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221, 222, and judgment, n. 229, and this because it is now made manifest that all things of the church are devastated, thus that it has come to its end, and at the end of the church judgment takes place; wherefore this is said upon the last angel pouring the vial out of the temple and throne of heaven. It is done, signifies it is consummated, that is, that all things of the church are devastated, see above, n. 676.

710. "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings," signifies, ratiocinations, falsifications of truth, and arguings grounded in the falsities of evil in the church among those who are in faith alone, and who turn away from reflecting upon the evils in themselves, because they have no inclination to desist from them even if they come to a knowledge of them. That by voices, thunders, and lightnings, are signified ratiocinations, falsifications of truth, and arguings grounded in falsities, may appear from what is said above, n. 396, 530, where like expressions occur. That they who are principled in faith separated from the works of the law, and consequently are in evils of life, turn away from reflecting upon the evils in themselves, by reason that they have no inclination to desist from them, even on coming to a knowledge of them, is evident without explanation; experience indeed teaches this; for evils are delights because they are loves, and no one is willing to give up his delights, unless he has respect to a life after death, and first of all considers the nature of hell, and afterwards the nature of heaven, and thinks of them independently of any evil act; if also he at the same time looks to the Lord, and thinks upon the relation of time with eternity, as being nothing in the comparison, he is then able to reflect upon his own evils, to desire to know them, and to desist from them. But if he has confirmed himself in faith alone, then will he say in his heart, our theological faith, that God the Father has mercy for the sake of the Son, who suffered for our sins, upon supplication for this with some degree of confidence, will effect every thing; and this without reflecting upon any evil in himself; he must likewise say to himself, on the authority of that faith, that evil does not condemn, and

that salvation is of pure mercy, and the like; thus other notions of a like nature: so he will continue in his evils, and delight in them to his life's end. Such are the ratiocinations, falsifications of truth, and arguings grounded in the falsities of evil, which are here signified by voices, thunders, and lightnings.

711. "And there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great," signifies, as it were, concussions, paroxysms, inversions, and casting down from heaven of every thing relating to the church. That by earthquakes are signified changes of the state of the church, may be seen above, n. 331, and inasmuch as earthquakes are slighter or more severe, in the present instance most severe, because it is said, that such an earthquake was not since men were upon earth, it is evident that by the earthquake are here signified concussions, paroxysms, inversions, and casting down from heaven, of every thing relating to the church. It is said also of the dragon, who is called the old serpent, the devil, and satan, that "With his tail he drew down from heaven a third part of the stars, and did cast them to the earth," Apoc. xii. 4. And the same of the he-goat, Dan. viii. 10, 11, 12. The Lord also says concerning the end of this church, “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be," Matt. xxiv. 21. The end of the church is also described in the prophets by shakings, overturnings, and sinkings of the earth, and by many other things attendant on earthquakes.

712. "And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell," signifies, that that church as to its doctrine is entirely destroyed thereby, and in like manner all the heresies which had emanated from it. That by a city is signified the doctrine of the church, or what amounts to the same, the church as to doctrine, see above, n. 194, 501, 502, therefore by the cities of the nations are signified the beretical doctrines or heresies, that have sprung from it, which are many. To be divided into three parts, signifies to be totally destroy

ed, for by being divided in the Word is signified to be dissipated, because in that case they do not cohere, and by three is signified all and the whole, n. 400, 505; hence by being divided into three parts is signified to be totally destroyed. By falling, which is said of the cities of the nations, is also signified to be destroyed. It is said that the city was divided into three parts, and that the cities of the nations fell, because an earthquake was mentioned just before, in which such effects have place. By the great city is meant the great city spoken of above, chap. xi. 8, which is there called Sodom and Egypt, as may be seen above, n. 501-504. The reason why a city signifies doctrine, and thence cities signify doctrinals, is, because by land, and particularly by the land of Canaan, is signified the church; and since the church is a church from and according to doctrine, therefore by cities are signified doctrinals; these were also taught in cities, because in them were synagogues, and in Jerusalem was the temple; hence it is that by Jerusalem is signified the church as to doctrine in a universal sense.

713. "And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath," signifies, then the destruction also of the tenets of the Roman Catholic religion. By Babylon as a city, as in the present passage, is signified that religion as to its tenets and doctrinals, n. 631; by giving her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of the wrath of God, is signified to devastate until there is nothing but evil and falsity; that this is meant by the cup of the wine of the fierceness of the wrath of God, see above, n. 631, 632.

"And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found," signifies, that there was no longer any truth of faith nor any good of love.*

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714. "And there fell upon men a great hail out of

*This verse is omitted in the original Latin, but the spiritual sense of the words is here repeated as it is given at the beginning of the chapter; the reader is referred, however, to n. 336 of this work, where nearly the same expressions occur, together with their explanation. Tr.

heaven, about the weight of a talent," signifies, direful and atrocious falsities, whereby every truth of the Word, and thence of the church is destroyed. That hail signifies falsity destroying truth and good, may be seen above, n. 399; and inasmuch as it is said to be great hail about the weight of a talent, it signifies direful and atrocious falsities, whereby every truth and good of the Word and thence of the church is destroyed. The reason why it is said to be of the weight of a talent, is, because a talent was the largest weight both of silver and also of gold; and by silver is signified truth, and by gold good, and, in an opposite sense, falsity and evil, n. 211. Its being said that the hail came down from heaven upon men, is according to appearances, the literal sense of the Word being grounded in appearances and correspondences. This is similar to what was said before concerning the plagues, that they were poured out upon men by angels from heaven, when nevertheless they are truths and goods sent down by the Lord, which, among those who are below, are turned into evils and falsities, n. 673. In the spiritual world also, among those who are engaged in reasonings grounded in falsities against the truths of the Word, hail sometimes appears to come down, and upon others sulphur and fire, and inasmuch as these appear in the atmosphere above them, and come as it were from heaven, therefore it is said agreeably to that appearance, that such hail came down from heaven.

715. "And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great," signifies, that in consequence of having confirmed themselves in such falsities, they have denied truths to that degree as not to be able to acknowledge them, by reason of the repugnances proceeding from their interior falsities and evils. To blaspheme God signifies to deny and not to acknowledge the Lord to be the alone God of heaven and earth, n. 551, 582, 697, and in like manner the truth of the Word; for the plague thereof was exceeding great, signifies, by reason of those direful and atrocious falsities which spring from the confirmation of the tenet respecting justification by faith alone, n. 715:

the reason why they are incapable of acknowledging truths in consequence of their confirming themselves in falsities, is, because the confirmation of falsity is the negation of truth. It appears as if it was meant that the plague of hail was so great, that they blasphemed God on account of their sufferings or pain when it fell upon them, but this is not what is meant, but that they were unable to acknowledge truths by reason of falsities; in like manner as before in this chapter, where it is said that they blasphemed the name of God on account of the heat, verse 9; and that they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, verse 11; the explanation of which may be seen, n. 692, 697.

716. To the above I will add this MEMORABLE RELATION. In the spiritual world I held a conversation with some English bishops on certain tracts published in London in the year 1758, concerning Heaven and Hell; on the New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine; on the Last Judgment; on the White Horse; and on the Earths in the Universe; which tracts were presented to all the bishops, and to many of the nobles or lords; they said that they had both received and seen them, but that they did not think them of any value, although they were skilfully written and, further, that they had dissuaded every one, as far as possible, from reading them. I asked the reason, when yet they contained arcana relating to heaven and hell, and to the life after death, and other important subjects, which were revealed by the Lord for the use of those who will be of his New Church, which is the New Jerusalem? But they replied, "What is that to us?" and began to abuse them, as they had done before in the world; I heard them. And then were read to them these words from the Apocalypse: "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For

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