763. 18:7 "In the measure that she glorified herself and worked her pleasure, in the same measure give her torment and grief." This symbolically means that to the degree of their elation of heart due to their dominion, and of their exultation in mind and body due to their riches, to the same degree they will experience after death an inner anguish owing to their being cast down and becoming objects of derision, and owing to their poverty and wretchedness.

In the measure that she glorified herself means, symbolically, to the degree of their elation of heart due to their dominion, for it is owing to this that Roman Catholics glorify themselves. In the measure that she worked her pleasure means, symbolically, to the degree of their exultation in mind and body due to their riches and consequent delights and gratifications, as in no. 759 above. To give her torment symbolizes an inner anguish owing to their being cast down from their dominion and then becoming objects of derision, their torment after death having no other cause. And to give her grief symbolizes an inner anguish owing to their poverty and wretchedness, which is the reason for their grief after death.

[2] The delight of a love of exercising dominion arising from self-love over everything that is the Lord's, which is everything connected with heaven and the church, is turned after death into such torment, and the gratification of a love of filling mind and body with delights gained from wealth is, in the case of people caught up in the aforesaid love of exercising dominion, turned into such grief. For feelings of delight and gratification resulting from loves constitute everyone's life; consequently, when these are turned into their opposites, they become feelings of torment and grief.

These are the retributions and punishments meant in the Word by torments in hell. And hatred for the Lord, therefore, and for everything connected with heaven and the church, is what is meant by fire there.

Similar statements are made regarding Babylon in the Prophets. As for example:

I will repay Babylon... for all the evil they have done in Zion in your sight... (Jeremiah 51:24)

...the plunderer shall come... against Babylon... For Jehovah is a God of retributions; He will surely repay. (Jeremiah 51:55-56)

Your magnificence is brought down to hell... The worm is spread under you (the torment that is an inner anguish).... You have said in your heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God...; I will be like the Most High." Yet you shall be brought down to hell... Those who see you... will say: "Is this the man who shook the earth, who made kingdoms tremble (and so on). (Isaiah 14:11, 13-16)

The last is said of Lucifer, referring there to Babylon, as is apparent from verses 4-22 in that chapter.

773. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 13.

1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads a name of blasphemy.

2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

3. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death; and the stroke of his death was healed; and the whole earth wondered after the beast.

4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?

5. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given unto him authority to work forty-two months.

6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven.

7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and there was given to him authority over every tribe and tongue and nation.

8. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9. If anyone hath an ear let him hear.

10. If anyone shall lead into captivity he shall go into captivity; if anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

11. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12. And all the authority of the first beast he exerciseth before him; and he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose stroke of his death was healed.

13. And he doeth great signs, so that he even maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men;

14. And he seduceth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs that were given him to do before the beast; saying to them that dwell on earth that they should make an image to the beast which hath the stroke of the sword and did live.

15. And it was given unto him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast may both speak, and may cause that as many as do not worship the image of the beast be killed.

16. And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark upon their right hand or upon their foreheads;

17. And that no one be able to buy or to sell if he hath not the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18. Here is wisdom. He that hath intelligence let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of man; and his number is six hundred sixty-six.

EXPOSITION

Verse 1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads a name of blasphemy.

1. "And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea," signifies reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life n. 774; "having seven heads," signifies knowledge [scientia] of holy things, which are falsified and adulterated n. 775; "and ten horns," signifies much power n. 776; "and upon his horns ¹ ten diadems," signifies power from the appearances of truth in abundance (n. 777); "and upon his heads a name of blasphemy," signifies the falsifications of the Word n. 778.

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