10648. And they commit whoredom after their gods. That this signifies the consequent falsities of evil, is evident from the signification of "committing whoredom after the gods of the nations," as being to be conjoined with falsities of evil, for by "committing whoredom" is signified to be unlawfully conjoined; and by "the gods of the nations" are signified the falsities of evil. (That "gods" denote falsities, see at n. 4402, 4544, 7873, 8867; and that "nations" denote evils, n. 10638.) It is said "the consequent" falsities of evil, because all falsities come forth from evil. The falsities which are not from evil are indeed falsities in the external form, but not in the internal form. For there are falsities with those who are in the good of life, but within these falsities there is good, which causes the evil of the falsity to be removed; consequently before the angels this falsity does not appear as falsity, but as a species of truth; for the angels look at the interiors of faith, and not at its exteriors. From this it is that everyone can be saved, from every religion whatever, and even the Gentiles who have no truths from the Word, provided they have regarded as their end the good of life (see n. 2589-2604). [2] In the Word frequent mention is made of "committing whoredom," and thereby is signified an unlawful conjunction with truth; and by "committing adultery" is signified an unlawful conjunction with good. Consequently by "committing whoredom" is signified the falsification of truth; and by "committing adultery," the adulteration of good. The falsification of truth is done in three ways. First: if a man is in evil of life and acknowledges the truths of doctrine; for in this case evil is within the truths, and evil falsifies truth, because evil disperses what is heavenly and Divine out of the truths, and implants what is infernal; from which comes the falsification. [3] Second: if a man is at first in truths as to doctrine, and afterward accedes to the falsity of some other doctrine; which takes place with those only who are in evil of life; for evil seeks falsity, and eagerly seizes on it as truth. Third: if a man who is in evil as to life and in falsities as to doctrine seizes on the truths of some other doctrine, he also falsifies truths, because he does not acknowledge the truths for their own sake; but for the sake of something of gain, honor, or reputation. [4] All these falsifications are called in the Word "whoredoms" and "harlotries," for the reason that by "marriage" is meant a lawful conjunction, which is that of good and truth (see n. 2727-2759). Consequently unlawful conjunctions are meant by "whoredoms." That this is so can be seen from many passages in the Word, of which I will here adduce only these two:
Jerusalem, thou didst commit whoredom because of thy name, and pouredst out thy whoredoms on everyone that passed by. Thou didst take of thy garments, and madest for thee high places of divers colors, and didst commit whoredom upon them. Thou didst take the vessels of thine adornment of My gold and of My silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thee images of a male, and didst commit whoredom with them. Thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto Me; and these hast thou sacrificed unto them. Is this a little thing of thy whoredoms? Thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, thy neighbors, great of flesh; and hast multiplied thy whoredom to provoke Me. Thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, and hast committed whoredom with them and wast not sated; and thou hast multiplied thy whoredom unto the land of traffic, unto, Chaldea (Ezek. 16:15-17, 20, 26, 28, 29, and following verses). Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt; they committed whoredom in their youth. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. Oholah committed whoredom under Me, and she doted on her lovers, the Assyrians her neighbors. She bestowed her whoredoms upon them, she forsook not her whoredoms from Egypt, for they lay with her in her youth. Oholibah was more corrupt in her love than she, and multiplied her whoredoms above the whoredoms of her sister; she doted upon the sons of Asshur, she added to her whoredoms, and saw the images of the Chaldeans, she doted upon them with the look of her eyes; the sons of Babel came to her for the lying together of loves (Ezek. 23:2-17). See also in many other passages, which may be seen explained along with these in n. 2466, 8904.
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