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.

4337. Dans les Chapitres qui précèdent, dans le sens interne, lorsqu'il est parlé de Jacob, il a été question de l'acquisition du vrai dans le Naturel ; acquisition qui se fait, afin que ce vrai puisse être conjoint au bien, car tout vrai est pour cette fin ; Jacob dans le sens interne est-ce vrai, et Esaü est le bien auquel le vrai doit être conjoint. Avant que la conjonction se fasse, le vrai paraît être à la première place, mais après la conjonction le bien est en actualité à la première place, voir numéro 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 3995 ; c'est aussi cet qui est signifié par le prophétique d'Isaac sur Esaü :

« Sur ton épée tu vivras, et ton frère tu serviras, et il arrivera que quand tu domineras, et tu briseras son joug de dessus ton cou. " - Genèse 27:40 ; C'est de cet état qu'il s'agit maintenant ici, de là vient que Jacob appelle Esaü son seigneur, et qu'il se nomme son serviteur, dans ce Chapitre, Vers. 5, 8, 13, 14. Il faut qu'on sache que Jacob représente ici le bien du vrai, mais le bien du vrai considéré en lui-même est seulement le vrai ; car tant que le vrai est dans la mémoire seule il est appelé le vrai, mais lorsqu'il est dans la volonté et par suite dans l'acte, il est nommé le bien du vrai ; en effet, faire le vrai n'est pas autre chose ; tout ce qui procède de la volonté est appelé bien, car l'essentiel de la volonté est l'amour et par suite l'affection, et tout ce qui se fait d'après l'amour et l'affection de l'amour prend le nom de bien. Le vrai ne peut pas non plus être conjoint au bien, qui influe par l'homme Interne et d'origine est Divin, lequel est représenté ici par Esaü, avant que le vrai soit le vrai par la volonté et par l'acte, c'est-à-dire, le bien du vrai ; car le bien, qui Influe par l'homme Interne et d'origine est Divin, influe dans la volonté, et là il va à la rencontre du bien du vrai qui a été insinué par l'homme Externe.