Apocalypse Revealed # 721
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.
Isaiah 29
1
Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
2
Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.
3
And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
4
And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
5
Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
6
Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
7
And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
8
It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
9
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10
For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
11
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12
And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
17
Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
18
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
19
The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20
For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
21
That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
22
Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
23
But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
24
They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
