672. [verse 7] 'And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden phials' signifies those truths and goods by means of which the evils and untruths of the Church are disclosed taken from the sense of the letter of the Word. That 'the four animals', which are cherubs, signify the Word in ultimates, and guards lest its genuine truths and goods should be violated, may be seen above (n. 239). And since the interior truths and goods of the Word are guarded by the sense of its letter, therefore that sense of the Word is signified by 'one of the four animals'. By the 'seven phials' is signified a similar thing as by the 'seven plagues', for they are containants, and by the containants in the Word like things are signified as by the contents, as by 'a cup' the same as by 'wine', and by 'a dish' the same as by food. That by 'cups', 'goblets', 'phials' and 'plates' similar things are signified as by their contents will be seen in the things now following. What is signified by 'the seven angels' has been said above. The phials were given to them because it treats of the influx of truth and good into the Church so that evils and untruths may be disclosed: and naked goods and truths cannot inflow, for these are not received; but truths clothed, such as are in the sense of the letter of the Word. Moreover, the Lord always operates out of inmosts by means of ultimates, or in fullness. This is why the angels were given the 'phials', by which are signified the containing truths and goods such as are of the sense of the letter of the Word. By these, untruths and evils are discovered. That the sense of the letter of the Word is a containant may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 27-36, and 37-49). [2] That by 'phials', 'plates', 'cups' and 'goblets', also by 'bottles' are signified the things that are contained in them can be established from the following passages:-
Jehovah said, Take the goblet of wrath out of My hand and make all the nations drink; when they refuse to take the goblet, thou shalt say, Drinking you shall drink Jer. xxv 15, 16, 28.
Babel is a goblet of gold in the hand of Jehovah, making the entire land drunk Jer. li 7.
I will give thy sister's goblet into thy hand, thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the goblet of devastation, with the goblet of thy sister Samaria Ezek. xxiii 31-34.
The goblet of Jehovah shall go around to thee, so that there may be vomit upon thy glory Hab. ii 6.
Even unto thee, O daughter of Edom, shall the goblet pass over, thou shalt be drunken and laid bare Lam. iv 21.
Jehovah shall rain upon the wicked winds of storms, the portion of their goblet Ps. xi 6.
A goblet is in the hand of Jehovah, and He has mixed the wine, He has filled it with the mixture and poured it out, all the wicked of the land shall drink Ps. lxxv 8 [H.B. 9].
Those who adore the beast shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God mixed with undiluted wine in the cup of His growing anger Rev. xiv 10.
Awake, rise up, O Jerusalem, who hast drunk from the hand of Jehovah the goblet of His wrath, thou hast drunk the dregs of the goblet of trembling Isa. li 17.
A woman having a golden goblet in her hand full of abominations and the filthiness of whoredom Rev. xvii 4.
Double unto her double, with the cup that she has mixed, mix unto her double Rev. xviii 6.
I make Jerusalem into a goblet of trembling unto all the peoples Zech. xii 2.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside* of the cup, that the outside also may become clean Matt. xxiii 25, 26; Luke xi 39.
Jesus said to the sons of Zebedee, Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink? Matt. xx 22, 23; Mark x 38, 39.
Jesus said to Peter, The cup that the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it? John xviii 11.
Jesus in Gethsemane said, If possible let this goblet pass from Me Matt. xxvi 39, 42, 44.
Jesus taking the cup, saying, All of you drink Out of it, this is My blood, that of the New Testament Matt. xxvi 27, 28; Mark xiv 23, 24; Luke xxii 17.
Jehovah is my Goblet, Thou maintainest my lot Ps. xvi 5.
Thou preparest a table before me, my cup shall overflow Ps. xxiii 5.
What shall I render unto Jehovah? I will take the goblet of salvations (Calicem salutum) Ps. cxvi 12, 13.
To drink with the goblet of consolations Jer. xvi 7.
The like as by 'goblet' and 'cup' is also signified by a 'phial', also by a 'bottle' (Matt. ix 17; Luke v 37, 38; Jer. xiii 12; xlviii 12; Hab. ii 15). By 'phials', 'censers' and 'caskets' with incenses in them the like is signified as by 'incense-offerings'; in general, by vessels of every kind the same as by the things that are in them. * The Original Edition has 'exterius . . . interius' (outside. . . inside).
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