1118. As much as she hath glorified herself and lived delicatety.- That this signifies how much glory, and pleasure therefrom, they have gained for themselves from empire over heaven and the world, is evident from the signification of glorifying herself, as denoting to gain glory for themselves; and from the signification of living delicately, as denoting to enter into pleasures. That this is from their empire over heaven and over the world is clear, for this is the source of their glory and pleasure.

[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed, and concerning the Lord.- Since the idea of God as Man is implanted in every one, therefore several peoples and nations have worshipped as gods those who were either men or were regarded by them as men; for example in Greece and Italy, and in some kingdoms under their power, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Apollo, Mercury, Juno, Minerva, Diana, Venus and her son, and others, were worshipped, and the government of the universe was attributed to them. The reason why they ascribed divinity to so many persons, was, that from an implanted [capability], they saw God as Man, and therefore they regarded all the attributes, properties, and qualities of God, and consequently also the virtues, affections, inclinations, and sciences (scientias) as persons.

[3] It was, also, from this implanted [capability], that the inhabitants of the lands round about Canaan, and, also, of the parts within it, worshipped Baalim, Astaroth, Beelzebub, Chemosh, Milcoha, Molech, and others, several of whom had lived as men. It is, also, from this implanted [capability], that, in the heathenism of the Christian world to-day, saints are worshipped as gods, men bending before their statues and kissing them, uncovering their heads before them in the roads where they are set up, and worshipping at their tombs; in fact, in the case of the pope they kiss his shoes, and some even his footprints; he would even have been honoured as a god, if religion had permitted it.

These and several other practices are from this implanted [capability]; for example, men incline to worship a God whom they see, and not something aerial which they regard as mere vapour, for this latter is smoke to them. But the idea of God as Man, which comes from heaven, is so far perverted with many, that even an ordinary man, or an idol, is worshipped instead of God; just as the bright light of the sun is turned into unbeautiful colours, and his summer heat into offensive odours, according to the nature of the objects upon which they fall. But it is for the reasons stated above that an idea is formed of God as that of a little cloud, or mist, or of the inmost things of nature; this is found among Christians, but rarely among other nations possessing any light of reason, as among the Africans and several others.

Earth" is a general word that can be thought of as a container for other more specific words, as ground, field, or garden. Each of these means a person in an ascending series as that person learns truths from the Bible, thinks about them, and tries to apply them to life. The series represents the way of becoming good and wise. "Earth" and "ground" are terms that can go either way, as in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:4-8) there was both good ground and bad ground, but "field" and "garden" mean minds that are regenerating towards good. "Earth" in the Bible can mean a person or a group of like-minded people as in a church. But it refers specifically to the external of the person's mind, or of the general thought of the group. If heaven and earth are mentioned together, then both the internals and externals of the mind are meant – something to note when reading the creation story.

In Revelation the word "earth" is used both as a ground level as we use it in its natural sense and also as the sense of a group. The action in this book takes place in the great middle zone of the spiritual world, where people first go and where they are sorted out. There are both evil people and good there, and sometimes at the end of a church the evil can have great influence before a great judgment comes. This level of the spiritual realm is called the "earth" to which the dragon was cast down (Revelation 12:9) and to which the stars fell (Revelation 12:4). The "earth" that swallowed the dragon’s flood means those still-sincere people within the church who discounted the flood of the dragon's falsities (Revelation 12:15).