164. And them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. That this signifies grievous temptations to those who give themselves up to their falsities is evident from the signification of committing adultery, as being to falsify truths (concerning which see above, 141); hence to commit adultery with Jezebel is to give themselves up to the falsities of those signified by Jezebel; and from the signification of tribulation as being infestation of truth by falsities (concerning which also see above, n. 47), in this case temptation, inasmuch as temptation is nothing else but infestation of truth by falsities with man (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 188, 196, 197). Therefore by casting those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, is signified the grievous temptations of those who give themselves up to their falsities. The subject here treated of is those with whom the spiritual or internal man is not so much closed, because they are in some spiritual affection for truth, and yet suffer themselves to be led astray by those who are in the doctrine of falsities (as may be seen above, n. 162). Because these receive falsities into the memory of their natural man, with which the spiritual internal man cannot agree - for this receives nothing but truths - therefore a combat commences between the spiritual and the natural man: this combat is temptation, which is signified by great tribulation. (That temptation is a combat between the spiritual and natural man, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 190, 194, 197, 199.)

162. (Verse 21) And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom; and she repented not. That this signifies that those who are in falsities neither turn themselves to truths, nor by truths, is evident from the signification of repenting of whoredom, as being to turn from falsities to truths; for whoredom signifies the falsification of truth; and to repent is to turn from such falsities, because repentance is an actual turning from falsities to truths, and dissociation and separation from the former (as may be seen above, n. 143). Also from the signification of her not repenting, as being that they do not turn themselves from falsities to truths. These things are said concerning Jezebel, but they are to be understood of those who, from the delight of the loves of self and of the world, have falsified truths and adulterated goods; for in the prophetical parts of the Word one person is named, and thereby are meant all those who are of such a quality.

[2] Something shall be said briefly concerning the circumstance that those who falsify truths in themselves by applying them to the delight of the love of self, do not afterwards turn themselves to truths. Man, from his Spiritual or Internal, and from his Intellectual, sees the truths which pertain to the church from the Word, but he receives them there only in proportion as he so loves them as to be willing to do them. When man thus wills to do them, his internal or spiritual man calls forth and elevates to itself from the natural man and its memory the truths which are therein, and conjoins them to the love of his will; thus the internal spiritual man is opened, where the interior or higher mind dwells, and is successively filled and perfected. But if he suffers the natural delight, which is the delight of the love of self and of the world, to predominate, he then sees all things from that delight, and, in this case, if he perceives truths, he applies them to his own love, and falsifies them. When this is the case, the internal spiritual man is closed, because it is accommodated to the reception of such things as pertain to heaven, and cannot endure truths to be falsified. Wherefore, when truths are falsified, it contracts and closes up, like a fibril when touched with a prickle or sting; and the internal being once closed, the love of self or the love of the world reigns, or both together, and they form the external or natural man altogether in opposition to the internal or spiritual man. This is why those who have falsified truths by applying them to the delights of the love of self and of the world cannot afterwards turn themselves to truths. This is what is meant by these words,

"I gave" to the woman Jezebel "time to repent of her whoredom, and she repented not."