721. "And the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her licentiousness." This symbolizes its insanity in spiritual matters owing to the adulteration of the Word among those immersed in that religion.

To be made drunk with the wine of her licentiousness means, symbolically, to be irrational in spiritual matters owing to a falsification of the Word's truths, in this case owing to an adulteration of them. Wine symbolizes the Divine truth in the Word (no. 316), and licentiousness symbolizes a falsification and adulteration of it (nos. 134, 620, 632, 635). To be made drunk with that wine, therefore, symbolically means to be irrational in spiritual matters. The inhabitants of the earth symbolize the people in a church, as in 11:10; 12:12; 13:13-14, and 14:6 above, but here the people in that religion, since the church does not exist there, because they do not turn to the Lord or read the Word, and because they invoke the dead, as said in no. 718 above.

That to be drunk on that wine means, symbolically, to be irrational in spiritual matters, can indeed be seen without confirmation from other passages in the Word; but since many people do not see this, because they think not spiritually but sensually, that is, materially about the particulars in the Word when they read it, I would like to present some passages from the Word which confirm that in the Word, to be drunk means, symbolically, to be irrational in spiritual matters, that is to say, in theological matters. Here are the passages:

They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. (Isaiah 29:9)

...hear..., O afflicted one..., drunk but not with wine... (Isaiah 51:21)

Babel was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations are deranged. (Jeremiah 51:7)

Babel shall be... a hissing... When they are inflamed I will set out their feasts and make them drunk, that they may rejoice and sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake... (Jeremiah 51:37, 39)

Babylon is fallen, is fallen..., because she has made all nations drink of the wine... of her licentiousness. (Revelation 14:8, cf. 18:3)

Let every wineskin be filled with wine... Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land - the kings..., the priests, and the prophets... - with drunkenness! (Jeremiah 13:12-13)

You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation... (Ezekiel 23:32-33)

...O daughter of Edom..., the cup shall also pass over to you; you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. (Lamentations 4:21)

You also will be drunk. (Nahum 3:11)

Drink and become drunk, and vomit and fall, so that you rise no more... (Jeremiah 25:27)

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and intelligent in their own sight! Woe to the mighty at drinking wine, and to men robust at mixing intoxicating drink... (Isaiah 5:21-22)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 19:11-12, 14; 24:20; 28:1, 3, 7-8; 56:12; Joel 1:5-7; Habakkuk 2:15; Psalms 75:8; 107:27.

735. "And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, those whose names have not been written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." This symbolizes the astonishment of those who belong to the Roman Catholic religion, of all those who from its commencement strove for dominion over heaven and earth, that even though the Word had been thus rejected, still it endures.

To marvel means, symbolically, to be astonished. Those who dwell on the earth symbolize people who are in the church, here those people who belong to the Roman Catholic religion, as in no. 721 above. Those whose names have not been written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world symbolize all those people who do not believe in the Lord, and who are not governed by doctrine from the Word, from the inception of the church, or in this case, from the inception of that religion (nos. 588, 589). These people are no other than those who have striven for dominion over heaven and earth. The beast that was, and is not, and yet is, symbolically means that the Word thus rejected still endures.

It is apparent from this that the marveling of those who dwell on the earth, whose names have not been written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is, symbolizes the astonishment of those who belong to the Roman Catholic religion, of all those who from its commencement strove for dominion over heaven and earth, that even though the Word had been thus rejected, still it endures. For people who strive for dominion over the sanctities of the church and over heaven hate the Word, because they hate the Lord, if not with the lips, still at heart. The reality of this is known to few in the world, because they are then in the body; but it becomes evident after death, when they are in their spirit.

This is the reason they will marvel that the Word still endures, even though it has been rejected, as said in no. 734 above.

The Word still endures because it is Divine, and the Lord is present in it.