1029. CHAPTER 17.

1. AND there came one of the seven angels having the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2. With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom.

3. And he carried me away, into a wilderness, in the spirit and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4. And the woman was arrayed in crimson and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of the abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom.

5. And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the earth.

6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus; and when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.

7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8. The beast which thou sawest was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and go into perdition; and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder; they whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, but yet is.

9. This is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

10. And they are seven kings; five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11. And the beast that was, and is not, he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13. These have one mind, and shall deliver up their power and authority to the beast.

14. These shall fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings and those that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

15. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall devour her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17. For God hath put into their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be consummated.

18. And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth.

EXPLANATION.

BECAUSE in this and the following chapter the subject treated of is Babylon, therefore, before we proceed to the explanation of these chapters, it shall be shown what is meant by Babylon in general and particular; also what its quality is in the beginning, and what it becomes afterwards, by degrees.

By Babylon or Babel is meant the church consisting of those who by the holy things of the church aspire to dominion over the whole world, and this by means of dominion over the souls of men, claiming to themselves the power of saving whomsoever they will; and who at last seek and appropriate to themselves dominion over heaven and hell. And for this purpose they derive and transfer to themselves all the Lord's power, as if given to them by Him.

The church consisting of such is, in its beginning, not the same as it becomes in process of time. In the beginning they are zealous, as it were, for the Lord, the Word, for love and faith, and especially for the salvation of men. But in that zeal lies hidden the fire of ruling, which in process of time, and as dominion increases, breaks out, and in the degree in which it comes out into act, the holy things of the church become the means, and dominion itself the end. And when dominion becomes the end, then the holy things of the church are used as a means to that end, that is, to themselves. And then they not only make the salvation of souls dependent on their own power, but also appropriate to themselves all the Lord's Divine power. And when they do this, they then pervert all the good and all the truth of the church, and thus profane the holy things of the church. These things are Babylon.

[2] That this is the case has been shown me to the life. In the spiritual world there were those who affected a similar dominion. And because they knew that all power belonged to the Lord alone, they assumed, as it were, a zeal for Him, for heaven, and for the church, and laboured with all their power to worship the Lord alone, and to keep all things of the Word holy. They also arranged that sanctity and integrity should prevail in all. But it was permitted to be known that in that zeal an ardent desire to rule over all others was hidden; they believed that those things that they arranged would be accepted by the Lord. But, in fact, as soon as they obtained dominion, by degrees the end was revealed, which was not that the Lord but that they themselves might rule, and thus that the Lord might serve them, and not they the Lord; they were indignant if they were not allowed as gods to dispose everything according to their will. Indeed, it was seen that they made light of the Lord, and even rejected Him, if the power was not granted them of doing everything according to their own pleasure, and unless every decision of theirs was assented to. It was also seen that they were desirous, under any pretence, to transfer His Divine power to themselves if they dared, but they were afraid of being cast down into hell if they did so. By this it was shown how Babylon begins, and how it ends. One could, therefore, conclude, that while dominion becomes the end, and the holy things of the church the means, the worship of God is turned, under various pretences, into the worship of men, so that they themselves are actually gods, and the Lord is not really God, but is merely called so for the sake of form.

[3] Now, because dominion by means of the holy things of the church over the souls of men, over heaven, and over the Lord Himself, is inwardly profane, it follows that it is infernal. For the devils in hell covet nothing more than to exercise dominion over heaven, and over the Lord Himself; this they also attempt under various pretences. But while they are making the attempt, they are swallowed up by hell. Since, in the world, those who cast down the Lord from the seat of His kingdom, and place themselves upon it, are, in heart, like devils, it is evident that the church consisting of these must, in process of time, be devastated as to all the good and all the truth thereof; this is its end.

That they are devils is clear from the same in the spiritual world. Those who have exercised the Divine power of the Lord in the world speak, after death, in most holy terms concerning the Lord, and worship Him with every kind of external devotion. But when their interior states are seen (for these may be uncovered and seen in the spiritual world), it is seen that they are profane, because atheistical, and full of diabolical craftiness. Hence it was manifested that their holy externals served them as means to dominion as an end.

A conversation once arose among the spirits whether any devil in hell could do the same. Therefore one of the worst was called thence, and he was told that he should have dominion over many, if he could worship the Lord with sanctity, and acknowledge His Divine to be equal to that of the Father, and perform at the same time all things belonging to worship. On hearing that he could have dominion over many, he immediately became interiorly cunning, assumed a holy external, and worshipped the Lord more reverently than many angels, becoming angry with all those who did not adore Him. But as soon as he observed that dominion was not granted him, he became enraged against the Lord Himself, and not only denied His Divine and also the Divine of the Father, but cast reproaches upon both; for he was an atheist.

[4] That such is the nature of Babylon at this day is quite clear from this, that under the pretence of the keys being given to Peter, they have transferred to themselves all the Divine power of the Lord, having shut up Divine truth from the people by taking away the Word, and have given to the dictates of the Pope a sanctity equal, indeed actually superior, to that of the Word. They teach but little, if anything, about the fear and worship of God, but the fear and worship of themselves, and also the worship of holy things for the sake of themselves. It is therefore clear that Babylon at its end is the church void and empty of all the good of love to God, and of all the good of love towards the neighbour, and consequently of all truth. Consequently, it is no longer a church but an idolatry; and therefore it differs very little from the Gentilism of the ancients, who worshipped Baal, Ashtaroth, Baalzebub, and others; and yet had temples, stated feasts, altars, sacrifices, incense, drink-offerings, and other things, similar to those of the Jewish Church. These things are stated concerning Babylon at its beginning, and at its end, in order that it may be known why it is that Babel, in the Word, is sometimes exalted even to heaven, and sometimes cast down even to hell.

[5] That such is the nature of Babel is quite evident from the description and representation of it in the prophets, and especially in Daniel. First, from the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel:

Nebuchadnezzar the king saw in his dream a statue standing before him; "the head thereof was of fine gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs iron, and the feet part iron and part clay." Afterwards "a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the statue upon its feet, which were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces, and then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, were bruised together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor, so that the wind carried them away, and their place was no more found. But the stone which smote the statue became a great rock" (2:31-35).

From the interpretation of this dream by Daniel, it is evident that the state of the church which becomes Babylon, is there described from its beginning to its end. The reason why it is Babylon which is described is, that those things were seen by the king of Babel in a dream; and he also saw a statue over against him. It is also openly declared to the king by Daniel,

"Thou art this head of gold" (ver. 38).

The successive states of that church even to the last are described by the head, the breast, the arms, the belly, the thighs, the legs, and the feet of this statue; also by the gold, the silver, the brass, the iron, and the clay, of which the statue consisted from top to bottom. From these things it is evident that this church in its beginning was full of wisdom from the good of love to the Lord. For the head, which is highest, signifies wisdom; and gold the good of love to the Lord. That the last state of that church would be one which was destitute of all the good of love and of all wisdom, is signified by the toes of its feet being part iron and part clay. For this is thus interpreted by Daniel:

"Whereas thou sawest iron mingled with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man; but they shall not cleave one to the other, even as iron is not mixed with clay" (ver. 43).

The seed of man signifies Divine truth, thus the truth of the Word; and by this no coherence is effected, because it is falsified at the end of the church by being applied to the worship of men. The destruction of this church is described by the stone breaking in pieces all parts of the statue. By the stone is signified Divine truth; and the Lord as to Divine truth, by the rock which the stone became. Its destruction is the Last Judgment. The New Church, which will then be established by the Lord, is described by these words:

"The God of the heavens shall cause a kingdom to arise which shall not perish for ever, and his kingdom shall not be left to another people. It shall break in pieces and consume all those kingdoms, but itself shall stand for ever" (ver. 44).

[6] By kingdom, in this and other parts of the Word, is signified the church; similarly, by a man, in whose form the statue was.

The church which afterwards became Babylon is also described by the tree seen by King Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, in Daniel:

"I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great; the tree grew and became strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth; the leaf thereof was beautiful, and the flower thereof much, the beast of the field had shadow under it, and in its boughs dwelt the birds of heaven, and all flesh was fed from it. But behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven, crying with might, saying thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, and disperse the flower thereof, let the beasts flee from under, and the birds from its branches; but leave the stump of its root in the earth, and in a band of iron and brass, in the herb of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the beast in the grass of the earth; they shall change his heart from a man's, and the heart of a beast shall be given to him, while seven times shall pass over him, until they who live shall know that the Lord is the Most High in the kingdom of man" (4:10-17).

That King Nebuchadnezzar, consequently Babel itself, is meant by that tree, and all belonging to it, is openly declared in verses 20, 21, 22. And that the things heard befell the king, namely, that he was driven out from man, dwelt with the beasts of the field, ate grass like the oxen, until seven times had passed over him, is evident from verses 32, 33, 34 of that chapter. That these things came upon him because of the love of self, and the pride of his own dominion, is clear from these words of his:

"Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my strength, and for the glory of mine honour?" (ver. 30).

And afterwards when he was restored:

"I Nebuchadnezzar, honouring the King of the heavens, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment; and those who walk in pride, he is able to abase" (ver. 37).

By that state of Nebuchadnezzar is described the state of those, after death, who exalt themselves as gods over everything of the church; namely, that they are driven out from man, that they are no longer like men with respect to understanding; that they become beasts, and eat grass as oxen; and that their hairs grow like the eagles', and their nails like birds' claws; which signifies that they are utterly sensual; that instead of being intelligent they are foolish; and instead of being wise they are insane. To eat grass, to have hair like the eagles', and nails like birds' claws, signifies to become sensual.

[7] The successive states of the church, which at last became Babylon, are also described by the four beasts ascending out of the sea, in Daniel:

It was seen by him, that four beasts ascended out of the sea, "the first like a lion, but it had wings like an eagle, but the wings were plucked out, and it was lifted up from the earth and raised up on the feet as a man, and the heart of a man was given to it. Afterwards, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth, and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After these, behold, another like a leopard, which had four wings like birds upon the back, and four heads; and dominion was given to it. Afterwards a fourth beast, terrible and formidable, and exceeding strong, which had great iron teeth; and devoured, and brake in pieces, and trampled on the residue with its feet" (7:3-7).

That by these beasts also are described the successive states of the church, from its first to its last, may be seen above (n. 316, 556, 650, 780, 781). That in the first state they were in truths, and thence in intelligence, is signified by the lion, which had the wings of an eagle, and which afterwards appeared as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. That in the last state they are in falsities of every kind from evil, is signified by the fourth beast, which was terrible, and which devoured and brake in pieces, and trampled on the residue with its feet. Concerning this beast several other things are mentioned in verses 23-25.

[8] That the church which has become Babylon will then be destroyed, and a new church be established, which will worship the Lord, is meant by these words:

"I looked and, behold, with the clouds of the heavens, one like the Son of man. To him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and tongues, might worship him. His dominion is the dominion of an age, which shall not pass away; and his kingdom that which shall not perish. And the kingdom and dominion, and the majesty of the kingdoms under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is the kingdom of an age; and all dominions shall worship him, and obey him" (vers. 13, 14, 27).

By the Son of man is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, and as to the Word. That a church is to be established by Him, which will worship Him, is meant by dominion being given to Him, and glory and a kingdom, and His dominion being the dominion of an age which shall not pass away; and the church to be established by Him is meant by the kingdom given to the people of the saints. The reason why this will come to pass, when the church is made Babylon, that is, becomes so devastated that there is no longer any good nor any truth remaining in it, is because then is its end; thus, when there is no longer any church. This end is meant by the end of Babylon. Not that their idolatrous worship in the world is to be destroyed together with them. For this will continue; not, however, as the worship of any church, but as the worship of paganism. Therefore also after death these same persons come amongst the Pagans, and no longer among Christians. But from those who have not worshipped the Pope, nor the saints and graven images, but the Lord, a new church is formed by the Lord.

[9] The Babylonish idolatry is described in Daniel:

By the high statue which king Nebuchadnezzar set up, and concerning which an edict was published, that all should fall down and worship it; and that those who did not, should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace (3:1-7).

The same is also described in the same prophet:

By the decree published by Darius the Mede, that no one should ask a petition from any god, or any man, but from the king; and that whosoever asked anything from god or man within thirty days, should be cast into a den of lions (Daniel 6:7-9).

By these things Babel or Babylon is described as to dominion over holy things, and as to the arrogating of Divine power. And their destruction is described by all those who persuaded Darius to make that statute being cast into the den of lions, and devoured.

[10] Babel is also described in Daniel:

By Belshazzar the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, drinking wine out of the vessels of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar his father brought from the temple of Jerusalem, and at the same time praising their gods of gold and silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, when the writing upon the wall appeared to him; after which the king was slain that same night (5:1, to the end).

By these things was represented, and thence signified, the profanation of the holy things of the church by those who belong to Babylon, and who extend their dominion even to heaven; for it is said:

Thou exaltedst thyself above the Lord of the heavens, when they brought the vessels of his house before thee (ver. 23).

From these passages in Daniel it is evident, that by Babylon or Babel, in the Word, is meant the love of dominion over the world, and over heaven, and over the Lord Himself; and that the church of the Lord becomes successively Babylon; and that as it becomes Babylon, so it is devastated as to all the good of love and as to all the truth of faith; and that the end of it is, that it is no longer a church. And when it is no longer a church, it is reckoned among the idolatrous nations, with the exception of those who worship the Lord, account the Word holy, and admit instruction from it.

[11] Babel or Babylon is also described, in Isaiah:

"Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and again choose Israel, to set them in their land. It shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, that thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel. How hath the exactor ceased, the lust of gold ceased. Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of them that rule," whence "all the earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into singing; even the oaks shall rejoice on account of thee, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down no feller hath come upon us. Hell beneath is moved on account of thee, to meet thee in thy coming; it hath stirred up Rephaim on account of thee, all the mighty of the earth; it hath made to rise from their thrones all the kings of the nations; all they shall answer and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak like us? art thou become like to us? Thy magnificence is let down into hell, the tumult of thy psalteries; the worm is spread under thee, and the grubs over thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning, thou art cut down to the earth, thou art weakened beneath the nations; and yet thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars" of heaven, "and I will sit in the mount of the assembly, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like unto the Most High; but yet thou art cast down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee consider thee. Is this the man that moveth the earth, that maketh the kingdoms tremble, that hath made the world into a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof? Thou art cast forth from thy sepulchre, as an abominable shoot, the raiment of the slain that are thrust through with the sword, who descend unto the stones of the pit, as a carcase trodden under foot. Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulchre, for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people: the seed of the malicious shall not be named for ever. Prepare the slaughter for his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers, that they may not rise and possess the earth, and fill the faces of the earth with cities. I will arise against them, saith Jehovah Zebaoth, and I will cut off from Babel the name and the residue, and the son and the grandson. I will make thee a heritage for the bittern, and into lakes of waters, and I will sweep her with the besom of destruction. And I will break Asshur in my land, and upon my mountains will I tread him under foot" (14:1-25).

All these things are said of Babel, and not of any devil, who was created an angel of light, and who, having become rebellious, was cast into hell, and from his primeval state was called "Lucifer, son of the morning." That Babel is here described is plain from verses 4 and 22 of this chapter, where the king of Babel and Babel are mentioned, for it is said:

"Thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel";

and afterwards:

"I will cut off from Babel the name and the residue."

It must be observed that by a king, in the Word, is signified the same as by his kingdom. The reason why Babel is called Lucifer, the son of the morning, is that, as said above, Babel, in the beginning, is the church which is zealous for the Lord, for the good of love, and for the truths of faith; although inwardly, in the zeal of her pastors, there lies hidden a fire of ruling by means of the holy things of the church, over all those whom they can subdue to themselves. Hence it is that Babel is called "Lucifer, the son of the morning." For the same reason he is also called "King of kings," into whose hand are given all things.

And also is called the head of the statue which was gold (Dan. 2:37, 38).

Then also, "The tree in the midst of the earth, great in height" (Dan. 4:10, 22).

[12] Babel in its beginning is also meant by

"The lion which had the wings of an eagle, and which afterwards appeared as a man, and a man's heart was given unto it" (Dan. 7:4).

And is called, "The ornament of the kingdoms and the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans" (Isaiah 13:19).

It is also mentioned amongst, "Those that know Jehovah" (Psalms 87:4).

Now because by Babel, in its beginning, is signified such a church, therefore the king of Babel is here called "Lucifer, the son of the morning;" Lucifer from the light of truth then, and son of the morning (aurora), from the first beginning of the light or of day. For the morning is the church in its beginning. But still, in that chapter, is described this church as to its state in the end, when Babylon is become a whore; which is its state, when there is no longer any good of love, or any truth of faith remaining. This its state is what is meant by the destruction and damnation thereof to hell. Their destruction spoken of in the Word is no other than that, after death, those are cast down into hell who have arrogated to themselves Divine power, and have exercised it; and for that purpose have kept the people of the earth in dense darkness or blindness, and in idolatrous worship, especially those who have led men away from the worship of the Lord.

[13] Because these are the things described in that chapter, the passages which have been quoted shall be briefly explained:- Jehovah shall have compassion upon Jacob, and shall again choose Israel, to set him in their land, signifies a new church to be established by the Lord after the end of Babylon. In that day thou shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel, and shalt say, How hath the exactor ceased, the lust of gold ceased, signifies liberation from the spiritual captivity and servitude, in which those were who were under the dominion of that [church]. Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of them that rule, signifies that they have no longer any power by means of truths from good, because they are in mere falsities from evil. Such is their impotence in the spiritual world. All the earth is at rest, they break forth into singing, even the oaks shall rejoice on account of thee, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down no feller hath come upon us, signifies that those who are in the knowledges of good and truth will no longer be infested by them. The land is a new church, which will be at rest from them. The oaks and the cedars of Lebanon are the knowledges of good and truth in the external and internal senses; the feller not coming upon them denotes no more infestation. Hell beneath is moved on account of thee, to meet thee in thy coming; it hath stirred up Rephaim on account of thee, all the mighty of the earth; it hath made to rise from their thrones all the kings of the nations, signifies the delight of revenge of those who are in hell. All they shall answer and say, Art thou become weak like us? art thou become like unto us? And thy magnificence cast down into hell, the tumult of thy psalteries, signifies that the delight is from the consideration, that it is become like to them, and in like manner in the falsities of evil. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning, thou art cut down to the earth, thou art weakened beneath the nations, signifies scorning because it is such, although in the beginning it was in heaven, because in the good of love and in the truths of faith. These things are said by those who are in hell, because nothing is more delightful to those who are there than to draw any one down from heaven, and to destroy by the falsities of evil. But yet thou hast said in thine heart, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, and I will sit in the mount of the assembly, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like to the Most High. These are also words of scorning upon the pride of their dominion, that still they reach to heaven, and arrogate to themselves Divine power, and thereby subject all things of heaven and all things of the church to their own will, in order that they may be worshipped and adored as gods. The mount of the assembly at the sides of the north, denotes where there is ascent into the heavens. Above the stars and above the heights of the cloud, denotes over Divine truth, stars denoting the knowledges of good and truth, and the heights of the cloud the interior truths of the Word. But notwithstanding thou art cast down to hell, to the sides of the pit, those who see thee consider thee. Is this the man that moveth the earth, that maketh the kingdoms tremble, hath made the world into a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof? is a continuation of the scorning of those who are in hell, and also of the glorying thence that it is cast down from heaven. The sides of the pit are the places in hell where are mere falsities of evil. By the earth, the kingdoms, and the world, is signified the church; and by cities are signified doctrinals. Thou art cast forth from thy sepulchre as an abominable shoot, the raiment of the slain, thrust through with the sword, who descend to the stones of the pit, as a carcase trodden under foot, signifies the state of their damnation. The garment of them that are slain, thrust through with the sword, and the carcase trodden under foot, signify the damnation of the profanation of truth. Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulchre, for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people: the seed of the malicious shall not be named for ever, signifies more grievous damnation than of the rest, on account of having extinguished all things of the church. Prepare the slaughter for his sons for the iniquity of their fathers, that they may not arise and possess the earth, and fill the faces of the earth with cities, signifies the destruction of them for ever. I will cut off from Babel the name and the residue, and the son and the grandson, signifies total destruction, because they have no longer any thing of good or of truth. I will make thee a heritage for the bittern, and pools of waters, and I will sweep her with the besom of destruction, signifies the infernal falsity by the destruction of truth. I will break Asshur in my land, and upon my mountains will I tread him under foot, signifies that in the New Church there shall not be any reasonings from falsities against truths and goods. The things in this chapter may be seen more particularly explained in other parts of this work, as (n.208, 223, 304, 331, 386, 405, 539, 589, 594, 608, 659, 687, 697, 724, 727, 730, 741, 768, 811.

[14] Again:

"So shall Babel be the ornament of kingdoms and the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans; as the overthrow of God, Sodom and Gomorrah, it shall not be inhabited for ever; it shall not be dwelt in even to generation and generation; so that the Arab shall not tarry there, nor the shepherds cause to lie down. But the Ziim shall be there, and their houses shall be filled with Ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there: the Iim also shall answer in her palaces, and the dragons in the palaces of their delights: her time is near to come, and her day shall not be drawn out" (Isaiah 13:19-22).

The subject treated of in the whole of that chapter is the total devastation of all things of the good, and of all things of the truth of the church, with those who are of Babylon. By so shall Babel be, in the literal sense, is meant the great city called Babel; but, in the spiritual sense, is meant the church which became Babylon. Babel is called the ornament of the kingdoms, and the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans, from the wisdom of that church in its beginning, as said before; but, in general, by Babel or Babylon is meant the church in which all the goods of love are destroyed and at last profaned; and by Chaldea, the church in which all the truths of faith are destroyed and at last profaned. Hence it is that it is called the overthrow of God, Sodom and Gomorrah; Sodom also signifying the destruction of all good by the love of self, and Gomorrah the destruction of all the truth therefrom. It shall not be inhabited for ever; it shall not be dwelt in even to generation and generation, signifies the destruction thereof to eternity; not to be inhabited for ever having respect to the destruction of good, and not to be dwelt in to generation and generation, having respect to the destruction of truth. For those who destroy good and truth, and afterwards in place of them embrace evil and falsity, cannot be reformed. It is otherwise with those who are in evils and falsities, but have not destroyed good and truth, as is the case with the Gentiles who are ignorant of good and truth. The Arab shall not tarry there, and the shepherds shall not cause to lie down, signifies that the church will become such a wilderness, the Arab denoting those who live in a wilderness, but do not continue there, because there is no corn or fruit, as is the case also with the flock of the shepherds, when there is no pasture. The Iim shall lie down there, and the houses shall be filled with Ochim, signifies infernal falsities and the evils pertaining to them, the Iim denoting infernal falsities, and the Ochim infernal evils; and the house is the mind of those who are of such a quality. The daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there, signifies that falsified truths and adulterated goods are there. Falsified truths are the daughters of the owl, and adulterated goods are the satyrs; and to dance denotes the joy from the filthy love which has adulterated the good of love. The Iim, shall answer in her palaces, and the dragons in the palaces of her delights, signifies those adulterations and falsifications in their doctrines.

[15] Babel is similarly described in other passages in the prophets. As in Jeremiah:

"O sword against Babel, O sword against her treasures, that they may be spoiled; a drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up, because it is a land of graven images, and they glory concerning horrible things; therefore the Ziim with the Iim shall dwell there, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell therein; she shall not sit any more for ever, nor shall she inhabit even to generation and generation; according to the overthrow of God, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbouring cities thereof, a man shall not dwell there, neither shall the son of man abide therein" (50:35, 37-40).

In the same:

"Flee out of the midst of Babel, and deliver a man his soul, lest ye be cut off for the iniquity thereof; a cup of gold is Babel in the hand of Jehovah, making drunken the whole earth. The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore they are insane. Babel hath fallen suddenly, and is broken in pieces. Behold I am against thee, destroying mountain, saith Jehovah, that destroyest the whole earth. And I will stretch out my hand against thee, and will roll thee down from the rocks, and I will make thee for a mountain of combustion. Neither shall they take from thee a stone for a corner. Babel shall become heaps, a dwelling of dragons, a stupor and hissing, no inhabitant" (51:6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 37).

In Isaiah:

"Hear now," Babel, "sitting securely, saying in her heart, I am, and there is no one else besides me. I shall not sit a widow, neither shall I know bereaving. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day, bereaving and widowhood. They shall come full upon thee, for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness, not seeing me. Thy wisdom and thy science hath seduced thee, while thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and there is none besides me. Therefore evil shall come upon thee, which thou knowest not to deprecate, and calamity shall fall upon thee, which thou shalt not be able to expiate; and there shall come upon thee suddenly a devastation that thou shalt not know" (47:8-11).

Thus is described the destruction of Babel not only there, but also in the whole of chapter 47 of Isaiah, also in the whole of chapters 50 and 51 of Jeremiah; also in Isaiah 21:8, 9, and in David (Psalms 137:1, 8, 9).

The adulteration of good and falsification of truth by the Jews is also described by their whoredoms in Egypt, and afterwards with the daughters of Asshur; and lastly with the daughters of Babel and the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 16:1, to the end; 23:1, to the end). And by whoredoms in Egypt is meant the falsification of truth from the natural man, which is effected by fallacies, appearances, and scientifics. By their whoredom with the daughters of Asshur is signified the falsification of truth from the rational man, which is effected by reasonings and sophistries from fallacies, appearances, and scientifics. By their whoredom with the daughters of Babel and with the Chaldeans is signified the adulteration of good and profanation of truth.

[16] When, therefore, the sons of Israel altogether departed from the statutes, that were representative of the spiritual things of the church by which they had communication with heaven, then they were all given into the hands of the king of Assyria. For there was no longer any representative church with them, and, consequently, no communication with heaven. Concerning their prevarications, and concerning their transportation by the king of Assyria into his cities, and also into Babel, see 2 Kings 17:1, to the end.

It came to pass similarly with the Jews, who, when they had so adulterated and profaned all the statutes, judgments, and laws, which represented the good of love and the truth of faith, that there was no longer anything of good and truth remaining, and when their church, consequently, became Babylon, then into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel were given not only their kings and princes, and the whole people, but also all the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and afterwards all the golden vessels thereof; and, moreover, the temple itself was burned.

Concerning which see 2 Kings 24:1-20; 25:1-26; also Isaiah 20:17, 18; 39:6, 7; Jeremiah 20:4, 5; 21:4-10; 25:1-12; 27:6-22; 28:1-16; 29:1-21; 32:1-5; 34:1-17, 18-22; 35:11; 38:17-23; 39:2-18; 41:1-12; 52:1, to the end.

Their transgressions were:

That they filled Jerusalem with innocent blood (2 Kings 24:4);

That they burned incense to Baal; made drink offerings to other gods; set up abominations in the house of Jehovah; built high places to Baal in the valley of Hinnom; delivered up their sons and daughters to Molech (Jeremiah 32:29-35);

by all of which is signified the profanation of the holy things of the church, the same kind of profanation that is also signified by Babel. Therefore, lest the land, by which the church was signified, should any longer be profaned by them, and also that Babel might thence fully put on its representation, it was said to them by Jeremiah that they should freely give themselves into the hands of the king of Babel; and that if they did not so give themselves up, but remained in the land, they should die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence (Jeremiah 25:1-11).

[17] But because the Lord should be born in that nation, and manifest Himself where the church then was, and where His Word was, therefore that nation, after a captivity of seventy years, was brought back from Babel, and the temple rebuilt. But still no other church remained with them, except that which was like the church Babylon, as is evident from many things which the Lord Himself said concerning that nation, and by the manner in which they received Him. Therefore Jerusalem was at last destroyed, and the temple burnt with fire.

[18] It must be observed in general, that every church at its beginning is like a virgin, but in process of time it becomes a whore. For by degrees it enters into the life of evil, and thence embraces the doctrine of falsity, as it gradually begins to love self and the world; and then from being a church it becomes either Babylon or Philistea, Babylon with those who love themselves above all things, and Philistea with those who love the world above all things. For as these two loves increase, so, the men of the church adulterate and falsify the goods and truths of the Word, which is from being a virgin to become a harlot.

That the first church after the Deluge would also have become Babylon, unless the Lord, by the dispersal of their religion, had impeded the attempt, is represented and signified by the tower reaching even to heaven, which the posterity of Noah began to build, treated of in Genesis (11:1-9), and explained as to the particulars in Arcana Coelestia 1283-1328).

After having thus shown from the Word what is signified in general and specifically by Babel or Babylon, we are now prepared to pass on to the explanation of those things that are foretold in this and the following chapter concerning its destruction.

538. It was said that the abyss signifies the hells where and whence falsities are. The reason of this signification is, that those hells, where the falsities of evil reign, appear like seas, in the depths of which are the infernal crew, who are in the falsities of evil. They appear like seas, because falsities continually flow out from them and falsities appear like waters, wherefore waters in the Word also signify falsities. The quality of the falsity is also known from the waters themselves. For falsities are of many kinds, as many as there are evils; the falsities which are from grievous evils appear over those hells like gross and black waters, and falsities from the evil of the love of self, like red waters, the quality of the kind of the falsity being distinguishable from the grossness and colour. It must be remembered that in the spiritual world, truths also appear like waters, but like waters of a limpid and pure quality; the reason is, that there are three degrees of the life of man, as there are three heavens. Those in whom the third degree is opened are in an atmosphere pure like the ether; in such an atmosphere are those who dwell in the third or inmost heaven; but those in whom the second degree only is opened, are in an atmosphere like air; in this are those of the second or middle heaven. But those in whom the first degree only is opened, are in an atmosphere, watery as it were, yet limpid and pure; in such are those in the first or ultimate heaven. The reason of this is, that interior perceptions and thoughts, because they are more perfect, correspond to a similar purity of the atmosphere, in which they are; for they diffuse themselves from every angel, and still more from every angelic society, and present a corresponding sphere, and this sphere appears in a purity similar to that in which the perceptions and thoughts of the angels, or their intelligence and wisdom are. This sphere appears as an atmosphere, as an etherial atmosphere in the inmost heaven, as an aerial atmosphere in the middle heaven, and as a limpid watery atmosphere in the ultimate heaven, as stated above. It is therefore evident that an atmosphere of a watery appearance corresponds to natural thought and perception, but that an atmosphere which is as it were thinly watery, corresponds to spiritual natural thought and perception, in which are the angels of the ultimate heaven; but one which is of a grossly watery nature, verging either to black or to red, corresponds to natural thought in which there is nothing spiritual; and natural thought in which there is nothing spiritual pertains to those who are in the hells where falsities reign; for all those who are there are merely natural and sensual. That man has three degrees of life as the three heavens, and that they differ in purity, may be seen in the work concerningHeaven and Hell 33, 34, 208, 209, 211). It is evident from these facts why those hells are in the Word called seas and abysses; seas, because they appear like seas, and abysses from their depth.

[2] That seas, depths, and abysses, signify the hells where and whence the falsities of evil are, is clear from the following passages of the Word.

In Moses:

"Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea; the depths covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were heaped up, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the abysses were congealed in the heart of the sea" (Exodus 15:4, 5, 8).

These words form part of the song of Moses concerning Pharaoh and his host after they were drowned in the Sea Suph (Red Sea). Pharaoh and his host signify those who are in falsities from evil, and the Sea Suph (Red Sea) signifies the hell where those falsities are. It is therefore evident that by the depths which covered them are signified the hells. What the rest signifies in the spiritual sense, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 8272-8279, an. 8286-8289), where it is explained.

[3] The signification of the following in David is similar:

"He rebuked the Sea Suph (Red Sea), so that it was dried up; and he led them through the abysses as in a wilderness, and the waters covered their adversaries" (Psalm 106:9, 11).

And in Isaiah:

"Art thou not he who dried up the sea, the waters of the great abyss; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?" (51:10, 15).

Again, in the same prophet:

"Who divided the waters before them, who led them through the abysses as a horse in the wilderness; they stumbled not" (63:12-13).

The sons of Israel, before whom the Sea Suph (Red Sea) was dried up that they might pass safely through, mean all those who are in truths from good, whom the Lord defends, lest the falsities of evil which ascend continually from the hells should injure them. This is what is meant by drying up the sea, the waters of the great abyss, and by making the depths thereof a way for the redeemed to pass over; also by leading them through the abysses. For the falsities breathed out from the hells continually cling to man, consequently the hells, for whether we speak of falsities from the hells, or of the hells themselves, it is the same thing; but the Lord continually disperses them with those who are in truths from good from Himself. This, then, is the signification of drying up the sea, and leading them through the abysses. Those who are in truths from good from the Lord, are meant by the redeemed.

[4] The same is signified by drying up the abyss and making dry the rivers in Isaiah:

Jehovah "saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof; that saith to the abyss, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers" (44:26, 27).

Jerusalem signifies the church of the Lord, and the cities of Judah signify the goods and truths of doctrine; the restoration of the church and of doctrine is signified by being inhabited and built; the dissipation of evils and falsities from the hells, and protection from them, are signified by drying up the abyss and making dry the rivers, as may be seen above.

[5] The same thing is signified by these words in Zechariah:

"Israel shall pass through the sea of affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the river shall be dried up; and the pride of Assyria shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart away" (10:11).

That those who live in truths from good are defended by the Lord, although falsities from the hells encompass them, is signified by Israel passing through the sea, and smiting the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the river being dried up. For by Israel are meant those who are in truths from good; by the sea is signified hell and all the falsity thence; by the waves of the sea are signified reasonings from falsities against truths; by drying up all the depths of the river is signified to scatter all the falsities of evil, even the more profound. The river Nile denotes the false scientific; wherefore it follows, that "the pride of Assyria shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart away." Assyria signifies reasoning from falsities against truths, and Egypt, the scientific applied to confirm falsities; the pride of Assyria which shall be cast down, signifies [man's] own intelligence from which reasoning proceeds, and the staff of Egypt, which shall depart away, signifies the power which comes to reasoning through scientifics applied for the purpose of confirmation.

[6] In Ezekiel:

"In the day when he shall descend into hell, ¹ I will make him mourn, I will cover upon him the abyss" (31:15).

This is said of Pharaoh and Assyria; and Pharaoh signifies the same as Egypt, namely, the scientific destroying the truth of the church by application to falsities; and reasoning from them is signified by Assyria. That such are cast down into hell, where those falsities and reasonings from them are, is signified by his going down into hell, and being covered with the abyss. It is therefore evident that the abyss denotes the hell where and whence are the falsities of evil.

[7] In Micah:

God "will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and he will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" (7:19).

Because the depths of the sea equally as abysses denote the hells where and whence are evils and falsities, therefore it is said that He will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

[8] In Ezekiel:

"When I shall make thee a desolated city like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the abyss against thee, and many waters shall cover thee; and I will bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, to the people of an age, and will make thee to dwell in the land of the lower [parts] in the desolations from of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou have no habitation" (26:19, 20).

This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church as to the cognitions of truth and good, or as to the truths of the natural man, for the truths of the natural man are the cognitions of truth and good. The vastation of the church as to these things is here treated of; to make Tyre a desolated city, as cities that are not inhabited, signifies its doctrine without truths, and as doctrines that are without good, for truths of doctrine without good are not truths, because all truths are of good. By bringing up the abyss against Tyre, and causing many waters to cover her, is signified immersion in falsities from hell in much abundance, the abyss denoting hell, and many waters denoting falsities in much abundance. With them that descend into the pit, to the people of an age, signifies unto those in hell who were there from the Most Ancient church just before the deluge, and who are called the people of an age, because they were from ancient time, and were, above all others, in falsities of a direful nature. Hence it is evident what is signified by making to dwell in the land of the lower [parts] in the desolations from an age, with them that descend into the pit, that thou have no habitation. Not to have a habitation denotes here not to be in any truths, because not in good. Such also do not dwell in houses but in pits.

[9] Similar things are signified in Zechariah:

"Behold, Jehovah shall impoverish Tyre, and shall shake out her riches into the sea; and she herself shall be devoured with fire" (9:4).

By shaking out her riches into the sea, is signified to cast falsities into hell, the sea denoting the hell where the falsities of evil are, and her riches those falsities themselves.

[10] So again, in Ezekiel:

"They who contemn thee have brought thee into many waters; the east wind hath broken thee in the heart of the seas. Thy riches, and thy tradings, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and they who trade thy tradings, and all thy men of war that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of thy fall" (27:26, 27).

These things are also said concerning Tyre and her ships, which signify the cognitions of good and truth, or the truths of the natural man, which they procure for themselves, and sell, but here they denote falsities. The heart of the seas, in which it is said the east wind hath broken her, and into which she shall fall in the day of her fall, signifies the same as the abyss or the hell, whence falsities of doctrine are. The east wind denotes influx out of heaven, and the day of her fall, a last judgment. Her riches signify falsities; tradings and merchandise, the acquisitions and communications thereof; mariners, signify ministers, and pilots, the leaders who lead and teach. The men of war, denote those who defend, and the company, false doctrinals.

[11] So in Jonah:

"Out of the belly of hell ¹ cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou didst cast me into the deep, even into the heart of the seas; and the stream compassed me about; all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the abyss closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the cuttings off of the mountains; the bars of the earth upon me for ever; yet hast thou made my life to ascend out of the pit" (2:2, 3, 5, 6).

Jonah in the whale three days and three nights, represented that the Lord would be in like manner in the heart of the earth, as He Himself teaches in Matthew (12:39, 40; 16:4; Luke 11:29, 30). And the dire temptations of the Lord are described by these words of Jonah; because temptations are the result of inundations of evils and falsities, which ascend from hell, and as it were overwhelm, it is said, that he cried out from the belly of hell and that he was cast into the deep, even into the heart of the seas, which also signifies hell. The stream, and the waters which compassed him about, and the waves and billows which passed over him, signify evils and falsities thence. The abyss which closed him round about signifies the hells where and whence falsities are. The cuttings off of the mountains to which he went down, signify the hells where and whence evils are; that he was as it were bound by them is signified by the weed wrapped about the head, and by the bars of the earth being upon him, weeds denoting being bound by falsities, and the bars of the earth being bound by evils; victory over them from His own power, is signified by, Yet hast thou made my life to ascend out of the pit. It is said, Thou hast made "to ascend"; but by this, when stated of the Lord, is meant that He Himself from His own Divine, thus by His own power, caused Himself to ascend.

[12] Similar things are signified by the following passages in David:

"Abyss calleth unto abyss at the noise of thy water-spouts; all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me" (Psalm 42:7).

So again:

"The waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in mire of the deep where there is no standing; I am come into the depths of waters, and the floods overflow me. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the depths of waters. Let not the water-floods overflow me, neither let the pit shut her mouth upon me" (Psalm 69:1, 2, 14, 15).

Again:

"Return, quicken me, return, and bring me up again from the abyss of the earth" (Psalm 71:20).

And again:

"I am counted with them that go down into the pit; neglected among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more, and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the pit of the lower [parts] in dark places, in the deeps" (Psalm 88:4, 5, 6).

In these passages in David also the temptations of the Lord, by which He subjugated the hells, and glorified His Human, while in the world, are described. Waves and billows, signify evils and falsities, and abysses and depths of the sea, and also the pit, signify the hells where and whence those evils and falsities are; for as we said above, temptations are as it were immersions into the hells, and obsessions by evils and falsities. These things are signified by lamentations in many places in David, and also in the prophets. For in the spiritual sense of the Word, the temptations of the Lord are much treated of by which He subjugated the hells, and reduced all things to order in the heavens and in the hells, and by which He glorified His Human; they are especially meant by the things predicted in the prophets and Psalms concerning the Lord, and fulfilled by Him, as stated in Luke (24:44).

[13] The abyss, and the sea and the depths thereof, also signify the hells, in the following passages; as in Jeremiah:

"Flee ye, they have turned themselves away, they have cast themselves down into the deep, the inhabitants of Dedan, and Hazor" (49:8, 30).

And again:

"The sea is come up upon Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof" (Jeremiah 51:42).

And in Amos:

"The Lord Jehovih made me to see, and behold calling to contend by fire, he hath devoured the great abyss" (7:4).

And in David:

"The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid; the abysses also were troubled" (Psalm 77:16).

And again:

"We will not fear, when the earth shall be changed and though the mountains shake in the heart of the seas; though the waters thereof shall roar and be troubled" (Psalm 46:2, 3).

And in Moses:

"On the same day were all the fountains of the great abyss broken up, and the flood gates of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11).

And again:

"The fountains also of the abyss, and the flood gates of heaven were stopped" (Genesis 8:2).

So in Job:

"Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof. The abyss saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me" (28:12, 13, 14).

And again:

"Hast thou entered into the weepings of the sea? or hast thou walked in search of the abyss? Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?" (38:16, 17).

So in the Evangelists:

"Whoso shall cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it were better for him that an ass-millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were sunk in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2).

And again, we read, that the demons who obsessed the man, entreated Jesus that He would not command them to go into the abyss, therefore He suffered them to enter into the swine (Luke 8:31, 33; Matthew 8:31, 32).

And also in the following passages in the Apocalypse:

"The beast that ascendeth out of the abyss and made war" (11:7).

"The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the abyss" (17:8).

"I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he bound the dragon a thousand years; and cast him into the abyss" (20:1, 2, 3).

In these passages also, by the abyss, and by the depth of the sea, is signified the hell where and whence the falsities of evil are. The reason of this is, that the spirits who are there, and who, whilst they lived as men in the world, were in the falsities of evil, appear to dwell as it were in the bottom of seas, and this the more deeply according to the grievousness of the evil from which the falsity was derived.

[14] As abysses signify the hells, where and whence falsities are, so they also signify the ultimates of heaven, where and whence are the cognitions of truth, which are the truths of the natural man. The reason is, that the ultimates of heaven also appear to be as it were in waters, but such as are limpid and clear; for, as was said above, the atmosphere of the highest heaven is as it were ethereal, the atmosphere of the middle heaven as it were aerial, and the atmosphere of the ultimate heaven as it were watery. The reason why this latter atmosphere appears to be watery is, because the truths pertaining to those who are in it, are truths of the natural man, and the atmosphere of the natural man is, as it were, watery; hence also are the appearances of rivers, lakes, and seas, in the spiritual world. Therefore seas also signify cognitions and scientifics in general, or in their whole compass; that these things are signified by seas may be seen above (n. 275, 342).

[15] The signification of abysses in the following passages is similar; as in Moses:

"Jehovah, thy God, bringeth thee into a good land, a land of rivers of water, of fountains and abysses springing out of the valley and out of the mountain" (Deuteronomy 8:7),

this passage may be seen explained above (n. 518:8).

So again:

God shall bless Joseph "with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the abyss that lieth under" (Genesis 49:25; Deuteronomy 33:13), (see also above, n. 448:7).

So in David:

"By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap, putting the abysses in storehouses" (Psalm 33:6, 7), (see also above, n. 275).

Again:

"Thou coveredst the earth with the abyss as with a garment" (Psalm 104:6), (see also above, n. 275).

Again:

"Praise Jehovah from the earth, ye sea monsters and all abysses" (Psalm 148:7).

Abysses in these passages signify the ultimates of heaven, in which are the spiritual-natural angels.

So again, in Ezekiel:

"The waters made it to grow, the abyss made it high" (31:4), (see above, n. 518:15).

[16] Moreover abysses also signify Divine truths in abundance, and the interior things of Divine wisdom.

Thus in David:

"He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and made [them] drink great abysses" (Psalm 78:15).

And again: Jehovah, "thy justice is a great abyss" (36:6); and in other places.

Fusnotat: