Apocalypse Explained #1045
1045. Having a golden cup in her hand full of the abominations and uncleanness of her whoredoms. That this signifies doctrine from goods and truths profaned, is evident from the signification of a cup, as denoting falsity from hell. For the signification of a cup is the same as that of wine; and by wine is signified truth from heaven, and, in the opposite sense, falsity from hell (see (n. 887, 960, 1022). And because a cup signifies truth or falsity; and the doctrine of every church is either that of truth or of falsity - for all the truth or falsity of the church is contained in doctrine - therefore by a cup is also signified doctrine, and by a golden cup, the doctrine of falsity from evil.
[2] Similarly in Jeremiah:
"A golden cup is Babel in the hand of Jehovah, making drunken the whole earth" (51:7).
It is called a golden cup for the same reason that the woman is said to be clothed in crimson and scarlet, and decked with gold, precious stones, and pearls, namely, from appearance in externals, although, in internals, it is as a cup full of abominations and uncleanness. For it is as the Lord says of the externals and internals with the scribes and Pharisees:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, who make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. And ye make yourselves like to whitened sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of bones of the dead and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:25-27).
It is also evident from the signification of abominations, as denoting the profanations of good, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the uncleanness of whoredom, as denoting the profanation of truth. For whoredom signifies the falsification of truth, as above, hence the uncleanness thereof signifies profanation.
[3] As to the profanations signified by abominations, they are the perversions of the holy things of the church; thus, the turning of its goods into evils, and its truths into falsities. They are called abominations, because the angels abominate them; for so far as they were the holy things of the church, from goods and truths from the Word, they ascend into heaven; but so far as they were applied to evils, and thus profaned, they carry with them that which is infernal, concealed within. Consequently, they are perceived as things dead, in which there once was a living soul, and therefore heaven abominates and detests them.
[4] That such things are meant by abominations in the Word, is evident from the account of the abominations of Jerusalem. Thus in Ezekiel:
As that she took off the garments of her adorning which were given to her, and made herself variegated lofty places, and played the harlot upon them.
That of the gold and silver given to her, she made herself images of a male, with which she also committed whoredom.
That the oil, the incense, the bread, fine flour, and honey, which were given to her, she made into an odour of rest.
That they sacrificed their sons and their daughters.
That she committed whoredom first in Egypt, and afterwards with the sons of Asshur, and lastly with the Chaldeans. Besides several other things which are there called abominations (16:2-63).
By all these things are signified the profanations of the Word, of the church, and of worship. Similarly in other passages where abominations are either recounted or spoken of:
As Jeremiah 7:9, 10; 16:18; 32:35; Ezekiel 5:11; 7:19, 20; 8:6-18; 11:21; 14:6; 20:7, 8; Deuteronomy 7:25, 26; 12:31; 18:9, 10; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; Dan. 9:27; 11:31; and elsewhere.
Jeremiah 32
1
The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
2
Now at that time the king of Babylon's army was besieging Jerusalem; and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah's house.
3
For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Why do you prophesy, and say, Thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;
4
and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall see his eyes;
5
and he shall bring Zedekiah to Babylon, and he shall be there until I visit him, says Yahweh: though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not prosper?
6
Jeremiah said, The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
7
Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle shall come to you, saying, Buy my field that is in Anathoth; for the right of redemption is yours to Buy it.
8
So Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of Yahweh, and said to me, Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself. Then I knew that this was the word of Yahweh.
9
I bought the field that was in Anathoth of Hanamel my uncle's son, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.
10
I subscribed the deed, and sealed it, and called witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.
11
So I took the deed of the purchase, both that which was sealed, containing the terms and conditions, and that which was open;
12
and I delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses who subscribed the deed of the purchase, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the guard.
13
I commanded Baruch before them, saying,
14
Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, this deed of the purchase which is sealed, and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel; that they may continue many days.
15
For thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall yet again be bought in this land.
16
Now after I had delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh, saying,
17
Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for you,
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who show loving kindness to thousands, and recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them; the great, the mighty God, Yahweh of Armies is his name;
19
great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open on all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:
20
who performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, both in Israel and among [other] men; and made yourself a name, as in this day;
21
and brought forth your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror;
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and gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;
23
and they came in, and possessed it, but they didn't obey your voice, neither walked in your law; they have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do: therefore you have caused all this evil to come on them.
24
Behold, the mounds, they are come to the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence; and what you have spoken has happened; and behold, you see it.
25
You have said to me, Lord Yahweh, Buy the field for money, and call witnesses; whereas the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26
Then came the word of Yahweh to Jeremiah, saying,
27
Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
28
Therefore thus says Yahweh: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it:
29
and the Chaldeans, who fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses, on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal, and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.
30
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says Yahweh.
31
For this city has been to me a provocation of my anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even to this day; that I should remove it from before my face,
32
because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
33
They have turned to me the back, and not the face: and though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction.
34
But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it.
35
They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] to Molech; which I didn't command them, neither did it come into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
36
Now therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning this city, about which you say, It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence:
37
Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries, where I have driven them in my anger, and in my wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
38
and they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
39
and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
40
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me.
41
Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
42
For thus says Yahweh: Like as I have brought all this great evil on this people, so will I bring on them all the good that I have promised them.
43
Fields shall be bought in this land, about which you say, It is desolate, without man or animal; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
44
Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe the deeds, and seal them, and call witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the hill country, and in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South: for I will cause their captivity to return, says Yahweh.
