1135. That mighty city, signifies which had fortified itself by so many wicked devices. This is evident from the signification of "mighty," as being in reference to its doctrine and religious persuasion, which are signified by "the city of Babylon," that they are fortified by devices that they may not be assailed and overthrown. What those devices are, and how wicked they are, may be seen above (n. 1112). It follows, nevertheless, that these devices were of no avail at the day of the Last Judgment, when all who were such perished, for it is said, "For in one hour is thy judgment come," and that not only the kings of the earth, but also the merchants of the earth, and the pilots of the ships "should weep for her and wail over her." [2] Elsewhere in the Word those are called "mighty" who are in evils and falsities therefrom, and have fortified themselves by means of devices against the goods and truths of the church, thus those with whom the church is devastated, and who devastate the church with others. As in Joel:
The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness and of thick darkness; a people great and mighty, such as there hath not been for an age. Like heroes they run, like men of war they climb over the wall (Joel 2:1-2, 7);
where also the Last Judgment is treated of, which is signified by "the day of Jehovah, a day of darkness and of thick darkness." Those who are in falsities of evil and have fortified their falsities against truths by reasoning and by falsifications of the Word, are signified by "a people great and mighty;" that they reason from falsities against truths, and thus assail truths, is signified by "like heroes they run, like men of war they climb over the wall." And so in other places.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith and respecting the Lord)
[3] As the Divine omnipotence is such that man is not able to think and will, and thus to speak and act, of himself, but is able to do so only from the life which is God, it may be asked why every man is not saved. But he who concludes from this that everyone is saved, or that he is not to be blamed if he is not, is ignorant of the laws of Divine order respecting man's reformation, regeneration, and consequent salvation. The laws of that order are called laws of the Divine providence. These the natural mind cannot know unless it is enlightened. And as man does not know them, and consequently forms conclusions respecting the Divine providence from what happens in the world, by which he falls into fallacies and thus into errors, from which it is difficult for him afterwards to extricate himself, therefore these laws shall be disclosed. [4] But before these are disclosed, it is important to make known that the Divine providence operates every particular thing pertaining to man, and even in the most minute particulars, for his eternal salvation; for the salvation of man was the end of the creation of heaven and of earth. This end was that out of the human race a heaven might be formed, in which God could dwell as in His own very home, consequently the salvation of man is the all in all of the Divine providence. But the Divine providence proceeds so secretly that man can see scarcely a trace of it, and yet it is active in the most minute particulars relating to him from infancy to old age in the world, and afterwards to eternity, and in each one of these it is the eternal that is regarded. [5] As the Divine wisdom is in itself nothing but an end, so providence acts from an end, in an end, and to an end. The end is that man may become wisdom and may become love, and thus a dwelling place and an image of the Divine life. But since the natural mind, unless it is enlightened, is unable to comprehend why the Divine providence, which works solely for man's salvation, and works in the most minute things of the progress of man's life, does not lead all to heaven, when it desires from love to so lead them, and is omnipotent; so in what now follows the laws of order, which are laws of the Divine providence, shall be opened; by which, I hope, the mind not before enlightened may be withdrawn from fallacies, if it is willing to be withdrawn.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church