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).

7849. 'In which they will eat it' means enjoyment. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513 (end), 4745, but at this point enjoyment since the subject is the state of initiation. The situation is this: When those who had been held back in safe keeping on the lower earth before the Lord's Coming - 6854, 6914, 7091 (end), 7828 - were about to be delivered they had to be made ready to receive the inflow of goodness and truth from the Lord; for they were going to pass through the midst of hell. And to guard, as they passed through, against any inflow of evils and falsities from hellish spirits round about, they had to be made ready so that when they went through they would be fully equipped with truth and good. But this passage through hell will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken about later on. That preparation or initiation into a state when goodness and truth were received is described by the things they were to do between the tenth day of the month and the fourteenth, and were to observe in connection with the eating of the Passover lamb.