1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the phials of the wrath of God onto the land. 2. And the first angel went away and poured out his phial upon the land, and an evil and hurtful sore was produced in the men having the mark of the beast and adoring his Image. 3. And the second angel poured out his phial into the sea, and it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul died in the sea. 4. And the third angel poured out his phial into the rivers and into the fountains of waters, and blood was produced. 5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art just, O Lord, Who Is and Who Was, and art Holy, because Thou hast judged these. 6. Because they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they deserve it (quia digni sunt). 7. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments. 8. And the fourth angel poured out his phial into the sun, and it was given him to strike men down with heat by means of fire. 9. And men were scorched with the great heat, and blasphemed the Name of God having authority over these plagues, and they did not repent (resipiscere) to give Him glory. 10. And the fifth angel poured out [his] phial upon the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was made dark, and they were gnawing their tongues because of annoyance. 11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven for their annoyances, and for their sores, and they did not repent of their works. 12. And the sixth angel poured out his phial upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, that the way of kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. 13. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14. For they are the spirits of demons doing signs to go away to the kings of the land and of the whole world (orbis), to gather them together to the war of that great day of God Omnipotent. 15. Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he who is awake and takes care of his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. 16. And he gathered them together into the place termed in Hebrew Armageddon. 17. And the seventh angel poured out his phial into the air, and there went forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven out of the throne, saying, It has been done. 18. And voices and lightnings and thunders were produced, and there was a great earthquake such as has not occurred since there came to be men upon earth, an earthquake of such magnitude. 19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the growing anger of His wrath. 20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21. And great hail as of the weight of a talent came down from heaven upon men, and men blasphemed God for the plague of hail, because the plague thereof was exceedingly great.

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE

THE CONTENT OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER

In this chapter the evils and untruths in the Church of the Reformed are disclosed by means of an influx out of heaven (vers. 1). Into the clergy (verse 2). Into the laity (verse 3). Into the understanding of the Word with them (vers. 4-7). In to the love with them (vers. 8, 9). Into the faith with them (vers. 10, 11). Into the interior reasonings with them (vers. 12-15). Into all these things together (vers. 17-21).

THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES

1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the phials of the wrath of God onto the land signifies an influx from the Lord out of the inmost of heaven into the Church of the Reformed where those are who are in faith separated from charity as to doctrine and as to life. 2. And the first angel went away and poured out his phial upon the land signifies into those who are in the interior things of the Church of the Reformed and busy themselves with the doctrine of justification by faith alone, and are called the clergy. And an evil and hurtful sore was produced signifies interior evils and untruths destructive of everything good and true in the Church. In the men having the mark of the beast, and adoring his image signifies with those who are living faith alone, and receiving its doctrine. 3. And the second angel poured out his phial upon the sea signifies an influx with those there who are in its [the Church's] external things, and in that faith, and are called the laity. And it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul died in the sea signifies infernal untruth with them by which every truth of the Word, and consequently of the Church and of faith, has been extinguished. 4. And the third angel poured out [his] phial into the rivers and fountains of waters signifies an influx into the understanding of the Word with them. And blood was produced signifies falsified truths of the Word. 5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying signifies the Divine Truth of the Word. Thou art just, O Lord, Who Is and Who Was, and art Holy, because Thou hast judged these things signifies that this is of the Divine Providence of the Lord, Who is and Who was the Word, which otherwise would be profaned. 6. Because they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets signifies this on account of the fact that the single tenet, that faith alone saves without the works of the law, when received perverts all the true doctrinal tenets out of the Word. And Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they deserve it signifies that those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone in both doctrine and life, had been permitted to falsify the truths of the Word, and to absorb life (imbuere vitam) out of the falsified truths. 7. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments signifies the Divine Good of the Word confirming that Divine Truth. 8. And the fourth angel poured out his phial into the sun signifies an influx into their love. And it was given him to strike men down with heat by means of fire signifies that love directed to the Lord was torturing them because they were in the lusts of the evils derived from the delight of their loves. 9. And men were scorched with the great heat, and blasphemed the Name of God having authority over these plagues signifies that, on account of the delight of the love of self arising from the grievous lusts of the evils, they did not acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord's Human, from which nevertheless every good of love and truth of faith inflows. And they did not repent (resipiscere) to give Him glory signifies that on account of this they are unable to receive with any faith, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth even as to His Human, although the Word teaches this. 10. And the fifth angel poured out his phial upon the throne of the beast signifies an influx into their faith. And his kingdom was made dark signifies that nothing but untruths were appearing. And they were gnawing their tongues because of annoyance signifies that they were not enduring truths. 11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven for their annoyances and for their sores signifies that they could not acknowledge the Lord Only to be the God of heaven and earth on account of the resistances resulting from interior untruths and evils. And did not repent of their works signifies that although instructed out of the Word still they do not withdraw from untruths of faith and the consequent evils of life. 12. And the sixth angel poured out his phial upon the great river Euphrates signifies an influx into their interior reasonings by which they confirm justification by faith alone. And its water was dried up, that the way of kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared signifies that the untruths of those reasonings have been removed with those who from the Lord are in truths derived from good, and are to be introduced into the New Church. 13. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet signifies what is perceived out of a theology founded upon the doctrine of a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, and upon the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law. Three unclean spirits like frogs signifies that nothing but reasonings and the lusts of falsifying truths were arising. 14. For they are the spirits of demons signifies that they were the lusts of falsifying truths and of reasoning out of untruths. Doing sighs to go away to the kings of the land and of the whole world, to gather them together to the war of that great day of God Omnipotent signifies protestations that their untruths are true, and the inciting of all in the whole of that Church who are in the same untruths to attack the truths of the New Church. 15. Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he who is awake and takes care of his garments signifies the Lord's coming, and heaven then with those who look to Him and remain constant in a life in accordance with His precepts, which are the truths of the Word. Lest he walk naked, and they see his shame signifies lest they should be with those who are in no truths, and their infernal loves should appear. 16. And he gathered them together into the place termed in Hebrew Armageddon signifies the state of the combat fought with untruths against truths, and the intention (animus) of destroying the New Church, originating out of a love of command and supereminence. 17. And the seventh angel poured out his phial into the air signifies an influx into all the things at once with them. And there went forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven out of the throne, saying, It has been done signifies [that] it was thus made manifest by the Lord that all things of the Church have been devastated, and that the last judgment is at hand. 18. And voices and lightnings and thunderings were produced signifies reasonings, falsifications of truth, and arguments derived from untruths of evil. And there was a great earthquake, such as has not occurred since there came to be men upon earth, an earthquake of such magnitude signifies as it were the tremors, convulsions, overturnings, and acts of dragging down out of heaven of all things of the Church. 19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell signifies that by these things that Church as to doctrine has been entirely destroyed, and so too have all the heresies that have emanated from it. And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the growing anger of His wrath signifies the destruction also at that time of the dogmas of the Roman Catholic form of religion. 20. 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. 21 And great hail as the weight of a talent came down from heaven upon men signifies the dreadful and horrible untruths by means of which every truth of the Word and consequently of the Church has been destroyed. And [men] blasphemed God for the plague of hail, because the plague thereof was exceedingly great signifies that because they have confirmed such untruths with themselves, they have denied truths to such an extent that they cannot recognise them on account of the resistances originating from their interior untruths and evils.

THE EXPOSITION

[verse 1] 'And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the phials of the wrath of God onto the land' signifies an influx from the Lord out of the inmost of heaven into the Church of the Reformed where those are who are in faith separated from charity as to doctrine and as to life, for the purpose of taking truths and goods away from them and uncovering the evils and untruths in which they are, and thus separating them from those who do believe in the Lord, and from Him are in charity and its faith. In summary form these are the things that are contained in this chapter. By 'the temple' is signified 'the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony', of which [something was said] in the preceding chapter (xv 5). By this is signified the inmost of heaven where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word, and in the Law which is the Decalogue (n. 669). By 'a great voice' therefrom is signified the Divine command that they should go and pour out the phials. By 'the seven angels' is understood the Lord, as above (n. 657). By 'to pour out the phials' in which the plagues are 'onto the land' is signified an influx into the Church of the Reformed; by 'to pour out the phials' the influx is signified, and by 'the land' is signified the Church (n. 285). [2] It is still treating of the Church with the Reformed, but in the following chapter it treats of the Church with the Roman Catholics, and afterwards of the last judgment, and finally of the New Church that is the New Jerusalem. Let the Preface and n. 2 be seen. Chaps. viii and ix above treat of 'seven angels having seven trumpets' which they sounded, and because many similar things occur there it will be stated here what is signified by the former 'seven angels' and what by the latter. By the 'seven trumpets' which the seven angels sounded is signified the examination and making manifest of the untruths and evils in which those are who are in faith separated from charity. By 'the seven phials full of the seven last plagues', however, is signified the devastation and consummation thereof, for a last judgment cannot be executed upon them in advance of their having been devastated. [3] A devastation and consummation in the spiritual world is brought about in this manner: from those who are in untruths as to doctrine and in evils of life therefrom are taken away all the goods and truths that they have possessed in the natural man only, and by virtue of which they have pretended to be Christian men. When these have been taken away they are separated from heaven and conjoined with hell, and then in the world of spirits they are arranged into societies in accordance with the varieties of the lusts, and these afterwards sink down. [4] Goods and truths are then taken away from them by means of an influx out of heaven. The influx is effected out of genuine truths and goods, as the result of which they are tortured and tormented scarcely otherwise than as a serpent put upon a fire or thrown on an ant-hill. They therefore reject from themselves the goods and truths of heaven, which also are the goods and truths of the Church, and at length they condemn them. This is because they have felt as it were an infernal torment resulting from them. When this has come to pass they enter into their own evils and untruths and are separated from the good. These are the things that are described in this chapter, and are signified by the throwing down of the 'phials' in which were 'the seven last plagues'. Not that there were in the phials the evils and untruths that are signified by the plagues, but there were genuine truths and goods, the effect of which was such as has been described. For the angels went 'out of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony', by which is understood the inmost of heaven where there are nothing but truths and goods in Divine holiness (chap. xv, verse 6). [5] This is the devastation and consummation of which the Lord speaks in these words:-

Whosoever has, to him will be given that he may have more abundantly; but whosoever has not, even what he has will be taken away from him Matt. xiii 12; Mark iv 25.

Take the talent from him and give to him having ten talents, for to everyone who has shall be given that he may he in abundance, but from him who has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him Matt. xxv 28, 29; Luke xix 24-26.