AR 768 - "On this rock I will build My church." (Matthew 16:18)

AR 768 [2]

I once spoke with the Babylonian tribe in the spiritual world about the keys given to Peter, asking whether they believe that the Lord transferred His power over heaven and earth to Peter.

Because this was the chief tenet of their religion, they vehemently insisted that He did, saying that there was no doubt about it, as it was clearly stated.

But on my asking whether they know that in every part of the Word there is a spiritual meaning, which is the meaning of the Word in heaven, they said at first that they were unaware of it. However, later they said that they would inquire into it; and when they did, they were told that there is a spiritual meaning in every part of the Word, which is as different from the literal sense as anything spiritual is from something natural. Moreover, they were also told that no person named in the Word is so named in heaven, but that instead angels understand in it something spiritual.

Finally they were informed that instead of Peter in the Word, angels understand the truth of the church springing from goodness, which is likewise meant by the rock that is mentioned there together with Peter; and that they could know therefore that Peter was not given any power, but that it belonged to truth springing from goodness. For all power in heaven is the power of truth springing from goodness, or of goodness by means of truth. And because all goodness and all truth come from the Lord, and nothing from any man, they could know that all power is the Lord's.

 

AR 766 - Fire

AR 766 [2]

. . . fire symbolizes love in two senses - 
both heavenly love, which is a love for the Lord, 
and hellish love, which is a love of self. 
Hellish fire is animosity, 
because the love of self is filled with hatred. 
For people caught up in that love 
all burn with wrath to the degree of their love, 
and blaze with hatred and vengeance 
against people who attack them; 
and people coming from Babylon do so 
against people who deny 
that they are to be worshiped and adored 
as embodiments of holiness. 
When they are told, therefore, 
that the Lord alone is worshiped and adored in heaven, 
and that to worship some man 
instead of the Lord is profane, 
any adoration of the Lord in them
becomes animosity toward Him, 
and any adulteration of the Word 
in order that they may be worshiped becomes profane.

AR 758 - What Comes From the Lord

AR 758

. . . every bit of charity, 
and every bit of faith, 
or all good and truth, 
comes from the Lord, 
and what comes from the Lord 
continues to be the Lord's in its recipients. 
For what comes from the Lord is Divine, 
which can never become a person's own.

Something Divine can be present in a person, 
but not in his native self, 
for a person's native self is nothing but evil. 
Therefore someone who claims for himself 
something Divine as his own, 
not only defiles it, 
but also profanes it. 
Something Divine from the Lord
is kept carefully separate from a person's native self,
being elevated above it and never immersed in it.

AR 756 - Dominate Affections

AR 756 [2]

People in the world do not know 
that all after death become 
embodiments of the affections of their dominant love - 
embodiments of good affections 
if they have looked to the Lord and heaven 
and at the same time refrained from evils as sins, 
but embodiments of evil affections, namely lusts, 
if they have looked only to themselves and the world 
and have refrained from evils, not as sins, 
but only as damaging to their reputation and honor.

These affections are objectively 
seen and perceived in the spiritual world, 
whereas only the thoughts 
emanating from these affections 
are seen and perceived in the natural world. 
As a result, people do not know 
that hell resides in the affections of an evil love,
and heaven in the affections of a good love. 

So it is that people do not know this 
and do not perceive it, 
because the lusts of an evil love 
derive from heredity 
that they are delightful in the will, 
and thus pleasant in the intellect, 
and people do not reflect on something 
that is delightful and pleasant 
because it carries their minds along 
as the current of a swift river does a boat. 
Consequently people who have immersed themselves 
in these delights and pleasant thoughts 
cannot approach the delights and pleasant thoughts 
of the affections of a love of goodness and truth 
otherwise than as people 
who with straining arms pull on the oars 
against the current of a swift river.

The case, however, is otherwise with people 
who have not so deeply immersed themselves.

 

AR 754 - The Lord's Influx Through Divine Truth

AR 754

An angel coming down from heaven, 
having great authority, 
and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 
(Revelation 18:1)

An angel symbolizes the Lord. 
An angel coming down from heaven 
symbolizes an influx of the Lord from heaven. 
Having great authority symbolizes a powerful influx. 
The earth illuminated with his glory symbolizes 
the church in the light of heaven from the Lord 
through Divine truth.

. . . angels individually and collectively in the Word 
mean the Lord. 
To come down means, symbolically, to flow in, 
because it is said of the Lord. 
. . . the earth symbolizes the church; 
. . . glory is predicated of Divine truth 
and symbolizes it . . ..

We say Divine truth in the light of heaven, 
because Divine truth emanating from the Lord 
is the light of heaven, 
which enlightens angels and produces their wisdom.

The Lord's influx through Divine truth 
is mentioned now, 
and the enlightenment of the church by it, 
because it is by that influx 
that people caught up in falsities 
are separated from those governed by truths, 
and because it is the light of truth 
that also causes the real character of falsities to be seen.

AR 749, 750 - The Protestants and the Roman Catholics

AR 749

"For God has put it into their hearts 
to carry out His purpose, 
and to be of one mind 
and give their kingdom to the beast." 
(Revelation 17:17)

Since the harlot symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion, 
and the ten horns that will hate the harlot 
symbolize Protestants, 
it is apparent that carrying out God's purpose 
means symbolically that they judged 
and concluded that they should 
utterly repudiate and renounce 
the Roman Catholic religion 
and expunge and eradicate it in themselves. 
And it is apparent as well 
that to be of one mind 
and give their kingdom to the beast means, symbolically, 
to unanimously judge and conclude 
that they should acknowledge the Word 
and found the church on it. 
The beast symbolizes the Word, 
and their kingdom symbolizes 
the church and government over it . . .. 
That God put it into their hearts means symbolically 
that their judgments came from the Lord.

AR 750

. . . though Protestants acknowledge the Word indeed, 
and say that the church is founded on it, 
they nevertheless found the doctrine of their church 
on a single saying of Paul, 
that "a person is justified by faith 
apart from the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:28), 
which they completely misunderstand

 

AR 744 - The Called, the Chosen, and the Faithful

AR 744 [1-2]

"And those who are with Him 
are called, chosen, and faithful." 
(Revelation 17:14)

Those who are with Him 
symbolize people who turn to the Lord, 
for they are the people with Him. 
Those who are called, chosen, and faithful 
symbolize people who are concerned with 
the external, internal and inmost 
elements of the church, 
who, being in the Lord, go to heaven.

The called, indeed, mean all people, 
because all have been called, 
but the called who are with the Lord 
mean people who are in heaven with the Lord, 
as all those are called who are present 
at the wedding with the bridegroom. 
The chosen do not mean 
that some are chosen by predestination, 
but people who are with the Lord are so called. 
The faithful mean people who have faith in the Lord.

These are people who are concerned with 
the external, internal, and inmost 
elements of the church, 
because the Lord's church is, like heaven, 
distinguished into three degrees. 
In the lowest degree 
are people concerned with its external elements; 
in the second degree 
are people concerned with its internal ones; 
and in the third degree 
are people concerned with its inmost ones. 
People with the Lord who are concerned 
with the external elements of the church 
are said to be called. 
Those who are concerned with its internal elements 
are said to be chosen. 
And those who are concerned with 
its inmost elements are said to be faithful. 
For that is how they are termed in the Word, 
in which Jacob is said to be called, 
and Israel chosen, 
since Jacob there means people concerned with 
the external elements of the church, 
and Israel people concerned with its internal ones.

LJ 9 - The Order of Creation: People and Angels Working Together

This quote was shared with me yesterday.
Not from our Apocalypse Revealed readings, 
but fits in.  

Last Judgement 9 [1, 3]

The human race is the foundation 
on which heaven is built, 
because man is the final creation; 
and what is created last 
is the foundation of all that precedes. 
Creation began with the highest or inmost, 
because it came from God, 
and advanced to the lowest or outermost, 
and there it first halted. 
The lowest level of creation is the natural world, 
containing the globe with its lands and seas 
together with everything on it. 
On completion of this stage man was created; 
and on him was conferred the whole of God's order 
from first to last. 
The first principles of that order 
were conferred upon his inmost nature, 
the last expressions of it upon his ultimate nature. 
Thus man was made as a model of God's order. 
Hence it is that everything in and present with man
is of both heavenly and worldly origin. 
His mental attributes derive from heaven, 
his bodily attributes from the world. 
For influences from heaven act 
upon his thoughts and affections 
and dispose them in keeping with 
the way his spirit receives those influences. 
Influences from the world 
act upon his senses and appetites 
and dispose them in keeping with 
the way his body receives them, 
but they are adapted to suit 
the thoughts and affections of his spirit.

. . . From this ordering of creation 
it can be seen that the coherent linkage 
from first things to last 
is such that taken together they make up a single unit; 
in this prior cannot be separated from posterior, 
just as cause cannot be separated 
from the effect produced by it. 
Thus the spiritual world cannot be separated 
from the natural world, 
nor this from the spiritual. 
In the same way the heaven where the angels are 
cannot be separated from the human race, 
nor the human race from that heaven. 
It has therefore been provided by the Lord 
that one should perform services for the other, 
that is, the heaven of angels 
should perform services for the human race, 
and the human race for the heaven of angels.

AR 743 - Who Does Not Know?

AR 743 [2, 3]

Who does not know 
that the Lord was conceived of God as His Father:

But Mary said to the angel, 
How shall this be, since I know not a man?

And the angel answering said to her, 
The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, 
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; 
therefore also that which shall be born of thee Holy 
shall be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:34-35)

And who does not know therefore 
that God the Father, who is Jehovah, 
assumed a humanity in the world, 
and consequently that the humanity is 
the humanity of God the Father, 
thus that God the Father and the Lord are one, 
as soul and body are one?

Can anyone accordingly turn to a person's soul, 
and from there descend to his body? 
Must one not turn to his humanity, 
and then turn to his soul?

The Lord alone 
is the Holy One who is to be called upon:

Who wouldn't fear You, Lord, 
and glorify Your name? 
For You only are holy. 
For all the nations will come and worship before You. 
For Your righteous acts have been revealed."
(Revelation 15:4)

I know that people will think, 
"How could Jehovah the Father, 
the creator of the universe, 
descend and assume a humanity?" 
But let them think at the same time, 
"How could a Son from eternity, 
who is equal to the Father, 
and is also the creator of the universe, do this?" 
Is the case not the same?

People speak of a Father and Son from eternity, 
but there is no Son from eternity. 
It is the Divine humanity
that is called the Son sent into the world
(see quote above, Luke 1:34-35

AR 736-738 - Short Explanations; AR 739 - The Lord's Humanity Is Divine

AR 736

"This is the mind which has wisdom." 
(Revelation 17:9)

. . . This is the mind means symbolically 
that this is the meaning and interpretation 
of the things seen. 
Which has wisdom means symbolically 
that it is for people who are interiorly wise.

AR 737

"The seven heads are seven mountains 
on which the woman sits. 
They are also seven kings." 
(Revelation 17:10)

This symbolizes the Divine goods and truths in the Word 
on which the Roman Catholic religion was founded, 
in time destroyed and finally profaned.

AR 738

"Five have fallen, one is, 
and the other has not yet come. 
And when he comes, 
he must remain a short time." 
(Revelation 17:10)

This symbolically means that the Word's Divine truths 
have all been destroyed but this one, 
that the Lord was given all authority 
in heaven and on earth, 
and a second one, 
which has not yet been called into question, 
and when it is, will not survive, namely, 
that the Lord's humanity is Divine.

AR 739

The Word is Divine good itself and Divine truth 
because in each and every particular of it 
there is a marriage of the Lord and the church 
and so a marriage of goodness and truth. 
It also has in every particular
a celestial meaning and a spiritual meaning, 
and the celestial meaning has in it Divine goodness, 
while the spiritual meaning has in it Divine truth. 
Moreover, these are present in the Word 
because the Lord embodies the Word.

 

AR 731 - Outwardly One Thing, Inwardly Another; AR 735 - The Word Endures

AR 731

And when I saw her, I wondered with great wonder. 
(Revelation 17:6)

. . . To wonder with great wonder 
is to be greatly astonished. 
John's seeing her means symbolically that the woman, 
which is to say, the Roman Catholic religion, 
is of such a character interiorly, 
when indeed it appears otherwise outwardly. 
For John was astonished at seeing the woman
sitting on a scarlet beast, 
arrayed in purple and scarlet, 
adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, 
having in her hand a golden cup - 
which was the way she looked in outward appearance - 
and yet her cup was full of abomination 
and the filthiness of licentiousness. 
Moreover, on her forehead was written the legend, 
"the Mother of the Whoredoms 
and Abominations of the Earth," 
which was her internal character.

John said this 
because no one even at this day 
can but be astonished 
at seeing this expression of religion, 
so reverent and grand in outward appearances, 
not knowing 
that it is so profane and abhorrent interiorly.

AR 735

. . . people who strive for dominion 
over the sanctities of the church and over heaven 
hate the Word, because they hate the Lord,
if not with the lips, still at heart. 
The reality of this is known to few in the world, 
because they are then in the body; 
but it becomes evident after death, 
when they are in their spirit.

. . . The Word still endures because it is Divine, 
and the Lord is present in it.

AR 723 - Profanation; AR 729 - Loving Dominion

AR 723

. . . blasphemy symbolizes 
a denial of the Lord's Divinity in His humanity, 
and an adulteration of the Word, 
thus its profanation. 
For someone who fails to acknowledge 
the Lord's Divinity in His humanity 
and falsifies the Word, 
but not intentionally, 
does indeed commit profanation, but lightly. 
But people who claim for themselves 
all the power of the Lord's Divine humanity, 
and for that reason deny His Divinity, 
and who apply everything in the Word 
to acquiring dominion for themselves 
over the sanctities of the church and heaven, 
and for that reason adulterate the Word - 
those people commit serious profanation.

AR 729 [2]

We say that their love of exercising dominion 
comes from a love of self 
because possible also 
is a love of exercising dominion 
from a love of performing useful services. 
These two loves are diametrically opposite each other. 
That is because a love of exercising dominion 
from a love of self is diabolical, 
for it has regard for self only 
and for the world in the service of self. 
In contrast, a love of exercising dominion 
from a love of performing useful services is heavenly, 
for it has regard for the Lord, 
from whom emanate only useful endeavors, 
and useful endeavors to it 
are to do good to the church for the salvation of souls. 
This latter love consequently abhors 
a love of exercising dominion from a love of self.
 

AR 719, 720 - The Judgment

AR 719 [1, 2]

Saying to me, 
"Come, I will show you the judgment 
of the great harlot who sits on many waters." 
(Revelation 17:1)

. . . Saying and showing symbolize a revelation.  
The judgment symbolizes the state 
of the Roman Catholic religion at its end. 
The great harlot symbolizes a profanation 
of the sanctities of the Word and the church, 
and an adulteration of their goodness and truth. 
Many waters symbolize the Word's truths adulterated. 
To sit upon the waters means, symbolically, 
to possess them and live caught up in them.

We say that Roman Catholics 
adulterated and profaned the Word's truths, 
because they used the Word's truths 
to gain dominion over the sanctities of the church 
and over heaven 
and to claim for themselves the Lord's Divine power; 
and to use the Word's truths to gain dominion 
over the sanctities of the church and heaven
 is to adulterate them, 
and to use them to claim for oneself 
the Lord's Divine power is to profane them.

AR 720 [1, 4]

"With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom." 
(Revelation 17:2)

. . . To commit whoredom means, symbolically, 
to falsify and adulterate truths . . .. 
The kings of the earth symbolize the church's truths 
that it has from the Word - 
kings symbolizing truths springing from goodness, 
and the earth symbolizing the church.

People who possess truths 
springing from good from the Lord 
are called kings 
because they are called the Lord's children, 
and having been regenerated by the Lord, 
they are said to have been born of Him 
and to be His heirs, 
and the Lord is the King, 
and heaven and the church are His kingdom.

 

AR 718 - Seven Angels with Seven Bowls

 AR 718

Then one of the seven angels 
who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me.
(Revelation 17:7)

This symbolizes influx now 
and a revelation from the Lord 
from the inmost of heaven 
about the Roman Catholic religion.

Up to this point the subject has been 
the state of the Protestant Reformed church at its end. 
Now the subject is the state of 
the Roman Catholic religion at its end. 
This also follows in order . . ..

We do not call it the Roman Catholic Church, 
but the Roman Catholic religion, 
because Roman Catholics do not turn to the Lord 
or read the Word, 
and because they invoke the dead, 
and yet it is the Lord and the Word 
that make the church a church, 
and its perfection depends 
on its acknowledgment of the Lord 
and on its understanding of the Word.

One of the seven angels 
who had the seven bowls came and spoke with John, 
because the seven angels who had the seven bowls 
symbolize an influx from the Lord 
from the inmost of the Christian heaven 
into the church in order to expose
the evils and falsities in it. 
Therefore those seven angels here symbolize 
the Lord speaking from the inmost of heaven 
and revealing the state in which 
the Roman Catholic religion would be at its end.

That is also why one of the seven angels 
took John onto a high mountain 
and showed him the Lamb's wife, 
which is the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9-10).

AR 708 - The Seventh Angel; AR 710 - Voices, Lightnings & Thunderings

AR 708

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. 
(Revelation 16:17)

This symbolizes influx from the Lord into 
all of these things at the same time 
in people of the Protestant Reformed Church.

AR 710

Voices, lightnings and thunderings symbolize 
reasonings, falsifications of truth, 
and arguments in consequence of falsities . . ..

Regarding people caught up in 
a faith divorced from works of the law, 
who consequently engage in evil practices, 
that they refuse to reflect on the evils in themselves, 
because they would not want 
to turn away from those evils if they were to know them, 
is apparent without explanation. 
Experience shows this. 
For evils are delightful, 
because they are expressions of love, 
and no one want to turn away from things 
that delight him 
unless he gives thought to life after death, 
first to hell and what it is like, 
and then to heaven and what it is like, 
and thinks about them 
when not engaged in the doing of evil.
 If he also then turns to the Lord and thinks, 
"What is something temporal in relation to eternity? 
Is it not as nothing?" 
it is then that he can reflect on his evils, 
with a willingness to see them and turn away from them.

But if a person has first 
confirmed himself in faith alone, 
he will then say in his heart, 
"Our theological faith, 
that God the Father takes pity on us 
for the sake of His Son who suffered for our sins - 
if I make appeal to it with some degree of trust, 
that faith does all the rest." 
He then does not reflect on any evil in him. 
He also says to himself because of that faith 
that evil does not condemn, 
that salvation is a matter of pure mercy, 
and other like things. 
Thus he remains engaged in his evils 
and finds delight in them to the end of his life.

The Sixth Bowl (con't- 3); AR 707 - Armageddon

AR 707 [1, 5]

And they gathered them together to the place 
called in Hebrew Armageddon. 
(Revelation 16:16)

To gather together to the place,  
in this case for battle, means, symbolically, 
to incite people to use falsities to fight against truths. 
It is a state of combat, 
because a place symbolizes the state of something. 
It springs from a mind to destroy the New Church, 
because the combat meant 
is between the former church and a new one, 
and the intent of the combat is to destroy.

Armageddon symbolizes . . . a love 
of acclaim, dominion and preeminence, 
for it is because of that love that a conflict arises . . ..

 

The Sixth Bowl (con't- 2); AR 705 - "Behold, I am coming . . ."; AR 706 - To Walk Naked

AR 705

"Behold, I am coming as a thief. 
Blessed is he who watches, 
and preserves his garments.
(Revelation 16:15)

. . . To come as a thief, 
when said of the Lord, 
symbolizes His advent, 
and heaven then for people who have lived a good life, 
but hell for those who have lived an evil life . . .. 
That person is called blessed who receives eternal life. 
To watch means, symbolically, to live spiritually, 
that is, to possess truths 
and live in accordance with them 
and look to the Lord. 
And to preserve one's garments means, symbolically, 
to remain steadfast in those truths 
to the end of one's life. 
For garments symbolize truths that clothe, 
thus the Lord's precepts in the Word,
because these are truths.

AR 706

"Lest he walk naked and they see his shame." 
(Revelation 16:15)

This symbolically means, 
so as not to be associated with people 
who are without any truths, 
and have their hellish loves appear.

. . . This admonition is for people 
who will belong to the Lord's New Church, 
warning them to learn truths 
and remain constant in them, 
since without truths people's innate evils, 
which are their hellish loves, are not removed. 
A person without truths 
may indeed be able to live as a Christian, 
but he does so in the eyes of men, 
but not in the eyes of angels.

The truths which people are to learn 
are truths having to do with the Lord 
and with the precepts according to which 
they are to live.

AR 699, 700 - The Sixth Angel Poured Out His Bowl; AR 704 - Going Into Battle

AR 699

Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl 
upon the great river Euphrates. 
(Revelation 16:12)

This symbolizes influx from the Lord 
into the people's interior reasonings 
by which they defend justification by faith alone.

AR 700 [2] 

The subject here is the final period or end 
of the present church 
and the establishment or beginning 
of a new church and its struggles. 
The people of the present church 
caught up in faith alone 
are meant by the dragon, beast, and false prophet, 
spoken of next, 
and their conflicts with people 
who will belong to the New Church 
are meant by 
the gathering of the kings of the earth to do battle. 
Those people who will belong to the New Church, 
on the other hand, 
with whom they will conflict, 
are meant by those for whom 
the water of the river Euphrates was dried up, 
so that the way of the kings 
from the rising of the sun might be made ready.

This involves an occurrence 
similar to one in the introduction 
of the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, 
with the difference that for the Israelites 
the river Jordan was dried up, 
while for the people here it is the river Euphrates. 
It is the river Euphrates for the people here 
because they use interior reasonings 
to carry on the conflict, 
reasonings that must be dried up, that is, removed, 
before the introduction can occur. 
This is also the reason that their interior reasonings 
are being exposed in this book.

AR 704

To go away to gather them to battle means, 
symbolically, to stir those people to fight or attack; 
for war symbolizes a spiritual war, 
which is one of falsity against truth 
and of truth against falsity. 
It is to attack the truths of the New Church 
because it is called 
the battle of that great day of God Almighty, 
and that day symbolizes the Lord's advent 
and a new church then. 

AR 694 - The Fifth Bowl; AR 695 - Confirming Faith Divorced from Charity; AR 697 - Blaspheming God; AR 698 - Not Repenting

AR 694

Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl 
upon the throne of the beast. 
(Revelation 16:10)

. . . The angel's pouring out his bowl means, 
symbolically, here as before, influx, 
and the throne of the beast means, 
symbolically, where faith alone reigns. 
A throne symbolizes a kingdom or realm, 
and the beast faith alone.

AR 695

People who have confirmed themselves 
in a faith divorced from charity 
falsify the whole Word.

. . . the falsities of their faith 
do not in fact appear to them as full of darkness, 
that is, as false, 
but they appear as though full of light, that is, as true, 
once they have confirmed themselves in them. 
Nevertheless, when these falsities 
are viewed in the light of heaven, 
which reveals everything, 
they appear as being full of darkness.

AR 697

To blaspheme the God of heaven means, symbolically, 
to deny or refuse to acknowledge 
the Lord alone as God of heaven and earth.

AR 698

. . . the people's not repenting of their works 
means symbolically 
that despite being instructed from the Word, 
they still did not turn away from the falsities of their faith 
or from their consequent evil practices.

We say that works here are falsities of faith 
and the consequent evil practices. 
We say this because falsity of faith precedes
and evil practice follows. 
For it is a falsity of faith 
that evil does not condemn a person who possesses faith. 
Therefore the person lives unconcernedly, 
not thinking about any evil, 
and so never reproaches himself or repents. 
The result is the same if he persuades himself 
that works contribute nothing to salvation, 
but that faith alone saves without works

AR 690 - The Fourth Bowl Poured Onto the Sun; AR 692 - The Nature of Self Love

AR 690

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl onto the sun. 
(Revelation 16:8)

. . . To pour out the bowl symbolizes here, as before, 
an influx springing from goods and truths, 
here an influx into the people's love; 
for the sun symbolizes the Lord's Divine love, 
and in an opposite sense a love of self. 
Here it is a love of self, 
because we are told next 
that people were scorched with fire, 
and scorched with great heat, 
which symbolizes the lusts of that love.

AR 692 [2] 

We will briefly describe the nature of self-love. 
Its accompanying delight 
surpasses every other delight in the world, 
for it consists of nothing but lusts for evils, 
and every one of the lusts produces its own delight. 
Every person is born into this delight, 
and because it impels the person's mind 
to focus its thought continually on itself, 
it draws the mind away 
from thinking about God and the neighbor 
except from the perspective of self 
and with a focus on self. 
As a consequence, 
if God does not favor the person's lusts, 
he becomes angry with God, 
as he becomes angry with the neighbor 
who does not favor them.

As this delight grows, 
it causes the person to be unable 
to elevate his thought above himself, 
but instead draws it down to a level beneath him, 
for it immerses the mind 
in the inherent nature of his body. 
As a result the person becomes gradually sensual, 
and a sensual person speaks 
in a lofty and elevated tone 
about worldly and civic matters, 
but he can speak about God and Divine matters 
only from memory. 
If he is a politician, 
he acknowledges nature as responsible for creation, 
his own prudence as his guide, 
and denies God's existence. 
If he is a priest, 
he speaks about God and Divine matters from memory, 
even in a lofty and elevated tone; 
but at heart he little believes them.

 

AR 680 - The Second Angel's Bowl; AR 683 - The Third Angel's Bowl; AR 689 - Angel From the Waters & the Angel From the Altar

AR 680

Then the second angel poured out his bowl upon the sea. 
(Revelation 16:3)

This symbolizes an influx
of truth and goodness from the Lord 
into those people in the church of the Protestant Reformed 
who are concerned with its external elements 
and are caught up in that faith, and are called the laity.

AR 683

Then the third angel poured out his bowl 
onto the rivers and springs of water. 
(Revelation 16:4)

This symbolizes influx
 into the understanding of the Word in these people.

AR 689

And I heard another from the altar saying, 
"Even so, Lord God Almighty, 
true and just are Your judgments." 
(Revelation 16:7)

This symbolizes the Divine goodness in the Word 
supporting that Divine truth.

. . . Now because the Word's Divine goodness 
and the Word's Divine truth are united, 
therefore the symbolic meaning of what 
the angel of the waters said 
and the symbolic meaning of what 
the angel from the altar said are similar. 
For the angel of the waters said, 
"You are righteous, O Lord, 
the One who is and who was, 
and holy, because You have judged these things," 
while here the angel from the altar said, 
"Even so, Lord God Almighty, 
true and just are Your judgments." 
These two utterances have the same symbolic meaning, 
with the sole difference that one of the angels
spoke from the prompting of truth, 
and the other from the prompting of goodness, 
and that one confirmed what the other said, 
but using different words, 
one using words that belong to the classification of truth, 
and the other using words 
that belong to the classification of good. 
For there is a marriage of truth and goodness 
in every part of the Word, 
and some words are words having to do with goodness, 
and some are words having to do with truth. 
They appear to differ, but still they involve similar ideas.

 

AR 678 - The First Bowl: Sores; AR 679 - To Live a Life of Faith Alone

AR 678 [1, 2]

. . . an evil and noxious sore 
symbolizes interior evils and falsities 
destructive of every good and truth in the church.
Its being noxious symbolizes its destructiveness, 
and evil cannot but destroy goodness, and falsity truth.
. . . Every evil that a person perceives in himself
exists in its outmost expressions. 
Consequently, when a person rejects evil, 
he at the same time rejects also its lusts, 
though he still does not do this on his own, 
but from the Lord. 
A person can indeed on his own reject evil, 
but not its lusts. 
Therefore, when he wishes to reject some evil 
and is fighting against it, 
he must look to the Lord, 
since the Lord operates 
from inmost elements to outmost ones. 
For He enters through a person's soul and purifies him.
We have said this much to make known 
that a sore symbolizes evil 
appearing in its outmost or final expressions, 
arising from an internal malignancy. 
This is the case with all people 
who persuade themselves that faith alone saves, 
and for that reason 
do not reflect upon any evil in themselves 
or look to the Lord.

AR 679

To live in accordance with faith alone 
and to accept its doctrine 
means to attach no importance 
to living for the sake of salvation, 
and to attach no importance to the truth, 
believing that if people only pray to God the Father 
to have pity for the sake of the Son, 
they are saved.

 

AR 676 - Seven Bowls & Seven Trumpets

AR 676 [2-5]

The subject continues to be
the church among the Protestant Reformed. 
. . . Chapters 8, 9 above described 
seven angels who had seven trumpets, 
which they sounded, 
and because many similar things occur there, 
we will say here 
what those seven angels symbolized 
and what these do here. 
The seven trumpets which the seven angels sounded 
symbolize an examination and exposure 
of the falsities and evils possessed by people 
who are caught up in a faith divorced from charity. 
But the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues 
symbolize the purging and ultimate end of these people, 
since the Last Judgment cannot be executed upon them 
until they have been purged.

The purging and ultimate end of them 
is brought about in the spiritual world in the following way: 
People caught up in falsities as to doctrine 
and so in evils as to life 
have taken from them all the goods and truths 
that they possessed merely in their natural self, 
by which they put on the appearance 
of being Christian people. 
When these goods and truths have been taken away, 
the people are separated from heaven 
and joined to hell. 
And then in the world of spirits 
they are arranged in accordance with 
the varieties of their lusts into societies, 
which later sink down.

They have goods and truths taken from them 
by influx from heaven. 
The influx originates from genuine truths and goods 
by which they are tormented and tortured, 
much like a snake placed near a fire 
or cast upon an anthill. 
Therefore they reject the goods and truths of heaven, 
which are also the goods and truths of the church, 
and finally condemn them, 
because these cause them what feels like 
the torment of hell. 
When this happens 
they retreat into their evils and falsities 
and are separated from people who are good.

These are the things described in this chapter 
and symbolized by the emptying out of the bowls 
containing the seven last plagues.

The bowls did not contain these evils and falsities 
symbolized by the plagues, 
but had in them genuine truths and goods, 
whose effect was as described. 
For the angels came from 
the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony, 
which means the inmost of heaven, 
where nothing but truths and goods 
in a Divine and holy state are found (Revelation 15:6).

This is the purging and ultimate end 
spoken of by the Lord when He said:

. . . whoever has, to him more will be given, 
that he may have greater abundance; 
but whoever does not have, 
even what he has will be taken away from him. 
(Matthew 13:12, Mark 4:25)

. . . take the talent from him, 
and give it to him who has ten talents. 
For to everyone who has, 
more will be given, that he may have abundance; 
but from him who does not have, 
even what he has will be taken away from him. 
(Matthew 25:28-29, cf. Luke 19:24-26)