Babylon ... made all nations drink of the wine ... of her fornication. Rev. xiv 8.

The angel said ... I will show unto you the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication. Rev. xvii 1, 2.

Babylon hath made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. Rev. xviii 3.

God hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication. Rev. xix 2.

Fornication is spoken of in relation to Babylon, because by Babylon are meant those who arrogate to themselves the Lord's Divine power, and profane the Word by adulterating and falsifying it. Therefore also Babylon is called

The mother of fornications and abominations of the earth. Rev. xvii 5.

[2] The same is signified by whoredom in the Prophets; as in Jeremiah:

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible stubbornness: they commit adultery, and walk in lies. Jer. xxiii 14.

In Ezekiel:

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth ... One played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours . . . she bestowed her whoredoms upon them . . . Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt. The other corrupted her love more than the former, and her whoredoms more than the whoredoms of her sister. ... She increased her whoredoms . . . she loved the Chaldeans ... the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom. Ezek. xxiii 2-17.

These words relate to the Israelitish and Jewish Church, which are here called the daughters of one mother. By their whoredoms are meant the adulterations and falsifications of the Word; and as in the Word by Egypt is signified knowledge, by Assyria reasoning, by Chaldea the profanation of truth, and by Babylon the profanation of good, therefore it is said that they committed whoredom with those nations. [3] The like is said concerning, Jerusalem, by which is signified the Church as to doctrine, in Ezekiel:

Jerusalem, thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by ... Thou hast committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredom... Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians because thou wast insatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them... Thou hast multiplied thy fornication unto Chaldea, the land of merchandise ... An adulterous wife which taketh strangers instead of her husband. They all give their gift to their whores; but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers . . . that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom. Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of Jehovah. Ezek. xvi 15, 26, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35.

That by Jerusalem is meant the Church may be seen in THE DOCTRINE CONCERNING THE LORD Nos. 62, 63. The like is signified by whoredoms in

Isa. xxiii 17 18; lvii 3; Jer. iii 2, 6, 8, 9; v 1 7; xiii 27 xxi 23; Micah i 7; Nahum iii 4; Hosea iv 10, 11 Lev. xx 5; Num. xiv 33; xv 39; and elsewhere.

For the same reason also the Jewish nation was called by the Lord

An adulterous generation. Matt. xii 39; xvi 4; Mark viii 38.