16 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. -Revelation 16:1-21 Bible, King James Version (KJV)
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. -Revelation 16:1-21 Bible, King James Version (KJV)
Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
958. EXPLANATION. Verses 1, 2. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the vials of the anger of God into the earth. And the first went forth and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there came a great 958-1 and noxious sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast and that adored his image. 1. "And I heard a voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels," signifies manifestation by the Divine truth from the Word of the evils and falsities that have devastated the church (n. 959); "Go, pour out the vials of the anger of God into the earth," signifies the state of the devastated church (n. 960). 2. "And the first went forth and poured out his vial upon the earth," signifies manifestation of the state of the church in general (n. 961); "and there came a great and noxious sore," signifies evil works therein, and consequent falsifications of the Word (n. 962); "upon the men that had the mark of the beast and that adored his image," signifies those who acknowledge faith alone and its doctrine, and who live according to it (n. 963).
964. Verse 3. And the second angel poured out his vial into the sea; and it became blood as of one dead; and every living soul in the sea died. 3. "And the second angel poured out his vial into the sea," signifies the state of the church manifested as to the knowledges of truth in the natural man (n. 965); "and it became blood as of one dead," signifies that these have all been falsified (n. 966); "and every living soul in the sea died," signified that there is no longer anything from the spiritual man in the natural man from the Word (n. 967).
968. Verses 4-7. And the third angel poured out his vial into the rivers and into the fountains of the waters, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art just, O Lord, who art and who wast, and art holy, because Thou hast judged these things. For they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Yea, O Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments. 4. "And the third angel poured out his vial into the rivers and into the fountains of the waters," signifies the state of the church manifested as to the faculty of understanding the truths of the Word (n. 969); "and they became blood," signifies that it was destroyed by falsifications (n. 970). 5. "And I heard the angel of the waters saying," signifies preaching of the Lord's justice from His spiritual kingdom (n. 971); "Thou art just, O Lord, who art and who wast," signifies the Lord as to the Divine good from eternity (n. 972); "and art holy," signifies as to the Divine truth (n. 973); "because Thou hast judged these things," signifies by whom it was foreseen that these things would take place, and was provided that the heavens, which are in Divine good and in Divine truth, might not suffer harm (n. 974). 6. "For they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets," signifies because they have falsified the truths of the Word and of doctrine from the Word (n. 975); "and Thou hast given them blood to drink," signifies that consequently such are in the falsities of evil (n. 976); "for they are worthy," signifies that it is done to them as they do (n. 977). 7. "And I heard another out of the altar saying," signifies the preaching of the Lord's justice from His celestial kingdom (n. 978); "Yea, O Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments," signifies that this is done because all things are and live and have power from the Divine good and the Divine truth (n. 979).
970. And they became blood, signifies that it was destroyed by falsifications... [2] It has been said above that communication with heaven is not given before the evils and the falsities therefrom with which the natural mind is stopped up have been removed; for these are like black clouds between the sun and the eye, or like a wall between the light of heaven and the dim light of a candle in a chamber. For so long as a man is in the dim light of the natural man only he is like one shut up in a chamber where he sees by a candle. But as soon as the natural man has been purified from evils and falsities therefrom he is as if he saw through windows in the wall the things of heaven from the light of heaven. For as soon as evils have been removed, the higher mind, which is called the spiritual mind, is opened, and this, viewed in itself, is a type or image of heaven. Through this mind the Lord flows in and enables man to see from the light of heaven, and through this He also reforms and at length regenerates the natural man, and implants in it truths in the place of falsities and goods in the place of evils. This the Lord does through spiritual love, which is the love of truth and good. Man is then placed in the midst between two loves, between the love of evil and the love of good; and when the love of evil recedes the love of good takes its place... [3] In a word, so long as man does not refrain from evils because they are sins the spiritual mind is shut; but as soon as he refrains from evils because they are sins the spiritual mind is opened, and with that mind heaven also. And when heaven is opened man comes into another light as to all things of the church, heaven, and eternal life...
971. Verse 5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, signifies preaching of the Lord's justice from His spiritual kingdom. This is evident from the signification of "the angel of the waters," as being the Lord's spiritual kingdom; for "angel" signifies in the Word something pertaining to the Lord, also a heavenly society, also heaven; here "the angel of the waters" signifies the heavens of which the Lord's spiritual kingdom consists, for "waters" signify truths, thus things spiritual, since the Divine truth in the heavens is called spiritual, while the Divine good is called celestial. All the heavens are divided into two kingdoms, one called the spiritual kingdom, the other the celestial kingdom. The spiritual kingdom consists of the heavens and the angels there that are in the Divine truth, and those heavens are in the southern and northern quarters. The celestial kingdom consists of the heavens and the angels there that are in the Divine good, and these heavens are in the eastern and western quarters. Therefore the spiritual kingdom, which consists of the heavens and the angels there, that are in the Divine truth, is meant by "the angel of the waters;" while the celestial kingdom, which consists of the heavens and the angels there that are in the Divine good, is meant by "the angel from the altar" (described in the seventh verse of this chapter), since the "altar" signifies the Divine good... Every man after death is there prepared either for heaven or for hell. From the man who is prepared for heaven evils are removed, and from the man who is prepared for hell goods are removed; and all such removals are effected as if by them. Likewise those who do evils are driven by punishments to reject them as if of themselves; but if they do not reject them as if of themselves the punishments are of no avail... [4] To shun evils as sins is to shun the infernal societies that are in them, and man cannot shun these unless he repels them and turns away from them; and a man cannot turn away from them with repulsion unless he loves good and from that love does not will evil. For a man must either will evil or will good; and so far as he wills good he does not will evil...
972. Just art thou, O Lord who art and who wast, signifies the Lord as to the Divine good from eternity... In heaven... eternal, as applied to the Lord is without any idea of time; for in the angelic idea eternal means a state of the Divine existence, which nevertheless makes one with the Divine essence... The infinite existence, which is also the eternal, is the Divine proceeding, from which is heaven and everything of it. The Divine existence is also the Divine being but it is called existence in relation to heaven, where it is the all in all...
973. ...To love the Lord is not to love the Person, but to love the things that proceed from the Lord, for these are the Lord with man...
974. ...[2] When a man begins to shun and turn away from evils because they are sins all things that he does are good, and also may be called good works; with a difference according to the excellence of the uses. For what a man does before he shuns and turns away from evils as sins are works done by the man himself; and as... they are done for the sake of the world, therefore they are evil works. But the works that a man does after he shuns and turns away from evils as sins are works from the Lord, and because the Lord is in these and heaven with Him they are good works. The difference between works done from man and works done from the Lord in man is not apparent to men's sight, but is clearly evident to the sight of angels. Works done from man are like sepulchers outwardly whitened, which within are full of the bones of the dead. They are like platters and cups outwardly clean, but containing unclean things of every kind. They are like fruits inwardly rotten, but with the outer skin still shining; or like nuts or almonds eaten by worms within, while the shell remains untouched; or like a foul harlot with a fair face. Such are the good works done from man himself, since however good they appear on the outside, within they are full of impurities of every kind; for their interiors are infernal, while their exteriors appear heavenly. But after man shuns and turns away from evils as sins his works are good not only outwardly but inwardly also; and the more interior they are the more they are good, for the more interior they are the nearer they are to the Lord... In a word, when man shuns and turns away from evils as sins the works that he does are living, while those that he did before were dead, for what is from the Lord is living, but what is from man is dead.
975. Verse 6. For they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, signifies because they have falsified the truths of the Word and of doctrine from the Word...
977. For they are worthy, signifies that it is done to them as they do... [2] Take as an example managers of the goods of others... If these secretly by arts or under some pretext by fraud deprive their kings, their country, or their masters of their goods... although they frequent temples, devoutly listen to preachings, observe the sacrament of the Supper, pray morning and evening, and talk piously from the Word, yet nothing from heaven flows in and is present in their worship, piety, or discourse, because their interiors are full of theft, plundering, robbery, and injustice; and so long as these are within, the way into them from heaven is closed; consequently all the works they do are evil. [3] But the managers of property who shun unlawful gains and fraudulent profits because they are contrary to the Divine law respecting theft, ...all the works they do are good, for they act from sincerity for the sake of sincerity, and from justice for the sake of justice, and furthermore are content with their own, and are cheerful in mind and glad in heart whenever it happens that they have refrained from fraud; and after death they are welcomed by the angels and received by them as brothers, and are presented with goods even to abundance. But the opposite is true of evil managers; these after death are cast out of societies, and afterwards seek alms, and finally are sent into the caverns of robbers to labor there.
978. Verse 7. And I heard another out of the altar saying, signifies the preaching of the Lord's justice from His celestial kingdom... As the Lord's justice is here preached from the heavens, and as the heavens consist of two kingdoms, namely, the spiritual and the celestial, therefore there is preaching from each kingdom; and one is meant by "the angel of the waters," and the other by "the angel of the altar."
980. Verses 8, 9. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and it was given him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who hath authority over these plagues; and they repented not to give Him glory. 8. "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun," signifies the state of the church manifested as to love to God, thus to the Lord (n. 981); "and it was given him to scorch men with fire," signifies the cupidity [or excessive desire] for falsifying truths arising from the loves of self and of the world (n. 982). 9. "And men were scorched with great heat," signifies the ardent cupidity [or zealous excessive desire] of adulterating the truths and goods of the Word (n. 983); "and they blasphemed the name of God," signifies the falsification of the Lord's Word even to the destruction of the Divine truth in the heavens (n. 984); "who hath authority over these plagues," signifies no fear of the Last Judgment by the Lord and of the condemnation and punishment at that time of the evils and consequent falsities that have devastated the church (n. 985); "and they repented not to give Him glory," signifies that they were unwilling to turn themselves to living according to the Lord's commandments (n. 986).
981. Verse 8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, signifies the state of the church manifested as to love to God, thus to the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "the angel pouring out his vial," as being the state of the church manifested (as above, n. 969); also from the signification of the "sun," as being love to God, thus to the Lord... The "sun" signifies love to God, thus to the Lord, because the Lord appears before the angels in the heavens as a sun, and His appearance as a sun is from the Divine love. For all love in the spiritual world corresponds to fire and flame, and because it corresponds it is manifested representatively by fire and by flame; consequently the Lord's Divine love appears as a sun...
982. And it was given him to scorch men with fire, signifies the cupidity [or excessive desire] of falsifying the truths arising from the evils of the loves of self and of the world... [2] In the world it is scarcely known that all who are in the love of self, according to the delight of that love, are in the delight of injuring others who do not make one with them. That this is so is clearly evident from the same persons after death; then it is the delight of their life to do harm and to do evil to others in any way whatever, especially to the good. This delight of theirs is the delight of hatred; for they hate, and from hatred persecute, all who worship the Lord. This hatred is not manifested with them in the world because they are held back and checked by external restraints, which are fears of punishments from the civil law, and of loss of reputation, honor, gain, employments, pleasures, and of life, and injuries to it, so that this hatred does not come forth to the sight of others; nevertheless it lies hidden in their spirit; and consequently after death, when man becomes a spirit and external restraints are taken away from him it breaks forth even into destruction so far as the reins are loosened. Such is the signification of "scorching men with fire." [3] ...For so far as heavenly loves and affections flow into the evil there is kindled in them a frenzy and cupidity [or excessive desire] for doing evil and speaking falsity; and for the reason that every good of heaven with them is turned into evil, and every truth of heaven into falsity. For their interiors, which belong to the will and consequent thought, are turned directly contrary to heavenly things, and whatever flows into a contrary form is turned into what is contrary. And when that which flows in becomes powerful it is turned into fury, and when very powerful into torment; as when good flows strongly into the evil, the evil come either into a state of fury or of infernal torment. But when evil flows powerfully into the good, the good come into a state of anguish, and also into a certain torment of conscience...
983. Verse 9. And men were scorched with great heat, signifies the cupidity [or excessive desire] of adulterating the truths and goods of the Word... This is said of those who are in faith separated from the goods of life, who are meant by those that "have the mark of the beast" and that "adore his image" (verse 2). Because such separate from faith the very essential of the church, which is the good of life, and thus remove it from being a means of salvation, they cannot do otherwise than falsify all the truths of the Word; for those who set aside a life according to the Lord's commandments annihilate all things of the Word, since all things of the Word are precepts of life. The precepts of faith, which are the truths of the Word, teach life [or a life of charity and love.]...
986. And they repented not to give Him glory, signifies that they were unwilling to turn themselves to living according to the Lord's commandments... [2] As all the delights that a man has in the natural world are turned into correspondences in the spiritual world, so are the delights of the love of marriage and the delights of the love of adultery. The love of marriage is represented in the spiritual world as a virgin, whose beauty is such as to inspire the beholder with the charms of life; while the love of adultery is represented in the spiritual world by an old woman, whose deformity is such as to inspire in the beholder a coldness and death to every charm of life. Therefore in the heavens the angels are beautiful according to the quality of conjugial [or marital] love with them, and in the hells the spirits are deformed according to the quality of the love of adultery with them. In a word, the angels of heaven have life in their faces, in the movements of their body, and in their speech, according to their conjugial [or marital] love, while the spirits of hell have death in their faces according to their love of adultery. In the spiritual world the delights of conjugial [or marital] love are represented to the sense by odors from fruits and flowers of various kinds, while the delights of the love of adultery are there represented to the sense by the stenches from excrements and putridities of various kinds. Moreover, the delights of the love of adultery are actually turned into such things, since all things pertaining to adultery are spiritual filth. Therefore from the brothels in the hells stenches pour forth that excite vomiting.
987. Verses 10, 11. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became dark; and they gnawed their tongues for distress. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their distresses and their sores; and they repented not of their works. 10. "And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast," signifies the state of the church manifested as to the doctrine of faith (n. 988); "and his kingdom became dark" signifies the church in consequence in mere and dense falsities (n. 989); "and they gnawed their tongues for distress," signifies that they were unwilling from loathing to perceive and know genuine goods and truths (n. 990). 11. "And they blasphemed the God of heaven," signifies the falsification of the Word (n. 991); "because of their distresses and their sores," signifies from loathing and nausea towards genuine truths and goods, arising from the falsities and evils in which those are who are in faith alone (n. 992); "and they repented not of their works," signifies that they were unwilling to live according to the Lord's commandments (n. 993).
988. Verse 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast, signifies the state of the church manifested as to the doctrine of faith... [6] When procreations of the human race are effected by marriages in which the holy love of good and truth from the Lord reigns, then it is on earth as it is in the heavens, and the Lord's kingdom on earth corresponds to the Lord's kingdom in the heavens. For the heavens consist of societies arranged according to all the varieties of celestial and spiritual affections, from which arrangement the form of heaven springs... I have been told from heaven that with the most ancient people, from whom the first church on this globe was established, which was called by ancient writers the golden age, there was such a correspondence between families on the earth and societies in the heavens, because love to the Lord, mutual love, innocence, peace, wisdom, and chastity in marriage then reigned; and it was also told me from heaven that they were then inwardly horrified at adulteries, as at the abominable things of hell.
991. Verse 11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven, signifies the falsification of the Word... This is evident... also from the signification of "the God of heaven," as being the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. This is the meaning of "the God of heaven" here and elsewhere in the Word, because the whole heaven consists of that Divine; and this is why angels are called "gods," and why they signify the Divine truths that are from the Lord; this also is why the Lord is called "the Word," which is the Divine truth... [6] What the delight of hatred and thus of doing evil is with those who are in hell can neither be described nor believed. To do evil is the joy of their heart, and this they call their heaven. Their delight in doing evil derives its all from hatred and vindictiveness against good and truth; when, therefore, they are moved by a deadly and diabolical hatred they rage against heaven, especially against those who are from heaven and who worship the Lord; for they violently burn to slaughter them, and because they cannot destroy their bodies they will to destroy their souls. It is, therefore, the delight of hatred which, becoming a fire in the extremes...
993. And they repented not of their works, signifies that they were unwilling to live according to the Lord's commandments... From adulteries man becomes a form of hell, and from the love of adulteries he becomes an image of the devil. That from the marriages in which there is true conjugial [or marital] love all delight and felicities increase even to the delights and felicities of the inmost heaven, and that all that is undelightful and unhappy in the marriages in which the love of adultery reigns increases in direfulness even to the lowest hell, can be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 386).
994. Verses 12-16. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are spirits of demons, doing signs to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that great day of the Almighty. Behold I come as a thief; happy is he that is awake and keepeth his garments, that he may not walk naked and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon. 12. "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates," signifies the state of the church as to things rational, and intelligence therefrom (n. 995); "and the water thereof dried up," signifies that falsities were removed (n. 996); "that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared," signifies that Divine truth from the Lord might flow in (n. 997). 13. "And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast," signifies from the thought, reasoning, religion, and doctrine of those who are in faith alone, and in confirmations of that faith from the natural man (n. 998); "and out of the mouth of false prophets," signifies the doctrine of faith separated from the life, and of justification by it, confirmed from the Word falsified (n. 999); "three unclean spirits like frogs," signifies reasonings from mere falsities against Divine truths (n. 1000). 14. "For they are spirits of demons," signifies false reasonings from hell (n. 1001); "doing signs," signifies persuading by fallacies and sophistries [or incorrect arguments.] (n. 1002); "to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle," signifies to excite dissensions and combats against truths with all who are of the church (n. 1003); "of that great day of the Almighty," signifies the last state of the church, when the Lord comes and the [Last] Judgment takes place (n. 1004). 15. "Behold I come as a thief," signifies the Lord's coming and the Last Judgment (n. 1005); "happy is he that is awake," signifies the happy state of those who look to the Lord (n. 1006); "and keepeth his garments," signifies and who live according to His Divine truths (n. 1007); "that he may not walk naked," signifies that he may not be without truths, and thus without good (n. 1008); "and they see his shame," signifies and thus be in filthy loves (n. 1009). 16. "And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon," signifies a state of combat from falsities against truths, arising from the love of self with the men of the church (n. 1010).
995. Verse 12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, signifies the state of the church manifested as to things rational, and intelligence therefrom... Before the spiritual mind, which is called the spiritual man, can be opened, and through it influx into the natural mind be given, the rational must be cultivated, which is done by means of knowledges, which are natural and moral truths, and by means of cognitions [or understanding] of truth and good from the Word...
999. And out of the mouth of the false prophet, signifies the doctrine of faith separated from life, and of justification by it confirmed from the Word falsified. This is evident from the signification of "the false prophet," as being the doctrine of falsity from truths of the Word falsified. This is signified by the "false prophet" because a "prophet" means the doctrine of truth from the Word, and in the highest sense the Word (see above, n. 624); so a "false prophet" means the contrary of this. Moreover, "the false prophet" here has the same signification as "the beast coming up out of the earth," for it is said, "out of the mouth of the beast and of the false prophet." For there were two beasts by which the dragon has been further described, one seen coming up "out of the sea," the other "out of the earth;" and "the beast out of the sea" signifies confirmations of faith separated from the life [of charity or love] by reasonings from the natural man, but "the beast out of the earth" signifies confirmations from the Word of faith separated from the life [of charity or love,] and the consequent falsifications of the Word. And because the doctrine of the church was made from this, and that doctrine teaches the separation of faith from the life [of charity or love] and justification by that separated faith, so this second beast is meant by "the false prophet."
1000. Three unclean spirits like frogs, signifies reasonings from mere falsities against Divine truths... This is evident... [also] from the signification of "frogs," as being reasonings from falsities. Frogs have this signification not only because of their croaking, but also because they live in bogs and fetid pools; and for the same reason they signify infernal falsities. For those who reason from falsities against Divine truths live in hells that appear like bogs and fetid pools; and those who are there, when they are seen in the light of heaven, resemble frogs, some in a larger and some in a smaller form according to their elation of mind arising from more or less keenness of reasoning. They are also more or less unclean according as their reasonings are against more or less interior and important Divine truths... All this makes clear what is signified by "three unclean spirits like frogs, which went forth out of the mouth of the dragon, of the beast, and of the false prophet." (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [4] Those who are in true conjugial [or marital] love, after death, when they become angels, return to their early manhood and to youth, the males, however spent with age, becoming young men, and the wives, however spent with age, becoming young women... The man who while he lived in the world had shunned adulteries as sins, and who has been inaugurated by the Lord into conjugial [or marital] love, comes into this state first exteriorly and afterwards more and more interiorly... Man thus grows young in heaven because he then enters into the marriage of good and truth; and in good there is the conatus [or persistence] to love truth continually, and in truth there is the conatus [or persistence] to love good continually; and then the wife is good in form and the husband is truth in form...
998. Verse 13. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast, signifies from the thought, reasoning, religion, and doctrine of those who are in faith alone, and in confirmations of that faith from the natural man... [2] This and what here follows describes how the doctrine of faith alone has blunted and almost extinguished the faculty of understanding the Divine truth, which is given to every man by the Lord so far as falsities from evil do not block up influx and access, lest anything should be perceived from heaven. For a man is like a garden, which receives light in winter equally as in summer, but not heat; and yet when it does receive heat it blossoms and bears fruit. So the evil man equally with the good man is able to receive light, that is, to understand Divine truth, but he cannot blossom and become fruitful, that is, be wise and do works that are good, except as he receives heat, that is, the good of love. [3] There are many who believe that the learned, since they know many things from the Word and from doctrine from the Word, are more intelligent and wise than others; and yet they have only so much intelligence and wisdom as they have spiritual heat, that is, the good of love, for only so far is their faculty of understanding truths opened and vivified; while that faculty is as it were covered up and blotted out by the evils of one's own love...
1001. Verse 14. For they are spirits of demons, signifies false reasonings from hell... For in hell those are called "demons" who are in the lust of falsifying truths, and this is done chiefly by reasonings... (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) ...All angels are forms of their affections; for the reason that it is not permitted in heaven to counterfeit with the face things that do not belong to one's affection; consequently their faces are types of their minds. When, therefore, they have conjugial [marital] love, love to the Lord, mutual love, love of good and love of truth, and love of wisdom, these loves in them give form to their faces, and show themselves like vital fires in their eyes; to which innocence and peace add themselves, which complete their beauty. Such are the forms of the inmost angelic heaven; and they are truly human forms.
1003. To go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle, signifies to excite dissensions and combats against truths with all who are of the church. This is evident from the signification of "kings," as being those who are in truths from good... also from the signification of "the earth and the world," as being the church as to truth and good, thus the whole church (see n. 741); also from the signification of "battle," as being dissension respecting truths and goods, and spiritual combats (see n. 573, 734)... [2] That it was through faith alone that the church was brought into contentions in regard to truths and goods, and into combats against them, and finally into dissensions, is made clearly evident by the fact that when that faith was accepted no power was any longer given to the understanding to examine into goods and truths, for that faith involves that a thing must be believed, however it may appear to the understanding; and when the understanding is taken away from faith enlightenment also is taken away; and when that is taken away blindness and stupidity enter into everything of the church; and in that state mere contentions arise about the meaning of the Word, which is capable of being turned to confirm whatever one pleases. This is why the church has been divided into so many churches, and in these so many heresies have arisen. That these dissensions and combats about truths and goods are from hell is signified by "the spirits of demons working signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle." (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [3] ...In place of the spiritual and celestial loves that those have who live in chaste marriages, there are the infernal and diabolical loves that those have who are in adulteries. So in place of the intelligence and wisdom that those have who live chastely in marriages there are the insanities and follies that those have who are in adulteries; in place of the innocence and peace that those have who live in chaste marriages there are the deceit and no peace that those have who are in adulteries; in place of the power and protection against the hells that those have who live chastely in marriages there are the very Asmodean demons and the hells that those have who live in adulteries; in place of the beauty that those have who live chastely in marriages there is the deformity that those have who live in adulteries, which is monstrous according to their quality. Their final lot is that from the extreme impotence to which they are at length reduced they become emptied of all the fire and light of life, and dwell alone in deserts as images of the slothfulness and weariness of their own life.
1004. Of that great day of God Almighty, signifies the last state of the church, when the Lord comes and the Last Judgment takes place... (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [2] True conjugial [or marital] love cannot be given except between two... All who are in the heavens and who are in the church must be one through mutual love from love to the Lord. An angel in heaven and a man in the church who does not thus make one with the rest is not of heaven nor of the church. Moreover, in the whole heaven and in the whole world there are two things to which all things have reference; these two are called good and truth, from which, when joined into one, all things in heaven and in the world have had existence and subsistence. When these are one, good is in truth and truth is in good, and truth is of good and good is of truth; thus one acknowledges the other as its mutual and reciprocal... This universal marriage is the source of conjugial [marital] love between husband and wife. The husband has been so created as to be the understanding of truth, and the wife so created as to be the will of good, and thus the husband to be truth and the wife good; thus that both may be truth and good in form, which form is man, and the image of God... therefore it is impossible for one truth to be united to two diverse goods...; neither for one person who is spiritual to be united to two diverse churches; neither in like manner for one man to be inmostly united to two women. Inmost union is like that of soul and heart... This is genuine marriage, which is possible only between two... When... two minds act as one their two bodies are potentially so united that they are no more two but one flesh. To will to become one flesh is conjugial [or marital] love; and such as the willing is, such is that love. [4] It is allowed to confirm this by a wonderful thing in the heavens. There are married pairs there in such conjugial [or marital] love that the two can be one flesh, and are one whenever they wish, and they then appear as one man. I have seen and talked with such; and they said that they have one life, and are like the life of good in truth and the life of truth in good, and are like the pairs in man, that is, like the two hemispheres of the brain enclosed in one membrane... They said that their life so conjoined is full of heaven, and is the very life of heaven with its infinite beatitudes, for the reason that heaven also is such from the marriage of the Lord with it, for all the angels of heaven are in the Lord and the Lord in them. [5] Furthermore, they said that it is impossible for them to think from any intention about an additional wife or woman, because this would be turning heaven into hell, consequently if an angel merely thinks of such a thing he falls from heaven... As the posterity of Jacob, who were called the sons of Israel, were merely natural men, and thus their marriages were not spiritual, but carnal, so they were permitted on account of the hardness of their hearts to take several wives.
1005. Verse 15. Behold I come as a thief, signifies the Lord's coming and the Last Judgment at that time... This is the signification of "coming as a thief," because taking away the knowledges of good and truth, and devastating the church, as a thief takes away wealth and robs a house, is attributed to the Lord; also because the church is then in night and in darkness, that is, in falsities from evil... (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [2] ...Hell in general is called adultery... [3] Consequently in the brothels that are in hell, foulnesses of every kind appear; and when light out of heaven is let into them, adulteresses are seen lying with adulterers, like swine in filth itself; and... like swine they are in their delights when they are in the midst of filth. But these brothels are kept closed, because when they are opened a stench is exhaled that excites vomiting. It is otherwise in chaste marriages. In these the life of the husband adds itself through the seed to the life of the wife; and from this there is inmost conjunction, by which they become not two, but one flesh. And according to conjunction by means of that, conjugial [or marital] love increases, and with it every good of heaven.
1006. Happy is he that is awake, signifies the happy state of those who look to the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "happy," as being to be in a happy state; also from the signification of "being awake," as being to acquire for oneself spiritual life (see n. 187); and this is acquired by man's looking to the Lord, because the Lord is Life itself, and from Him alone is life eternal. When a man is in life from the Lord he is in wakefulness; but when he is in life from himself he is asleep; or what is the same, when a man is in spiritual life he is in wakefulness, but when he is in natural life separated from the spiritual he is asleep; and what a man then sees is like what he sees in a dream...(Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [2] But it is to be known that adulteries are more and less infernal and abominable. The adulteries that spring from more grievous evils and their falsities are more grievous, and those from the milder evils and their falsities are milder... According to correspondences with these the hells are arranged into genera and species. There are cadaverous [or resembling a corpse] hells for those whose delights were the violations of wives; there are excrementitious [or like excrement] hells for those whose delights were the debauching of virgins; there are direful, slimy hells for those whose delights were varieties... of harlots; for others there are filthy hells. There are sodomitic hells for those who were in evils from a love of ruling over others from mere delight in ruling...
1008. That he may not walk naked, signifies that he may not be without truths, and thus without goods... for those who are without truths are also without goods, since all good is acquired by means of truths; and moreover, good without truth is not good, and truth without good is not truth; that there may be truth it must be conjoined to good, and that there may be good it must be conjoined to truth. There may be indeed truth without good and good without truth; but truth without good is dead, and so is good without truth. For truth has its being from good, and good has its existence by means of truth...
1009. And they see his shame, signifies and thus be in filthy loves... (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [2] He that abstains from adulteries from any other motive than because they are sins and are against God is still an adulterer; as for instance when anyone abstains from them from fear of the civil law and its penalties, from fear of the loss of reputation and thus of honor, from fear of resulting diseases, from fear of upbraidings at home from his wife and consequent intranquility of life, from fear of chastisement by the servants of the injured husband, from poverty, or from avarice; from infirmity arising from abuse or from age or impotence or disease; in fact, when one abstains because of any natural or moral law, and does not at the same time abstain because of the Divine law, he is still interiorly unchaste and an adulterer, since he nonetheless believes that adulteries are not sins, and therefore in his spirit, declares them allowable, and thus he commits them in spirit, although not in the body; consequently after death when he becomes a spirit he speaks openly in favor of them, and commits them without shame. It has been granted me in the spiritual world to see maidens who regarded whoredoms as heinous because they are contrary to the Divine law, and also maidens who did not regard them as heinous and yet abstained from them because the resulting bad name would turn away suitors. These latter I saw encompassed with a dusky cloud in their descent to those below, while the former I saw encompassed with a shining light in their ascent to those above.
1010. Verse 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon, signifies a state of combat from falsities against truths, arising from the love of self with the men of the church... "Armageddon" signifies the love of honor, of rule, and of supereminence... Nor is anything else meant by "Armageddon" in the heavens; for all places mentioned in the Word signify things and states. [2] The love of honor, of rule, and of supereminence is the last state of the church, when falsities are about to fight against truths, because that love is about to rule in the church in its last times, and when that love rules, falsity from evil rules also, and this overcomes truth; for that love more than all other loves extinguishes the light of heaven and induces the darkness of hell... [3] Moreover, it has been shown me to the life that that love has devastated the church and adulterated all its goods and truths... For almost everyone at this day when he comes after death into the spiritual world carries with him out of the natural world the desire to be honored, to rule, and to be supereminent...
1011. Verses 17, 18. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices and lightnings and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great. 17. "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air" signifies the state of the church manifested as to all things of thought (n. 1012); "and there came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done," signifies manifestation out of heaven from the Lord that the end is come, and thus that the Last Judgment is at hand (n. 1013). 18. "And there were voices and lightnings and thunder," signifies reasonings, darkenings of the understanding, and conclusions of falsities from evils (n. 1014); "and there was a great earthquake," signifies the state of the church wholly changed (n. 1015); "such as was not since men were upon the earth," signifies that the state was more completely inverted than ever before in the countries where the church is (n. 1016); "such an earthquake, so great," signifies so that the church was no more (n. 1017).
1012. Verse 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, signifies the state of the church manifested in regard to all things of thought. This is evident from the signification of "the angel pouring out the vial," as being the state of the church manifested; also from the signification of the "air," as being thought... The "air" signifies thought because respiration, which is effected by means of the air, corresponds to thought... [2] "The last vial was poured out into the air," because all things of man close into his thoughts. For such as a man is as to the church and as to the goods and truths of the church, also as to love, in a word, such as he is as to his spiritual, moral, and civil life, such is he as to thought. This can be perceived especially in the spiritual world. When any angel goes out of his own society into a society not his own his breathing labors, because he is not thinking from a like affection. So, too, when an infernal spirit ascends into an angelic society he comes into distress of breathing, and thus into anguish, or into fantasy, or into blindness of thought; which makes clear that such as a man is such is his thought. (The Seventh Commandment) 1012-1 [3] In what now follows something shall be said about the seventh commandment, which is, "Thou shalt not kill." ...The nearest sense of this commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," which is the spiritual moral sense, is that one must not hate his brother or neighbor, and thus not defame or slander him; for thus he would injure or kill his reputation and honor, which is the source of his life among his brethren... And before the angels in the heavens he that destroys this life is held to be as guilty as if he had destroyed the bodily life of his brother. For enmity, hatred, and revenge, breathe murder and will it; but they are restrained and curbed by fear of the law... and of loss of reputation. And yet these three are endeavors towards murder; and every endeavor is like an act, for it goes forth into act when fear is removed. This is what the Lord teaches in Matthew: Ye have heard that it was said to them of old, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother rashly shall be liable to the judgment; whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire (5:21-26). This may be seen explained above (n. 693, 746). [4] But the more remote sense of this commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," which is called the celestial spiritual sense, is that one shall not take away from man the faith and love of God, and thus his spiritual life. This is murder itself, because from this life man is a man... Moreover, from this spiritual murder moral murder is derived; consequently one who is in the one is also in the other; for he who wills to take away a man's spiritual life is in hatred against him if he cannot take it away, for he hates the faith and love with him, and thus the man himself. These three, namely, spiritual murder, which pertains to faith and love, moral murder, which pertains to reputation and honor, and natural murder, which pertains to the body, follow in a series one from the other, like cause and effect.
1013. And there came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done, signifies manifestation out of heaven from the Lord that the end is come, and thus that the Last Judgment is at hand... This was said after "the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air," which signifies that all things of man's thought have been turned away from heaven, consequently there is no longer any communication of men of the church with heaven; and when this communication has been broken off the Last Judgment comes. For so long as there is a communication of heaven with the church all things are held together in connection; but when communication is destroyed it is like a house falling when the foundation is taken from under it. And yet a new house is then built by the Lord in its place; the house is the church. (Continuation respecting the Seventh Commandment) [2] As all who are in hell are in hatred against the Lord, and thus in hatred against heaven, for they are against goods and truths, so hell is the essential murderer or the source of essential murder. It is the source of essential murder because man is man from the Lord through the reception of good and truth; consequently to destroy good and truth is to destroy the human itself, thus to kill man. [3] That those who are in hell are such has not yet been known in the world, because... hatred lies concealed in their spirit, and this in equal degree with the evil of their life. And as hatred is in the spirit it breaks forth when the externals are laid aside, as is the case after death. [4] This infernal hatred against all who are in good is deadly hatred because it is hatred against the Lord. This can be seen particularly from their delight in doing evil, which is such as to exceed in degree every other delight, for it is a fire that burns with the lust for destroying souls. Moreover, it has been ascertained that this delight is not from hatred against those whom they attempt to destroy, but from hatred against the Lord Himself...
1014. Verse 18. And there were voices, lightnings, and thunders, signifies reasonings, darkenings of the understanding, and conclusions of falsities from evils. This is evident from the signification of "voices, lightnings, and thunders," which in reference to those of the church with whom there is no longer any good of love and truth of faith mean reasonings, darkness of the understanding, and conclusions of falsities from evils (see above n. 702, 704). This signification in the Word of "voices, lightnings, and thunders," is derived from the appearance of these in the spiritual world with those who are not in the good of love and in the truths of faith, but who talk with each other about them. Their discourse, which is reasoning, is signified by "voices," the conflict of truth and falsity by "lightnings," and consequent rejection of truth and good by "thunders." And as such things come forth in the spiritual world by correspondence, it follows that the like things in the natural world correspond, and thus have such signification as has been said...
1016. Such as was not since men were upon the earth, signifies that the state was more completely inverted than ever before in the countries where the church is. This is evident from the signification of "there was not such an earthquake," as being that the state of the church was more changed than heretofore, thus completely inverted; also from the signification of "the men that were upon the earth," as being with those who are of the church, thus who are in the countries where the church is. Here the state of the church with the Reformed [or Protestant Reformation?] is especially treated of... since it consists of mere incomprehensible things. (Continuation respecting the Seventh Commandment) [2] Since hatred is infernal fire it is clear that it must be removed before love, which is heavenly fire, can flow in, and by light from itself give life [of love] to man; and this infernal fire can in no wise be removed unless man knows whence hatred is and what it is, and afterwards turns away from it and shuns it. There is in every man by inheritance hatred against the neighbor; for every man is born into the love of self and of the world, and in consequence conceives hatred, and from it is inflamed against all who do not make one with him and favor his love, especially against those who oppose his lusts. For no one can love himself above all things and love the Lord at the same time; neither can anyone love the world above all things and love the neighbor at the same time; since no one can serve two masters at the same time without despising and hating the one while he honors and loves the other. Hatred is especially with those who are in the love of ruling over all... [3] It shall be told what hatred is. Hatred has in itself a fire which is an endeavor to kill man. That fire is manifested by anger...
1017. Such an earthquake, so great, signifies that the church was no more... (Continuation respecting the Seventh Commandment) When a man abstains from hatred and turns away from it and shuns it as diabolical, then love, charity, mercy and clemency flow in through heaven from the Lord... for the fire of heaven, which is spiritual love, cannot flow in so long as the fire of hell, which is hatred, stands in the way and shuts it out.
1018. Verse 19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His anger. 19. "And the great city was divided into three parts," signifies that all things of the doctrine of truth from the Word were dissipated (n. 1019); "and the cities of the nations fell," signifies that all things of the doctrine of good from the Word were likewise dissipated (n. 1020). "And great Babylon came into remembrance before God," signifies that thus far the church with the Reformed [or Protestant Reformation?] and its devastation has been treated of, and that what follows treats of the church with the Papists [or Roman Catholics] and its devastation (n. 1021); "to give unto her the cup of the wrath of His anger," signifies devastation through dire falsities of evil (n. 1022).
1021. And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, signifies that thus far the church with the Reformed [or Protestant Reformation?] and its devastation has been treated of, and that what follows treats of the church with the Papists [or Roman Catholics] and its devastation. This is evident from the signification of "Babylon" as being the church with the Papists [or Roman Catholics,] since "Babylon" signifies the love of ruling over heaven and over the earth through the holy things of the church; and this love is dominant chiefly with the Papists [or Roman Catholics.] These words mean also that thus far the church with the Reformed and its devastation has been treated of, as is evident from what precedes and from what follows. In what precedes it has treated of the dragon and the two beasts, which describes the church with the Reformed, its devastation by "the seven angels pouring out the seven vials" (as can be seen from the thirteenth verse of this chapter). In what follows the church with the Papists is described in chapter 17 by "the harlot sitting upon the scarlet beast," and its devastation in chapter 18. From this it is clear that "great Babylon came into remembrance before God" signifies that thus far it has treated of the church with the Reformed and its devastation, and what follows treats of the church with the Papists, and its devastation. (The Ninth Commandment) [2] The ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house," is now to be treated of. There are two loves from which all lusts spring and flow forth perpetually like streams from their fountains. These loves are called the love of the world and the love of self... Now because the love of the world and the love of self are the foundations of all lusts, and all evil lusts are forbidden in these last two commandments, it follows that the ninth commandment forbids the lusts that flow from the love of the world, and the tenth commandment the lusts that flow from the love of self. "Not to covet a neighbor's house" means not to covet his goods, which in general are possessions and wealth, and not to appropriate them to oneself by evil arts. This lust belongs to the love of the world.
1023. Verses 20, 21. And every island fled, and the mountains were not found. And a great hail, as of the weight of a talent, cometh down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great. 20. "And every island fled," signifies that there was no longer any truth of faith (n. 1024); "and the mountains were not found," signifies that there was no longer any good of love (n. 1025). 21. "And a great hail, as of the weight of a talent, cometh down from heaven upon men," signifies falsities in the greatest degree infernal destroying all the understanding of truth with the men of the church (n. 1026); "and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail," signifies the consequent falsification of the Word (n. 1027); "for the plague thereof was exceeding great," signifies the total destruction of genuine truth (n. 1028).
1024. Verse 20. And every island fled, signifies that there was no longer any truth of faith. This is evident from the signification of "island," as being the church as to the truths of the natural man, which are called scientific truths also cognitions of truth and good...; here it signifies the church as to the truths of faith, for the truths that are called the truths of faith are the truths of the natural man; and that there were no longer these is signified by "every island fled." An "island" means the church as to the truths of faith, the reason is that an island is land encompassed by the sea, and "land" signifies the church, and "sea" the scientific... faculty in general, which belong to the natural man. "Islands" signify also in the Word the churches with the Gentiles that possess nothing but appearances of truth, which are truths further removed from genuine truths... [2] The commandments... are called the ten... commandments, because "ten" signifies all... There are in each commandment three interior senses, each sense for its own heaven, for there are three heavens. The first sense is the spiritual moral sense; this is for the first or lowest heaven; the second sense is the celestial spiritual sense, which is for the second or middle heaven; and the third sense is the Divine celestial, which is for the third or inmost heaven. There are thus three internal senses in every least particular of the Word. For from the Lord who is in things highest, the Word has been sent down in succession through the three heavens even to the earth, and thus has been accommodated to each heaven; and therefore the Word is with each heaven and almost with each angel in its own sense, and is read by them daily; and there are preachings from it, as on the earth. [3] For the Word is Divine truth itself, thus the Divine wisdom, proceeding from the Lord as a sun, and appearing in the heavens as light. Divine truth is the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit, for it not only proceeds from the Lord but it also enlightens man and teaches him, as is said of the Holy Spirit. As the Word in its descent from the Lord has been accommodated to the three heavens, and the three heavens are joined together as inmosts are with... [outmosts] through intermediates, so, too, are the three senses of the Word...
1025. And the mountains were not found, signifies that there was no longer any good of love. This is evident from the signification of "mountains," as being the church as to the good of love (see n. 405, 510, 850). "Mountains" mean the church as to the good of love, because "land" signifies the church, and angels that are in love to the Lord have their land upon mountains in the spiritual world; so "mountains" signify the church as to the good of love to the Lord. Such dwell upon mountains in the spiritual world because they are interior angels, and interior things in the spiritual world correspond to higher things, and actually become the higher. And this is why the Lord, because He is in the inmost, is called "the Most High," and is said "to dwell in the highest."
1026. Verse 21. And a great hail, as of the weight of a talent, cometh down from heaven upon men, signifies falsities in the greatest degree infernal destroying all the understanding of truth with the men of the church. This is evident from the signification of "hail," as being infernal falsity destroying all the truth and good of the church (see n. 503, 704). This hail is called "great," and "as the weight of a talent," because falsities in the greatest degree infernal are meant. The quality of the falsities is compared to a talent, because a talent was the largest denomination in the reckoning of money and the weighing of silver, and "silver" signifies truth, and in the contrary sense falsity, and "weight" signifies what is heavy from evil, thus in the greatest degree infernal; for falsity from evil is heavy and falls of itself into hell. Also from the signification of "coming down from heaven upon men," as being from hell destroying the understanding of truth with the men of the church... Hail indeed falls from heaven in the spiritual world as in the natural world, since hail is rain that descends from heaven; but it is frozen into hail by the cold that rises up from hell, and that cold is the absence of heat or of heavenly love. From this it follows that hail does not come down as hail from heaven, but is from hell. It is the same with the rain of brimstone and fire from heaven. "Rain" of water signifies the Divine truth from heaven, but "hail" Divine truth changed into infernal falsity, which is done while it is coming down from heaven...
974. ...[2] When a man begins to shun and turn away from evils because they are sins all things that he does are good, and also may be called good works; with a difference according to the excellence of the uses. For what a man does before he shuns and turns away from evils as sins are works done by the man himself; and as... they are done for the sake of the world, therefore they are evil works. But the works that a man does after he shuns and turns away from evils as sins are works from the Lord, and because the Lord is in these and heaven with Him they are good works. The difference between works done from man and works done from the Lord in man is not apparent to men's sight, but is clearly evident to the sight of angels. Works done from man are like sepulchers outwardly whitened, which within are full of the bones of the dead. They are like platters and cups outwardly clean, but containing unclean things of every kind. They are like fruits inwardly rotten, but with the outer skin still shining; or like nuts or almonds eaten by worms within, while the shell remains untouched; or like a foul harlot with a fair face. Such are the good works done from man himself, since however good they appear on the outside, within they are full of impurities of every kind; for their interiors are infernal, while their exteriors appear heavenly. But after man shuns and turns away from evils as sins his works are good not only outwardly but inwardly also; and the more interior they are the more they are good, for the more interior they are the nearer they are to the Lord... In a word, when man shuns and turns away from evils as sins the works that he does are living, while those that he did before were dead, for what is from the Lord is living, but what is from man is dead.
975. Verse 6. For they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, signifies because they have falsified the truths of the Word and of doctrine from the Word...
977. For they are worthy, signifies that it is done to them as they do... [2] Take as an example managers of the goods of others... If these secretly by arts or under some pretext by fraud deprive their kings, their country, or their masters of their goods... although they frequent temples, devoutly listen to preachings, observe the sacrament of the Supper, pray morning and evening, and talk piously from the Word, yet nothing from heaven flows in and is present in their worship, piety, or discourse, because their interiors are full of theft, plundering, robbery, and injustice; and so long as these are within, the way into them from heaven is closed; consequently all the works they do are evil. [3] But the managers of property who shun unlawful gains and fraudulent profits because they are contrary to the Divine law respecting theft, ...all the works they do are good, for they act from sincerity for the sake of sincerity, and from justice for the sake of justice, and furthermore are content with their own, and are cheerful in mind and glad in heart whenever it happens that they have refrained from fraud; and after death they are welcomed by the angels and received by them as brothers, and are presented with goods even to abundance. But the opposite is true of evil managers; these after death are cast out of societies, and afterwards seek alms, and finally are sent into the caverns of robbers to labor there.
978. Verse 7. And I heard another out of the altar saying, signifies the preaching of the Lord's justice from His celestial kingdom... As the Lord's justice is here preached from the heavens, and as the heavens consist of two kingdoms, namely, the spiritual and the celestial, therefore there is preaching from each kingdom; and one is meant by "the angel of the waters," and the other by "the angel of the altar."
980. Verses 8, 9. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and it was given him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who hath authority over these plagues; and they repented not to give Him glory. 8. "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun," signifies the state of the church manifested as to love to God, thus to the Lord (n. 981); "and it was given him to scorch men with fire," signifies the cupidity [or excessive desire] for falsifying truths arising from the loves of self and of the world (n. 982). 9. "And men were scorched with great heat," signifies the ardent cupidity [or zealous excessive desire] of adulterating the truths and goods of the Word (n. 983); "and they blasphemed the name of God," signifies the falsification of the Lord's Word even to the destruction of the Divine truth in the heavens (n. 984); "who hath authority over these plagues," signifies no fear of the Last Judgment by the Lord and of the condemnation and punishment at that time of the evils and consequent falsities that have devastated the church (n. 985); "and they repented not to give Him glory," signifies that they were unwilling to turn themselves to living according to the Lord's commandments (n. 986).
981. Verse 8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, signifies the state of the church manifested as to love to God, thus to the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "the angel pouring out his vial," as being the state of the church manifested (as above, n. 969); also from the signification of the "sun," as being love to God, thus to the Lord... The "sun" signifies love to God, thus to the Lord, because the Lord appears before the angels in the heavens as a sun, and His appearance as a sun is from the Divine love. For all love in the spiritual world corresponds to fire and flame, and because it corresponds it is manifested representatively by fire and by flame; consequently the Lord's Divine love appears as a sun...
982. And it was given him to scorch men with fire, signifies the cupidity [or excessive desire] of falsifying the truths arising from the evils of the loves of self and of the world... [2] In the world it is scarcely known that all who are in the love of self, according to the delight of that love, are in the delight of injuring others who do not make one with them. That this is so is clearly evident from the same persons after death; then it is the delight of their life to do harm and to do evil to others in any way whatever, especially to the good. This delight of theirs is the delight of hatred; for they hate, and from hatred persecute, all who worship the Lord. This hatred is not manifested with them in the world because they are held back and checked by external restraints, which are fears of punishments from the civil law, and of loss of reputation, honor, gain, employments, pleasures, and of life, and injuries to it, so that this hatred does not come forth to the sight of others; nevertheless it lies hidden in their spirit; and consequently after death, when man becomes a spirit and external restraints are taken away from him it breaks forth even into destruction so far as the reins are loosened. Such is the signification of "scorching men with fire." [3] ...For so far as heavenly loves and affections flow into the evil there is kindled in them a frenzy and cupidity [or excessive desire] for doing evil and speaking falsity; and for the reason that every good of heaven with them is turned into evil, and every truth of heaven into falsity. For their interiors, which belong to the will and consequent thought, are turned directly contrary to heavenly things, and whatever flows into a contrary form is turned into what is contrary. And when that which flows in becomes powerful it is turned into fury, and when very powerful into torment; as when good flows strongly into the evil, the evil come either into a state of fury or of infernal torment. But when evil flows powerfully into the good, the good come into a state of anguish, and also into a certain torment of conscience...
983. Verse 9. And men were scorched with great heat, signifies the cupidity [or excessive desire] of adulterating the truths and goods of the Word... This is said of those who are in faith separated from the goods of life, who are meant by those that "have the mark of the beast" and that "adore his image" (verse 2). Because such separate from faith the very essential of the church, which is the good of life, and thus remove it from being a means of salvation, they cannot do otherwise than falsify all the truths of the Word; for those who set aside a life according to the Lord's commandments annihilate all things of the Word, since all things of the Word are precepts of life. The precepts of faith, which are the truths of the Word, teach life [or a life of charity and love.]...
986. And they repented not to give Him glory, signifies that they were unwilling to turn themselves to living according to the Lord's commandments... [2] As all the delights that a man has in the natural world are turned into correspondences in the spiritual world, so are the delights of the love of marriage and the delights of the love of adultery. The love of marriage is represented in the spiritual world as a virgin, whose beauty is such as to inspire the beholder with the charms of life; while the love of adultery is represented in the spiritual world by an old woman, whose deformity is such as to inspire in the beholder a coldness and death to every charm of life. Therefore in the heavens the angels are beautiful according to the quality of conjugial [or marital] love with them, and in the hells the spirits are deformed according to the quality of the love of adultery with them. In a word, the angels of heaven have life in their faces, in the movements of their body, and in their speech, according to their conjugial [or marital] love, while the spirits of hell have death in their faces according to their love of adultery. In the spiritual world the delights of conjugial [or marital] love are represented to the sense by odors from fruits and flowers of various kinds, while the delights of the love of adultery are there represented to the sense by the stenches from excrements and putridities of various kinds. Moreover, the delights of the love of adultery are actually turned into such things, since all things pertaining to adultery are spiritual filth. Therefore from the brothels in the hells stenches pour forth that excite vomiting.
987. Verses 10, 11. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became dark; and they gnawed their tongues for distress. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their distresses and their sores; and they repented not of their works. 10. "And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast," signifies the state of the church manifested as to the doctrine of faith (n. 988); "and his kingdom became dark" signifies the church in consequence in mere and dense falsities (n. 989); "and they gnawed their tongues for distress," signifies that they were unwilling from loathing to perceive and know genuine goods and truths (n. 990). 11. "And they blasphemed the God of heaven," signifies the falsification of the Word (n. 991); "because of their distresses and their sores," signifies from loathing and nausea towards genuine truths and goods, arising from the falsities and evils in which those are who are in faith alone (n. 992); "and they repented not of their works," signifies that they were unwilling to live according to the Lord's commandments (n. 993).
988. Verse 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast, signifies the state of the church manifested as to the doctrine of faith... [6] When procreations of the human race are effected by marriages in which the holy love of good and truth from the Lord reigns, then it is on earth as it is in the heavens, and the Lord's kingdom on earth corresponds to the Lord's kingdom in the heavens. For the heavens consist of societies arranged according to all the varieties of celestial and spiritual affections, from which arrangement the form of heaven springs... I have been told from heaven that with the most ancient people, from whom the first church on this globe was established, which was called by ancient writers the golden age, there was such a correspondence between families on the earth and societies in the heavens, because love to the Lord, mutual love, innocence, peace, wisdom, and chastity in marriage then reigned; and it was also told me from heaven that they were then inwardly horrified at adulteries, as at the abominable things of hell.
991. Verse 11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven, signifies the falsification of the Word... This is evident... also from the signification of "the God of heaven," as being the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. This is the meaning of "the God of heaven" here and elsewhere in the Word, because the whole heaven consists of that Divine; and this is why angels are called "gods," and why they signify the Divine truths that are from the Lord; this also is why the Lord is called "the Word," which is the Divine truth... [6] What the delight of hatred and thus of doing evil is with those who are in hell can neither be described nor believed. To do evil is the joy of their heart, and this they call their heaven. Their delight in doing evil derives its all from hatred and vindictiveness against good and truth; when, therefore, they are moved by a deadly and diabolical hatred they rage against heaven, especially against those who are from heaven and who worship the Lord; for they violently burn to slaughter them, and because they cannot destroy their bodies they will to destroy their souls. It is, therefore, the delight of hatred which, becoming a fire in the extremes...
993. And they repented not of their works, signifies that they were unwilling to live according to the Lord's commandments... From adulteries man becomes a form of hell, and from the love of adulteries he becomes an image of the devil. That from the marriages in which there is true conjugial [or marital] love all delight and felicities increase even to the delights and felicities of the inmost heaven, and that all that is undelightful and unhappy in the marriages in which the love of adultery reigns increases in direfulness even to the lowest hell, can be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 386).
994. Verses 12-16. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are spirits of demons, doing signs to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that great day of the Almighty. Behold I come as a thief; happy is he that is awake and keepeth his garments, that he may not walk naked and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon. 12. "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates," signifies the state of the church as to things rational, and intelligence therefrom (n. 995); "and the water thereof dried up," signifies that falsities were removed (n. 996); "that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared," signifies that Divine truth from the Lord might flow in (n. 997). 13. "And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast," signifies from the thought, reasoning, religion, and doctrine of those who are in faith alone, and in confirmations of that faith from the natural man (n. 998); "and out of the mouth of false prophets," signifies the doctrine of faith separated from the life, and of justification by it, confirmed from the Word falsified (n. 999); "three unclean spirits like frogs," signifies reasonings from mere falsities against Divine truths (n. 1000). 14. "For they are spirits of demons," signifies false reasonings from hell (n. 1001); "doing signs," signifies persuading by fallacies and sophistries [or incorrect arguments.] (n. 1002); "to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle," signifies to excite dissensions and combats against truths with all who are of the church (n. 1003); "of that great day of the Almighty," signifies the last state of the church, when the Lord comes and the [Last] Judgment takes place (n. 1004). 15. "Behold I come as a thief," signifies the Lord's coming and the Last Judgment (n. 1005); "happy is he that is awake," signifies the happy state of those who look to the Lord (n. 1006); "and keepeth his garments," signifies and who live according to His Divine truths (n. 1007); "that he may not walk naked," signifies that he may not be without truths, and thus without good (n. 1008); "and they see his shame," signifies and thus be in filthy loves (n. 1009). 16. "And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon," signifies a state of combat from falsities against truths, arising from the love of self with the men of the church (n. 1010).
995. Verse 12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, signifies the state of the church manifested as to things rational, and intelligence therefrom... Before the spiritual mind, which is called the spiritual man, can be opened, and through it influx into the natural mind be given, the rational must be cultivated, which is done by means of knowledges, which are natural and moral truths, and by means of cognitions [or understanding] of truth and good from the Word...
999. And out of the mouth of the false prophet, signifies the doctrine of faith separated from life, and of justification by it confirmed from the Word falsified. This is evident from the signification of "the false prophet," as being the doctrine of falsity from truths of the Word falsified. This is signified by the "false prophet" because a "prophet" means the doctrine of truth from the Word, and in the highest sense the Word (see above, n. 624); so a "false prophet" means the contrary of this. Moreover, "the false prophet" here has the same signification as "the beast coming up out of the earth," for it is said, "out of the mouth of the beast and of the false prophet." For there were two beasts by which the dragon has been further described, one seen coming up "out of the sea," the other "out of the earth;" and "the beast out of the sea" signifies confirmations of faith separated from the life [of charity or love] by reasonings from the natural man, but "the beast out of the earth" signifies confirmations from the Word of faith separated from the life [of charity or love,] and the consequent falsifications of the Word. And because the doctrine of the church was made from this, and that doctrine teaches the separation of faith from the life [of charity or love] and justification by that separated faith, so this second beast is meant by "the false prophet."
1000. Three unclean spirits like frogs, signifies reasonings from mere falsities against Divine truths... This is evident... [also] from the signification of "frogs," as being reasonings from falsities. Frogs have this signification not only because of their croaking, but also because they live in bogs and fetid pools; and for the same reason they signify infernal falsities. For those who reason from falsities against Divine truths live in hells that appear like bogs and fetid pools; and those who are there, when they are seen in the light of heaven, resemble frogs, some in a larger and some in a smaller form according to their elation of mind arising from more or less keenness of reasoning. They are also more or less unclean according as their reasonings are against more or less interior and important Divine truths... All this makes clear what is signified by "three unclean spirits like frogs, which went forth out of the mouth of the dragon, of the beast, and of the false prophet." (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [4] Those who are in true conjugial [or marital] love, after death, when they become angels, return to their early manhood and to youth, the males, however spent with age, becoming young men, and the wives, however spent with age, becoming young women... The man who while he lived in the world had shunned adulteries as sins, and who has been inaugurated by the Lord into conjugial [or marital] love, comes into this state first exteriorly and afterwards more and more interiorly... Man thus grows young in heaven because he then enters into the marriage of good and truth; and in good there is the conatus [or persistence] to love truth continually, and in truth there is the conatus [or persistence] to love good continually; and then the wife is good in form and the husband is truth in form...
998. Verse 13. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast, signifies from the thought, reasoning, religion, and doctrine of those who are in faith alone, and in confirmations of that faith from the natural man... [2] This and what here follows describes how the doctrine of faith alone has blunted and almost extinguished the faculty of understanding the Divine truth, which is given to every man by the Lord so far as falsities from evil do not block up influx and access, lest anything should be perceived from heaven. For a man is like a garden, which receives light in winter equally as in summer, but not heat; and yet when it does receive heat it blossoms and bears fruit. So the evil man equally with the good man is able to receive light, that is, to understand Divine truth, but he cannot blossom and become fruitful, that is, be wise and do works that are good, except as he receives heat, that is, the good of love. [3] There are many who believe that the learned, since they know many things from the Word and from doctrine from the Word, are more intelligent and wise than others; and yet they have only so much intelligence and wisdom as they have spiritual heat, that is, the good of love, for only so far is their faculty of understanding truths opened and vivified; while that faculty is as it were covered up and blotted out by the evils of one's own love...
1001. Verse 14. For they are spirits of demons, signifies false reasonings from hell... For in hell those are called "demons" who are in the lust of falsifying truths, and this is done chiefly by reasonings... (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) ...All angels are forms of their affections; for the reason that it is not permitted in heaven to counterfeit with the face things that do not belong to one's affection; consequently their faces are types of their minds. When, therefore, they have conjugial [marital] love, love to the Lord, mutual love, love of good and love of truth, and love of wisdom, these loves in them give form to their faces, and show themselves like vital fires in their eyes; to which innocence and peace add themselves, which complete their beauty. Such are the forms of the inmost angelic heaven; and they are truly human forms.
1003. To go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle, signifies to excite dissensions and combats against truths with all who are of the church. This is evident from the signification of "kings," as being those who are in truths from good... also from the signification of "the earth and the world," as being the church as to truth and good, thus the whole church (see n. 741); also from the signification of "battle," as being dissension respecting truths and goods, and spiritual combats (see n. 573, 734)... [2] That it was through faith alone that the church was brought into contentions in regard to truths and goods, and into combats against them, and finally into dissensions, is made clearly evident by the fact that when that faith was accepted no power was any longer given to the understanding to examine into goods and truths, for that faith involves that a thing must be believed, however it may appear to the understanding; and when the understanding is taken away from faith enlightenment also is taken away; and when that is taken away blindness and stupidity enter into everything of the church; and in that state mere contentions arise about the meaning of the Word, which is capable of being turned to confirm whatever one pleases. This is why the church has been divided into so many churches, and in these so many heresies have arisen. That these dissensions and combats about truths and goods are from hell is signified by "the spirits of demons working signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle." (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [3] ...In place of the spiritual and celestial loves that those have who live in chaste marriages, there are the infernal and diabolical loves that those have who are in adulteries. So in place of the intelligence and wisdom that those have who live chastely in marriages there are the insanities and follies that those have who are in adulteries; in place of the innocence and peace that those have who live in chaste marriages there are the deceit and no peace that those have who are in adulteries; in place of the power and protection against the hells that those have who live chastely in marriages there are the very Asmodean demons and the hells that those have who live in adulteries; in place of the beauty that those have who live chastely in marriages there is the deformity that those have who live in adulteries, which is monstrous according to their quality. Their final lot is that from the extreme impotence to which they are at length reduced they become emptied of all the fire and light of life, and dwell alone in deserts as images of the slothfulness and weariness of their own life.
1004. Of that great day of God Almighty, signifies the last state of the church, when the Lord comes and the Last Judgment takes place... (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [2] True conjugial [or marital] love cannot be given except between two... All who are in the heavens and who are in the church must be one through mutual love from love to the Lord. An angel in heaven and a man in the church who does not thus make one with the rest is not of heaven nor of the church. Moreover, in the whole heaven and in the whole world there are two things to which all things have reference; these two are called good and truth, from which, when joined into one, all things in heaven and in the world have had existence and subsistence. When these are one, good is in truth and truth is in good, and truth is of good and good is of truth; thus one acknowledges the other as its mutual and reciprocal... This universal marriage is the source of conjugial [marital] love between husband and wife. The husband has been so created as to be the understanding of truth, and the wife so created as to be the will of good, and thus the husband to be truth and the wife good; thus that both may be truth and good in form, which form is man, and the image of God... therefore it is impossible for one truth to be united to two diverse goods...; neither for one person who is spiritual to be united to two diverse churches; neither in like manner for one man to be inmostly united to two women. Inmost union is like that of soul and heart... This is genuine marriage, which is possible only between two... When... two minds act as one their two bodies are potentially so united that they are no more two but one flesh. To will to become one flesh is conjugial [or marital] love; and such as the willing is, such is that love. [4] It is allowed to confirm this by a wonderful thing in the heavens. There are married pairs there in such conjugial [or marital] love that the two can be one flesh, and are one whenever they wish, and they then appear as one man. I have seen and talked with such; and they said that they have one life, and are like the life of good in truth and the life of truth in good, and are like the pairs in man, that is, like the two hemispheres of the brain enclosed in one membrane... They said that their life so conjoined is full of heaven, and is the very life of heaven with its infinite beatitudes, for the reason that heaven also is such from the marriage of the Lord with it, for all the angels of heaven are in the Lord and the Lord in them. [5] Furthermore, they said that it is impossible for them to think from any intention about an additional wife or woman, because this would be turning heaven into hell, consequently if an angel merely thinks of such a thing he falls from heaven... As the posterity of Jacob, who were called the sons of Israel, were merely natural men, and thus their marriages were not spiritual, but carnal, so they were permitted on account of the hardness of their hearts to take several wives.
1005. Verse 15. Behold I come as a thief, signifies the Lord's coming and the Last Judgment at that time... This is the signification of "coming as a thief," because taking away the knowledges of good and truth, and devastating the church, as a thief takes away wealth and robs a house, is attributed to the Lord; also because the church is then in night and in darkness, that is, in falsities from evil... (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [2] ...Hell in general is called adultery... [3] Consequently in the brothels that are in hell, foulnesses of every kind appear; and when light out of heaven is let into them, adulteresses are seen lying with adulterers, like swine in filth itself; and... like swine they are in their delights when they are in the midst of filth. But these brothels are kept closed, because when they are opened a stench is exhaled that excites vomiting. It is otherwise in chaste marriages. In these the life of the husband adds itself through the seed to the life of the wife; and from this there is inmost conjunction, by which they become not two, but one flesh. And according to conjunction by means of that, conjugial [or marital] love increases, and with it every good of heaven.
1006. Happy is he that is awake, signifies the happy state of those who look to the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "happy," as being to be in a happy state; also from the signification of "being awake," as being to acquire for oneself spiritual life (see n. 187); and this is acquired by man's looking to the Lord, because the Lord is Life itself, and from Him alone is life eternal. When a man is in life from the Lord he is in wakefulness; but when he is in life from himself he is asleep; or what is the same, when a man is in spiritual life he is in wakefulness, but when he is in natural life separated from the spiritual he is asleep; and what a man then sees is like what he sees in a dream...(Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [2] But it is to be known that adulteries are more and less infernal and abominable. The adulteries that spring from more grievous evils and their falsities are more grievous, and those from the milder evils and their falsities are milder... According to correspondences with these the hells are arranged into genera and species. There are cadaverous [or resembling a corpse] hells for those whose delights were the violations of wives; there are excrementitious [or like excrement] hells for those whose delights were the debauching of virgins; there are direful, slimy hells for those whose delights were varieties... of harlots; for others there are filthy hells. There are sodomitic hells for those who were in evils from a love of ruling over others from mere delight in ruling...
1008. That he may not walk naked, signifies that he may not be without truths, and thus without goods... for those who are without truths are also without goods, since all good is acquired by means of truths; and moreover, good without truth is not good, and truth without good is not truth; that there may be truth it must be conjoined to good, and that there may be good it must be conjoined to truth. There may be indeed truth without good and good without truth; but truth without good is dead, and so is good without truth. For truth has its being from good, and good has its existence by means of truth...
1009. And they see his shame, signifies and thus be in filthy loves... (Continuation respecting the Sixth Commandment) [2] He that abstains from adulteries from any other motive than because they are sins and are against God is still an adulterer; as for instance when anyone abstains from them from fear of the civil law and its penalties, from fear of the loss of reputation and thus of honor, from fear of resulting diseases, from fear of upbraidings at home from his wife and consequent intranquility of life, from fear of chastisement by the servants of the injured husband, from poverty, or from avarice; from infirmity arising from abuse or from age or impotence or disease; in fact, when one abstains because of any natural or moral law, and does not at the same time abstain because of the Divine law, he is still interiorly unchaste and an adulterer, since he nonetheless believes that adulteries are not sins, and therefore in his spirit, declares them allowable, and thus he commits them in spirit, although not in the body; consequently after death when he becomes a spirit he speaks openly in favor of them, and commits them without shame. It has been granted me in the spiritual world to see maidens who regarded whoredoms as heinous because they are contrary to the Divine law, and also maidens who did not regard them as heinous and yet abstained from them because the resulting bad name would turn away suitors. These latter I saw encompassed with a dusky cloud in their descent to those below, while the former I saw encompassed with a shining light in their ascent to those above.
1010. Verse 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon, signifies a state of combat from falsities against truths, arising from the love of self with the men of the church... "Armageddon" signifies the love of honor, of rule, and of supereminence... Nor is anything else meant by "Armageddon" in the heavens; for all places mentioned in the Word signify things and states. [2] The love of honor, of rule, and of supereminence is the last state of the church, when falsities are about to fight against truths, because that love is about to rule in the church in its last times, and when that love rules, falsity from evil rules also, and this overcomes truth; for that love more than all other loves extinguishes the light of heaven and induces the darkness of hell... [3] Moreover, it has been shown me to the life that that love has devastated the church and adulterated all its goods and truths... For almost everyone at this day when he comes after death into the spiritual world carries with him out of the natural world the desire to be honored, to rule, and to be supereminent...
1011. Verses 17, 18. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices and lightnings and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great. 17. "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air" signifies the state of the church manifested as to all things of thought (n. 1012); "and there came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done," signifies manifestation out of heaven from the Lord that the end is come, and thus that the Last Judgment is at hand (n. 1013). 18. "And there were voices and lightnings and thunder," signifies reasonings, darkenings of the understanding, and conclusions of falsities from evils (n. 1014); "and there was a great earthquake," signifies the state of the church wholly changed (n. 1015); "such as was not since men were upon the earth," signifies that the state was more completely inverted than ever before in the countries where the church is (n. 1016); "such an earthquake, so great," signifies so that the church was no more (n. 1017).
1012. Verse 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, signifies the state of the church manifested in regard to all things of thought. This is evident from the signification of "the angel pouring out the vial," as being the state of the church manifested; also from the signification of the "air," as being thought... The "air" signifies thought because respiration, which is effected by means of the air, corresponds to thought... [2] "The last vial was poured out into the air," because all things of man close into his thoughts. For such as a man is as to the church and as to the goods and truths of the church, also as to love, in a word, such as he is as to his spiritual, moral, and civil life, such is he as to thought. This can be perceived especially in the spiritual world. When any angel goes out of his own society into a society not his own his breathing labors, because he is not thinking from a like affection. So, too, when an infernal spirit ascends into an angelic society he comes into distress of breathing, and thus into anguish, or into fantasy, or into blindness of thought; which makes clear that such as a man is such is his thought. (The Seventh Commandment) 1012-1 [3] In what now follows something shall be said about the seventh commandment, which is, "Thou shalt not kill." ...The nearest sense of this commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," which is the spiritual moral sense, is that one must not hate his brother or neighbor, and thus not defame or slander him; for thus he would injure or kill his reputation and honor, which is the source of his life among his brethren... And before the angels in the heavens he that destroys this life is held to be as guilty as if he had destroyed the bodily life of his brother. For enmity, hatred, and revenge, breathe murder and will it; but they are restrained and curbed by fear of the law... and of loss of reputation. And yet these three are endeavors towards murder; and every endeavor is like an act, for it goes forth into act when fear is removed. This is what the Lord teaches in Matthew: Ye have heard that it was said to them of old, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother rashly shall be liable to the judgment; whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire (5:21-26). This may be seen explained above (n. 693, 746). [4] But the more remote sense of this commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," which is called the celestial spiritual sense, is that one shall not take away from man the faith and love of God, and thus his spiritual life. This is murder itself, because from this life man is a man... Moreover, from this spiritual murder moral murder is derived; consequently one who is in the one is also in the other; for he who wills to take away a man's spiritual life is in hatred against him if he cannot take it away, for he hates the faith and love with him, and thus the man himself. These three, namely, spiritual murder, which pertains to faith and love, moral murder, which pertains to reputation and honor, and natural murder, which pertains to the body, follow in a series one from the other, like cause and effect.
1013. And there came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done, signifies manifestation out of heaven from the Lord that the end is come, and thus that the Last Judgment is at hand... This was said after "the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air," which signifies that all things of man's thought have been turned away from heaven, consequently there is no longer any communication of men of the church with heaven; and when this communication has been broken off the Last Judgment comes. For so long as there is a communication of heaven with the church all things are held together in connection; but when communication is destroyed it is like a house falling when the foundation is taken from under it. And yet a new house is then built by the Lord in its place; the house is the church. (Continuation respecting the Seventh Commandment) [2] As all who are in hell are in hatred against the Lord, and thus in hatred against heaven, for they are against goods and truths, so hell is the essential murderer or the source of essential murder. It is the source of essential murder because man is man from the Lord through the reception of good and truth; consequently to destroy good and truth is to destroy the human itself, thus to kill man. [3] That those who are in hell are such has not yet been known in the world, because... hatred lies concealed in their spirit, and this in equal degree with the evil of their life. And as hatred is in the spirit it breaks forth when the externals are laid aside, as is the case after death. [4] This infernal hatred against all who are in good is deadly hatred because it is hatred against the Lord. This can be seen particularly from their delight in doing evil, which is such as to exceed in degree every other delight, for it is a fire that burns with the lust for destroying souls. Moreover, it has been ascertained that this delight is not from hatred against those whom they attempt to destroy, but from hatred against the Lord Himself...
1014. Verse 18. And there were voices, lightnings, and thunders, signifies reasonings, darkenings of the understanding, and conclusions of falsities from evils. This is evident from the signification of "voices, lightnings, and thunders," which in reference to those of the church with whom there is no longer any good of love and truth of faith mean reasonings, darkness of the understanding, and conclusions of falsities from evils (see above n. 702, 704). This signification in the Word of "voices, lightnings, and thunders," is derived from the appearance of these in the spiritual world with those who are not in the good of love and in the truths of faith, but who talk with each other about them. Their discourse, which is reasoning, is signified by "voices," the conflict of truth and falsity by "lightnings," and consequent rejection of truth and good by "thunders." And as such things come forth in the spiritual world by correspondence, it follows that the like things in the natural world correspond, and thus have such signification as has been said...
1016. Such as was not since men were upon the earth, signifies that the state was more completely inverted than ever before in the countries where the church is. This is evident from the signification of "there was not such an earthquake," as being that the state of the church was more changed than heretofore, thus completely inverted; also from the signification of "the men that were upon the earth," as being with those who are of the church, thus who are in the countries where the church is. Here the state of the church with the Reformed [or Protestant Reformation?] is especially treated of... since it consists of mere incomprehensible things. (Continuation respecting the Seventh Commandment) [2] Since hatred is infernal fire it is clear that it must be removed before love, which is heavenly fire, can flow in, and by light from itself give life [of love] to man; and this infernal fire can in no wise be removed unless man knows whence hatred is and what it is, and afterwards turns away from it and shuns it. There is in every man by inheritance hatred against the neighbor; for every man is born into the love of self and of the world, and in consequence conceives hatred, and from it is inflamed against all who do not make one with him and favor his love, especially against those who oppose his lusts. For no one can love himself above all things and love the Lord at the same time; neither can anyone love the world above all things and love the neighbor at the same time; since no one can serve two masters at the same time without despising and hating the one while he honors and loves the other. Hatred is especially with those who are in the love of ruling over all... [3] It shall be told what hatred is. Hatred has in itself a fire which is an endeavor to kill man. That fire is manifested by anger...
1017. Such an earthquake, so great, signifies that the church was no more... (Continuation respecting the Seventh Commandment) When a man abstains from hatred and turns away from it and shuns it as diabolical, then love, charity, mercy and clemency flow in through heaven from the Lord... for the fire of heaven, which is spiritual love, cannot flow in so long as the fire of hell, which is hatred, stands in the way and shuts it out.
1018. Verse 19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His anger. 19. "And the great city was divided into three parts," signifies that all things of the doctrine of truth from the Word were dissipated (n. 1019); "and the cities of the nations fell," signifies that all things of the doctrine of good from the Word were likewise dissipated (n. 1020). "And great Babylon came into remembrance before God," signifies that thus far the church with the Reformed [or Protestant Reformation?] and its devastation has been treated of, and that what follows treats of the church with the Papists [or Roman Catholics] and its devastation (n. 1021); "to give unto her the cup of the wrath of His anger," signifies devastation through dire falsities of evil (n. 1022).
1021. And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, signifies that thus far the church with the Reformed [or Protestant Reformation?] and its devastation has been treated of, and that what follows treats of the church with the Papists [or Roman Catholics] and its devastation. This is evident from the signification of "Babylon" as being the church with the Papists [or Roman Catholics,] since "Babylon" signifies the love of ruling over heaven and over the earth through the holy things of the church; and this love is dominant chiefly with the Papists [or Roman Catholics.] These words mean also that thus far the church with the Reformed and its devastation has been treated of, as is evident from what precedes and from what follows. In what precedes it has treated of the dragon and the two beasts, which describes the church with the Reformed, its devastation by "the seven angels pouring out the seven vials" (as can be seen from the thirteenth verse of this chapter). In what follows the church with the Papists is described in chapter 17 by "the harlot sitting upon the scarlet beast," and its devastation in chapter 18. From this it is clear that "great Babylon came into remembrance before God" signifies that thus far it has treated of the church with the Reformed and its devastation, and what follows treats of the church with the Papists, and its devastation. (The Ninth Commandment) [2] The ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house," is now to be treated of. There are two loves from which all lusts spring and flow forth perpetually like streams from their fountains. These loves are called the love of the world and the love of self... Now because the love of the world and the love of self are the foundations of all lusts, and all evil lusts are forbidden in these last two commandments, it follows that the ninth commandment forbids the lusts that flow from the love of the world, and the tenth commandment the lusts that flow from the love of self. "Not to covet a neighbor's house" means not to covet his goods, which in general are possessions and wealth, and not to appropriate them to oneself by evil arts. This lust belongs to the love of the world.
1023. Verses 20, 21. And every island fled, and the mountains were not found. And a great hail, as of the weight of a talent, cometh down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great. 20. "And every island fled," signifies that there was no longer any truth of faith (n. 1024); "and the mountains were not found," signifies that there was no longer any good of love (n. 1025). 21. "And a great hail, as of the weight of a talent, cometh down from heaven upon men," signifies falsities in the greatest degree infernal destroying all the understanding of truth with the men of the church (n. 1026); "and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail," signifies the consequent falsification of the Word (n. 1027); "for the plague thereof was exceeding great," signifies the total destruction of genuine truth (n. 1028).
1024. Verse 20. And every island fled, signifies that there was no longer any truth of faith. This is evident from the signification of "island," as being the church as to the truths of the natural man, which are called scientific truths also cognitions of truth and good...; here it signifies the church as to the truths of faith, for the truths that are called the truths of faith are the truths of the natural man; and that there were no longer these is signified by "every island fled." An "island" means the church as to the truths of faith, the reason is that an island is land encompassed by the sea, and "land" signifies the church, and "sea" the scientific... faculty in general, which belong to the natural man. "Islands" signify also in the Word the churches with the Gentiles that possess nothing but appearances of truth, which are truths further removed from genuine truths... [2] The commandments... are called the ten... commandments, because "ten" signifies all... There are in each commandment three interior senses, each sense for its own heaven, for there are three heavens. The first sense is the spiritual moral sense; this is for the first or lowest heaven; the second sense is the celestial spiritual sense, which is for the second or middle heaven; and the third sense is the Divine celestial, which is for the third or inmost heaven. There are thus three internal senses in every least particular of the Word. For from the Lord who is in things highest, the Word has been sent down in succession through the three heavens even to the earth, and thus has been accommodated to each heaven; and therefore the Word is with each heaven and almost with each angel in its own sense, and is read by them daily; and there are preachings from it, as on the earth. [3] For the Word is Divine truth itself, thus the Divine wisdom, proceeding from the Lord as a sun, and appearing in the heavens as light. Divine truth is the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit, for it not only proceeds from the Lord but it also enlightens man and teaches him, as is said of the Holy Spirit. As the Word in its descent from the Lord has been accommodated to the three heavens, and the three heavens are joined together as inmosts are with... [outmosts] through intermediates, so, too, are the three senses of the Word...
1025. And the mountains were not found, signifies that there was no longer any good of love. This is evident from the signification of "mountains," as being the church as to the good of love (see n. 405, 510, 850). "Mountains" mean the church as to the good of love, because "land" signifies the church, and angels that are in love to the Lord have their land upon mountains in the spiritual world; so "mountains" signify the church as to the good of love to the Lord. Such dwell upon mountains in the spiritual world because they are interior angels, and interior things in the spiritual world correspond to higher things, and actually become the higher. And this is why the Lord, because He is in the inmost, is called "the Most High," and is said "to dwell in the highest."
1026. Verse 21. And a great hail, as of the weight of a talent, cometh down from heaven upon men, signifies falsities in the greatest degree infernal destroying all the understanding of truth with the men of the church. This is evident from the signification of "hail," as being infernal falsity destroying all the truth and good of the church (see n. 503, 704). This hail is called "great," and "as the weight of a talent," because falsities in the greatest degree infernal are meant. The quality of the falsities is compared to a talent, because a talent was the largest denomination in the reckoning of money and the weighing of silver, and "silver" signifies truth, and in the contrary sense falsity, and "weight" signifies what is heavy from evil, thus in the greatest degree infernal; for falsity from evil is heavy and falls of itself into hell. Also from the signification of "coming down from heaven upon men," as being from hell destroying the understanding of truth with the men of the church... Hail indeed falls from heaven in the spiritual world as in the natural world, since hail is rain that descends from heaven; but it is frozen into hail by the cold that rises up from hell, and that cold is the absence of heat or of heavenly love. From this it follows that hail does not come down as hail from heaven, but is from hell. It is the same with the rain of brimstone and fire from heaven. "Rain" of water signifies the Divine truth from heaven, but "hail" Divine truth changed into infernal falsity, which is done while it is coming down from heaven...
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