Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 591

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591. Nor of their thefts.- That this signifies from taking away the cognitions of truth and good, and consequently the means of procuring for themselves spiritual life, is evident from the signification of theft, and of stealing, as denoting to take away from any one the cognitions of good and truth, which, may be serviceable as the means of procuring spiritual life for himself; concerning which, see above (n. 193). Theft and stealing have this signification, because wealth, raiment, utensils, and other things which thieves take away, signify the cognitions of truth and good; therefore spiritual theft, or theft in the spiritual sense, denotes the taking away of the latter, as natural theft, or theft in the natural sense, denotes the taking away of the former. That this is signified by theft is evident from the fact, that in this verse the subject especially treated of is the extinction of spiritual life in others, and spiritual life is extinguished by the perversions of good and the falsifications of truth, likewise, by the deprivations of the cognitions of truth and good, by means of which spiritual life is procured; and both the former and the latter are signified by murders, enchantments, fornications, and thefts, as already shown.


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