1028. For the plague thereof was exceeding great, signifies the total destruction of genuine truth. This is evident from the signification of "the plague of the hail," as being the falsification of the Word (as above); therefore "the plague thereof was exceeding great" signifies more grievous falsification, which is that the Word is falsified even to the destruction of all genuine truth. How the Word is falsified even to the destruction of genuine truth, and heaven is thereby closed against man, may be seen above (n. 719, 778, 888, 914, 916, 950).

(Continuation: The Commandments in general)

[2] It is said by some that he who sins against one commandment of the Decalogue sins also against the rest, thus that he who is guilty of one is guilty of all. It shall be told how far this is in harmony with the truth. When a man transgresses one commandment, by confirming with himself that it is not a sin, thus without fear of God, he commits it; because he has thus rejected the fear of God he does not fear to transgress the rest of the commandments, although he may not do this in act.

[3] For example, when one does not regard frauds and illicit gains, which in themselves are thefts, as sins, neither does he regard as a sin adultery with the wife of another, hating a man even to murder, lying about him, coveting his house and other things belonging to him; for when he rejects from his heart in any one commandment the fear of God he denies that anything is a sin; consequently he is in communion with those who in like manner transgress the other commandments. He is like an infernal spirit who is in a hell of thieves; and although he is not an adulterer, nor a murderer, nor a false witness, yet he is in communion with such, and can be persuaded by them to believe that such things are not evils, and can be led to do them. For he who has become an infernal spirit through the transgression of one commandment, no longer believes it to be a sin to do anything against God or anything against the neighbor.

[4] But the opposite is true of those who abstain from the evil forbidden in one commandment, and who shun and afterwards turn away from it as a sin against God. Because such fear God, they come into communion with the angels of heaven, and are led by the Lord to abstain from the evils forbidden in the other commandments and to shun them, and finally to turn away from them as sins; and if perchance they have sinned against them, yet they repent and thus by degrees are withdrawn from them.

914. Verse 17. And another angel went out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle, signifies manifestation by the Lord of the devastation of the church as to the Divine truth such as it is in heaven, after exploration. This is evident from the signification of "an angel going out and saying," as being manifestation by the Lord (as above, n. 869, 878, 883); also from the signification of "temple," as being heaven and the church as to the Divine truth (See above, n. 220); also from the signification of "a sharp sickle," as being the Divine truth accurately exploring and separating (See above, n. 908), but here, devastating also after exploration, for what was said respecting the former angel (verses 15, 16) also signified visitation and exploration, and announcement that the church was wholly devastated; but what is here said respecting these two angels (Revelation 14:17-19) signifies the devastation of the church; what is said of "the one that went out from the temple which is in heaven" signifying the devastation of the church as to truth, and of the other "who went out from the altar" the devastation of the church as to good; for "temple" signifies in the highest sense the Divine truth, and "altar" the Divine good, both proceeding from the Lord. All this makes clear that "the first angel" (in verse 15) means manifestation by the Lord, also exploration of what the church was, and that it was found to be desolated. From this it follows that "another angel went out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle," signifies manifestation by the Lord of the devastation of the church, as to the Divine truth such as it is in heaven, after exploration.

[2] It is said "the Divine truth such as it is in heaven," because this is what is falsified, and not the Divine truth such as it is on earth or in the church there. The Divine truth in heaven is such as the Word is in the spiritual sense; while the Divine truth on earth is such as the Word is in the natural sense, or the sense of the letter. This Divine truth is for men, and makes the church with them; while the other Divine truth is for the angels, and makes heaven with them. These differ as what is spiritual differs from what is natural; and this difference is like the difference between the wisdom of angels and the wisdom of men. The wisdom of men as compared with the wisdom of angels is as knowledge compared with intelligence, which difference is so great that it cannot be described.

[3] As to the devastation of the church in respect to the Divine truth, it is wrought by the falsification of the Word; for when the Word is explained to favor earthly loves and to confirm falsities of doctrine the church is laid waste. It is not laid waste when the Word is understood in simplicity according to the sense of the letter; but it is laid waste when the Word is so explained as to destroy even the Divine truth in heaven; for then heaven is closed up, and when heaven is closed up there is no longer any church with man. There are those within the church who explain the sense of the letter of the Word even so as to destroy the Divine truth in heaven; and there are those who do not misinterpret it to that degree, and these do not devastate the church with them, but the former do. The sense of the letter understood in simplicity does no harm to any spiritual truth in heaven; but the sense of the letter explained according to falsities of doctrine, and in harmony with evils of the love, does harm to it, for the sense of the letter of the Word is natural Divine truth. This Divine truth differs indeed from spiritual truth as what is natural differs from what is spiritual, and yet they make one by correspondences. But when natural Divine truth is so explained as even to destroy spiritual Divine truth they can no longer make one by correspondence; but the falsity according to which natural Divine truth is explained destroys the spiritual Divine truth. This, then, is the falsification of the Word and the devastation of the church by falsifications. But on this more has been said where "the dragon and his two beasts" are treated of; and more will be said upon it where "the harlot sitting on the scarlet beast," and "Babylon," are treated of in what follows.