In the Word three terms are used to refer to bad actions: transgression, iniquity, and sin. Transgression is the least bad. It means a violation of what is true in an external context, a violation of what is right and orderly. Iniquity is next and denotes acts that violate more interior truths. Sin is the worst. It is a violation of what is holy and righteous, a violation against the Lord. Sin is the deepest kind of evil. Regarding iniquity -- to be in charity, or live a life of charity is to live a life where the acts and thoughts that have top priority are those that have within them a love for the neighbor. Sometimes our love of self, our inborn desire to put ourselves first, is stronger than our charity and we do something for ourselves at the expense of our neighbor, or even do harm to our neighbor. Such an act, if our motive is selfish, is an iniquity.

(Препратки: Arcana Coelestia 9156, 9965 [2-3])

760. 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my peoples, lest you participate in her sins, and lest you become recipients of her plagues." This symbolizes an exhortation from the Lord to all people, both to those caught up in the Roman Catholic religion and to those not caught up in it, to beware of embracing it in acknowledgement and affection, lest they embrace its abominations with their souls and perish.

"Another voice from heaven saying" symbolizes an exhortation from the Lord to all people, both to those caught up in the Roman Catholic religion and to those not caught up in it, because the exhortation follows, "Come out of her, my peoples," which is to say, come out all who turn to the Lord. The exhortation comes from the Lord because the voice was a voice from heaven. "Lest you participate in her sins" means, symbolically, to beware of embracing its abominations with their souls; and because the embrace takes place through acknowledgment and affection, therefore this, too, is symbolically meant. Their sins are abominations, because that is what they are called in the preceding chapter, verse 4. "Lest you become recipients of her plagues" means, symbolically, lest they perish; for plagues symbolize evils and falsities, and at the same time destruction in consequence of them. This is the symbolic meaning of plagues in nos. 657, 673, 676 above, and elsewhere.

Similar things are said in connection with Babylon in the Word in the following places:

Come out of the midst of her, My people! Deliver everyone his soul because of the fierce anger of Jehovah, lest your heart weaken and you become fearful on account of the report... (Jeremiah 51:45-46)

Flee from the midst of Babylon, and deliver everyone his soul, lest you be cut off on account of her iniquity... (Jeremiah 51:6)

Forsake (Babylon), and let us go everyone to his own country; for her judgment has reached to heaven and has risen up to the clouds. (Jeremiah 51:9)

Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans with the sound of singing! Proclaim this and cause it to be heard, utter it to the end of the earth: say, "Jehovah has redeemed...." (Isaiah 48:20-21; cf. Jeremiah 50:8)