1030. Verses 1-2. And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven vials and spoke with me, saying unto me, Come, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom; and they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom.

1. "And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven vials and spoke with me" signifies a manifestation of the state of the church with the Papists (n. 1031); "saying unto me, Come, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot," signifies the religious persuasion of those in whom all the good and truth of the church has been adulterated and profaned (n. 1032); "that sitteth upon many waters," signifies that has dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church (n. 1033).

2. "With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom," signifies that it has falsified all the truths of the church (n. 1034); "and they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom," signifies that from falsifications those who are of the church have become insane (n. 1035).

Most of the time, falling means a lowering in spiritual state, from one closer to the Lord to one further. But, as with other common verbs, the meaning of "fall" is highly dependent on context in regular language, and in the spiritual sense as well. People fall on their faces in prayer, fall in battle, fall on others to attack them and fall on each other's necks in greeting. Stars fall from the sky, mountains fall on people, cities fall, and even faces fall. There's a lot of falling, in very different circumstances. When people fall on their faces in prayer -- it shows humility, and an acknowledgement of their own low state and need for the Lord's help. When they fall on each other's necks, it means a communication between the two spiritual states. At the other end of the scale, it illustrates complete spiritual destruction in the fall of a city.