799. "For your great men were the merchants of the earth." This symbolically means that those higher in the Roman Catholic hierarchy are of such a character because they use their various prerogatives, including ones left to their discretion in the regulations of their order, to buy and sell and make material gains.

The great men mean those higher in the Roman Catholic hierarchy, those called cardinals, bishops and primates. They are called merchants because they use the sanctities of the church as merchandise by which to make material gains (nos. 771, 783) - here those who use their various prerogatives, including ones left to their discretion in the regulations of their order, to buy and sell and make material gains.

The reason we say this is apparent from the foregoing declarations, for this follows as a consequence of them. In the foregoing declarations we are told that the sound of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters, shall not be heard in Babylon anymore, that no craftsman of any craft shall be found there, that the sound of a mill shall not be heard there, that the light of a lamp shall not shine there, and that the sound of a bridegroom and bride shall not be heard there; and these symbolically mean, as may be seen above, that in Babylon there will be no affection for spiritual truth (no. 792), no understanding of spiritual truth and so no thought of spiritual truth (no. 793), neither any inquiry or investigation into it (no. 794), nor any enlightenment or perception of it, and so no conjunction of goodness and truth, which is what forms the church (no. 797). The Roman Catholics described lack these things because those higher in rank also buy and sell and make material gains, and thus furnish those lower in rank with their examples. This then is why we are told, "For your great men were the merchants of the earth."

[2] But perhaps someone will say, "What are those additional discretionary prerogatives which can be used as merchandise?"

They are not their annual incomes and stipends, but the dispensations they make by the power the keys give them, namely, their forgiving of sins, even heinous ones, and using this to liberate from temporal punishments; their interceding with the Pope to be able to marry people within degrees of relationship prohibited by law, and to put an end to marriages within degrees of relationship not prohibited, and allowing these themselves without interceding by acts of toleration; their granting special privileges that lie within their power to grant; their use of the power to ordain ministers and confirm them; their use of the gifts they receive in general and in particular from monasteries; their appropriation of revenues from other sources which belong by right to others; and many other things.

These, and not their annual incomes, if they are content with them, cause them not to have any affection for or thought of spiritual truth, any investigation into or perception of spiritual truth, or any conjunction of truth and goodness, because they are the quests of unrighteous mammon, and an unrighteous person continually lusts for natural riches and turns away from spiritual riches, which are Divine truths drawn from the Word.

[3] It can now be seen from this that the declaration, "For your great men were the merchants of the earth," symbolically means that those higher in the Roman Catholic hierarchy are of such a character because they use their various prerogatives, including ones left to their discretion in the regulations of their order, to buy and sell and make material gains.

To this we will add here something more about using the power of the keys to grant dispensations over the commission of crimes, even heinous ones, by which to liberate the guilty not only from eternal punishment, but also from temporal ones, and if they are not liberated, still to protect them by giving them asylum.

Who does not see that this does not fall within ecclesiastical authority, but rather civil authority? That it is to extend ecclesiastical government over everything secular? That it serves to destroy public trust? And that by this power still reserved for them they have the power to bring back their earlier despotic dominion over all the law courts established by kings, thus over the judges, even the highest of them - something they would also do, if they did not fear people's leaving the church.

This is what is meant in Daniel by the fourth beast that came up from the sea and its thinking to change the times and the law (Daniel 7:25).

794. "And the sound of a mill shall not be heard in you anymore." This symbolically means that those caught up in the Roman Catholic religion because of its doctrine and a life in accordance with it do not inquire into, investigate, or confirm spiritual truth, because the falsity they have accepted, affirmed, and so enrooted in themselves stands in the way.

The sound of a mill symbolizes nothing else but an inquiry, investigation, and confirmation of spiritual truth, especially that drawn from the Word. This is the symbolic meaning of the sound of a mill or milling because wheat and barley, the grains milled, symbolize celestial and spiritual goodness, and wheat flour and barley meal symbolize the truth springing from that goodness. For all truth originates from goodness, and every truth that does not spring from spiritual goodness is not spiritual truth.

It is called the sound of a mill because spiritual entities are designated here and there in the Word by devices consisting of the most external things of nature, such as spiritual truths and goods by cups, bowls, wineskins, dishes, and many other kinds of vessels (see no. 672 above).

That wheat symbolizes the goodness of the church from the Word may be seen in no. 315; and that flour milled from wheat symbolizes truth springing from that goodness, no. 778.

[2] That a mill symbolizes an inquiry, investigation, and confirmation of spiritual truth can be seen from the following passages:

(Jesus said,) "(At the end of the age) two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be milling: one will be taken and the other left." (Matthew 24:40-41)

The final period of the church is meant by the end of the age, when the Last Judgment takes place. The field symbolizes the church, because that is the place of harvest. The women milling symbolize people in the church who inquire into truths. The people taken symbolize people who find and accept those truths, and the people left symbolize people who do not inquire into or accept truths, because they are caught up in falsities.

I will take from them the sound of mirth and the sound of gladness, the sound of the bridegroom and the sound of the bride, the sound of mills and the light of the lamp. (Jeremiah 25:10)

The sound of mills has the same symbolic meaning here as in this verse of the book of Revelation.

No man shall take in pledge a mill or millstone, for he would be taking the person's life in pledge. (Deuteronomy 24:6)

The mill here is called a person's life, because the life or soul symbolizes the truth of wisdom and faith (no. 681).

[3] In an opposite sense a mill symbolizes an investigation and confirmation of falsity, as is apparent from these passages:

They took away young men to mill, and youths collapse under the wood. (Lamentations 5:13)

...sit on the dust, O... daughter of Babylon... Take the mill and grind meal. Uncover your hair..., uncover your thigh, pass through the rivers. Let your nakedness be uncovered and your shame be seen. (Isaiah 47:1-3)

To take the mill and grind meal means, symbolically, to inquire into and investigate in order to confirm falsities.