Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 766

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766. 'And she shall be burned up in fire, for strong is the Lord God judging her' signifies that they are going to be hatreds against the Lord and against His heaven and Church, because they see then that the Only Lord has dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man of himself. By the 'fire' with which 'she shall be burned up' is signified hatred against the Lord and against His heaven and Church, concerning which [there is something] below. By 'for strong is the Lord [God] judging her' is signified because they see then, that is, in the spiritual world into which they come after death, that the Only Lord has dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man of himself. The reason these things are signified by 'for strong is the Lord God judging her' is because the Lord does not judge anyone to hell, but they themselves do so; for when they feel the angelic sphere flowing down from the Lord out of heaven they flee away and cast themselves into hell, as can be established out of the things that have been shown above (n. 233, 325, 340, 387, 502). [2] That by 'fire' is signified love in both senses, the heavenly love that is the love of the Lord and the infernal love that is the love of self, may be seen above (n. 468, 494). The reason infernal love is hatred is because the love of self hates, for all who are in that love break out into wrath in accordance with the degree thereof and are inflamed with hatred and revenge against those who oppose; and those who are of Babylon [are so opposed] against those who deny that they are to be worshipped and adored as holinesses. When therefore they hear that in heaven the Only Lord is worshipped and adored and that it is profane to worship any man in place of the Lord, adoration of the Lord becomes with them hatred against Him, and the adulteration of the Word on account of the end that they may be worshipped becomes profane. This, therefore, is what is signified by [the statement] that Babylon 'will be burned up with fire'. That 'to be burned up with fire' is the penalty for the profanation of what is holy may he seen above (n. 748). The like is understood by these words in Jeremiah:-

I am against thee, O Babel, the destroying mountain destroying the entire land. I will roll thee down out of the rocks, and I will give thee for a mountain of burning. The walls of Babylon overthrowing shall be overthrown, and her high gates shall he burned up with fire Jer. li 25, 58.


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