The Last Judgement #54
54. What is meant by Babylon and what it is like. Babylon means all who wish to have power over others by means of religious belief. This is gaining control over people's souls, and so over their spiritual life itself, using as means the Divine elements in their religion. All those who aim at power using religion as a means are called collectively Babylon. The reason why the name of Babylon is applied to them is that in ancient times such control began, but was destroyed as soon as it started. Its beginning is described by the city and tower which had its top in heaven; its destruction by the confusion of speech; hence its name was Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). The meaning of these details in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word may be seen explained in ARCANA COELESTIA 1283-1328.
[2] Another such attempt at control was begun and set up in Babel, as is clear from the passage of Daniel which tells of Nebuchadnezzar setting up an image which all were to worship (Daniel 3). It is also meant by Belshazzar drinking with his nobles from the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from the temple at Jerusalem; and at the same time worshipping gods of gold, silver, copper and iron. Therefore it was written on the wall, He has numbered, weighed and divided. And the king was killed that same night (Daniel 5). The vessels of gold and silver from the temple at Jerusalem mean the kinds of good and truth possessed by the church; drinking from them, and at the same time worshipping gods of gold, silver, copper and iron means profaning them. The writing on the wall and the king's death mean visitation and destruction with which those were threatened who used Divine forms of good and truth as means.
[3] There are numerous descriptions in the Prophets of what the people called Babylon are like, as in Isaiah:
You are to bring out this parable about the king of Babylon. Jehovah has broken the rod of the irreligious, the sceptre of the rulers. You, Lucifer, have fallen from heaven, you are cut down right to the ground. You said in your mind, I will climb the heavens, above the stars of God I shall set my throne on high, and I shall sit on the mountain of meeting, on the north side; I shall become like the Most High. Yet will you be brought down to hell, beside the pit. I will cut off the name of Babylon and what is left of her, and make her a possession inherited by the vulture. 1 Isaiah 14:4-5, 12-15, 22-23.
Elsewhere in the same book:
The lion said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon and cast down are all the graven images of her gods. Isaiah 21:9.
See further in Isaiah chapter Isaiah 47, chapter Isaiah 48:14-20; and in Jeremiah chapter 50:1-3. This makes it plain what Babylon is.
[4] It needs to be known that a church becomes Babylon when charity and faith cease to exist and self-love begins to reign in their stead. This love rushes as fast as it is given its head, not only to exercise control over all on earth it can make its subjects, but even over heaven. Nor does it rest there; it climbs as far as the throne of God and takes His Divine power for itself. The passages quoted from the Word prove that this also happened before the Lord's coming. But that Babylon was destroyed by the Lord when He was in the world, both by their becoming utter idolaters and by the last judgment upon them at that time in the spiritual world. This is meant by the passages in the Prophets about Lucifer, who is there Babylon, being cast down to hell, and the fall of Babylon; and also by the writing on the wall and by the death of Belshazzar; and by the stone hewn from the rock which destroyed the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream [Daniel 2:33-34].
Footnotes:
1. [The exact identification of this bird is disputed.]
Matthew 10
1
And he got together his twelve disciples and gave them the power of driving out unclean spirits, and of making well all sorts of disease and pain.
2
Now the names of the twelve are these: The first, Simon, who is named Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother;
3
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax-farmer; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4
Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who was false to him.
5
These twelve Jesus sent out and gave them orders, saying, Do not go among the Gentiles, or into any town of Samaria,
6
But go to the wandering sheep of the house of Israel,
7
And, on your way, say, The kingdom of heaven is near.
8
Make well those who are ill, give life to the dead, make lepers clean, send evil spirits out of men; freely it has been given to you, freely give.
9
Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;
10
Take no bag for your journey and do not take two coats or shoes or a stick: for the workman has a right to his food.
11
And into whatever town or small place you go, make search there for someone who is respected, and make his house your resting-place till you go away.
12
And when you go in, say, May peace be on this house.
13
And if the house is good enough, let your peace come on it: but if not, let your peace come back to you.
14
And whoever will not take you in, or give ear to your words, when you go out from that house or that town, put off its dust from your feet.
15
Truly I say to you, It will be better for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of God's judging than for that town.
16
See, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Be then as wise as snakes, and as gentle as doves.
17
But be on the watch against men: for they will give you up to the Sanhedrins, and in their Synagogues they will give you blows;
18
And you will come before rulers and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles.
19
But when you are given up into their hands, do not be troubled about what to say or how to say it: for in that hour what you are to say will be given to you;
20
Because it is not you who say the words, but the Spirit of your Father in you.
21
And brother will give up brother to death, and the father his child: and children will go against their fathers and mothers, and put them to death.
22
And you will be hated by all men because of my name: but he who is strong to the end will have salvation.
23
But when they are cruel to you in one town, go in flight to another: for truly, I say to you, You will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of man comes.
24
A disciple is not greater than his master, or a servant than his lord.
25
It is enough for the disciple that he may be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have given the name Beelzebub to the master of the house, how much more to those of his house!
26
Have, then, no fear of them: because nothing is covered which will not come to light, or secret which will not be made clear.
27
What I say to you in the dark, say in the light: and what comes to your ear secretly, say publicly from the house-tops.
28
And have no fear of those who put to death the body, but are not able to put to death the soul. But have fear of him who has power to give soul and body to destruction in hell.
29
Are not sparrows two a farthing? and not one of them comes to an end without your Father:
30
But the hairs of your head are all numbered.
31
Then have no fear; you are of more value than a flock of sparrows.
32
To everyone, then, who gives witness to me before men, I will give witness before my Father in heaven.
33
But if anyone says before men that he has no knowledge of me, I will say that I have no knowledge of him before my Father in heaven.
34
Do not have the thought that I have come to send peace on the earth; I came not to send peace but a sword.
35
For I have come to put a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law:
36
And a man will be hated by those of his house.
37
He who has more love for his father or mother than for me is not good enough for me; he who has more love for son or daughter than for me is not good enough for me.
38
And he who does not take his cross and come after me is not good enough for me.
39
He who has the desire to keep his life will have it taken from him, and he who gives up his life because of me will have it given back to him.
40
He who gives honour to you gives honour to me; and he who gives honour to me gives honour to him who sent me.
41
He who gives honour to a prophet, in the name of a prophet, will be given a prophet's reward; and he who gives honour to an upright man, in the name of an upright man, will be given an upright man's reward.
42
And whoever gives to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will not go without his reward.
