672. 15:7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls. This symbolizes the truths and goods by which evils and falsities in the church are exposed, drawn from the literal sense of the Word.

The four living creatures, being cherubim, symbolize the Word in its outmost expressions, and protections to keep its genuine truths and goods from being violated, as may be seen in no. 239 above. And because the interior truths and goods in the Word are protected by its literal meaning, therefore that meaning of the Word is symbolized by one of the four living creatures.

The seven bowls have the same symbolic meaning as the seven plagues, for the bowls are vessels, and vessels in the Word have the same symbolic meaning as their contents. So for example, a cup has the same symbolic meaning as the wine in it, and a dish the same symbolic meaning as the food. That cups, goblets, bowls, plates and saucers have the same symbolic meaning as their contents may be seen from the passages that follow after this.

We have already said what the seven angels symbolize above.

The angels were given the bowls because the subject is the influx of truth and goodness into the church in order to expose its evils and falsities, and naked goods and truths cannot flow in, as they are not accepted, but truths clothed can, such as are found in the literal sense of the Word. Moreover, the Lord also operates always from inmost elements through outmost ones, or in fullness. This is the reason the angels were given bowls, which symbolize containing truths and goods such as constitute the Word's literal sense, by which falsities and evils are exposed.

That the literal sense of the Word is a containing vessel may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, 27-36nos. and 37-49.

[2] That bowls, saucers, cups and goblets, and also wineskins, have the same symbolic meaning as the things they contain can be seen from the following passages:

(Jehovah said,) "Take this... cup of wrath from My hand, and cause all the nations... to drink... ...when they refuse to take the cup..., then you shall say to them, '...You shall surely drink!'" (Jeremiah 25:15-16, 28)

Babylon was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunk. (Jeremiah 51:7)

...I will put (your sister's) cup in your hand... You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of... devastation, the cup of your sister Samaria. (Ezekiel 23:31-34)

The cup of... Jehovah will come around to you, that there may be vomit on your glory. (Habakkuk 2:16)

...O daughter of Edom...; the cup shall also pass over to you; you shall be drunk and laid bare. (Lamentations 4:21)

Upon the wicked (Jehovah) will rain... stormy winds, the portion of their cup. (Psalms 11:6)

...in the hand of Jehovah there is a cup, and He has mixed it with wine; He has filled it with the mixed wine and poured it out; ...all the wicked of the earth shall drink... (Psalms 75:8)

(Those who worship the beast) shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed with pure wine in the cup of His indignation. (Revelation 14:10)

Awake...! Arise, O Jerusalem, who have drunk from the hand of Jehovah the cup of His wrath; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling... (Isaiah 51:17)

The woman... having in her hand a golden chalice full of abominations and the filthiness of her licentiousness. (Revelation 17:4)

...repay her double...; in the cup in which she has mixed, mix double for her. (Revelation 18:6)

...I am making Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the surrounding peoples... (Zechariah 12:2)

Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup..., that the outside of them may be clean also. (Matthew 23:25-26, cf. Luke 11:39)

Jesus... said (to the sons of Zebedee), ."..Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink....?" (Matthew 20:22-23)

...Jesus said to Peter, ."..Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" (John 18:11)

(In Gethsemane Jesus said,) ."..if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44)

(Jesus) taking the cup, ...gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood, the blood of the new covenant...." (Matthew 26:27-28, Luke 22:17)

O Jehovah, You are... my cup, You uphold my lot. (Psalms 16:5)

You will prepare a table before me...; my cup shall overflow. (Psalms 23:5)

What shall I render to Jehovah...? I will take the cup of salvation... (Psalms 116:12-13)

...the cup of consolation to drink... (Jeremiah 16:7)

A bowl has the same symbolic meaning as a cup or chalice, and so also does a wineskin (Matthew 9:17; Luke 5:37-38; Jeremiah 13:12; 48:12; Habakkuk 2:15).

Bowls, censers and thuribles containing incense have the same symbolic meaning as incense. Vessels of every kind in general have the same symbolic meaning as the things they contain.

762. 18:6 "Render to her as she rendered to you, repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her." This symbolizes a just retribution and punishment after death, that the evils and falsities with which Roman Catholics led astray and destroyed others will, in accordance with the magnitude and character of them, come back upon themselves, which is called the lex talionis (law of retaliation).

"Render to her as she rendered to you" symbolizes their just retribution and punishment after death. "Repay her double according to her works" means symbolically that the evils with which they led astray and destroyed others will, in accordance with the magnitude and character of them, come back upon themselves. "In the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her," means symbolically that their falsities will likewise come back upon themselves; for a cup or wine symbolizes falsities (nos. 316, 635, 649, 672).

Almost the same statement is made of Babylon in the Prophets:

Repay (Babylon) according to her work; according to all she has done, do to her; for she has behaved insolently against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel. (Jeremiah 50:29)

...the vengeance of Jehovah (is this): Take vengeance on (Babylon). As she has done, so do to her. (Jeremiah 50:15)

The daughter of Babylon has been destroyed. Blessed is the one who repays you your retribution as you have repaid us! (Psalms 137:8)

[2] According to the literal meaning, people whom Roman Catholics have led astray and destroyed are to visit retribution on them. But according to the spiritual meaning, it is not they who are to visit retribution on those Roman Catholics, but those Roman Catholics themselves, because every evil carries with it its own punishment. The case is similar to when the Word says here and there that God will visit retribution and avenge injustices and injuries done to Him, and will be moved by anger and wrath to destroy people, when in fact it is the evils done against God themselves that do this, thus the people themselves who do it to themselves.

This is, indeed, the lex talionis or law of retaliation, which takes its origin from the following Divine law:

Everything whatever you wish people to do to you, do you also to them. This is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12, cf. Luke 6:31)

In heaven this law is one of mutual love or charity, from which arises its opposite in hell, namely, that everyone has done to him as he has done to another - not that it is done to them by anyone in heaven, but that they do it to themselves. For the retribution of the lex talionis arises from its opposition to the aforesaid law of life in heaven, as a law engraved on their evils.

[3] Double symbolizes much in accordance with the magnitude and character of a thing also in the following place:

Let my persecutors be shamed! ...Bring on them the day of evil, and shatter them with double shattering! (Jeremiah 17:18)

And much in accordance with the magnitude and character of people's turning away from evils in the following:

Comfort... My people! ...that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is atoned for; for she has received from Jehovah's hand double... (Isaiah 40:1-2)

Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. This day I declare the double that I will repay to you. (Zechariah 9:12)

Instead of your shame you shall have double, and... in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs. (Isaiah 61:7)