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.

658. Their bodies three days and a half. ¹ - That this signifies the complete extinction of Divine Truth and Divine Good, is evident from the signification of bodies, namely, of the witnesses, as denoting those who have extinguished in themselves all Divine Truth and Divine Good. For the two witnesses, whom they slew, signify the goods of love and of charity and the truths of doctrine and of faith, see above (n. 228, 635); consequently their bodies, when slain, signify that these have been extinguished. But because the good of love and of charity and the truth of doctrine and of faith cannot be extinguished except with those who are in falsities of doctrine and in evils of life, therefore these are meant, since others do not see that the goods of love and the truths of doctrine are extinguished. For every one sees the things which are of the Lord, and thence the things which pertain to heaven and the church, according to the quality of his state, and it is from this that he sees, therefore he cannot see otherwise than in agreement with that quality. Thus he who denies the Lord and His Divine in heaven and in the church does not see them, because he regards them negatively, therefore he does not see the witnesses alive, but their bodies as carcases, that is, he considers the goods of love and truths of doctrine as nothing, consequently also extinguished. The above is evident from the signification of three days and a half, as denoting what is complete, in this case, a complete extinction.

[2] "Three and a half" denotes what is complete, because three signifies an entire period or duration from beginning to end, consequently, where the church is treated of, as in the present case, three and a half signifies even unto its end, and at the same time to a new beginning wherefore it is said that after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them and that they stood upon their feet, which signifies the beginning of a new church after the end of the old. For all the good of love and truth of doctrine is extinguished at the end of the church, but then there is a resuscitation which takes place with those in whom a new church is established by the Lord, which is also signified by the spirit of life which entered into them. A full or complete state is also signified by three days and a half, for the reason that this number has a similar signification to that of the number seven, for it is its half; and a number halved, like a number doubled, has a signification similar to that of the number itself that is halved or doubled; and the number seven signifies all, also what is full and complete, and it is used in reference to what is holy pertaining to heaven and the church. The signification of this number may be seen treated of above (n. 20, 24, 257, 300). That the greater numbers, as they are composed of smaller numbers, have a signification similar to that of the simple numbers from which they arise by multiplication, may be also seen above (n. 430:1-4), and that three signifies an entire period greater or less from beginning to end may be seen above (n. 532).

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