1033. That sitteth upon many waters, signifies that has dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church. This is evident from the signification of "to sit," as being to subject to her judgment and to bring under her jurisdiction, and thus to have dominion over. This is why the expressions "sitting in judgment" and "sitting upon a throne" are used (See above, n. 687). Also from the signification of "waters," as being truths (See n. 71, 483, 518, 854), but here all things of the Word, because it is said "many waters," and has reference to the "harlot," which is Babylon, by which is meant adulteration and profanation of the Word from which comes every good and truth of the church. "Many waters" signify also the holy things of the church, because all holy things of the church have reference to goods and truths, which are from the Word.

[2] "To dwell upon many waters" has a like signification in Jeremiah:

Jehovah shall do that which He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon. O thou that dwellest upon many waters, upon many treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy gain (Jeremiah 51:12-13).

Because "many waters" signify the truths of the Word, and thus the holy things of the church, it is here added, "upon many treasures"; for "treasures" signify Divine truths, which are in the Word. "Many waters" here signify also the holy things of the church, as will be evident from the explanation of the fifteenth verse, where it is said, "The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues," and "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues," there mean all things of the church; because the "earth" in the Word signifies the church, and thus those on the earth signify all things of the church. But on this more will be said in the explanation of that verse. That the Babylonians have subjected the truths of the Word and the holy things of the church to their judgment, jurisdiction, and dominion, can be seen from this, that they persuade the people that the Word is understood by them alone and not by any who have not been inaugurated into the ministry; and by this means they subject all things of the Word and thus all things of the church to their dominion.

[3] Moreover, the Word is such in the sense of its letter that it may be drawn aside to confirm any heresy whatever; for the sense of the letter consists of appearances of truth, which hold enclosed in them the genuine truths of heaven, which are called spiritual truths; and unless these truths are revealed and laid bare, that is, unless they are taught in the doctrines of the church, the appearances they present may be drawn over and perverted to favor any falsity whatever, and even to favor evil. For the genuine truths of the Word are like a man, and the appearances of truth, of which the sense of the letter consists, are like his garments, from which alone no judgment can be formed respecting who the man is or what he is. If a man were judged from his garments alone, a king might be called a servant, and a servant a king, and a good man might be called an evil man, and an evil man a good man; and so on. So those who arrogate to themselves dominion over all things of the church and heaven can apply the sense in its letter a thousand ways to favor their dominion. And this is an easy task, because all things of the church, which are called holy, they place above the human understanding, and when this is assented to and no genuine truth is taught, infernal falsities may be called truths, and devilish evils may be called goods; and the simple may even be persuaded that the edicts of the Pope are just as holy as the commandments of the Word, and even more holy; and yet these are from heaven, while those edicts are for the most part from hell. For every edict respecting government, faith, and worship in the church, that has for an end dominion in the world, however it may appear in the external form, and may sound as if from the Word, is from hell; while every commandment from the Word, because it has for its end the salvation of souls by the Lord, is from heaven. From all this it can be seen that "sitting upon many waters," when predicated of Babylon as a harlot, signifies having dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church.

3870. Que haïe j'étais, moi, signifie l'état de la foi si la volonté n'y est pas correspondante : on le voit par la signification de haïe, en ce que c'est non aimée, car tel est l'état de la foi si la volonté n'y correspond pas. Dans le sens interne, il s'agit du progrès de la régénération de l'homme de l'externe vers l'interne, c'est-à-dire, du vrai de la foi vers le bien de la charité ; le vrai qui appartient à la foi est l'externe, et le bien qui appartient à la charité est l'interne ; pour que le vrai, qui appartient à la foi, vive, il doit être introduit vers la volonté, afin qu'il y reçoive la vie, car le vrai vit non pas par le savoir, mais par le vouloir ; la vie influe du Seigneur par le nouveau vouloir qu'il crée chez l'homme ; la première vie se manifeste par l'obéissance qui est le commencement de la volonté ; la seconde, par l'affection de faire le vrai, laquelle est le progressif de la volonté, et existe alors qu'on perçoit le plaisir et la béatitude en faisant le vrai ; si un tel progrès de la foi n'a pas lieu, le vrai ne devient point le vrai, mais il devient quelque chose de séparé de la vie, parfois confirmatif du faux et parfois persuasif, par conséquent quelque chose de corrompu, car il s'unit avec l'affection mauvaise de l'homme, ou sa cupidité, c'est-à-dire, avec sa volonté propre, qui est contraire à la charité ; telle est la foi que bien des hommes aujourd'hui croient être la foi et qu'ils disent devoir sauver seule sans les œuvres de la charité ; mais cette foi, savoir, la foi séparée d'avec la charité, et par suite contraire à la charité, est représentée dans ce qui suit par Ruben, en ce qu'il coucha avec Bilhah concubine de son père, - Genèse 35:22, - et elle a été maudite en ces termes par Jacob, alors Israël :

« Ruben, mon premier-né, toi, ma vigueur et le commencement de ma force, léger comme l'eau, n'excelle point, car tu es monté sur la couche de ton père, alors tu l'as profanée : sur mon lit il est monté ! » - Genèse 49:3-4.

La volonté et l'affection de cette foi, savoir, de la foi séparée d'avec la charité, lesquelles sont contraires à la charité, sont aussi décrites là par Schiméon et Lévi, en ces termes :

« Schiméon et Lévi (sont) frères ; instruments de violence leurs épées ; en leur secret que ne vienne point mon âme, en leur assemblée que ne soit point unie ma gloire, car dans leur colère ils ont tué l'homme, et dans leur bon plaisir énervé le bœuf ; maudite soit leur colère, car elle a été véhémente, et leur emportement, car il a été rude !

« Je les diviserai en Jacob et je les disperserai en Israël. » - Genèse 49:5, 6, 7 ;

Dans la suite, d'après la Divine Miséricorde du Seigneur, il sera montré que c'est la foi séparée d'avec la charité, qui a été décrite par eux.