shown that gold by correspondence symbolizes goodness, and silver truth, see nos. 211, 726 above. That a precious stone symbolizes spiritual truth, nos. 231, 540, 726. That pearls symbolize concepts of truth and goodness, no. 727.
772. [verse 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. By 'their merchandise' no other things are signified than those that are named there; for it is known that they have gold, silver, and precious stone and pearls in abundance, and that they have gained them by their forms of religion which they have made Divine holy things. Those who were of Babylon had such things before the last judgment; for they were then allowed to form to themselves as it were heavens and to procure such things to themselves out of heaven by various arts, even to fill cellars with them as in the world. After the last judgment, however, when their fictitious heavens were destroyed, all those things were then reduced to dust and ashes and carried away by an east wind and strewn over their hells as a profane dust. But concerning these things let the things be read which, from things seen, have been described in the little work concerning THE LAST JUDGMENT AND BABYLON DESTROYED, published at London, 1758.
[2] Since that overthrowing and their casting down into hell they are in a state so miserable that they do not know what gold, silver, precious stone and pearl are. This is because gold, silver and precious stone correspond to spiritual goods and truths, and pearls to the cognitions thereof. And because they do not have truths and goods any more, nor the cognitions thereof, but instead of them evils and untruths and the cognitions of these, they cannot have those things but such as correspond [to their state], which are cheap materials of a horrid colour, besides some sea-shells on which they set their heart just as they did before on the precious things named above.
[3] It is to be known that there are in the spiritual world all the things that are in the natural world, with the difference only that all the things in the spiritual world are correspondences, for they correspond to their interiors. There are splendid and magnificent things with those who are in wisdom out of Divine truths and goods from the Lord by means of the Word, and opposite things with those who are in insanity derived from untruths and evils. Such a correspondence results from a creation when what is spiritual of the mind is allowed to sink into what is sensual of the body; for which reason every one there knows what another is like when he comes into his own room.
[4] From these considerations it can be established that by 'merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls' is signified that they have those things no longer because they do not have the spiritual goods and truths, nor the cognitions of good and truth, to which such things correspond. That as the result of correspondence 'gold' signifies good, and 'silver' truth, maybe seen above (211, 726). That 'precious stone' signifies spiritual truths (231, 540, 726). That 'pearls' signify cognitions of good and truth (727).
772. Verse 12. The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls, signifies that they no longer have these, because they have no spiritual goods and truths, to which such things correspond. By "their merchandise" nothing else is signified than the things there named; for it is known that they have gold, silver, and precious stone and pearls in abundance, and that they have gained them by their religious things, which they made holy and Divine. Those who were of Babylon had such things before the Last Judgment; for it was then conceded to them to form to themselves as it were heavens, and to procure such things to themselves from heaven by various arts, yea, to fill cellars with them as in the world. But after the Last Judgment, when their fictitious heavens were destroyed, then all those things were reduced to dust and ashes, and carried away by an east wind, and strewn as a profane dust over their hells. But of these things read the things described from things seen, in the little work on The Last Judgment and Babylon Destroyed, published at London, 1758.
[2] After that overthrow and their casting down into hell, they are in such a miserable state, that they do not know what gold, silver, a precious stone, and a pearl are. The reason is, that "gold," "silver," and "a precious stone" correspond to spiritual goods and truths, and "pearls" to the knowledges of them, and as they have not any truths and goods, nor the knowledges of them, but in their stead evils and falsities and the knowledges of these, they cannot have those precious things, but such as correspond to their state, which are vile materials and of ugly color; except some sea shells on which they set their hearts, as they did before on the precious things named above.
[3] It is to be known, that there are in the spiritual world all things which are in the natural world, with the difference only that all the things in the spiritual world are correspondences; for they correspond to their interiors. They have splendid and magnificent things who are in wisdom from Divine truths and goods from the Lord through the Word; and they who are in insanity from falsities and evils have the opposite. There is such correspondence, from creation, when what is spiritual in the mind is brought down into the sensual of the body; on which account everyone there knows the quality of another, as soon as he comes into his own chamber.
[4] From these things it may be evident, that by "the merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls" is signified that they have these no longer; because they have not spiritual goods and truths, nor the knowledges of good and truth, to which such things correspond. That "gold" from correspondence signifies good, and "silver" truth, may be seen above, (211, 726). That "a precious stone" signifies spiritual truth, (231, 540, 726). That "pearls" signify the knowledges of truth and good, (727).
772. (Vers. 12.) "Merces auri et argenti et lapidis pretiosi et margaritae," significat quod haec illis non amplius sint, quia non illis sunt spiritualia bona et vera, quibus talia correspondent.-Per "merces illorum" non alia significantur quam quae ibi nominantur; nam quod illis aurum, argentum et lapis pretiosus et margaritae in copia sint, et quod illa per religiosa sua, quae fecerunt sancta Divina, lucrati sint, notum est. Talia fuerunt illis, qui e Babylonia erant, ante Ultimum Judicium; nam tunc concessum fuit illis sibi sicut Caelos formare, et per varias artes sibi talia e Caelo comparare, imo illis sicut in mundo cellaria implere: at post Ultimum Judicium, quando fictitii illorum Caeli destructi sunt, tunc omnia illa in pulverem et cinerem redacta sunt, et per ventum orientalem abducta, ac ut pulvis prophanus super inferna eorum constrata: sed de his legantur quae in Opusculo de Ultimo Judicio et Babylonia destructa, Londini 1758 edito, ex visis descripta sunt. Post illam eversionem et illorum dejectionem in Infernum, in tam miserabili statu sunt, ut non sciant quid aurum, argentum, lapis pretiosus et margarita sunt. Causa est, quia "aurum," "argentum," et "lapis pretiosus" correspondent bonis et veris spiritualibus, ac "margaritae" cognitionibus illorum; et quia illis 'non aliqua vera et bona sunt, nec cognitiones illorum, sed pro illis mala et falsa et horum cognitiones, non possunt habere illa, sed talia quae correspondent, quae sunt materiae viles et tetri coloris, praeter aliqua conchilia, in quibus cor suum ponunt, sicut antea in pretiosis supra nominatis. Sciendum est, quod in mundo spirituali sint omnia quae in mundo naturali, cum sola differentia, quod omnia in mundo spirituali sint correspondentiae, correspondent enim interioribus illorum, splendida et magnifica illis qui in sapientia ex Divinis veris et bonis a Domino per Verbum sunt, ac contraria illis qui in vesania ex falsis et malis sunt. Talis correspondentia ex creatione est, cum spirituale mentis in sensuale corporis demittitur; quare ibi quisque scit qualis alter est, dum in propriam ejus cameram venit. Ex his constare potest quod per "merces auri et argenti et lapidis pretiosi et margaritae" significetur quod haec illis non amplius sint; quia illis non sunt spiritualia bona et vera, nec cognitiones boni et veri, quibus talia correspondent. Quod "aurum" ex correspondentia significet bonum, et "argentum" verum, 211, 726. Quod "lapis pretiosus" significet verum spirituale, 231, 540, 726. Quod "margaritae" significent cognitiones veri et boni, 727.