719. 'Saying to me, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot sitting upon many waters' signifies a revelation concerning that form of religion as to its profanations and adulterations of the truths (veritas) of the Word. By 'to say' and 'to show' is signified a revelation. By 'the judgment' is signified the state thereof at its end. By 'the great harlot' is signified the profanation of the holy things of the Word and the Church, and the adulteration of good and truth. By 'many waters' are signified the truths of the Word adulterated. By 'to sit upon them' is signified to be and to live in them. That by to commit 'harlotry' (meretricari), 'fornication' (maechari), 'whoredom' (scortari), and 'adultery' (adulterari) is signified to falsify and adulterate the Word, may be seen above (n. 134, 620, 632); also that by 'waters' are signified the truths thereof (n. 50, 563, 614, 685); here, those truths adulterated and profaned, because 'the harlot' is said to be 'upon' them. From these things it is plain that by 'saying to me, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot sitting upon many waters' is signified a revelation concerning that form of religion as to its profanations and adulterations of the truths (veritas) of the Word. [2] A similar thing is said of 'Babel' in Jeremiah:-
Jehovah shall do that which He has spoken against the inhabitants of Babel. O thou who art dwelling upon many waters, great in treasures, thy end is coming, the measuring of thy gain Jer. li 12, 13.
Its being said that the truths of the Word have been adulterated and profaned by them, is because they have applied the truths of the Word for the purpose of obtaining dominion over the holy things of the Church and over heaven, and for claiming the Lord's Divine authority to themselves. And to apply the truths of the Word to obtaining dominion over the holy things of the Church and of heaven is to adulterate them; while to apply them for claiming the Lord's Divine authority to themselves is to profane them. That they have confirmed their dogmas out of the Word is known; but read them and pay attention, and you will see that they have applied all the things they have taken out of the Word to [establish] a dominion over men's souls, and for acquiring for themselves Divine authority, influence and majesty. It is on this account that Babylon is termed 'the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the land' (verse 5).
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church