954. Verse 7. And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the anger of God, who liveth unto the ages of the ages, signifies all the falsities of evil that have destroyed the spiritual life of the men of the church made manifest by the Lord by means of the Divine truth or the Word. This is evident from the signification of "the four animals," as being the inmost heaven (See n. 277, 322, 462), and as being the Word n. 717, consequently the Lord as to heaven and the Word, for heaven is heaven from the Lord, and the same is true of the Word. Also from the signification of "the seven angels," as being manifestations through the Divine truth or the Word (See above, n. 949). Also from the signification of "the seven vials," as being all falsities and evils, for "the seven vials" have a like signification as "the seven plagues" (verse 6), namely, evils and falsities therefrom, and falsities and evils therefrom (See above, n. 949). These are said to be "full of the anger of God, who liveth unto the ages of the ages," because these devastate the church and destroy the spiritual life of the men of the church. These are what are signified by "the anger of God." All this makes clear that the words, "one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the anger of God, who liveth unto the ages of the ages," signify all the falsities of evil that have destroyed the spiritual life of the men of the church, made manifest by the Lord by means of the Divine truth or the Word. "Vials" are mentioned instead of plagues because vials are the containants, and plagues are the contents; and in the Word the containants are frequently mentioned instead of the contents, because the containants are the ultimates, in order that the sense of the letter of the Word may be in ultimates. Likewise "cups" and "chalices" are mentioned instead of wine. (But see further on this subject in the following chapter, where the seven vials and the seven plagues therein are treated of.)

(Continuation respecting the First Commandment)

[2] So far as a man resists his own two loves, which are the love of ruling from the mere delight of ruling and the love of possessing the goods of the world from the mere delight of possession, thus so far as he shuns as sins the evils forbidden in the Decalogue, so far there flows in through heaven from the Lord, that there is a God, who is the Creator and Preserver of the universe, yea also that God is one. This then flows in for the reason that when evils have been removed heaven is opened, and when heaven is opened man no longer thinks from self but from the Lord through heaven; and that there is a God and that God is one is the universal principle in heaven which comprises all things. That from influx alone man knows, and as it were sees that God is one, is evident from the common confession of all nations, and from a repugnance to thinking that there are many gods. Man's interior thought, which is the thought of his spirit, is either from hell or from heaven; it is from hell before evils have been removed, but from heaven, when they have been removed. When this thought is from hell man sees no otherwise than that nature is God, and that the inmost of nature is what is called the Divine. When such a man after death becomes a spirit he calls anyone a god who is especially powerful; and also himself strives for power that he may be called a god. All the evil have such madness lurking inwardly in their spirit. But when a man thinks from heaven, as he does when evils have been removed, he sees from the light in heaven that there is a God and that He is one. Seeing from light out of heaven is what is meant by influx.

949. Verse 6. And there came out of the temple seven angels that had the seven plagues, signifies consequent manifestations of all the evils and falsities therefrom, and of all the falsities and evils therefrom that have devastated the church. This is evident from the signification of "angels," as being manifestations (See above, n. 869, 878, 883); also from the signification of "seven," as being all and wholly (See n. 257, 300); also from the signification of "plagues," as being such things as destroy spiritual life, and thus the church, and these are lusts from an evil love and from falsities (See above, n. 584), consequently as being evils and the falsities therefrom, and falsities and the evils therefrom; also from the signification of "the temple," as being the interior Word revealed (See the preceding article). All this makes clear that the words "there came out of the temple seven angels that had the seven plagues" signify that from the Word and from its spiritual sense are made manifest all the evils and falsities therefrom, and all the falsities and evils therefrom that have devastated the church.

[2] The expression "evils and the falsities therefrom and falsities and the evils therefrom" is used, because both the church with the Papists and the church with the Reformed are meant. With the Papists evils and the falsities therefrom have devastated the church; but with the Reformed, falsities and the evils therefrom. The evils with the Papists are evils from the love of ruling by means of the holy things of the church over all things of heaven and over all things of earth. That love is the fountain of all evils; and from those evils come falsities of every kind. But with the Reformed there are falsities and the evils therefrom; and these falsities spring from the principle of the justification and salvation of man by faith alone, or by faith without good works; and when good works are separated from faith, evil works take their place; consequently falsities and evils therefrom have devastated the church with the Reformed, as evils and falsities therefrom have with the Papists.

(Continuation)

[3] So far as evils are removed as sins, so far goods flow in, and so far does man afterwards do goods, not from self, but from the Lord. As, first, so far as one does not worship other gods, and thus does not love self and the world above all things, so far the acknowledgement of God flows in from the Lord, and then he worships God, not from self but from the Lord. Second, so far as one does not profane the name of God, that is, so far as he shuns the lusts arising from the loves of self and of the world, so far he loves the holy things of the Word and of the church; for these are the name of God, and are profaned by the lusts arising from the loves of self and of the world. Third, so far as one shuns thefts, and thus shuns frauds and unlawful gains, so far sincerity and justice enter, and he loves what is sincere and just from sincerity and justice, and thus does what is sincere and just not from self but from the Lord. Fourth, so far as one shuns adulteries, and thus shuns unchaste and filthy thoughts, so far conjugial love enters, which is the inmost love of heaven, and in which chastity itself resides. Fifth, so far as one shuns murders, and thus shuns deadly hatreds and revenges that breathe slaughter, so far the Lord enters with mercy and love. Sixth, so far as one shuns false testimonies, and thus shuns lies and blasphemies, so far truth from the Lord enters. Seventh, so far as one shuns the covetousness for the houses of others, and thus shuns the love and consequent lusts for possessing the goods of others, so far charity towards the neighbor enters from the Lord. Eighth, so far as one shuns the covetousness for the wives of others, their servants, etc., and thus shuns the love and consequent lusts of ruling over others (for the things enumerated in this commandment are what belong to man), so far love to the Lord enters. These eight commandments include the evils that must be shunned, but the two others, namely, the third and fourth, include certain things that must be done, namely, that the sabbath must be kept holy, and that parents must be honored. But how these two commandments should be understood, not by the men of the Jewish Church but by the men of the Christian Church, will be told elsewhere.