881. Because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. That this signifies the adulteration of all things of the good of heaven and the church by dire falsities of evil, is evident from the signification of wine, as denoting truth from good, and, in the opposite sense, falsity from evil; concerning which see above (n. 376); and from the signification, of anger, as denoting evil in its whole extent, and, consequently, hatred against good and truth, and the lust of destroying them; concerning which see also above (693, 754); and from the signification of fornication, as denoting the falsification of truth; concerning which also see above (n. 141, 161) and from the signification of making all nations drink, as denoting to adulterate goods; for to give drink signifies to impart, and nations signify those who are in the good of love and life; and, abstractly from persons, goods.
That to drink, and to give to drink, signifies to impart and to appropriate, may be seen above (n. 617). And that nations signify those who are in the good of love and of life, and, in the abstract, the goods of the church (n. 175, 331, 625). By giving all nations to drink is here signified to adulterate the goods of the Word and hence of the church, because by the wine of the wrath of fornication is signified the falsification of truth; and falsified truth adulterates good. But how they falsify all the truths of the Word, and by this means adulterate all its goods, will be shown in the explanation of chapters xvi. and xvii., and where Babylon is treated of.
From these things it is now evident that by making all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, is signified the adulteration of all things of the good of heaven and the church by dire falsities of evil. They are called falsities of evil, because all falsities arising from the love of rule for the sake of self, and the eminence of self, are falsities of evil, and direful according to that love.
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