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.

4383. 'And at the walking-pace of the children' means as determined by the truths situated within. This is clear from the meaning of 'children' or sons as truths, dealt with a number of times above. The truths situated within are truths present within the things that are general. Actually these general things are those which have been compared above, in 4378, to the egg, for general things contain particular ones, and the particular contain specific ones, 4325 (end), 4329, 4345. In the first state - that of infancy - the particular are present within in potentiality, and the specific within these. But later on they come forth and display themselves in action, thus successively. This is the way in which people who are being regenerated are led by the Lord, for they are endowed with general things having within them those which follow later, which also come forth successively, doing so in an order and sequence beyond description. For every single thing is foreseen by the Lord, even as its nature will be for evermore. For this reason no other general truths are joined to good with one who is being regenerated except those that can have particular truths inserted into them, and specific truths within the particular.

[2] Nevertheless these particular truths, and indeed the specific ones that go with these, are themselves entirely general when considered in relation to even further truths that exist; for specific truths include an incalculable number of individual ones. Although their wisdom in contrast to man's is so great that the things which they know and perceive are indescribable, angels nevertheless confess that, compared with what is above their knowledge, the truths they know are very general, while those which they do not know are limitless. They do not dare to call them infinite since finite and infinite are completely different from each other and cannot be measured one against the other. From this one can also deduce the nature of the Word. Being Divine the Word contains within itself things that are infinite which come from its first source, and as a consequence contains things beyond description such as constitute angelic wisdom; but in its lowest form it contains only such things as those that man is able to grasp.