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).

93. I have sometimes conversed in the spiritual world with those who justify men by faith alone, and I have said that their doctrine is erroneous, and also incongruous; that it leads to unconcern, blindness, sleep, and night in spiritual things, and thereby to the death of the soul; and I have exhorted them to abandon that doctrine. But the answer I received was: Why should we abandon it? Does not the superiority of the learning of the clergy in the sight of the laity depend upon this doctrine? But I replied that in that case they do not regard the salvation of souls, but their own eminence; and that, as they have applied the truths of the Word to their own false principles, and so have adulterated them, they are angels of the abyss, called Abaddons and Apollyons, Revelation 9:11; by whom are signified those who destroy the Church by a total falsification of the Word; see the explanation inTHE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 440, and the memorable experience, THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 566. But they answered: What of that? Are we not oracles on account of our knowledge of the mysteries of that doctrine? And from that doctrine do we not give answers as from a shrine? Wherefore, we are not Apollyons, but Apollos. I was indignant at these words and said If you are Apollos, you are also Leviathans. The chief among you are crooked Leviathans, the lesser are piercing Leviathans, whom God will visit with His hard and great sword; Isaiah 27:1. But they laughed at this. What is signified by being visited, and by perishing by the sword, may be seen in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 52.