(Continuation respecting the Word)

[2] It is an invariable truth that no one can understand the Word without doctrine; for he may be led away into any errors to which he may be inclined from some love, or to which he may be drawn from some principle, whereby his mind becomes unsettled and uncertain, and at length as it were destitute of truth. But he who reads the Word from doctrine sees all things that confirm it, and many things that are hidden from the eyes of others, and does not permit himself to be drawn away into strange things; and thus his mind becomes so settled as to see with certainty. The Word may be drawn away to confirm heresies unless it is read from doctrine, for the reason that the sense of its letter consists of mere correspondences, and these are in great part appearances of truth, and in part genuine truths, and unless there be doctrine for a lamp these cannot be seen and cannot be distinguished from each other. [3] But doctrine can be acquired from no other source than from the Word, and it can be acquired only by those who are in enlightenment from the Lord. Those are in enlightenment who love truths because they are truths and make them to be of their life. Moreover, all things of doctrine must be confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word, because the Divine truth is in its fullness and in its power in that sense, and through it man is in conjunction with the Lord and in consociation with the angels. In brief, he who loves truth because it is truth can inquire of the Lord, as it were, in doubtful matters of faith, and can receive answers from Him, but nowhere except in the Word, for the reason that the Lord is the Word.

Revelation 18

1. And after these things I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened by his glory. 2. And he cried out mightily with a great voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. 3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the anger of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her; and the merchants of the earth have become rich from the abundance of her luxuries. 4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come forth out of her, my people, that ye become not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5. For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her injustices. 6. Render unto her even as she hath rendered unto you, and double unto her double according to her works; in the cup that she hath mingled mingle to her double. 7. How much she hath glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and mourning give her, for in her heart she saith, I sit a queen, and a widow I am not, and mourning I shall not see. 8. For this reason in one day shall her plagues come, death and mourning and famine, and she shall be burned up in fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 9. And the kings of the earth shall weep for her and wail over her, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning;

10. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, that mighty city; for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one buyeth their merchandise anymore;

12. Merchandise of gold and of silver, and of precious stones and of pearl, and of fine linen, and of purple, and of silk and scarlet, and of all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory and every vessel of precious wood, and of brass, and of iron, and of marble;

13. And cinnamon and incense, and ointment and frankincense, and wine and oil, and fine flour and wheat, and beasts of burden and sheep, and horses and carriages, and slaves, and souls of men. 14. And the fruits of the desire of thy soul have departed from thee; and all fat and splendid things have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more. 15. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;

16. And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, precious stone and pearls;* for in one hour were devastated so great riches. 17. And every pilot, and all that are employed on ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea, stood afar off, 18. And cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like this great city? 19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried out weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, wherein all that had ships in the sea were made rich by her costliness; for in one hour they were devastated. 20. Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath judged your judgment upon her. 21. And one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon, that great city, be cast down and shall be found no more. 22. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and pipers, and trumpeters, shall not be heard in thee anymore; and no craftsman of whatsoever craft shall be found in thee anymore, and the voice of a millstone shall not be heard in thee anymore;

23. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and of bride shall not be heard in thee anymore, because thy merchants were the great men of the earth, because by thy sorcery have all nations been seduced. 24. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that had been slain on the earth. * English version, verse 17 begins here.