787. 18:18 "Stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What other city may be compared to this great city?'" This symbolizes their mourning in a state apart over the damnation of the Roman Catholic religion, which they believed to be preeminent over every other religion in the world.

The merchants' standing at a distance symbolizes a time when they were as yet in a state apart from a state of damnation, and yet were afraid of being punished (nos. 769, 783). Their crying out symbolizes their mourning. The smoke of the city's burning symbolizes a state of damnation because of its adulteration and profanation of the Word (nos. 766, 767). Their saying, "What other city may be compared to this great city," means symbolically that they believed that religion to be preeminent over every other religion in the world. That great city symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion, here as a number of times above.

Everyone knows that Roman Catholics believe their religion to be preeminent over every other religion, and that their church is the mother, queen and mistress of them all. Everyone knows, too, that their believing so is continually instilled in them by canons and monks, and people attentive to it know also that the canons and monks are moved to do this by a fire to achieve dominion and material gain. And yet because of the power of their domination Roman Catholics cannot separate themselves from all the external practices of that religion; but they can nevertheless separate themselves from its internal constituents, since everyone's will and intellect, and so affection and thought, have been left, and continue to be left, in complete freedom.

891. 21:8 "But the fearful, faithless, and abominable." This symbolizes people who have no faith and no charity, and are consequently caught up in evils of every kind.

The fearful symbolize people who have no faith, as will be seen next. The faithless symbolize people who have no charity toward the neighbor, for they are dishonest and deceitful, thus faithless. The abominable symbolize people who are caught up in evils of every kind, for abominations in the Word symbolize in general the evils listed in the last six of the Ten Commandments, as can be seen in Jeremiah:

Do not trust in lying words, saying, "The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah are they... Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, and swear falsely..., and then come and stand before Me in this house...(while you) do... these abominations?" (Jeremiah 7:2-4, 9-11)

And so also everywhere else.

That the fearful symbolize people who have no faith is clear from the following:

(Jesus said to His disciples,) "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 8:26, cf. Mark 4:39-40, Luke 8:25)

(Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue,) "Do not be afraid; only believe, then (your daughter) will be made well." (Luke 8:49-50, cf. Mark 5:36)

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

The same are meant by those told not to be afraid in Matthew 17:6-7; 28:3-5, 10; and elsewhere.

It can be seen from all these passages that the fearful, faithless, and abominable symbolize people who have no faith and no charity, and who are consequently caught up in evils of every kind.