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.

3493. Et ses yeux étaient obscurcis à ne plus y voir, signifie lorsque le Rationnel voulait illustrer le Naturel par le Divin : cela est évident par la signification des yeux, en ce qu'ils sont la vue intérieure ou du rationnel, numéro 2701 ; et par la signification de voir, en ce que c'est apercevoir et comprendre, numéros 2150, 2325, 2807 ; de là, quand les yeux sont dits être obscurcis, il est signifié qu'il n'y a plus d'aperception ; et ici, qu'il n'y a plus l'aperception de ces choses qui sont dans le naturel ; et parce que telle est la signification de ces paroles, il est signifié que le Rationnel voulait illustrer le Naturel par le Divin : comment se passe la chose, on peut le voir par ce qui a déjà été dit et montré au sujet du Rationnel et du Naturel chez l'homme quand il est régénéré, savoir, que le Rationnel est régénéré avant le Naturel, par la raison que le Rationnel est intérieur et par conséquent plus près du Divin, et aussi parce qu'il est plus pur et ainsi plus apte que le Naturel à recevoir le Divin, et enfin parce que c'est par le Rationnel que le Naturel doit être régénéré, voir numéros 3286, 3288, 3321 : lors donc que le Rationnel a été régénéré et que le Naturel ne l'est pas, le Rationnel apparaît à soi-même être obscurci, car il n'y a point de correspondance ; en effet, le Rationnel a sa vue par la lumière du ciel, et le Naturel a sa vue de la lumière, du monde ; s'il n'y a point de correspondance, le Rationnel ne peut rien voir de ce qui est dans le Naturel ; tout ce qui est là est pour lui comme une ombre, ou aussi comme quelque chose d'obscur ; mais lorsqu'il y a correspondance, les choses qui sont dans le Naturel apparaissent au Rationnel dans la lumière, parce qu'alors les choses qui appartiennent à la lumière du monde sont illustrées par celles qui appartiennent à la lumière du ciel, celles-là sont alors comme brillantes ; mais ceci devient plus évident par ce qui a été dit et montré précédemment sur la correspondance, voir numéros 2987, 2989, 2971, 2990, 3002, 3138, 3167, 3222, 3223, 3225, 3337, 3485. Par là on peut en quelque manière saisir que ces paroles, les yeux de Isaac étaient obscurcis à ne plus y voir signifient que le Rationnel voulait illustrer le Naturel par le Divin, c'est-à-dire le rendre même Divin, car dans le sens suprême il s'agit, du Seigneur ; cela peut ainsi être illustré par les choses qui existent chez l'homme, lorsqu'il est régénéré, et dont il vient d'être parlé ; car la régénération de l'homme est l'image de la glorification du Seigneur, numéros 3043, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490.