Apocalypse Revealed #411
411. And many people died from the water, because it was made bitter. This symbolizes the extinction of spiritual life in many people because of the falsification of the Word's truths.
"Many people died" symbolizes the extinction of spiritual life, as a person is called living by virtue of the spiritual life in him, and on the other hand is called dead when his natural life is divorced from spiritual life. "From the water, because it was made bitter," symbolically means, because of the falsification of the Word's truths. That waters are the Word's truths may be seen just above in no. 410. Bitterness symbolizes falsification because the bitterness of wormwood is meant, and wormwood symbolizes hellish falsity (no. 410).
[2] Spiritual life, for a Christian, comes only from the Word's truths, for in them is life. But when the Word's truths have been falsified, and a person interprets them and views them in accordance with falsities connected with his religion, then the spiritual life in him is extinguished. That is because the Word communicates with heaven. Consequently, when a person reads it, the truths in it ascend into heaven, while the falsities to which truths have been attached or joined lead to hell. As a result the person is torn apart, which extinguishes the Word's life. This occurs, however, only in the case of people who use the Word to defend falsities, but not in the case of people who do not defend them.
I have seen people thus torn apart, and I have heard coming from them a noise like that of wood in a fireplace split apart by the fire.
[3] Bitterness symbolizes falsification also in the following passages:
Woe to those who speak good of evil, and evil of good...; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)
They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. (Isaiah 24:9)
Something similar is symbolically meant by the little book eaten, which was sweet in the mouth, but made the stomach bitter (Revelation 10:9-10). And by the following:
They came to Marah, but they could not drink the waters for their bitterness... But Jehovah showed him a piece of wood, which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. (Exodus 15:23-25)
Wood in the Word symbolizes goodness.
Something similar is symbolically meant also by the gourds put into the stew, which caused the company of prophets to cry out, "There is death in the pot!" which Elisha cured by putting in some flour (2 Kings 4:38-41).
Flour symbolizes truth arising from goodness.
Isaiah 5
1
Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.
2
He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in its midst, and also cut out a winepress therein. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
3
"Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard.
4
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?
5
Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall of it, and it will be trampled down.
6
I will lay it a wasteland. It won't be pruned nor hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it."
7
For the vineyard of Yahweh of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry of distress.
8
Woe to those who join house to house, who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!
9
In my ears, Yahweh of Armies says: "Surely many houses will be desolate, even great and beautiful, unoccupied.
10
For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah."
11
Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them!
12
The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don't respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
13
Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched with thirst.
14
Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it.
15
So man is brought low, mankind is humbled, and the eyes of the arrogant ones are humbled;
16
but Yahweh of Armies is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.
17
Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, and strangers will eat the ruins of the rich.
18
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and wickedness as with cart rope;
19
Who say, "Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it!"
20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22
Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink;
23
who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!
24
Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Armies, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25
Therefore Yahweh's anger burns against his people, and he has stretched out his hand against them, and has struck them. The mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is still stretched out.
26
He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.
27
None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their waist be untied, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
28
whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses' hoofs will be like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.
29
Their roaring will be like a lioness. They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, and seize their prey and carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver.
30
They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land behold, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its clouds.
