'Works,' as in Revelation 16:11, signify falsities of faith, and the resulting evils of life.

In Revelation, 'I know thy works,' is said frequently. This makes it clear that 'works' signify, generally, every aspect of the church.

'Works,' as in Genesis 46:33, denote goods, because they are from the will, and anything from the will is either good or evil, but anything from the understanding, like spoken words, are either truths or falsities.

In Genesis 2:2, the work signifies the celestial man, the highest use of God; or the accomplishment when the spiritual man becomes celestial. (Arcana Coelestia 84, 88)

In Exodus 5:9, work signifies assault for the purpose of subjugation. (Arcana Coelestia 7120)

In Genesis 39:11, it signifies the process when the Lord was conjoining Himself with spiritual good in the natural. (Arcana Coelestia 5004)

In Genesis 47:3; Psalms 8:3; 44:1; 63:12, works concern offices and uses which are done for the neighbor, the country, the church, and the Lord's kingdom.

In Exodus 5:4, work signifies that the people were not to be exempted from things that were hard to bear. (Arcana Coelestia 6073, Arcana Coelestia 7104)

In Revelation 2:2, works signify that the Lord sees man's exterior as well as his interior things. (Apocalypse Revealed 76)

In Revelation 2:6, it signifies that people do not want to claim personal merit. (Apocalypse Revealed 86)

In Revelation 2:19, 23, 26, it signifies all things of charity and faith. (Apocalypse Revealed 138, 141)

In Revelation 9:20, it signifies that they did not shun as sins their own things, which are evils of every kind. (Apocalypse Revealed 457)

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 6048)

698. And did not repent of their works. This symbolically means that despite being instructed from the Word, they still did not turn away from the falsities of their faith or their consequent evil practices.

Not repenting means, symbolically, not to turn away, as in no. 693 above; and works symbolize falsities of faith and people's consequent evil practices, as in no. 641 above.

According to the literal sense, neither sufferings nor sores could compel the people to repent of their falsities and evils, but according to the spiritual sense, instruction from the Word could not compel them to abandon their falsities and evils because they are hellish.

It is apparent from this that the people's not repenting of their works means symbolically that despite being instructed from the Word, they still did not turn away from the falsities of their faith or from their consequent evil practices.

We say that works here are falsities of faith and the consequent evil practices. We say this because falsity of faith precedes and evil practice follows. For it is a falsity of faith that evil does not condemn a person who possesses faith. Therefore the person lives unconcernedly, not thinking about any evil, and so never reproaches himself or repents. The result is the same if he persuades himself that works contribute nothing to salvation, but that faith alone saves without works.