Spiritual Summary of REVELATION 17    previous  -  next  -  text  -  details  -  Revelation  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

Concerning the Roman Catholic religion: It is described in what manner it had falsified the Word, and thence had perverted all the truths of the church (verses 1-7); how it had falsified and perverted them with those who were subject to its dominion (verses 8-11); that it was less with those who had not thus subjected themselves to its dominion (verses 12-15). Concerning the Reformed: That they had withdrawn themselves from the yoke of its domination (verses 16, 17); concerning its domination still (ver. 18).

Ver. 1. "And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven vials, and spake with me," signifies influx and revelation now from the Lord out of the inmost of heaven, concerning the Roman Catholic religion (n. 718). "Saying unto me, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters," signifies revelation concerning that religion as to its profanations and adulterations of the truths of the Word (n. 719).

Ver. 2. "With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom," signifies that it has adulterated the truths and goods of the church which are from the Word (n. 720). "And the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom," signifies insanity in spiritual things from the adulteration of the Word with those who are in that religion (n. 721).

Ver. 3. "And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness," signifies that he was carried in a spiritual state to those with whom all things of the church were devastated (n. 722). "And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy," signifies that religion founded upon the Word profaned by them (n. 723). "Having seven heads and ten horns," signifies intelligence from the Word, holy at the beginning, afterwards none, and at length insanity, and much power from the Word continually (n. 724).

Ver. 4. "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet," signifies the celestial Divine good and Divine truth, which are of the Word, among them (n. 725). "And inwrought with gold and precious stones," signifies spiritual Divine good and Divine truth, which are of the Word, with them (n. 726). "And pearls," signifies the knowledges of good and truth, which are of the Word, with them (n. 727). "Having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and uncleanness of her whoredom," signifies that religion from the holy things of the Word profaned, and from its goods and truths defiled by direful falsities (n. 728).

Ver. 5. "Upon her forehead written, Mystery; Babylon the great, the mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth," signifies the Roman Catholic religion, as to its interior quality which is concealed, that from its origin, from the love of dominating, from the love of self over the holy things of the church and over heaven, and thus over all things of the Lord and His Word, it has defiled and profaned the things which are of the Word and thence of the church (n. 729).

Ver. 6. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus," signifies that religion insane from adulterated and profaned Divine truths and goods of the Lord, of the Word, and thence of the church (n. 730). "And when I saw her I wondered with great wonder," signifies astonishment that that religion is such interiorly, when yet it appears otherwise exteriorly (n. 731).

Ver. 7. "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns," signifies the disclosure of what the things which precede and were seen signify (n. 732).

Ver. 8. "The beast which thou sawest was, and is not," signifies the Word acknowledged as holy with them, and yet really not acknowledged (n. 733). "And is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition," signifies deliberation at different times in the Papal Consistory respecting the reception and reading of the Word by the laity and the common people, but rejected (n. 734). "And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Lamb‘s book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast which was, and is not, and yet is," signifies the amazement of those who are of that religion, all who from its establishment have aimed at dominion over heaven and earth, that the Word, although thus rejected, still is (n. 735).

Ver. 9. "This is the mind that hath wisdom," signifies that this is the interpretation in the natural sense, but for those who are in the spiritual sense from the Lord (n. 736). "The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sitteth upon them."

(Ver. 10): and they are seven kings," signifies the Divine goods and Divine truths of the Word, upon which that religion is founded, destroyed in time, and at length profaned (n. 737). "Five have fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he is come, he must remain a short time," signifies that all the Divine truths of the Word have been destroyed except this one, that all the power in heaven and in earth was given to the Lord; and except another, which has not yet come into question, but will not remain, which is, that the Lord’s Human is Divine (n. 738).

Ver. 11. "And the beast, that was, and is not, is himself the eighth, and is of the seven, and he goeth into perdition," signifies that the Word, as explained above, is the Divine good itself, and that it is the Divine truth; and that it is taken away from the laity and the common people, lest the profanations and adulterations made in it by their leaders should appear, and they should on that account recede (n. 739).

Ver. 12. "And the ten horns are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom," signifies the Word as to power from Divine truths with those who are in the kingdom of France, and are not so much under the yoke of the Papal dominion; with whom however there has not yet been formed a church fully separated from the Roman Catholic religion (n. 740). "But they receive authority as kings one hour with the beast," signifies that the Word has power with them, and they by the Word are as if they were in its Divine truths (n. 741).

Ver. 13. "These have one mind, and they shall give their power and authority to the beast," signifies that they acknowledge unanimously that government and dominion over the church are solely through the Word (n. 742).

Ver. 14. "These shall fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is the Lord of lords and King of kings," signifies the Lord‘s combat with them concerning the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, because in it the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and is also the Word (n. 743). "And they who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful," signifies that they who approach and worship the Lord alone are they that come into heaven, as well they who are in the externals of the church as they that are in its internals and inmosts (n. 744).

Ver. 15. "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, and nations and tongues," signifies that they are under the Papal dominion, but in the truths of the Word variously adulterated and profaned by that religion, who are of its varieties of doctrine and discipline, and its varieties of religion and confession (n. 745).

Ver. 16. "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the harlot," signifies the Word as to power from Divine truths with the Protestants, who have altogether cast off from themselves the yoke of the Papal dominion (n. 746). "And shall make her desolate and naked," signifies that they will put off from themselves its falsities and evils (n. 747). "And shall eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire," signifies that from hatred they will condemn and destroy from among themselves the evils and falsities which are proper to that religion, and will hold that religion itself accursed, and will blot it out from among them (n. 748).

Ver. 17. "For God gave into their hearts to do His mind, and to do one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast," signifies judgment with them from the Lord, that they should altogether repudiate and hold accursed the Roman Catholic religion, and should destroy and root it out from among themselves; and the unanimous judgment, that they should acknowledge the Word, and should found the church upon it (n. 749). "Until the words of God should be consummated," signifies until all the things which have been foretold concerning them shall be fulfilled (n. 750).

Ver. 18. "And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city that hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth," signifies that the Roman Catholic religion reigns as to doctrine in the Christian world, and also still in some measure among the Reformed, although they are not under the Papal dominion.