1035. And they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom, signifies that from falsifications those who are of that church have become insane. This is evident from the signification of "made drunk," as being to be insane in spiritual things (See n. 376); also from the signification of "wine," as being spiritual truth (See also n. 376); also from the signification of "whoredom," as being the falsification of truth (See just above); also from the signification of "they that dwell on the earth," as being those who are of the church. (That the "earth" in the Word signifies the church, has been frequently shown above.) From all this it is clear that "they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom" signifies that from falsifications those who are of that church have become insane.

[2] In regard to the insanity that is signified in the Word by "intoxication" and "drunkenness," it is not from falsities but from truths falsified, for the reason that truth from heaven acts into the understanding, and at the same time falsity from hell; and this gives rise to dissension in the mind, and to an insanity like that of a drunkard in the world. But only those are subject to this insanity who are in evil, and who have confirmed falsities of evil by means of the Word; for all things of the Word are truths and communicate with heaven, while falsities of evil are from hell. But from falsities that are not from evil there is no spiritual intoxication, for such falsities do not pervert and destroy the spiritual truths that lie hidden within the truths of the sense of the letter, since from falsities not from evil, they cannot produce evil, as they can by falsities from evil.

[3] Falsities not from evil may be compared to impure waters, which do not when drunk induce drunkenness; but falsities from evil may be compared to wine or strong drinks, which induce drunkenness. Such insanity therefore is said in the Word to be produced by wine that is called "the wine of whoredom" and "the wine of Babylon" in Jeremiah:

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).

8410. 'Eating bread to the full!' means that in that situation they enjoyed the good of lower pleasures, as much as they wished to have. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513 (end), 3596, 4745, and also as enjoyment, 7849; from the meaning of 'bread' as the good of heavenly life, and in the contrary sense the good of natural life separated from heavenly, thus the good of lower pleasures (in the spiritual sense 'bread' means the chief thing that nourishes the soul and maintains its spiritual life, that chief thing being the good of love, as heaven's life demonstrates, which consists wholly of that good. But in the contrary sense 'bread' is used to mean the chief thing that nourishes those in hell and sustains their life, that chief thing being the evil of self-love and love of the world, as hell's life demonstrates, which consists wholly in that evil. To those in hell that evil is good, for to them nothing is more delightful or sweeter; and it is this that is meant here by the good of lower pleasures); and from the meaning of 'to the full' as, as much as they wished to have, since the will is what is filled with good if people are good, or with evil if they are evil.