Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 16:10
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AR 694. Verse 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast, signifies influx from the Lord into their faith. By "the angel poured out his vial" is signified here, as before, influx; and by "the throne of the beast" is signified where faith alone reigns; by "a throne" is signified a kingdom, and by "the least" faith alone (n. 567, 576, 577, 594, 601, 660). That "a throne" is also mentioned in relation to the government of evil and falsity, appears from the following passages:--

AR 695. And His kingdom became dark, signifies that nothing but falsities appeared. By "darkness" falsities are signified, because "light" signifies truth; that "darkness" signifies falsities, by which are evils, and "thick darkness," falsities from evils, see above (n. 413). Therefore by "the kingdom of the beast became dark" is signified that nothing but falsities appeared. That they who have confirmed faith separated from charity, falsify the whole Word, may be seen above (n. 136, 610). That they are not in any truths (n. 489, 501, 653), but in mere falsities (n. 563, 597, 602). But the falsities of their faith do not indeed appear before themselves as darkness, that is, as falsities, but they appear to them as if they were lucid, that is, as truths, after they have confirmed them; but nevertheless while they are viewed from the light of heaven, which discloses all things, they appear as darkness. For which reason, when the light of heaven flows into their dens in hell, the darkness is such that they cannot see one another; on which account every hell is closed so as not to leave a crevice open, and then they are in their own light (lumen). The reason why they do not appear to themselves to be in darkness but in light, although they are in falsities, is because their falsities, after confirmation, appear to them as truths, hence comes their light; but it is the light of infatuation, such as is the light of the confirmation of what is false. This light corresponds to that to which owls and bats owe their sight, to which darkness is light and light darkness, yea, to which the sun itself is thick darkness. Such eyes do they have after death, who in the world confirmed themselves in falsities to such a degree as to see falsity as truth and truth as falsity.

AR 696. And they gnawed their tongues for distress, signifies that they could not endure truths. By distress is not meant distress from falsities, for these do not give them any distress, but distress from truths is meant, thus that they could not endure them. By "gnawing their tongues" is signified that they would not hear truths, "the tongue" signifying the confession of truth, because the tongue serves the thought for speech, and spiritually for confession; "to gnaw the tongue" signifies to detain the thought from hearing truths. That this is the signification of "gnawing the tongue" cannot be confirmed from the Word, by reason that the expression does not occur anywhere else, but it has been granted me to know this from experience in the spiritual world, where, if anyone speaks the truths of faith, those spirits who cannot bear to hear truths keep their tongues between their teeth, and also bite their lips, and induce others likewise to press their tongues and lips with their teeth, and this to such a degree as to produce distress. From these considerations it is evident, that by "gnawing‘ their tongues for distress, is signified that they could not endure truths. That the tongue, as the organ of speech, signifies thought and confession, and also the doctrine of truth, see above (n. 282).

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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