1046. (Verse 5) And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great. That this signifies, in heart the love of dominion over the world and heaven, to which the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, serve as means, is evident from the signification of a name written upon the forehead, as denoting her quality as to love. For by name is signified the quality of a thing or state, and by forehead is signified love. That name denotes the quality of a thing or state may be seen (n. 102, 148, 676, 695, 841, 892); and that the forehead corresponds to the good of love (n. 497, 852); and from the signification of mystery, as denoting that which lies hid in the heart, and does not appear before the common people. That this is the love of dominion over the world and over heaven, to which the holy things of the church are subservient as means, and that the cupidity and rule of that love is Babylon, has been shown many times in the premises to this chapter (n. 1029). And because that love devastates the church of all truths and goods, therefore this also is meant by Mystery, Babylon the great.

497. And cast it upon the earth.- That this signifies influx into the lower parts where those were who had to be separated and removed, is evident from the signification of casting down the censer filled with the fire of the altar, as denoting the influx of Divine Love out of the heavens, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the earth, as denoting the lower parts, where those were who had to be separated and removed from each other. For in the spiritual world there are lands (terroe), hills, and mountains; and the lands, hills, and mountains there are inhabited. On the hills and mountains the angels dwell, and are the heavens, and upon the lands (terroe), which are below the hills and mountains, dwelt those who were to be separated from each other; wherefore the earths here signify the lower parts. That the external appearance of such things in the spiritual world is similar to what it is on our earth, is shewn in many places in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, and also in the small work concerning the Last Judgment, and, occasionally, in the explanations above. From what has been said, it is clear that the angel casting the censer filled with fire of the altar upon the earth, signifies the influx of the Divine Love out of the heavens into the lower parts, where they were who were to be separated and removed. For below upon the lands (terroe) there, societies existed in which the good and the evil were, and these were to be separated one from another before the Last Judgment could take place. For from the time of the Lord, up till the period of the Last Judgment, all those who could live an external moral life, and by means of it imitate spiritual life in appearance, were tolerated. That these were tolerated until the Last Judgment, and the reason why, may be seen in theLast Judgment 59, 69, 70); and that the former heaven, which was destroyed, was formed of them (n. 65-72). In the same societies, or in the former heaven, the simple good also were present, some with those who were there, and some elsewhere, but conjoined with them by a pious and holy external, and yet the good had to be separated from the evil before the judgment, in order that the former might be taken into heaven and the evil cast in hell; and as this separation was effected by the influx of Divine Good and Truth out of the heavens into the lower parts where all those were, therefore it is plain that the censer filled with fire from the altar and cast [upon the earth], signifies that influx into the lower parts. Concerning the operation of that influx with the good, and also with the evil, see above (n. 413, 418, 419, 426, 489, 493).