960. Go pour out the vials of the anger of God into the earth, signifies the state of the devastated church. This is evident from the signification of "the vials of the anger of God," as being the evils and falsities that have devastated the church; for "the vials of the anger of God" have the like signification as "the plagues" in the preceding chapter (Revelation 15:6), where it is said that "seven angels went out from the temple having seven plagues," "plagues" there signifying the evils and falsities therefrom and the falsities and evils therefrom that have devastated the church (See above, n. 949). "The anger of God" has a similar signification, for "the anger of God" is predicated of the evils and falsities that devastate the goods and truths of the church. It is evident also from the signification of "the earth," as being the church (See above, n. 29, 304, 417, 697, 741, 752, 876). "To pour out these vials into the earth" signifies the state of the church so produced, because the vastations of the church are attributed in the Word to God, consequently they are represented as flowing forth from heaven; and yet nothing of them comes from God, but they are solely from man. Nevertheless, it is so said in the sense of the letter of the Word because it so appears to men, and that sense being the ultimate sense consists of appearances.

[2] These are called "vials" because vials are vessels, and vessels have a similar signification as their contents, as goblets, beakers, cups, with wine or other liquor in them; and as the incense vessels and censers for the incense, and many other vessels. The reason of this is that the sense of the letter of the Word is the ultimate sense of the Divine truth, and therefore consists of the ultimate things that are in nature; for upon ultimates interior or higher things are built and founded. That vials, goblets, cups, beakers, and platters are mentioned in place of their contents, and therefore have a similar signification, is evident from the Word, where they signify falsities from hell, and drunkenness or insanity therefrom. They also signify temptations; also truths from the Lord and wisdom therefrom. That they signify falsities from hell and insanity therefrom is evident from the following passages. In Jeremiah:

Jehovah said, Take this cup of the wine of the anger of Jehovah out of My hand, and make all nations to whom I send thee to drink of it, that they may drink and stagger, and be mad because of the sword. When they refuse to take the cup out of thine hand to drink, thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, Drinking ye shall drink (Jeremiah 25:15, 16, 28).

"Cup of wine" here signifies the falsity that is from hell; "to drink" signifies to appropriate to oneself; "to be mad" signifies to be spiritually insane, which takes place when falsity is called truth and truth falsity. The "nations" that shall drink signify the evil, and in an abstract sense evils; for many nations that were to drink are there enumerated, and yet nations are not meant, but the evils signified by them, and evils are what drink, that is, appropriate to themselves, falsities. That "cup of wine" signifies falsity is evident also from the words, "that they may be mad because of the sword," for "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth.

[3] In the same:

Babylon is a cup of gold in the hand of Jehovah, making the whole earth drunken; the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations are mad (Jeremiah 51:7).

"Cup of gold" signifies falsity destroying good; "Babylon" signifies dominion over heaven and over the souls of men by means of the holy things of the church, from which dominion profane falsities flow forth; "to make the earth drunk" signifies to so infatuate the church that truth is not seen any more. "Wine" signifies that falsity.

[4] In Ezekiel:

Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister, therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup, which is deep and broad; thou shalt be for a laughing and derision; ample to contain, thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sadness, with the cup of devastation and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria, which thou shalt drink and press out; and thou shalt break in pieces the shards thereof (Ezekiel 23:31-34).

This is said of Jerusalem, which signifies the celestial church as to doctrine; and Samaria, which is the "sister," signifies here the spiritual church, also as to doctrine. For the Jewish nation represented the Lord's celestial kingdom, and the Israelitish nation His spiritual kingdom. But here "Jerusalem and Samaria" signify the church devastated as to all good and truth. The full devastation of the church with the Jewish nation is described by "the sister's cup, which is deep and broad," and "they shall be filled with drunkenness and sadness," and "they shall drink the cup and press it out, and break in pieces the shards thereof. "It is called "a cup of devastation and desolation," because "devastation" is predicated of good, and "desolation" of truth.

[5] In Zechariah:

Behold I make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the peoples round about (Zechariah 12:2).

In Habakkuk:

Thou shalt be satiated with shame more than with glory; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered. The cup of Jehovah shall go about unto thee, and shameful vomiting shall be upon thy glory (Habakkuk 2:16).

"Cup" stands for falsified truth, which in itself is falsity, and of this "shameful vomiting" is predicated; therefore it is said "upon thy glory," "glory" signifying the Divine truth in the Word. In Lamentations:

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom; the cup shall pass through unto thee also; thou shalt be made drunken and shalt be uncovered (Lamentations 4:21).

Here "cup" has the same signification.

[6] In David:

Jehovah shall rain upon the wicked snares, fire, and brimstone, and a wind of tempests shall be the portion of their cup (Psalms 11:6).

In the same:

There is a cup in the hand of Jehovah, and He hath mixed it with wine. He hath filled it with mixture, and hath poured it out thence; but the dregs of it all the wicked of the earth shall suck out and drink (Psalms 75:8).

"Snares, fire, and brimstone," signify falsities and evils leading astray, and "a wind of tempests" signifies vigorous assault upon truth. These are called "the portion of a cup," because a "cup," as a containant signifies these. "To mix" and "to fill with mixture" signify to falsify truth and to profane it.

[7] In all these passages the devastation of truth and good by falsities and evils is attributed to Jehovah, for it is said that "they were to take the cup of the anger of Jehovah out of His hand," that "Jehovah hath mixed it with wine and filled it with mixture," also it is called "a cup in the hand of Jehovah;" and yet it must be understood that nothing of devastation is from Jehovah, but everything of it is from man. It is so said because the natural man sees no otherwise than that God is angry with, punishes, condemns, and casts into hell, those who despise and blaspheme Him, in a word, who do not give glory to Him; and because to so think is natural, it is so said in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural.

[8] So in other passages in Revelation:

He that adored the beast shall drink of the wine of the anger of God, mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of His wrath (Revelation 14:9, 10).

Great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath (Revelation 16:19).

A woman having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and of the uncleanness of her whoredom (Revelation 17:4).

Double unto her double according to her works; in the cup that she mingled mingle to her double (Revelation 18:6).

This makes clear the signification of the seven "vials" of the angels, which they poured out into the earth, the sea, the rivers, the fountains of waters, upon the sun, the throne of the beast, the river Euphrates, and into the air, namely, that they mean states of devastation, which are described by these.

[9] That a "goblet" or "cup" signifies temptations can be seen from the following passages. In the Gospels:

Jesus said to the sons of Zebedee, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They said, We are able. Then He said unto them, My cup indeed shall ye drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with (Matthew 20:22, 23; Mark 10:38, 39).

But these passages may be seen explained above n. 893. In the same:

Jesus said to Peter, The cup which the Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it? (John 18:11).

Jesus said in Gethsemane, If it be possible let this cup pass away from Me (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42).

In these passages a "cup" or "goblet" plainly signifies temptations. So in Isaiah (Isaiah 51:17, 22), where it is also called "the cup of the anger of God" and "the cup of trembling."

[10] As "cup" has a similar signification as "wine," and "wine" in the good sense signifies the Divine truth, therefore also this is what "cup" signifies in the following passages. In the Gospels:

Jesus taking the cup and giving thanks, gave to the disciples, saying, All drink from it; for this is My blood, that of the new Testament (Matt. 26:27, 28; Mark 14:23, 24; Luke 22:17, 18).

As the Lord's "blood," and likewise "wine," signify the Divine truth that proceeds from Him, consequently the "cup" also, it is said therefore "this is My blood;" and as it is by means of the Divine truth that the Lord is conjoined with the church, it is called "that of the new Testament or the new Covenant." (That the Lord's "blood" signifies the Divine truth may be seen in 328, 329, 476, 748; and that "covenant" signifies conjunction, n. 701)

[11] In David:

Jehovah is the portion of your ¹ part and of my cup; Thou sustainest my lot (Psalms 16:5).

In the same:

Thou wilt set a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou wilt make fat my head with oil; my cup shall run over (Psalms 23:5). ²

In these passages "cup" stands for the Divine truth; and as this is the signification of "cup" it is also called:

The cup of salvation (Psalms 116:13);

And the cup of consolations (Jeremiah 16:7).

[12] In Mark:

Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye are Christ's, he shall not lose his reward (Mark 9:41).

"To give a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye are Christ's," signifies to teach truth from the love of truth, thus from the Lord, likewise to do it. The love of truth for the sake of truth is meant by "giving a cup of water in the name of the Lord;" and "Christ" means the Lord as to the Divine truth.

[13] In the Gospels:

Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they are full from rapine and intemperance. Cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside may become clean also (Matthew 23:25, 26; Luke 11:39).

The Lord used the terms "cup" and "platter," because the containant has the same signification as the contents; thus the "cup" the same as "wine," and the "platter" the same as "food." "Wine" signifies the truth of the Word and of doctrine, and "food" the good of the Word and of doctrine. The natural man or the natural mind is inwardly purified when falsities and evils are removed, but it is not purified when they are not removed. For such as the interior is such does the exterior become, but the interior does not become such as the exterior is. For the interior flows into the exterior and disposes it to agreement with itself, but not the reverse.

(Continuation respecting the Second Commandment)

[14] Since "the name of God" means that which is from God and which is God, and this is called the Divine truth, and with us the Word, this must not be profaned, because it is in itself Divine and most holy; and it is profaned when its holiness is denied, which is done when it is despised, rejected, and treated contemptuously. When this is done heaven is closed and man is left to hell. For the Word is the only medium of conjunction of heaven with the church; therefore when the Word is cast out of the heart that conjunction is dissolved; and because man is then left to hell he no longer acknowledges any truth of the church.

[15] There are two things by which heaven is closed to the men of the church. One is the denial of the Lord's Divine, and the other is the denial of the holiness of the Word; and for this reason that the Lord's Divine is the all of heaven, and the Divine truth, which is the Word in the spiritual sense, is what makes heaven; which makes clear that he who denies the one or the other denies that which is the all of heaven, and from which heaven is and exists, and thus deprives himself of communication and thence of conjunction with heaven. To profane the Word is the same as "blaspheming the Holy Spirit," which is not forgiven to anyone, consequently it is said in this commandment that he who profanes the name of God shall not be left unpunished.

Poznámky pod čarou:

283. Verse 8. And the four animals, each by itself, had six wings round about, signifies the appearance of the spiritual Divine on all sides about the celestial Divine. This is evident from the signification of the four animals, which were the cherubim, as being the Lord's Divine guard and providence that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and of charity; and as this is the significance of the four animals as regards their bodies, they signify also the celestial Divine (of which presently). It is evident also from the signification of "six wings round about," as meaning the spiritual Divine round about the celestial Divine (of which also presently). The "cherubim" in respect to their bodies signify the celestial Divine, and in respect to their wings the spiritual Divine; because all things that represent heavenly things signify in respect to their bodies what is essential, and in respect to what is about them what is formal. So man also, in respect to his body signifies good in essence, and in respect to the encompassing things good in form. Celestial good is good in essence, and spiritual good is good in form; and this for the reason that the will, in which good resides, is man himself, or the man in essence; while the understanding in which is truth, which is the form of good, is the man thence derived, thus man in form; this good also is round about the other.

[2] But let it be told first what the celestial Divine is, and what the spiritual Divine is. The heavens are divided into two kingdoms, one of which is called the celestial kingdom, and the other the spiritual kingdom. They differ in this, that those in the celestial kingdom are in the good of love to the Lord, and those in the spiritual kingdom are in the good of charity towards the neighbor. Therefore the celestial Divine is the good of love to the Lord, and the spiritual Divine is the good of charity towards the neighbor. Moreover, according to these goods the heavens are arranged; the highest or third heaven consists of those who are in celestial good, or in the good of love to the Lord; and the heaven that succeeds this, and is called the middle or second heaven, consists of those who are in spiritual good, or in the good of charity towards the neighbor; and as celestial good is good in the highest place, and spiritual good is good in the second place, therefore the latter is round about the former; for that which is above is also within, and that which is below is also without, and what is without is round about. This is why in the Word higher things, and things in the midst, signify things interior; and lower things, and things round about, signify things exterior. Now as each good, the celestial and the spiritual, guards, and as the "animals," that is, the cherubim, in respect to their bodies signify the celestial Divine, and in respect to their wings the spiritual Divine, it is clear that by "the four animals, each by itself, were seen to have six wings round about," the appearance of the spiritual Divine on all sides round about the celestial Divine is signified. (But a fuller idea of these things can be had from what is said and shown in the work on Heaven and Hell; first, from the chapter where it is shown that The Divine of the Lord makes Heaven, n. 7-12; then from the chapter, The Divine of the Lord in Heaven is Love to Him, and Charity towards the Neighbor, n. 13-19; and lastly, in the chapter, Heaven is divided into two Kingdoms, a Celestial Kingdom and a Spiritual Kingdom, n. 20-28.)

[3] The cherubim were seen as animals because heavenly things are represented in ultimates in various ways, as can be seen from many passages in the Word; as:

That the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove over Jesus when He was baptized (Matthew 3:16-17).

And that the Divine of the Lord appeared as a lamb (Revelation 5:6, 8, 13).

And from this the Lord was also called a Lamb (Revelation 6:1, 16, 7:9-10, 14, 17, 12:11, 13:8, 14:1, 4, 17:14; 19:7, 9, 21:22-23, 27).

There were "four cherubim," and "each had six wings," because "four" signifies celestial good, and "six" spiritual good; for "four" signifies conjunction, and inmost conjunction with the Lord is through love to Him; but "six" signifies communication, and communication with the Lord is by means of charity towards the neighbor.

[4] That "wings" signify the spiritual Divine, which in its essence is truth from good, can be seen from the following passages. In David:

If ye have lain among the ranks, [ye shall have] the wings of a dove overlaid with silver, and her pinions with the yellow of gold; when Thou, Shaddai, dost spread out, kings shall be in it (Psalms 68:13-14).

What it means that "those who lie among the ranks shall have the wings of a dove overlaid with silver, and her pinions with the yellow of gold," and that "kings shall be in it when Shaddai spreadeth out," can be understood only from the internal sense; in that sense "to lie among the ranks" signifies to live according to the statutes; "the wings of a dove overlaid with silver" signify spiritual truths; her "pinions with the yellow of gold" signify spiritual good from which are those truths; "Shaddai" signifies a state of temptations; "kings in it" signify truths in that state and after it. "The wings of a dove overlaid with silver" signify spiritual truths, because "wing" signifies the spiritual, "dove" signifies truth from good, and "silver" the truth itself; "pinions overlaid with the yellow of gold" signify spiritual good from which are those truths, because "pinions" and "the yellow of gold" signify spiritual good from which are truths. "When Shaddai spreadeth out" signifies a state of temptations because "God Shaddai" signifies temptations and consolations after them; and as truths from good are implanted in man by temptations it is said, "kings shall be in it," for "kings" signify truths from good (See above, n. 31).

[5] In the same:

God rode upon a cherub, He did fly, and was borne upon the wings of the wind (Psalms 18:10).

"God rode upon a cherub" signifies the Lord's Divine Providence; "He did fly" signifies omnipresence in the spiritual world; "He was borne upon the wings of the wind" signifies omnipresence in the natural world; "wings of the wind" are things spiritual, from which are things natural.

[6] In the same:

Jehovah covereth thee under His pinion, and under His wings shalt thou trust; truth is a shield and a buckler (Psalms 91:4).

"To cover under the pinion" signifies to guard by Divine truth, which is the spiritual Divine; and "to trust under His wings" signifies under truth known [verum scientificum], which is the spiritual natural Divine; and as both signify truth, and "to cover" signifies guarding by means of it, it is said, "truth is a shield and a buckler." This makes clear what is signified:

By being hidden under the shadow of God's wings (Psalms 17:8);

By putting trust under the shadow of His wings (Psalms 36:7; 57:1);

Also by singing under the shadow of His wings (Psalms 63:7).

[7] That "wing" in reference to the Lord signifies the spiritual Divine is further evident from the following passages. In Ezekiel:

When I passed by thee, and saw thee, that behold thy time was the time of loves, I spread My wing over thee, and I covered thy nakedness (Ezekiel 16:8).

Here Jerusalem is treated of, and by it the church is meant, here its reformation; "the time of loves" signifies the state when it could be reformed; "I spread My wing over thee" signifies spiritual truth by which reformation is effected; "I covered thy nakedness" signifies putting evil out of sight thereby; for the evil that man has by heredity and afterwards from what is his own [ex proprio] is put out of sight, that is, so removed as not to appear, by spiritual truths, which are truths from good.

[8] In David:

Jehovah covereth Himself with light as with a garment; He stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain; He layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters; He maketh the clouds His chariot; He walketh upon the wings of the wind (Psalms 104:2, 3).

The "light with which Jehovah covereth Himself" signifies Divine truth in the heavens; it is called His "garment" because it proceeds from Him as a sun, and is thus outside of Him and about Him. This has a like meaning with the "light" and "the garments" of the Lord, when He was transfigured (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:3; Luke 9:28-37). "He stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain" signifies filling heaven and them that are therein with Divine truth, and thereby with intelligence; "He layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters" means to fill those who are in the ultimate heaven and in the church with the knowledges of truth and good; "He maketh the clouds His chariot" signifies the doctrine of truth from the literal sense of the Word, "clouds" mean that sense, and "chariot" doctrine; "to walk upon the wings of the wind" signifies the spiritual sense of the Word contained in the literal sense.

[9] In Malachi:

Unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise, and healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2).

"The Sun of righteousness" signifies the good of love, which is the celestial Divine; and the "wings of Jehovah, in which there is healing," signify truth from that good, which is the spiritual Divine; "healing" is reformation thereby.

[10] In Moses:

As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, beareth them on her wings, so Jehovah doth lead him (Deuteronomy 32:11, 12).

Here comparison is made with an "eagle," because "eagle" signifies intelligence, and "wing" the spiritual Divine, which is Divine truth, from which is intelligence.

[11] In Isaiah:

They that wait upon Jehovah renew their strength, they mount up with a wing like eagles (Isaiah 40:31).

"To mount up with a wing like eagles" is to ascend into the light of heaven, which is Divine truth or the spiritual Divine from which is intelligence.

[12] In Ezekiel:

The mountain of height will I plant it; that it may lift up the bough and bear fruit, and become a magnificent cedar; that under it may dwell every bird of every wing (Ezekiel 17:23). "A magnificent cedar" signifies the spiritual church; "every bird of every wing" signifies things intellectual which are from spiritual truths.

From this it can be seen what "the wings of the cherubim," both here and elsewhere in the Word, signify, namely, the spiritual Divine, which is Divine truth instructing, regenerating, and protecting.

[13] As also in Ezekiel:

Each cherub had four faces: and each had four wings, their wings were erect one toward the other, each had two wings covering their bodies. I heard the sound of the wings like the sound of great waters, as the voice of Shaddai; when they went, the voice of a tumult like the voice of a camp; when they stood they let down their wings. I heard the voice of their wings kissing each the other, and the voice of wheels beside them; the voice of the wings of the cherubim was heard even unto the court without, as the voice of God Shaddai. The likeness of hands was under their wings (Ezekiel 1:4, 6, 23-24; 3:12-13; 10:5, 21).

That "wings" here signify the spiritual Divine, which is the Lord's Divine truth in His celestial kingdom, is evident from the particulars of the description here; that there were "four wings" signifies the spiritual Divine in that kingdom; that "their wings were erect one toward the other," and "kissed each other" signifies consociation and conjunction from the Lord of all in that kingdom; that "the wings covered their bodies" signifies the spiritual Divine there encompassing the celestial Divine; that "the sound of their wings was heard as the sound of great waters," and "as the voice of wheels," and "as the voice of Shaddai," and that "the voice of the wings was heard even unto the court without" signifies the quality of the spiritual Divine, that is, of Divine truths in the ultimate heaven; for "voice" is predicated of truth; "waters" signify truths and the perception of truths; "wheels" the truths of doctrinals, because a "chariot" signifies doctrine; and "God Shaddai" means truth rebuking in temptations, and afterwards consoling; the "court without" is the ultimate heaven; the "likeness of hands under the wings" signifies the power of Divine truth.

[14] From this also can be seen what the "wings" of the cherubim, that were over the mercy-seat which was upon the ark, signified, which are thus described in Moses:

Make one cherub from the one end, and the other cherub from the other end; out of the mercy-seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof. And the cherubim shall spread out the wings upwards, covering over the mercy-seat with the wings, and their faces shall be a man to his brother; towards the mercy-seat shall be the faces of the cherubim. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above the ark; and to the ark thou shalt commit the testimony that I shall give thee (Exodus 25:18-21).

Here, too, "cherubim" in like manner signify the Lord's Providence in respect to guarding, that the highest heaven or the celestial kingdom be not approached except through the good of love from the Lord and to the Lord. The "testimony" or the "law," in the ark, signifies the Lord Himself; the "ark" the inmost or the highest heaven; the "mercy-seat" the hearing and reception of all things of worship which are from the good of love, and then expiation; the "wings of the cherubim" signify the spiritual Divine in that heaven or in that kingdom; that "the wings were spread out upwards," and that "they covered the mercy-seat," and that "their faces were toward the mercy-seat" signify the reception itself and hearing. (But all this can be seen more fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 9506-9546.) And as the "wings of the cherubim" and their direction signify Divine truth heard and received by the Lord, therefore it follows in Moses:

And there I will meet with thee, and I will speak with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, all things which I will command unto the sons of Israel (Exodus 25:22, and Numbers 7:89).

[15] As most expressions in the Word have a contrary sense also, so do "wings," in which sense they signify falsities and reasonings from them; as in Revelation:

Out of the smoke [of the pit of the abyss] went forth locusts. And the voice of their wings was as the voice of chariots of many horses running to war (Revelation 9:2-3, 9).

"Locusts" signify falsities in extremes, and "horses" reasonings from them, and "war" signifies the combat of falsity against truth; it is therefore said, "the voice of the wings of the locusts was as the voice of chariots of many horses running to war."

[16] In Hosea:

Ephraim is joined to idols. Their wine is gone; in whoring they have committed whoredom. The wind hath bound her up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices (Hosea 4:17-19).

"Ephraim" signifies the intellectual, such as it is with those within the church who are illustrated when they read the Word; "idols" signify the falsities of doctrine; therefore "Ephraim joined to idols" signifies a perverted intellectual seizing upon falsities; that "their wine is gone" signifies that the truth of the church is gone, "wine" meaning that truth; "in whoring they have committed whoredom" signifies that they have falsified truths, "whoredom" meaning the falsification of truth; "the wind hath bound up in its wings" signifies reasonings from fallacies, from which are falsities. (What fallacies in respect to things spiritual are, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 53.) "Wind in the wings" has a like signification in Zechariah 5:9.