Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 18:1
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AR 753. Verse 1. And after these things I saw, signifies the manifestation concerning the destruction and condemnation of those who were in the Roman Catholic religious persuasion, and exercised authority over the holy things of the church and heaven, with the purpose of having dominion over all, and of possessing all the goods of others. These things are here signified by "after these things I saw," because they are treated of in this chapter. The dogmas of that religious persuasion are prefixed to this work, that they who are in enlightenment from the Lord may see that they regard nothing else than dominion over the souls of men, to the end that they may be worshiped as gods, and may alone possess the goods of the whole world. And because that was their end, and not at all the salvation of souls, they could not take their dogmas from any other source than from hell; for they could not from heaven, that is, from the Lord, but from themselves, because they transferred all things of the Lord to themselves. What is more detestable than to divide the body and blood of the Lord, or the bread and wine in the Holy Supper, manifestly against its institution, and this by fictions, and solely for the sake of the daily and nightly sacrifices of the Mass, by which they make worldly gains? What is more detestable than to worship dead men with Divine invocation, and to fall down on the knees to their images, and to kiss them in a holy manner, yea, the bones and remains of their dead bodies, and thus to lead away the people from Divine worship and to lead them into profane worship; and this also for the sake of gains? What is more detestable than to make Divine worship on the Lord‘s day and on festivals to consist in masses not understood, and thus in externals which are of the body and its affections without internals which are of the soul and its affections, and to ascribe to the former all sanctity, and thus to hold all in ignorance and blind faith, that they may have dominion and make gain? What is more detestable than to transfer all things of the Lord’s Divine authority to themselves? which is nothing else than to draw down the Lord from His throne, and to put themselves upon it. What is more detestable than to take away the Word, which is the Divine truth itself, from the laity and the common people, and to issue edicts and dogmas in its place, in which there is scarcely one genuine truth of the Word? These are the things which are treated of in this chapter of the Apocalypse.

AR 754. I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened by his glory, signifies a strong influx of the Lord out of heaven by the Divine truth, from which His church was in heavenly light. By "an angel" the Lord is signified; by "an angel coming down out of heaven" is signified the Lord‘s influx out of heaven; by "having great authority," is signified strong influx; by "the earth was lightened by his glory" is signified the church in heavenly light from the Lord by Divine truth. That by "an angel" and by "angels" in the Word the Lord is meant, may be seen (n. 258, 344, 465, 649, 657, 718). By "coming down" is signified to flow in, because it is said of the Lord. That the church is signified by "the earth" (n. 285, 721). That glory is said of the Divine truth, and signifies it (n. 249, 629). It is said, Divine truth in heavenly light, because the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is the light of heaven, which enlightens the angels, and makes their wisdom. The influx of the Lord by Divine truth is now spoken of, and the enlightenment of the church by it, because by that influx those that are in falsities are separated from those who are in truths; and likewise, falsities from the light of truth appear as they really are.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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