1033. That sitteth upon many waters, signifies that has dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church. This is evident from the signification of "to sit," as being to subject to her judgment and to bring under her jurisdiction, and thus to have dominion over. This is why the expressions "sitting in judgment" and "sitting upon a throne" are used (See above, n. 687). Also from the signification of "waters," as being truths (See n. 71, 483, 518, 854), but here all things of the Word, because it is said "many waters," and has reference to the "harlot," which is Babylon, by which is meant adulteration and profanation of the Word from which comes every good and truth of the church. "Many waters" signify also the holy things of the church, because all holy things of the church have reference to goods and truths, which are from the Word.

[2] "To dwell upon many waters" has a like signification in Jeremiah:

Jehovah shall do that which He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon. O thou that dwellest upon many waters, upon many treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy gain (Jeremiah 51:12-13).

Because "many waters" signify the truths of the Word, and thus the holy things of the church, it is here added, "upon many treasures"; for "treasures" signify Divine truths, which are in the Word. "Many waters" here signify also the holy things of the church, as will be evident from the explanation of the fifteenth verse, where it is said, "The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues," and "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues," there mean all things of the church; because the "earth" in the Word signifies the church, and thus those on the earth signify all things of the church. But on this more will be said in the explanation of that verse. That the Babylonians have subjected the truths of the Word and the holy things of the church to their judgment, jurisdiction, and dominion, can be seen from this, that they persuade the people that the Word is understood by them alone and not by any who have not been inaugurated into the ministry; and by this means they subject all things of the Word and thus all things of the church to their dominion.

[3] Moreover, the Word is such in the sense of its letter that it may be drawn aside to confirm any heresy whatever; for the sense of the letter consists of appearances of truth, which hold enclosed in them the genuine truths of heaven, which are called spiritual truths; and unless these truths are revealed and laid bare, that is, unless they are taught in the doctrines of the church, the appearances they present may be drawn over and perverted to favor any falsity whatever, and even to favor evil. For the genuine truths of the Word are like a man, and the appearances of truth, of which the sense of the letter consists, are like his garments, from which alone no judgment can be formed respecting who the man is or what he is. If a man were judged from his garments alone, a king might be called a servant, and a servant a king, and a good man might be called an evil man, and an evil man a good man; and so on. So those who arrogate to themselves dominion over all things of the church and heaven can apply the sense in its letter a thousand ways to favor their dominion. And this is an easy task, because all things of the church, which are called holy, they place above the human understanding, and when this is assented to and no genuine truth is taught, infernal falsities may be called truths, and devilish evils may be called goods; and the simple may even be persuaded that the edicts of the Pope are just as holy as the commandments of the Word, and even more holy; and yet these are from heaven, while those edicts are for the most part from hell. For every edict respecting government, faith, and worship in the church, that has for an end dominion in the world, however it may appear in the external form, and may sound as if from the Word, is from hell; while every commandment from the Word, because it has for its end the salvation of souls by the Lord, is from heaven. From all this it can be seen that "sitting upon many waters," when predicated of Babylon as a harlot, signifies having dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church.

1866. Depuis le fleuve d'Egypte jusqu'au grand fleuve, le fleuve de Phrath signifie l'extension des spirituels et des célestes Jusqu'au fleuve d'Egypte, c'est l'extension des spirituels : jusqu'au fleuve de Phrath, c'est l'extension des célestes : On en trouve la preuve dans la signification du fleuve d'Egypte, et dans la signification du grand fleuve ou de l'Euphrate : Que ces fleuves signifient l'extension des spirituels et des célestes, c'est ce qu'on peut voir par la signification de la terre de Canaan, en ce qu'elle est le Royaume du Seigneur dans les cieux et sur les terres, Royaume dans lequel il n'y a que les spirituels qui appartiennent à la foi et les célestes qui appartiennent à l'amour mutuel ; c'est pourquoi par les limites de la terre de Canaan on ne peut entendre autre chose que l'extension des spirituels et des célestes. En effet, ceux qui sont dans les cieux ignorent absolument ce que c'est que la terre de Canaan, le fleuve d'Egypte et le grand fleuve de l'Euphrate, ils ignorent même ce que c'est que les limites d'une terre ; mais ils connaissent l'extension des spirituels et des célestes, et les bornes ainsi que les circonscriptions des états de ces spirituels et de ces célestes : c'est là ce qui occupe leur mental, quand l'homme lit des passages de la Parole où il est parlé de limites ; ainsi la lettre disparait pour eux avec le sens historique qui a servi pour objet aux idées célestes. Si le fleuve d'Egypte signifie l'extension des spirituels, cela vient de ce que l'Egypte signifie les scientifiques qui, joints aux rationnels et aux intellectuels de l'homme, constituent les spirituels, comme il a déjà été dit, numéro 1443, et en plusieurs antres endroits ; il a aussi été montré, numéros 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, que l'Egypte, dans le sens interne, signifie les scientifiques. Que le fleuve de l'Euphrate signifie l'extension des célestes, c'est ce qu'on peut voir par les terres que ce fleuve borné et séparé de la terre de Canaan, ces terres signifient aussi, çà et là dans la Parole, les scientifiques et les connaissances des célestes ; mais ici, comme cette limite est appelée fleuve et grand fleuve, elle ne signifie que les célestes et leurs connaissances ; car grand fleuve et grandeur sont des expressions qui s'appliquent aux célestes.