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.
Deuteronomy 12
1
These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess it, all the days that you live on the earth.
2
You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree:
3
and you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods; and you shall destroy their name out of that place.
4
You shall not do so to Yahweh your God.
5
But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even to his habitation you shall seek, and there you shall come;
6
and there you shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the wave offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock:
7
and there you shall eat before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.
8
You shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatever is right in his own eyes;
9
for you haven't yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Yahweh your God gives you.
10
But when you go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety;
11
then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh.
12
You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God, you, and your sons, and your daughters, and your male servants, and your female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
13
Take heed to yourself that you don't offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;
14
but in the place which Yahweh shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
15
Notwithstanding, you may kill and eat flesh within all your gates, after all the desire of your soul, according to the blessing of Yahweh your God which he has given you: the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart.
16
Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth as water.
17
You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, nor any of your vows which you vow, nor your freewill offerings, nor the wave offering of your hand;
18
but you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates: and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God in all that you put your hand to.
19
Take heed to yourself that you don't forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.
20
When Yahweh your God shall enlarge your border, as he has promised you, and you shall say, "I want to eat meat," because your soul desires to eat meat; you may eat meat, after all the desire of your soul.
21
If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to put his name there, is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul.
22
Even as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten, so you shall eat of it: the unclean and the clean may eat of it alike.
23
Only be sure that you don't eat the blood: for the blood is the life; and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.
24
You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth as water.
25
You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you shall do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh.
26
Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take, and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose:
27
and you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of Yahweh your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of Yahweh your God; and you shall eat the flesh.
28
Observe and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your God.
29
When Yahweh your God shall cut off the nations from before you, where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them, and dwell in their land;
30
take heed to yourself that you not be ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, "How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise."
31
You shall not do so to Yahweh your God: for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.
32
Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
