'Judgment' refers to times when evil is brought to its height. Judgment' has two sides, a principle of good and a principle of truth. The faithful are judged from a principle of good, but the unfaithful, from a principle of truth. In Revelation 17:1, judgement signifies the state of the church at its end.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 17; Arcana Coelestia 2319)

17. These approximate or general explanations of the preceding words, not being presented in a continuous series, will appear disconnected; and this must be the case when each word or phrase is expounded separately, and the internal sense is immediately joined to the literal sense, which is diverse from it, and each is viewed by itself. But nevertheless, with angels, who are in the internal sense, this is not so. They do not see the sense of the letter, nor do they know anything about it; they see only the internal sense; and because they see this in the light of heaven, they see it in such a series and connection, and also in such abundance and thence in such wisdom, as cannot be expressed and described in human words. The ideas of angels, which are spiritual, also conjoin all things in a wonderful manner, and comprehend more than man can include or express in his ideas, which are natural, even as to a thousandth part thereof.