1. And after these things I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the land was illuminated by his glory. 2. And he shouted vigorously with a great voice, saying, It has fallen, Babylon the great has fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. 3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom, and the kings of the land have committed whoredom with her; and the merchants of the land have become rich through the abundance of her luxuries (deliliae). 4. And I heard another voice out of heaven Saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you become partakers of her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5. For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God has remembered her injustices. 6. Render unto her even as she has rendered unto you, double unto her double in accordance with her works; in the cup that she has mixed, mix unto her double. 7. As much as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give unto her so much torment and mourning; because she says in her heart, I sit a queen and am not a widow, and I Shall not see mourning. 8. On account of this in one day her plagues shall come, death and mourning and hunger; and she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God judging her. 9. And they shall weep for her, and wail over her, the kings of the land who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they see the smoke of her burning;

10. Standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that powerful city, for in one hour thy judgment has come. 11. And the merchants of the land shall weep and mourn over her, because no one is buying their merchandise any more. 12. Merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stone and pearl, and of fine linen and purple, and silk and scarlet, and all thyme wood, and every ivory vessel, and every vessel of precious wood, and of bronze, and iron, and marble. 13. And cinnamon, and incenses, and ointment (pigmentum), and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour and wheat, and beasts of burden, and sheep, and of horses, and of carriages, and of bodies, and the souls of men. 14. And the fruits of the longing of thy soul have departed from thee, and all things fat and splendid have departed from thee, and thou shalt not find them any more. 15. The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16. And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, for in one hour so many riches have been devastated. 17. And every steersman, and everyone voyaging upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea, stood afar off, 18. And shouted seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, Was there ever anything like this great city! 19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried out weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, in which all having ships in the sea have been made rich by reason of her preciousness, for in one hour they have been devastated. 20. Exult over her, O heaven, and the holy apostles and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her. 21. And one robust angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, With such impetus shall Babylon be cast down, that great city, and shall not be found any more. 22. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and flute-players, and trumpeters, shall not be heard in thee any more, and every craftsman of every craft shall not be found in thee any more, and the voice of a mill shall not be heard in thee any more. 23. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee any more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in thee any more; because thy merchants were the great ones of the land, because by thy sorcery all the nations have been led astray. 24. And in her has been found the blood of the prophets and saints, and of all those slain upon the land.

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE

THE CONTENT OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER

There is a continuation concerning the Roman Catholic form of religion.

That on account of adulterations and profanations of the truths (veritas) of the Word, and of the Church therefrom, it is going to perish (vers. 1-8).

Concerning the highest ones in the ecclesiastical order there, what they are like, and concerning their mourning (vers. 9, 10).

Concerning the lower ones in that order (vers. 11-16).

Concerning the laity and common people who are under obedience to them (vers. 17-19).

The joy of the angels on account of the removal thereof (verse 20).

Concerning its destruction in the spiritual world on account of there being no acknowledgment, investigation, enlightenment, or reception, of the truth, and consequently no conjunction of truth and good, which makes the Church (vers. 21-24).

THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES

1. After these things I saw signifies a continuation concerning the Roman Catholic form of religion. I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the land was illuminated by his glory signifies the Lord's strong influx out of heaven by means of Divine Truth, in consequence of which His Church was in a heavenly light. 2. And he shouted vigorously with a great voice, saying, It has fallen, Babylon the great has fallen signifies that he made it known that by the Lord's Divine power all who have been in that form of religion, and at the same time in the love of dominating thereby, have been destroyed in the spiritual world and cast into many hells. And has become a habitation of demons signifies that their hells are hells of the lusts of dominating derived from the fever of the love of self, and of the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven derived from the spurious zeal of that love. And a hold of every unclean spirit and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird signifies that the evils of will and thence of deed, and the untruths of thought and thence of deliberation, of those who are in those hells are diabolical, because they are turned away from the Lord to their own selves. 3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom, and the kings of the land have committed whoredom with her signifies that they have brought forth wicked dogmas, which are adulterations and profanations of the good and truth of the Word, and with them have infected all those born and brought up in the kingdoms under their domination. And the merchants of the land have become rich through the abundance of her luxuries (delitiae) signifies the greater and the less in rank in that hierarchy, who by a dominion over holy things aspire to Divine majesty and more than regal glory, and continually aim to establish it by a multiplication of monasteries and the possessions under them and by the treasures which without end they gather together and accumulate from the world, and thus procure for themselves bodily and natural delights as a result of the attribution of heavenly and spiritual dominion to themselves. 4. And I heard another voice out of heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you become partakers of her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues signifies an exhortation from the Lord to all, both those who are in that form of religion and those who are not to beware of conjunction therewith by acknowledgment and affection, lest as to their souls they be conjoined with its abominations and perish. 5. For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God has remembered her injustices signifies that its evils and untruths are infesting the heavens, and that the Lord is going to protect these [heavens] from the violence thence. 6. Render unto her even as she has rendered unto you, double unto her double in accordance with her works, in the cup that she has mixed, mix unto her double signifies the just retribution and penalty after death, that then the evils and untruths with which they have led others astray and destroyed them are going to return upon themselves in accordance with the quantity and quality thereof. 7. As much as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give unto her so much torment and mourning signifies that in proportion to the elation of heart resulting from dominion, and to the exultation of mind (animus) and body resulting from riches, after death they have internal grief in consequence of casting down and mockery, and of destitution and misery. Because she says in her heart, I sit a queen and am not a widow, and shall not see mourning signifies that they have these things because, as a result of the elation of heart over dominion and the exultation of mind (animus) over riches, they are in a trust and confidence that they are going to dominate perpetually and protect their own selves, and that they can never be deprived of these things. 8. On account of this in one day* her plagues shall come, death and mourning and hunger signifies that on account of this at the time of the last judgment the penalties for the evils that they have done are going to return upon them, these being a death that is infernal life and the inward (intestinus) grief resulting from the casting down from dominion, a mourning that is the internal grief resulting from destitution and misery in the place of opulence, and a hunger that is the deprivation of the understanding of everything true. And she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God judging her signifies that they are going to be hatreds against the Lord and against His heaven and Church, because they see then that the Only Lord has dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man of himself. 9. And they shall weep for her, and wail over her, the kings of the land who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they see the smoke of her burning signifies the interior griefs of those who have been in higher dominion and its delights by means of the falsified and adulterated truths of the Word which they have made holy things of the Church, when they see them turned into profane things. 10. Standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that powerful city, for in one hour thy judgment has come signifies their fear of the penalties, and then a grievous lamentation that that form of religion, so fortified, could be overturned so suddenly and clearly, and they could perish. 11. And the merchants of the land shall weep and mourn over her, because no one is buying their merchandise any more signifies the lesser ones in rank who are ministering and making gain by means of holy things, here their griefs that after the destruction of Babylon they cannot profit by those means as before. 12. Merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearl signifies that they no longer have those things, because they do not have the spiritual goods and truths to which such things correspond. And of fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet signifies that they no longer have those things, because they do not have the celestial goods and truths to which such things correspond. And all thyme wood and every ivory vessel signifies that they no longer have those things, because they do not have the natural goods and truths to which such things correspond. And every vessel of precious wood and of bronze and iron and marble signifies that they no longer have those things because they do not have the scientific goods and truths in the things of the Church (scientifica bona et vera in rebus Ecclesiae) to which such things correspond. 13. And cinnamon and incenses and ointment (pigmentum) and frankincense signifies that they no longer have a worship out of spiritual goods and truths, because they do not have anything inwardly in the worship that corresponds to the things named above. And wine and oil and fine flour and wheat signifies that they no longer have a worship out of celestial goods and truths, because they do not have inwardly in the worship the things that correspond to those named above. And beasts of burden and sheep signifies that they no longer have a worship out of external or natural goods and truths of the Church, because they do not have anything inwardly in the worship that corresponds to the things named above. And of horses and of carriages and of bodies and the souls of men signifies all those things in accordance with the understanding of the Word and the doctrine therefrom, and in accordance with the goods and truths of the sense of the letter thereof, which they do not have because they have falsified and adulterated them. 14. And the fruits of the longing of thy soul have departed from thee, and all things fat and splendid have departed from thee, and thou shalt not find them any more signifies that all the blessings and felicities of heaven, even such external ones as are desired by them, are going to flee away altogether and no longer appear, because there are not any celestial and spiritual affections of good and truth with them. 15. And the merchants of these things who were made rich by her shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning signifies the state before damnation, and the fear and lamentation then of those who have made gain by means of various dispensations and promises of heavenly joys. 16. [And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet and decked with gold, precious stone and pearls, for in one hour so many riches have been devastated signifies a grievous lamentation that their magnificent things and gains have been destroyed so suddenly and so clearly.] 17. And every steersman, and everyone voyaging upon ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea signifies those who are called the laity, both those who have been placed in greater and those in lesser dignity even to the common people, who have been attached to that form of religion and love and embrace it or acknowledge and venerate it at heart. Stood afar off, [18] and shouted seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, Was there ever anything like this [great] city! signifies their mourning in a remote state over the damnation of that form of religion which they have believed to be supereminent above every religion in the world. 19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried out weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city signifies their interior and exterior grief and mourning, which is a lamentation that such an eminent form of religion has been altogether destroyed and damned. In which all having ships in the sea have been made rich by reason of her preciousness, for in one hour they have been devastated signifies on this account, that by means of the holy things of that form of religion all, as many as were willing to buy, have been pardoned (propitiati sunt), and for worldly and temporal riches have received heavenly and eternal riches [; and that now no one can buy them]. 20. Exult over her, O heaven, and the holy apostles and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her signifies that now the angels of heaven, and the men of the Church who are in goods and truths out of the Word, may rejoice at heart that those who are in the evils and untruths of that form of religion have been removed and rejected. 21. And one robust angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, With such impetus shall Babylon be cast down, that great city, and shall not be found any more signifies that by means of the Lord's strong influx out of heaven that form of religion with all its adulterated truths of the Word will be cast headlong into hell, and that it is never going to appear to the angels any more. 22. And the voice of harpers and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters shall not be heard in thee any more signifies that with them there will not be any affection of spiritual truth and good, nor any affection of celestial good and truth. And every craftsman of every craft shall not be found in thee any more signifies that those who are in that form of religion by virtue of doctrine and a life in accordance with it do not have any understanding of spiritual truth, and consequently neither any thought of spiritual truth, so far as this is of themselves. And the voice of a mill shall not be heard in thee any more signifies that those who are in that form of religion by virtue of its doctrine and a life in accordance therewith do not have any searching into, examination and confirmation of spiritual truth, because the untruth received and confirmed, and thus implanted, stands in the way. 23. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee any more signifies that those who are in that form of religion by virtue of doctrine and a life in accordance therewith do not have any enlightenment from the Lord, nor consequently any perception of spiritual truth. And the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in thee any more signifies that those who are in that form of religion by virtue of doctrine and a life in accordance therewith do not have the conjunction of good and truth that makes the Church. Because thy great ones** were the merchants of the land signifies that the higher ones in their ecclesiastical hierarchy are such because, by means of various, even arbitrary, rights left to them in the statutes of the order, they trade and make a profit. Because by thy sorcery all the nations have been led astray signifies their wicked arts and devices by means of which they have led the minds (animus) of all away from a holy worship of the Lord to a profane worship of men living and dead and of idols. 24. And in her has been found the blood of the prophets and saints, and of all those slain upon the land signifies that as the result of the form of religion that is understood by 'the city Babylon' there is the adulteration and profanation of every truth of the Word, and consequently of the Church, and that untruth has emanated therefrom into the whole of Christendom. * Reading die (day) instead of hera (hour), to conform with n. 765 and the text of the chapter. ** In the Original Edition here and at verse 23 of the Contents the words magnates (great ones) and mercatores (merchants) appear in the reverse order compared with the text at the beginning of the chapter and in the Greek.

THE EXPOSITION

[verse 1] 'And after these things I saw' signifies a manifestation concerning the destruction and damnation of those who were in the Roman Catholic form of religion, and have exercised authority over the holy things of the Church and heaven with the purpose of having dominion over all and of obtaining possession of all the things belonging to others. These things are here signified by 'after these things I saw' because in this chapter it treats of them. The dogmas of that form of religion have been set out in the front of this work so that those who are in enlightenment from the Lord can see that they regard nothing else but dominion over men souls, to the end that they may be worshipped as gods and have sole possession of the goods of the whole world. And because that was the end, and not at all the salvation of souls, they could not select their dogmas from any other source than hell; for they could not [select them] out of heaven, that is, from the Lord, but only from themselves, because they transferred all things of the Lord to themselves. What is more detestable than to divide the Lord's body and blood, or the bread and wine, in the Holy Supper, in manifest contrast to the institution, and this by means of invented reasons (figmenta), and solely for the sake of the sacrifice of the Mass by day and night, by which they 'gain the world'? What is more detestable than to worship dead men with a Divine invocation, and to fall down on the knees to representations of them, and to kiss them with holy reverence, even the bones and remains of their corpses, and thus to lead the people away from a Divine worship and lead them into a profane worship, and this also for the sake of gains? What is more detestable than to place Divine worship on the Lord's days and feasts in masses not understood, thus in external things that are of the body and of the things that affect it, without the internal things that are of the soul and its affections, and to attribute all holiness to the former, and thus to keep all in ignorance and a blind faith so that they may have dominion and become enriched? What is more detestable than to transfer all things of the Lord's Divine authority to themselves, which is nothing else than to dethrone the Lord and set up themselves instead? What is more detestable than to take the Word, which is Divine Truth itself, away from the laity and common people, and in place of it issue edicts and dogmas in which there is scarcely one genuine truth of the Word? These are the things of which [the Word] treats in this chapter of the Apocalypse.