887. Verse 10. Even he shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of His wrath, signifies appropriation of falsity and its evil, conjoined with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word. This is evident from the signification of "to drink," as being to take in and to appropriate to oneself (See above, n. 617); also from the signification of "wine," as being truth from good, and in the contrary sense falsity from evil (See above, n. 376); also from the signification of "anger," as being evil, because evil is angry against good and wishes to destroy it (See n. 693, 754). It is said "the anger of God," but anger against God is meant, as in many passages where anger and wrath and evil in general are attributed to God (See n. 481, 647); so here, "to drink the wine of the anger of God" signifies to take in and appropriate falsity and its evil. The taking in and appropriation of evil is effected by faith separated from good works, because when goods of life, which are good works, are set aside as not justifying, thus as not saving, evils take their place; for so far as goods withdraw evils enter, "for no one can serve two masters," namely, evil and good, at the same time. The above is evident also from the signification of "mixed with unmixed wine," as being to be conjoined with falsified truths (of which presently); also from the signification of "cup," as being an external container of truth, thus the Word in the sense of its letter; for when "wine" signifies truth, "cup" signifies that which contains it, and the sense of the letter of the Word is the containant of truth, both natural and spiritual. (That "cup" has a similar signification as "wine," that is, what it contains, and that it signifies the containant, can be seen from the passages in the Word where "cup," "chalice," "goblet," and "vial" are mentioned, which will be cited in the explanation of chapters 16 and 17 that follows.) As "cup" signifies the external or containant of truth, thus the sense of the letter of the Word, and as this is falsified by those who are in the doctrine and at the same time in the life of faith separated, so it is called "the cup of God's wrath." The "anger" and the "wrath" of God are here mentioned as in many other passages of the Word, and "anger" means the love and desire for evil in man; and "wrath" the love and desire for falsity in him, for "anger" is predicated of evil, and "wrath" of falsity (See above, n. 481 at the end). All this makes clear that "the wine mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of the wrath of God" signifies conjunction with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word.

[2] "To mix with unmixed wine" signifies to be conjoined with falsified truths of the Word, because "unmixed wine" means intoxicating wine, and thus intoxication, consequently in the spiritual sense delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities, for delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities is spiritual intoxication. Moreover, the word in the original translated "unmixed wine" is derived from a word that means to be intoxicated. As this is the signification of "unmixed wine," and those who falsify the Word are spiritually drunken, that is, are in a state of delirium in respect to truths, the two passages where "unmixed wine" is mentioned in the Word treat of the falsification of truth, as in Isaiah and Hosea.

[3] In Isaiah:

How hath the faithful city become a harlot; she was full of judgment, justice lodged in her; but now murderers. Thy silver hath become dross, thy unmixed wine mixed with waters (Isaiah 1:21, 22).

A "harlot" signifies everywhere in the Word falsified truth (See above, n. 141, 161); and "city" signifies doctrine; so "the faithful city becoming a harlot" signifies that doctrine that had previously been the doctrine of genuine truth has become the doctrine of falsified truth. "She was full of judgment, justice lodged in her," signifies where the truth of doctrine and the good of love had been abundant, for "judgment" is predicated in the Word of the truth of doctrine and the understanding, and "justice" of the good of love and of the will; "but now murderers" signifies that falsification has extinguished the understanding of truth and the perception of good. (That this is the signification of a "murderer" may be seen above, n. 589.) "Thy silver hath become dross" signifies that genuine truth has been changed into falsity; "thy unmixed wine mixed with waters" signifies that truth has been made vile and destroyed by falsifying it.

[4] In Hosea:

Ephraim is associated with idols, let him alone. Their wine ¹ is gone; in whoring they have committed whoredom, they are given up to love (Hosea 4:17, 18).

"Ephraim" signifies the understanding of the truth of the church, "idols" signify the falsities of religion. This makes clear what is signified by "Ephraim is associated with idols." "Let him alone" signifies the rejection of the falsities of that religion by the church. "Their wine ¹ is gone" signifies that the truth of the Word has perished; "in whoring they have committed whoredom" signifies the falsification of that truth; "they are given up to love" signifies the love of falsity. All this makes clear what is signified in particular by "unmixed wine."

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923. And there went out blood from the wine-press even to the bridles of the horses, signifies falsifications of the Word flowing forth from evil even to dominion over the understanding. This is evident from the signification of "went out from the wine-press," as being to be brought forth, or to flow forth, from evil see in articles above, n. 920, 922); also from the signification of "blood," as being the falsification of the Word; for "blood" signifies in the genuine sense the Divine truth, but in the contrary sense violence offered to the Divine truth or the Word, which is the falsification of it. (On this signification of "blood" see above, n. 329). The above is evident also from the signification of "even to the bridles of the horses," as being even to dominion over the understanding; for "horses" signify the understanding, and their "bridles" government and dominion, for one who sits on a horse governs it and rules over it by means of the bridle. (That "horses" signify the understanding of truth from the Word may be seen above, n. 355, 364; and that "bridles" signify government and dominion will be seen below.)

[2] In regard to dominion over the understanding, it is the understanding of truth in the Word that is meant; for when falsities of religion are confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word the understanding no longer sees truth. For everyone who is in the spiritual affection of truth is enlightened by the Lord when he reads the Word, and it is the understanding that is enlightened. But he who is not in the spiritual affection of truth cannot have his understanding enlightened; for he sees truth as if in the night, and falsity as if in the light. And as the church is such at its end the understanding of truth then so far perishes that it cannot be enlightened, since falsities of religion are then to that extent confirmed from the Word, that is, the Word is falsified. This takes place with those who are meant by "Babylon," verse 8, (Revelation 14:8) and by "the beast," verse 10, of this chapter. For it is said of Babylon that "she hath given all nations to drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom;" and of the beast there that "he that hath adored the beast shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed with unmixed wine of His wrath." That falsifications of the Word are thereby signified may be seen above (n. 881 887).

[3] The understanding of truth in the Word would perish with such as are meant by "them that dwell in Babylon" and "the worshipers of the beast," because they have no spiritual good; and this good, which is the good of charity from the Lord, is what alone opens the spiritual mind, through which the Lord flows in and enlightens; and without the opening of that mind no enlightenment is possible, and thus no understanding of truth. He that believes that he can see any truth of the church from the mere light (lumen) of reason is much deceived. He may have knowledge of it from another, but he cannot see it in the light. And when he wishes to see it or to comprehend it in thought, mere shadows from falsities, which spring from fallacies and from what is man's own [proprium] hover over him and induce blindness. All this makes clear what is meant by the falsifications of the Word flowing forth from evil, even to dominion over the understanding, which are signified by "blood going out from the wine-press, even to the bridles of the horses."

[4] The term "bridle" is used in some passages in the Word, and it signifies in the spiritual sense restraint and government, and it is predicated of the understanding and its thought, because a bridle belongs to horses, and "horses" signify the understanding; and with those who have no understanding "horses" signify reasonings from falsities. This makes clear what is signified by "bridle" in Isaiah:

I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will bring thee back by the way by which thou camest (Isaiah 37:29).

This was said of the king of Assyria by whom reasoning from falsities is signified; for "Assyria" signifies in a good sense the rational. Because that king then besieged Jerusalem and blasphemed God it was said to him that "a hook should be put into his nose," which signifies that stupidity and foolishness should possess him; for the "nose" signifies perception, and a "hook" signifies taking it away, or properly, immersing it in the corporeal sensual, and when this is separated from the rational it is stupid. It was also said that "a bridle should be put in his lips," which signifies insanity as to the understanding of truth, for the "lips" signify thought from the understanding, and a "bridle" the withdrawal of it. "To bring him back into the way by which he came" signifies into the falsities by which he will perish; therefore his army, which signifies falsities, perished by a very great slaughter.

[5] In the same:

Jehovah's lips are full of indignation, His tongue is like a devouring fire, and His breath is like an overflowing stream. It shall reach even to the middle of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, and a bridle that misleadeth upon the jaws of the peoples (Isaiah 30:27, 28).

The "lips," "tongue," and "spirit" of Jehovah signify the Divine truth, which is the Word, from its ultimates to its inmosts; when this is adulterated and falsified it is said to be "full of indignation," "like a devouring fire," and "like an overflowing stream," and for the reason that the adulteration and falsification of it closes heaven to man and devastates him. Because it appears that heaven does this, or what is the same, the Divine truth from which heaven exists, it is said to have "indignation," to be "a devouring fire," and "an overflowing stream." "It shall reach even to the middle of the neck" signifies the devastation of it by falsities, even till it is not understood, for the "neck" signifies conjunction, and conjunction perishes when that which is beneath is taken away. "To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity" signifies the adulteration of the Word by those who are in evils by means of fictions; "and a bridle that misleadeth upon the jaws of the peoples" signifies the falsification of the truth in the Word by those who are in falsities, "a bridle that misleadeth" being properly a withdrawing from the understanding of truth, "jaws" being thoughts from the corporeal sensual, thus from fallacies; and the term "peoples" being used of those who are in falsities; and "nations" of those who are in evils. They who are ignorant of correspondences might think that it is merely from comparison that a "horse's bridle" signifies government over the understanding; but it is from correspondence, as can be seen clearly from the fact that in the spiritual world horses are seen variously harnessed and caparisoned, and these horses, with everything upon them, are correspondences.