The Last Judgement #54
54. What is meant by Babylon and what it is like. Babylon means all who wish to have power over others by means of religious belief. This is gaining control over people's souls, and so over their spiritual life itself, using as means the Divine elements in their religion. All those who aim at power using religion as a means are called collectively Babylon. The reason why the name of Babylon is applied to them is that in ancient times such control began, but was destroyed as soon as it started. Its beginning is described by the city and tower which had its top in heaven; its destruction by the confusion of speech; hence its name was Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). The meaning of these details in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word may be seen explained in ARCANA COELESTIA 1283-1328.
[2] Another such attempt at control was begun and set up in Babel, as is clear from the passage of Daniel which tells of Nebuchadnezzar setting up an image which all were to worship (Daniel 3). It is also meant by Belshazzar drinking with his nobles from the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from the temple at Jerusalem; and at the same time worshipping gods of gold, silver, copper and iron. Therefore it was written on the wall, He has numbered, weighed and divided. And the king was killed that same night (Daniel 5). The vessels of gold and silver from the temple at Jerusalem mean the kinds of good and truth possessed by the church; drinking from them, and at the same time worshipping gods of gold, silver, copper and iron means profaning them. The writing on the wall and the king's death mean visitation and destruction with which those were threatened who used Divine forms of good and truth as means.
[3] There are numerous descriptions in the Prophets of what the people called Babylon are like, as in Isaiah:
You are to bring out this parable about the king of Babylon. Jehovah has broken the rod of the irreligious, the sceptre of the rulers. You, Lucifer, have fallen from heaven, you are cut down right to the ground. You said in your mind, I will climb the heavens, above the stars of God I shall set my throne on high, and I shall sit on the mountain of meeting, on the north side; I shall become like the Most High. Yet will you be brought down to hell, beside the pit. I will cut off the name of Babylon and what is left of her, and make her a possession inherited by the vulture. 1 Isaiah 14:4-5, 12-15, 22-23.
Elsewhere in the same book:
The lion said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon and cast down are all the graven images of her gods. Isaiah 21:9.
See further in Isaiah chapter Isaiah 47, chapter Isaiah 48:14-20; and in Jeremiah chapter 50:1-3. This makes it plain what Babylon is.
[4] It needs to be known that a church becomes Babylon when charity and faith cease to exist and self-love begins to reign in their stead. This love rushes as fast as it is given its head, not only to exercise control over all on earth it can make its subjects, but even over heaven. Nor does it rest there; it climbs as far as the throne of God and takes His Divine power for itself. The passages quoted from the Word prove that this also happened before the Lord's coming. But that Babylon was destroyed by the Lord when He was in the world, both by their becoming utter idolaters and by the last judgment upon them at that time in the spiritual world. This is meant by the passages in the Prophets about Lucifer, who is there Babylon, being cast down to hell, and the fall of Babylon; and also by the writing on the wall and by the death of Belshazzar; and by the stone hewn from the rock which destroyed the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream [Daniel 2:33-34].
Бележки под линия:
1. [The exact identification of this bird is disputed.]
Luke 10
1
Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place, where he was about to come.
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Then he said to them, "The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.
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Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
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Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way.
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Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house.'
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If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
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Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don't go from house to house.
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Into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you.
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Heal the sick who are therein, and tell them, 'The Kingdom of God has come near to you.'
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But into whatever city you enter, and they don't receive you, go out into its streets and say,
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'Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the Kingdom of God has come near to you.'
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I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.
13
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
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But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.
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You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.
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Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me."
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The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!"
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He said to them, "I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.
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Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.
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Nevertheless, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
21
In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight."
22
Turning to the disciples, he said, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him."
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Turning to the disciples, he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see,
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for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn't see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn't hear them."
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Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
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He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"
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He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
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He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live."
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But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"
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Jesus answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
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By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
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In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.
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But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,
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came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
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On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.'
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Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?"
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He said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
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It happened as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
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She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
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But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me."
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Jesus answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
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but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her."
