Apocalypse Explained (Whitehead) n. 879

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

879. Saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon, signifies the condemnation and destruction of those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine authority. This is evident from the signification of "Fallen, fallen," as being that they were condemned and wholly destroyed; also from the signification of "Babylon," as being those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine authority. It is said, "Fallen, fallen," because it is said of Babylon as a city; but when "Babylon" means those who have transferred to themselves the Lord's Divine authority, and "a great city" means all things of their doctrine, then "to fall" signifies to be destroyed. "To fall" is thus changed into "to be destroyed" in accordance with the subject predicated. What "Babylon" signifies in general and in particular will be told in chapters 17 and 18 which treat of Babylon and its destruction. This verse treats of Babylon; and the four following of the beast of the dragon; and what follows, to the end of this chapter, of the devastation of the church in general. Babylon and the beast of the dragon are here treated of because the devastation of the church, first in general and afterwards in particular, and finally the Last Judgment, are treated of in the verses that follow. [2] But respecting the devastation of the church this must be premised. Every church in its beginning is in the love of doing goods, and in the love of knowing truths; but in process of time it is so devastated in respect to goods and truths that there is no longer any good or any truth in the church. In the first place, by degrees, it is devastated by the love of ruling over the souls of men, by means of holy things, and finally over heaven and over the Lord Himself. This is described in Revelation by "Babylon," and by "the harlot sitting upon the scarlet beast." Secondly, it is devastated by faith separated from charity and thus from the goods of life, and finally by faith alone in which there is nothing of truth. This is described in Revelation by "the dragon" and "his two beasts." In these two, the primitive loves of the church, which were, as has been said, the love of doing goods and the love of knowing truths, came to an end; and when they had come to an end in these the church was devastated. The love of doing goods is changed by degrees into the love of doing evils that are called goods; and the love of knowing truths is changed into the love of knowing falsities that are called truths. [3] With those who are described by "Babylon" every good of the church is adulterated, and thus every truth of it, for the one is a consequence of the other; while with those who are described by "the dragon" every truth of the church is falsified, and thus every good of it, for the one is a consequence of the other. This latter takes place with the Reformed, who have accepted faith alone as the essential of the church; but the former takes place with the Papists, who have made dominion over the holy things of heaven the essential of the church. But in what way faith alone has devastated the church has been shown above, where "the dragon and his two beasts" are treated of; and how dominion over the holy things of heaven has devastated the church will be shown in the explanation of chapters 17 and 18. From all this it can now be seen why Babylon is spoken of in this verse, the beast of the dragon in the four verses that follow, and the devastation of the church in general from that to the end of the chapter, and afterwards the devastation of the church in particular in chapters 15 and 16.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church