1022. To give unto her the cup of the wrath of his anger. That this signifies its devastation by the dire falsities of evil, is evident from the signification of a cup, as denoting falsity from hell, which is the falsity of evil (concerning which see n. 960); and as it appears as if God were angry and wrathful on account thereof, it is called the cup of the wrath of the anger of God, wrath on account of falsity, and anger on account of evil. Therefore by giving her that cup is signified to devastate; for the falsity of evil from hell devastates all the good and truth of the church. That the church meant by Babylon is thus devastated will be seen in the two following chapters.

Concerning the Tenth Precept, "Thou shalt not covet (or desire) thy neighbour's wife, his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass."

[2] These lusts extend to what are man's own, since the wife, the man-servant, the maid-servant, the ox, and the ass are in his house. And by those things in a man's house, in the spiritual internal sense, are meant what are his own; that is to say, by the wife is meant the affection of spiritual truth and good; by the man-servant and maid-servant, the affection of rational truth and good serving the spiritual, and by the ox and the ass, the affection of natural good and truth. These affections are signified by such things in the Word. But whereas to covet and desire those affections is to will and to covet the subjection of the man to one's own power and authority, therefore it follows, that by the lusts of those things are meant those of the love of self, that is, of the love of ruling; for thereby a man makes the things belonging to his neighbour his own.

[3] From those things it is evident that the lust of the ninth precept is that of the love of the world; and that the lusts of this precept are those of the love of self. For, as said before, all lusts pertain to love; for it is the love which covets. And as there are two evil loves to which all lusts have reference, namely, the love of the world and the love of self, it follows that the lust of the ninth precept has reference to the love of the world, and that the lusts of this precept have reference to the love of self, particularly to the love of ruling.

That from these two loves all evils and the falsities therefrom take their rise may be seen above (n. 159, 171, 394, 506, 517, 650, 950, 951, 973, 982, 1010, 1016); and in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 65-83).

1016. Such as was not since there were men on the earth. That this signifies that it was manifestly more inverted than ever before in the countries where the church is, is evident from the signification of the earthquake being such, as denoting the state of the church changed more than hitherto, thus manifestly inverted; and from the signification of the men who were upon the earth, as denoting with those who belong to the church, thus who are in the countries where the church is. The subject here treated of is especially the state of the church with the Reformed, not with the Babylonians, these being treated of afterwards. That the state of the church has been turned into its contrary, is evident from this, that at this day it is not known what good and truth are, nor, indeed, what love and faith are; for love they call faith; works they call faith; good they call faith; truth they call faith; and yet they do not at all see whether the received faith, in which everything of the church is included, is the faith of truth, because it consists of mere incomprehensibilities.

Continuation concerning the Seventh Precept:-

[2] Because hatred is infernal fire, it is clear that it must be removed before love, which is heavenly fire, can flow in, and by the light from itself give life to a man; and that infernal fire cannot possibly be removed, unless he knows the origin of hatred, and what it is, and afterwards turns away from it and shuns it.

Hatred of the neighbour is hereditarily in every man, for every one is born into the love of self and of the world. Wherefore, he conceives hatred, and from it he is inflamed against all those who do not make one with him, and favour him, especially against those who oppose his lusts. For no one can love himself above all things, and, at the same time, love the Lord; and no one can love the world above all things, and, at the same time, love his neighbour, because no one can serve two masters at the same time; he is bound to despise and hate the one, while he honours and loves the other. Hatred especially prevails with those who are in the love of ruling over all; with the rest it is enmity.

[3] What hatred is shall also be stated. Hatred has in itself a fire, which is the endeavour to kill men; that fire is shown by anger. There is, as it were, a hatred and an anger thence prevalent with the good against evil. This, however, is not hatred but aversion to evil. Nor is it anger, but a zeal from good, in which heavenly fire inwardly lies concealed. For they turn away from evil, and are as if they were angry at their neighbour, in order that they may remove the evil, and thereby consult for the good of their neighbour.