1034. Verse 2. With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, signifies that they have falsified all the truths of the church. This is evident from the signification of "committing whoredom," as being to falsify (See n. 141, 161, 817, 881); also from the signification of "the kings of the earth," as being the truths of the church, "kings" being truths, and the "earth" the church. "Kings" are mentioned in many places in the Word, and it is supposed that kings or their kingdoms are thereby meant; but in the Word "kings" mean all who are in truths from good from the Lord, and in an abstract sense, in which is the spiritual sense, they mean truths from good. That this is the meaning of "kings" may be seen above (n. 29, 31, 553, 624, 625). This can be further seen from the following in Revelation:

Jesus Christ, the Prince of the kings of the earth, who hath made us kings and priests (Revelation 1:5-6).

Again:

The Lamb made us kings and priests, that we might reign upon the earth (Revelation 5:10; likewise Revelation 16:12, 14).

[2] Because "kings" signify truths from good, they also signify in the contrary sense falsities from evil. For most expressions in the Word have also a contrary sense. Such is the signification of "kings" in the following passages in this chapter:

The seven heads of the beast are seven kings; the five are fallen, and the one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he is come he must continue a little while (Revelation 17:10).

Also:

The ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings (Revelation 17:12).

Again:

The woman is the great city which hath kingship over the kings of the earth (Revelation 17:18).

So, too, in a subsequent passage, where it is said:

That the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, made war with Him that sat on the white horse (Revelation 19:19).

All this makes clear the signification of the words "the kings of the earth committed whoredom with the harlot that sitteth upon many waters," namely, that the truths of the church have been falsified by those who are of Babylon. So again in a subsequent passage, where it is said that:

The kings of the earth committed whoredom with that woman, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich from the abundance of her delicacies. The kings of the earth, who have committed whoredom and lived deliciously with her, shall weep and lament over her (Revelation 18:3, (Revelation 18:9)Revelation 18:11).

"Kings" have a like signification in Daniel:

As for the ten horns of the fourth beast, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings (Daniel 7:24).

[3] "Kings" signify those who are in truths from good, and in an abstract sense truths from good, because the Lord is called "king" from Divine truth, and "priest" from Divine good; and therefore the heaven where Divine truth reigns is called "His throne." For the same reason angels in the heavens and men on earth who are in truths from good from the Lord are called "sons of the king," also "sons of the kingdom" and "heirs;" consequently such are meant by "kings" where the Lord is called "King of kings" (as in the fourteenth verse of this chapter, and in chapter 19 Revelation 17:17; and elsewhere (Revelation 19:16).

881. For she hath given all nations to drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, signifies the adulteration of all things of the good of heaven and the church by direful falsities of evil. This is evident from the signification of "wine," as being truth from good, and in the contrary sense falsity from evil (See above, n. 376; also from the signification of "anger," as being evil in the whole complex, and thus hatred against good and truth, and the desire to destroy them (See above, n. 693, 754); also from the signification of "whoredom," as being the falsification of truth (See above, n. 141, 161); also from the signification of "giving all nations to drink," as being to adulterate goods, for "to give to drink" signifies to imbue, and "nations" signify those who are in the good of love and of life, and in the sense abstracted from persons, goods. (That "to drink" and "to give to drink" signify to imbue and to appropriate, may be seen above, n. 617; and that "nations" signify those who are in the good of love and of life, and in the abstract sense the goods of the church, n. 175, 331, 625.) "To give all nations to drink" here signifies to adulterate the goods of the Word and thus of the church, because "the wine of the anger of whoredom" signifies the falsification of truth; and truth falsified adulterates good. But in what way all the truths of the Word are falsified and thus all its goods adulterated will be told in the explanation of chapters 16 and 17, where Babylon is treated of. From all this it can now be seen that "to give all nations to drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom" signifies the adulteration of all things of the good of heaven and the church by direful falsities of evil. They are called falsities of evil because all falsities arising from the love of ruling for the sake of self and self-eminence are falsities of evil, and are direful according to that love.