1119. So much give unto her torment and mourning.- That this signifies that they should have so much of infernal punishment and desolation, appears from the signification of torment, as denoting infernal punishment; and from the signification of mourning, as denoting desolation, which consists in their no longer possessing any truth and good, but merely falsity and evil. The reason why it is said that as much torment and mourning should be given her, as she hath glorified herself and lived delicately, is, that all torment or infernal punishment corresponds entirely to the evils in which they are. Those, therefore, who have glorified themselves much, and taken delight in the love of ruling over heaven and the church, and also, for the sake of that glory and its delights, have perverted the goods of heaven and of the church - which are the goods of the Word - have their lot in a hell more grievous in its torment. But those who have glorified themselves in a less degree, and taken less delight in such glorification, have their lot in a milder hell and those who have not glorified themselves, and have not thence perverted the goods and truths of heaven and of the church, which are from the Word, but have simply obeyed them either from ignorance or persuasion, have not their lot in hell. But the people who have no share in their dominion, particularly those who look to the Lord, and have some affection for truth, have their lot in the heavens, where they are taught by the angels. From these things it is evident, that here, where Babylon is treated of, no others are meant than those who exercise dominion from the delight which they find in the love of it for the sake of themselves.

[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed and concerning the Lord.- That God is Man and that the Lord is that Man, is clear from everything in the heavens, and beneath the heavens. In the heavens, all things that proceed from the Lord, in their greatest and in their smallest [components], 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 and also every spirit beneath the heavens are a human form. It has also been revealed to me, that all things, both the least and the greatest, that proceed immediately from the Lord, are in that form, for that which proceeds from God is a resemblance of Him; it is therefore said of Adam and Eve, that they were "created into the image and likeness of God" (Genesis 1:26, 27).

[3] It is for this reason also that the angels in the heavens, being recipients of the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, are men of astonishing beauty, while spirits in the hells, because they do not receive the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, are devils, who, in the light of heaven, appear not as men, but as monsters. It is owing to this fact that every one in the spiritual world is known from his human form in the degree in which he derives it from the Lord. It is now evident from these things, that the Lord is the only Man, and that every one is a man according to the reception of Divine Good and Divine Truth from Him. In a word, he who sees God as Man, sees God, because he sees the Lord. The Lord also says, "He who seeth the Son, and believeth in him, hath eternal life" (John 6:40). To see the Son is to see Him in the spirit, because this is said, also, to those who have not seen Him in the world.

7093. 'And let them hold a feast to Me in the wilderness' means in order that they may worship the Lord with gladness of mind, in the obscurity of faith they live in. This is clear from the meaning of 'holding a feast' as worship offered with gladness of mind, dealt with below (the fact that the Lord was the one to whom they were to hold the feast and whom 'to Me', that is, Jehovah, is used to mean here, see just above in 7091); and from the meaning of 'the wilderness' as obscurity of faith, dealt with in 1708, 7055. Regarding those who belong to the spiritual Church, that they live in comparative obscurity of faith, see 2708, 2715-2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3246, 3833, 6289, 6500, 6945.

[2] The reason why 'holding a feast' means offering worship with gladness of mind is that they were to hold the feast three days' journey away from Egypt, thus not in a state when molested by falsities but in a state of freedom. For a person who is delivered from falsities and from the distress felt at that time gives thanks to God with gladness of mind, and in so doing holds a feast. Furthermore the feasts which had been instituted among those people, three a year, are also said to have been instituted in remembrance of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, by which in the spiritual sense is meant in remembrance of deliverance from molestation by falsities through the Lord's Coming into the world. They were also told to be glad on these occasions, as is evident in Moses where the feast of tabernacles is dealt with,

At the feast of tabernacles you shall take ¹ on the first day the fruit of a fine tree, ² fronds of palm trees, the bough of a thick tree, and willows of the powerful stream; and you shall be glad before Jehovah your God seven days. Leviticus 23:40

[3] 'The fruit of a fine tree, fronds of palm trees, the bough of a thick tree, and willows of the powerful stream' means joy because of the goodness and truth present in a person from the inmost to the external parts of his being. The good of love, which is inmost, is meant by 'the fruit of a fine tree'; the good of faith by 'fronds of palm trees'; factual knowledge that accords with truth by 'the branch of a thick tree'; and sensory impressions that accord with truth, which are the most external, by 'the willows of a powerful stream'. No command to take all these things would have been given if there had not been some cause lying behind it in the spiritual world; and that cause does not become evident to anyone except from the internal sense.

[4] They were to be glad during the feast of weeks, as is also clear in Moses,

You shall keep the feast of weeks to Jehovah your God, and you shall be glad before Jehovah your God, you, and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates. Deuteronomy 16:10-11.

These words too, in the internal sense, mean gladness because of the goodness and truth present in people from the inmost to the external parts of their being.

[5] The fact that feasts were times of gladness, so that holding a feast means worshipping with gladness of mind, is also evident from the following places: In Isaiah,

You will have a song like that of a night for hallowing a feast. Isaiah 30:29.

In Nahum,

Look, on the mountains the feet of one bringing good tidings, of one proclaiming peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah, perform your vows; for [the man of] belial ³ will no more pass through you, he will be cut off completely. ⁴ Nahum 1:15.

In Zechariah,

The fasts will be to the house of Judah ones of joy and gladness and good feasts; only love truth and peace. Zechariah 8:19.

In Hosea,

I will cause all her joy to cease, her feasts, her new moons. Hosea 2:11.

In Amos,

I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation. Amos 8:10.

The fact that 'holding a feast' means offering worship with gladness of mind because they had been delivered from slavery in Egypt, or in the spiritual sense because they had been delivered from molestation by falsities, is made plain by the feast of Passover. They were commanded to celebrate this each year on the day of their departure from Egypt; and they were commanded to do so on account of the deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery, that is, on account of the deliverance of those who belonged to the spiritual Church from falsities, and so from damnation. And since the Lord delivered them by His Coming and raised them up with Him into heaven when He rose again, therefore this too was done at the Passover. This is also meant by the Lord's words in John,

Now is the judgement of this world, now will the prince of this world be cast outdoors. But I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself. John 12:31-32.

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