1034. (Verse 2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed whoredom. That this signifies that they have falsified all the truths of the church, is evident from the signification of committing whoredom, as denoting to falsify (concerning which see n. 141, 161, 817, 881); and from the signification of the kings of the earth, as denoting the truths of the church, kings denoting truths, and the earth denoting the church. Kings are mentioned very frequently in the Word, and it is believed that kings or their kingdoms are thereby meant, whereas all those who are in truths from good from the Lord are meant in the Word by them; and, in the abstract sense, in which consists the spiritual sense, truths from good. That these things are meant by kings may be seen above (n. 29, 31, 553, 624, 625), which is further evident from the following passages in the Apocalypse:
"Jesus Christ, the Prince of the kings of the earth, who hath made us kings and priests" (1:5, 6).
Again:
"The Lamb hath made us kings and priests, that we might reign upon the earth" (5:10; also 16:12, 14).
[2] Because by kings are signified truths from good, they also signify, in the opposite sense, falsities from evil. For most expressions in the Word have also an opposite sense. Such is the signification of kings in the following parts of this chapter:
The seven heads of the beast "are also seven kings, five have fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come, and when he doth come he must abide but a short time" (ver. 11).
Also:
"The ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings" (ver. 12).
As also:
"The woman is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (ver. 18).
Similarly in the following passages, where it is said,
That the beast, the kings of the earth, and their army, made war with him that sat on the white horse (Apoc. 19:19).
From these things it is evident what is signified by the kings of the earth committing whoredom with the whore sitting upon many waters, namely, the falsification of the truths of the church by those who belong to Babylon. Similarly in the following passages, where it is said,
That the kings of the earth committed whoredom with that woman, "and the merchants of the earth waxed rich, from the abundance of her delicacies."
Likewise:
"The kings of the earth, who have committed whoredom, and lived delicately with her, shall weep over her and bewail her" (Apoc. 18:3, 9, 11).
Similar things are signified by the kings in Daniel:
That the ten horns of the fourth beast "are ten kings, which shall arise from that kingdom, and another after them, who shall be diverse from the former, who shall humble three kings" (7:24).
[3] The reason why kings signify those who are in truths from good, and, abstractedly, truths from good is, that the Lord is called king from Divine truth, and priest from Divine good; and hence the heaven where Divine truth reigns is called "His throne." This is why the angels in the heavens, and men on earth, who are in truths from good from the Lord, are called sons of the king, also sons of the kingdom, and heirs; therefore these are they who are meant by kings where the Lord is called the "King of kings," as in verse 14 of this chapter, and in chapter 19:16, and elsewhere.
