410. [verse 11] 'And the name of the star is termed Wormwood, and a third part of the waters became wormwood' signifies the infernal untruth from which their self-intelligence is derived, by means of which all the truths of the Word have been falsified. By 'the star' is signified self-intelligence derived from pride arising from infernal love (n. 408); by 'the name' is signified the quality thereof (n. 81, 122, 165); by 'wormwood' is signified infernal untruth, concerning which [something] follows; by 'the waters' are signified truths (n. 50), here the truths of the Word because [it treats] of faith; by 'a third part' all are signified, as above. Out of these significations collected together into one the above rendered sense is the result. That 'wormwood' signifies infernal untruth is by reason of its intense bitterness whereby it renders food and drink abominable. Such untruth is therefore signified in the following places:-
Behold I am feeding this people with wormwood, and I will give them the waters of the gall-bladder to drink Jer. ix 14, 15.
Thus has Jehovah said against the prophets, Behold I am feeding them with wormwood, and I will give them the waters of the gallbladder to drink; for from the prophets of Jerusalem hypocrisy has gone forth into the whole land Jer. xxiii 15.
You turn judgment into gall, and the fruit of justice into wormwood Amos v 7; vii 2.
Lest there should be among you a root bringing forth gall and wormwood Deut. xxix 18 [H.B. 17].
Since the Jewish Church had falsified all the truths of the Word, just as the Church of which it treats here, and the Lord represented that by means of all the things of His passion, by permitting the Jews to treat Him as [they were treating] the Word, because He was the Word, therefore:-
They gave him vinegar mingled with gall (which is like wormwood), but, having tasted it, He would not drink Matt. xxvii 34; Mark xv 23; Ps. lxix 21 [H.B. 22].
Because the Jewish Church was such, therefore it is thus described:-
He has filled me with bitterness, and has made me drunk with wormwood Lam. iii 15, 18, 19.
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