Apocalypse Explained #1119
1119. So much torment and mourning give her, signifies so much of infernal punishment and desolation. This is evident from the signification of "torment," as being infernal punishment; also from the signification of "mourning," as being desolation, which is from their no longer having anything of truth or good, but mere falsity and evil. It is said that "as much torment and mourning should be given as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously," because all torment or infernal punishment corresponds exactly to the evils in which such persons are. Those, therefore, who have glorified themselves much and have taken delight in the love of having dominion over heaven and over the church, and for the sake of that glory and consequent delight have perverted the goods of heaven and the church which belong to the Word, have their lot in a hell more grievous in respect to torment; while those who have glorified and delighted themselves less in such things have their lot in a milder hell; and those who have not glorified themselves at all, and thus have not perverted the goods and truths of heaven and the church, which are from the Word, but have simply rendered obedience to them either ignorantly or from persuasion, do not have their lot in hell; and such people as have no part in dominion, especially those who look to the Lord and have some affection of truth, have their lot in the heavens, where they are taught by the angels. From all this it can be seen that here, where Babylon is treated of, only those are meant who exercise dominion from the delight of the love of it for the sake of self.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith and respecting the Lord)
[2] That God is Man and that the Lord is that Man is made evident by all things that are in the heavens and that are beneath the heavens. In the heavens all things that proceed from the Lord in greatest and in least things are either in the human form or have reference to the human form; the whole heaven is in the human form; every society of heaven is in the human form; every angel is in the human form; and also every spirit beneath the heavens; and it has been revealed to me that all things both least and greatest that proceed immediately from the Lord are in that form, for that which proceeds from God is an image of Him. This is why it is said of the man Adam and Eve:
That they were created into the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27).
[3] And for the same reason the angels in the heavens, because they are recipients of the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, are men of wonderful beauty, while the spirits in the hells, because they do not receive the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, are devils, and in the light of heaven they do not appear as men but as monsters. And on this account it is known in the spiritual world from one's human form how much he derives from the Lord. From all this it can be seen that the Lord is the only Man, and that everyone is a man according to his reception of Divine good and Divine truth from the Lord. In a word, he who sees God as Man sees God because he sees the Lord. And the Lord says:
He that seeth the Son and believeth in Him hath eternal life (John 6:40).
To see the Son is to see Him in spirit, for this is said also to those who did not see him in the world.
Genesis 11
1
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
2
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
4
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
5
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
6
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
8
So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
9
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
10
These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
11
And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
12
And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
13
And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
14
And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
15
And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
16
And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
17
And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
18
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
19
And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
20
And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
21
And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
22
And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
23
And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
24
And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
25
And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
26
And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
28
And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
29
And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
30
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
32
And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
