1033. That sitteth upon many waters, signifies that has dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church. This is evident from the signification of "to sit," as being to subject to her judgment and to bring under her jurisdiction, and thus to have dominion over. This is why the expressions "sitting in judgment" and "sitting upon a throne" are used (See above, n. 687). Also from the signification of "waters," as being truths (See n. 71, 483, 518, 854), but here all things of the Word, because it is said "many waters," and has reference to the "harlot," which is Babylon, by which is meant adulteration and profanation of the Word from which comes every good and truth of the church. "Many waters" signify also the holy things of the church, because all holy things of the church have reference to goods and truths, which are from the Word.

[2] "To dwell upon many waters" has a like signification in Jeremiah:

Jehovah shall do that which He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon. O thou that dwellest upon many waters, upon many treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy gain (Jeremiah 51:12-13).

Because "many waters" signify the truths of the Word, and thus the holy things of the church, it is here added, "upon many treasures"; for "treasures" signify Divine truths, which are in the Word. "Many waters" here signify also the holy things of the church, as will be evident from the explanation of the fifteenth verse, where it is said, "The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues," and "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues," there mean all things of the church; because the "earth" in the Word signifies the church, and thus those on the earth signify all things of the church. But on this more will be said in the explanation of that verse. That the Babylonians have subjected the truths of the Word and the holy things of the church to their judgment, jurisdiction, and dominion, can be seen from this, that they persuade the people that the Word is understood by them alone and not by any who have not been inaugurated into the ministry; and by this means they subject all things of the Word and thus all things of the church to their dominion.

[3] Moreover, the Word is such in the sense of its letter that it may be drawn aside to confirm any heresy whatever; for the sense of the letter consists of appearances of truth, which hold enclosed in them the genuine truths of heaven, which are called spiritual truths; and unless these truths are revealed and laid bare, that is, unless they are taught in the doctrines of the church, the appearances they present may be drawn over and perverted to favor any falsity whatever, and even to favor evil. For the genuine truths of the Word are like a man, and the appearances of truth, of which the sense of the letter consists, are like his garments, from which alone no judgment can be formed respecting who the man is or what he is. If a man were judged from his garments alone, a king might be called a servant, and a servant a king, and a good man might be called an evil man, and an evil man a good man; and so on. So those who arrogate to themselves dominion over all things of the church and heaven can apply the sense in its letter a thousand ways to favor their dominion. And this is an easy task, because all things of the church, which are called holy, they place above the human understanding, and when this is assented to and no genuine truth is taught, infernal falsities may be called truths, and devilish evils may be called goods; and the simple may even be persuaded that the edicts of the Pope are just as holy as the commandments of the Word, and even more holy; and yet these are from heaven, while those edicts are for the most part from hell. For every edict respecting government, faith, and worship in the church, that has for an end dominion in the world, however it may appear in the external form, and may sound as if from the Word, is from hell; while every commandment from the Word, because it has for its end the salvation of souls by the Lord, is from heaven. From all this it can be seen that "sitting upon many waters," when predicated of Babylon as a harlot, signifies having dominion over all things of the Word, and thus over the holy things of the church.

3939. Et elle appela son nom Ascher, signifie la qualité : on le voit par la signification d'appeler le nom, en ce que c'est la qualité, comme ci-dessus la qualité elle-même est ce qu'Ascher représente : Ascher dans la Langue originale signifie la béatitude, mais il enveloppe toutes les choses qui sont signifiées par les paroles de Léah sa mère : Pour ma béatitude, parce que me béatifieront des filles, savoir, le plaisir des affections correspondant à la félicité de la vie éternelle ; c'est là le quatrième commun qui conjoint l'homme Externe avec l'homme Interne ; en effet, quand l'homme perçoit en lui ce plaisir correspondant, son homme Externe commence à être conjoint à l'homme interne ; ce sont les plaisirs, appartenant aux affections du vrai et du bien, qui conjoignent, car sans les plaisirs des affections rien n'est conjoint, puisque la vie de l'homme est dans les affections ; que toute conjonction existe par les affections, on le voit numéros 3024, 3066, 3336, 3849, 3909 ; les filles qui béatifieront signifient les Églises ; que les filles, dans le sens interne de la Parole, soient les Églises, on le voit numéro 2362. Ces paroles ont donc été prononcées par Léah, parce que les enfantements des servantes signifient les vrais communs, qui sont les moyens servant à la conjonction, afin que l'Eglise existe chez l'homme ; car lorsque l'homme perçoit ce plaisir ou cette affection, il commence à devenir Eglise, et c'est parce qu'il en est ainsi, que ces paroles sont dites du quatrième ou dernier fils des servantes. Dans la Parole, Ascher est çà et là nommé ; mais là par lui, comme aussi par les autres, est signifiée la qualité dont il y est question, c'est-à-dire, quels ils sont dans cet état où se trouve la chose dont il s'agit ; et il en est aussi de leur qualité selon l'ordre dans lequel ils sont nommés, par exemple, autrement quand c'est de Ruben ou de la foi que le principe est tiré, autrement quand c'est de Jehudah ou de l'amour céleste, et autrement quand c'est de Joseph ou de l'amour spirituel, car l'essence et la qualité du principe sont dérivées et passent dans les suivantes ; de là leurs différentes significations dans les passages où ils sont nommés ; ici où il s'agit de leur naissance, ils signifient les communs de l'Eglise, par conséquent toutes les choses de la foi et de l'amour qui font l'Eglise ; et cela, parce que dans ce qui précède il s'agit de la régénération de l'homme, ou des états de l'homme avant qu'il devienne Eglise ; et, dans le sens suprême, du Seigneur, comment l'a fait Divin son Humain ; ainsi, parce qu'il s'agit de l'ascension jusqu'à Jéhovah par l'échelle que Jacob vit dans Béthel.