1022. To give unto her the cup of the wrath of his anger. That this signifies its devastation by the dire falsities of evil, is evident from the signification of a cup, as denoting falsity from hell, which is the falsity of evil (concerning which see n. 960); and as it appears as if God were angry and wrathful on account thereof, it is called the cup of the wrath of the anger of God, wrath on account of falsity, and anger on account of evil. Therefore by giving her that cup is signified to devastate; for the falsity of evil from hell devastates all the good and truth of the church. That the church meant by Babylon is thus devastated will be seen in the two following chapters.

Concerning the Tenth Precept, "Thou shalt not covet (or desire) thy neighbour's wife, his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass."

[2] These lusts extend to what are man's own, since the wife, the man-servant, the maid-servant, the ox, and the ass are in his house. And by those things in a man's house, in the spiritual internal sense, are meant what are his own; that is to say, by the wife is meant the affection of spiritual truth and good; by the man-servant and maid-servant, the affection of rational truth and good serving the spiritual, and by the ox and the ass, the affection of natural good and truth. These affections are signified by such things in the Word. But whereas to covet and desire those affections is to will and to covet the subjection of the man to one's own power and authority, therefore it follows, that by the lusts of those things are meant those of the love of self, that is, of the love of ruling; for thereby a man makes the things belonging to his neighbour his own.

[3] From those things it is evident that the lust of the ninth precept is that of the love of the world; and that the lusts of this precept are those of the love of self. For, as said before, all lusts pertain to love; for it is the love which covets. And as there are two evil loves to which all lusts have reference, namely, the love of the world and the love of self, it follows that the lust of the ninth precept has reference to the love of the world, and that the lusts of this precept have reference to the love of self, particularly to the love of ruling.

That from these two loves all evils and the falsities therefrom take their rise may be seen above (n. 159, 171, 394, 506, 517, 650, 950, 951, 973, 982, 1010, 1016); and in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 65-83).

517. And there fell a great star from heaven burning as it were a lamp.- That this signifies the truth of the Word falsified from the proprium love, is evident from the signification of stars, as denoting the knowledges of truth and good, as well as the truths and goods of knowledges from the Word; concerning which see above (n. 72, 402); and from the signification of burning as a lamp, as denoting to be falsified from the proprium love; to burn being said of the proprium love, because this love is signified by fire, as may be seen above (n. 504:17); and a lamp signifies the truth of the Word, of doctrine, and of faith, as may also be seen above (n. 274). Hence it is evident, that by a great star falling from heaven, and burning as it were a lamp, is signified, the truth of the Word falsified from the proprium love.

[2] It must be known, that all those who are in the love of self, if they study the Word, falsify its truths. The reason of this is, that all truth is out of heaven from the Lord, and nothing [thereof] from the proprium of man; and those who are in the love of self are immersed in their proprium, and they take therefrom every idea of their thought concerning the truths of the Word. Hence it is, that they falsify those things, not as to the sense of the letter of the Word, but as to the understanding of the truth therein; for to understand words otherwise than according to their true sense, is to falsify them.

[3] There are two states of the thoughts of man, the one when he is in thought concerning truths from the Lord, and the other when [he is in thought] from himself. When he is in thought concerning truths from the Lord, then his mind is raised even into the light of heaven, and he consequently has an enlightenment and a just perception of truth; but when he is in thought concerning truths from himself, then his mind falls into the light of the world, and this light, in regard to spiritual things, or to things pertaining to heaven and the church, is thick darkness, in which man can see only such things as shine by means of the fire of the love of self and the love of the world, which things, in themselves, are falsities opposed to truths.