Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 18:19
previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Revelation  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

AR 788. Verse 19. And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, that great city, signifies their interior and exterior grief and mourning, which is lamentation, that so eminent a religious persuasion should be altogether destroyed and condemned. By "casting dust upon the heads" interior grief and mourning are signified on account of the destruction and condemnation spoken of in what follows. By "crying out, weeping and mourning," is signified exterior grief and mourning; by "weeping" is signified mourning of soul, and by "mourning" grief of heart. By "Woe, woe, that city," is signified grievous lamentation over her destruction and condemnation. That "woe" signifies lamentation over calamity, infelicity, and condemnation, and hence "woe, woe," a grievous lamentation, may be seen (n. 416, 769, 785): and that "city" signifies that religious persuasion (n. 785). That interior pain and mourning on account of the destruction and condemnation is signified by "casting dust upon the head," may be evident from the following passages:--

They shall cry bitterly, and shall cast dust upon their heads, and shall roll themselves in ashes (Ezek. 27:30).

The daughters of Zion sit upon the earth, they have cast dust upon their heads (Lam. 2:10).

The friends of Job rent their mantles, and sprinkled dust upon their heads (Job 2:12).

Come down and sit in the dust, O daughter of Babel, sit on the earth, there is no throne for thee (Isa. 47:1).

The reason of their casting dust upon their heads, when they grieved inmostly, was because "dust" signifies what is condemned, as is manifest from (Gen. 3:14; Matt. 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:10-12); and "dust upon the head" represented the acknowledgment that of themselves they were condemned, and thus repentance (Matt. 11:21; Luke 10:13). That "dust" signifies what is condemned, is because the earth over the hells in the spiritual world consists of mere dust without grass and herbage.

AR 789. In which all that had ships in the sea were made rich from her costliness, for in one hour they were devastated, signifies on this account, that by the holy things of that religious persuasion, all, as many as were willing to buy, were absolved, and for worldly and temporal riches received spiritual and eternal riches, and that now not any. By "being made rich from her costliness" is signified to appease God by the holy things of that religious persuasion, or to believe that for temporal and temporary merchandise or riches they would receive spiritual and eternal merchandise or riches; that is, that for gold, silver, precious stone, pearls, purple, and the other things which are enumerated (verses 12, 13), they would receive blessings and felicities after death. These things are meant by the costliness, with which they say that they were made rich by that city. That they also speak thus, is down. By "they were devastated in one hour" is signified that on account of the destruction of that religious persuasion, no one can hereafter buy their holy things. From these things it is manifest, that by these words are signified the things which were quoted above. That the holy things of the church are signified by things costly, is manifest from these passages:--

Blessed of Jehovah is the land of Joseph, for the precious things of heaven, for the precious things of the products of the sun, and for the precious things of the produce of the months, and for the precious things of the hills of eternity, and for the precious things of the earth (Deut. 33:13-16).

Is Ephraim My precious son? a child of delights? (Jer. 31:20.)

By "Ephraim" the understanding of the Word is meant.

"The sons of Zion were esteemed more precious than pure gold (Lam. 4:2).

"The sons of Zion" are the truths of the church. Besides elsewhere, as (Isa. 13:12; 43:4; Ps. 36:7; 45:9; 49:8; 72:14). Hence now it is, that it is said that from that city all that had ships in the sea were made rich by her costliness.

REVELATION 18:19    previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Revelation  -  Full Page

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info