1119. So much torment and mourning give her, signifies so much of infernal punishment and desolation. This is evident from the signification of "torment," as being infernal punishment; also from the signification of "mourning," as being desolation, which is from their no longer having anything of truth or good, but mere falsity and evil. It is said that "as much torment and mourning should be given as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously," because all torment or infernal punishment corresponds exactly to the evils in which such persons are. Those, therefore, who have glorified themselves much and have taken delight in the love of having dominion over heaven and over the church, and for the sake of that glory and consequent delight have perverted the goods of heaven and the church which belong to the Word, have their lot in a hell more grievous in respect to torment; while those who have glorified and delighted themselves less in such things have their lot in a milder hell; and those who have not glorified themselves at all, and thus have not perverted the goods and truths of heaven and the church, which are from the Word, but have simply rendered obedience to them either ignorantly or from persuasion, do not have their lot in hell; and such people as have no part in dominion, especially those who look to the Lord and have some affection of truth, have their lot in the heavens, where they are taught by the angels. From all this it can be seen that here, where Babylon is treated of, only those are meant who exercise dominion from the delight of the love of it for the sake of self.

(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith and respecting the Lord)

[2] That God is Man and that the Lord is that Man is made evident by all things that are in the heavens and that are beneath the heavens. In the heavens all things that proceed from the Lord in greatest and in least things 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 is in the human form; and also every spirit beneath the heavens; and it has been revealed to me that all things both least and greatest that proceed immediately from the Lord are in that form, for that which proceeds from God is an image of Him. This is why it is said of the man Adam and Eve:

That they were created into the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27).

[3] And for the same reason the angels in the heavens, because they are recipients of the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, are men of wonderful beauty, while the spirits in the hells, because they do not receive the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, are devils, and in the light of heaven they do not appear as men but as monsters. And on this account it is known in the spiritual world from one's human form how much he derives from the Lord. From all this it can be seen that the Lord is the only Man, and that everyone is a man according to his reception of Divine good and Divine truth from the Lord. In a word, he who sees God as Man sees God because he sees the Lord. And the Lord says:

He that seeth the Son and believeth in Him hath eternal life (John 6:40).

To see the Son is to see Him in spirit, for this is said also to those who did not see him in the world.

10412. 'And Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow there will be a feast to Jehovah' means that this is the really essential thing of the Church which is to be celebrated and the truly Divine reality that is to be worshipped unceasingly. This is clear from the meaning of 'a feast' as the inclusion of celebration within the Church's worship, for feast days were times of celebration, so that 'proclaiming a feast' means the essential thing of the Church which is to be celebrated - the Divine essential reality that is to be worshipped being meant by the declaration that this feast was called 'a feast to Jehovah'; and from the meaning of 'tomorrow' as that which is eternal and unceasing, dealt with in 3998, 7140, 9939.

[2] Those furthermore whose interest lies in external things and not in what is internal wish to be worshipped as a god and to have what is theirs venerated as something Divine, so far as their fear of the common people will let them. From this one may deduce that at heart they refuse to recognize the Divine and are constantly yearning to rise to higher positions, and so far as nothing stands in their way to the highest, and so finally to the throne of God, as is plainly evident from those meant in the Word by Babel, who take all power in heaven and on earth away from the Lord and ascribe it to themselves. For they open heaven and close it just as they please. The fact that this is what they are like is clear in Isaiah,

You will declare this parable about the king of Babel, Hell beneath has been stirred up on account of you. How have you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer? You have been cut down to the earth, you have been weakened below the nations. And you said in your heart, I will go up the heavens, above the stars of God I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly; I will go up above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High. But yet you have been sent down to hell. Isaiah 14:4, 9, 12-15.

[3] Also the king of Babel commanded that he should be worshipped as a god, as is clear in Daniel 6. 'Babel' is used to mean those who are outwardly holy but inwardly unholy, thus those who employ the holy things of the Church as means to the end that they themselves may be worshipped as gods. This also is what all those people do who by using the holy things of the Church as the means strive to rise to eminent positions over others and greater wealthiness than others as ends in themselves. Such people are just the same in the next life. There as well they refuse at heart to recognize the Divine and endeavour by means of unmentionable tricks to make themselves gods. They place themselves high up on mountains, proclaiming and adoring one of their number as a god. But when they engage in that unholy worship the mountain splits apart to reveal a deep chasm which swallows them up, and in this way they are thrown down into hell. I have been allowed several times to see that this is so.