sible, and thus no understanding of truth. He that believes that he can see any truth of the church from the mere light (lumen) of reason is much deceived. He may have knowledge of it from another, but he cannot see it in the light. And when he wishes to see it or to comprehend it in thought, mere shadows from falsities, which spring from fallacies and from what is man's own (proprium) hover over him and induce blindness. All this makes clear what is meant by the falsifications of the Word flowing forth from evil, even to dominion over the understanding, which are signified by "blood going out from the wine-press, even to the bridles of the horses." [4] The term "bridle" is used in some passages in the Word, and it signifies in the spiritual sense restraint and government, and it is predicated of the understanding and its thought, because a bridle belongs to horses, and "horses" signify the understanding; and with those who have no understanding "horses" signify reasonings from falsities. This makes clear what is signified by "bridle" in Isaiah:—

I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will bring thee back by the way by which thou camest (xxxvii. 29). This was said of the king of Assyria by whom reasoning from falsities is signified; for "Assyria" signifies in a good sense the rational. Because that king then besieged Jerusalem and blasphemed God it was said to him that "a hook should be put into his nose," which signifies that stupidity and foolishness should possess him; for the "nose" signifies perception, and a "hook" signifies taking it away, or properly, immersing it in the corporeal sensual, and when this is separated from the rational it is stupid. It was also said that "a bridle should be put in his lips," which signifies insanity as to the understanding of truth, for the "lips" signify thought from the understanding, and a "bridle" the withdrawal of it. "To bring him back into the way by which he came" signifies into the falsities by which he will perish; therefore his army, which signifies falsities, perished by a very great slaughter. [5] In the same:—

Jehovah's lips are full of indignation, His tongue is like a devouring fire, and His breath is like an overflowing stream. It shall reach even to the middle of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, and a bridle that misleadeth upon the jaws of the peoples (xxx. 27, 28).

The "lips," "tongue," and "spirit" of Jehovah signify the Divine truth, which is the Word, from its ultimates to its inmosts; when this is adulterated and falsified it is said to be "full of indignation," "like a devouring fire," and "like an overflowing stream," and for the reason that the adulteration and falsification of it closes heaven to man and devastates him. Because it appears that heaven does this, or what is the same, the Divine truth from which heaven exists, it is said to have "indignation," to be "a devouring fire," and "an overflowing stream." "It shall reach even to the middle of the neck" signifies the devastation of it by falsities, even till it is not understood, for the "neck" signifies conjunction, and conjunction perishes when that which is beneath is taken away. "To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity" signifies the adulteration of the Word by those who are in evils by means of fictions; "and a bridle that misleadeth upon the jaws of the peoples" signifies the falsification of the truth in the Word by those who are in falsities, "a bridle that misleadeth" being properly a withdrawing from the understanding of truth, "jaws" being thoughts from the corporeal sensual, thus from fallacies; and the term "peoples" being used of those who are in falsities; and "nations" of those who are in evils. They who are ignorant of correspondences might think that it is merely from comparison that a "horse's bridle" signifies government over the understanding; but it is from correspondence, as can be seen clearly from the fact that in the spiritual world horses are seen variously harnessed and caparisoned, and these horses, with everything upon them, are correspondences.

924. For a thousand six hundred stadia, signifies evils in the whole complex. This is evident from the signification of "stadia," as being the bringing forth in a series, for "stadia," like "miles," and like ways in general, signify the progressions in series according to thoughts from affection. Also from the signification of "a thousand six hundred," as being goods in the whole complex, and in the contrary sense, as here, evils in the whole complex. For the number "a thousand six hundred" has a similar signification as sixteen, and the number sixteen has a similar signification as four and two; and all these numbers are predicated of goods, and in the contrary sense of evils. Vol. V.-24

For the greater compound numbers have a similar signification as the lesser and simple from which they arise by multiplication; as "twelve thousand" has a like signification as "twelve;" and "twelve" a like signification as "three and four" multiplied together (see above, n. 430a, 851). That "three" is predicated in the Word of truths, and "two" and "four" of goods, and in the contrary sense "three" of falsities, and "two" and "four" of evils, can also be seen above (n. 532). This makes clear that "for a thousand six hundred stadia" signifies the bringing forth of evils in a continuous series, thus evils in the whole complex. That by these two devastators of the church that are meant by "Babylon" and "the beast of the dragon," evils in a continuous series, and thus evils in the whole complex, have been brought forth and are still brought forth, can be fully shown. But how the church is devastated by the beast of the dragon has been shown in the explanations of the twelfth and thirteenth chapters; and how it is devastated by Babylon will be shown below in the explanations of the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters.

CHAPTER XV.

1. And I saw another sign in heaven great and wonderful, seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them was consummated the anger of God.

2. And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with fire, and them that have victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name standing by the glassy sea, having the harps of God.

3. And they were singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are Thy works, O Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.

4. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy: wherefore all the nations shall come and worship before Thee, for Thy judgments have been made manifest.

5. And after these things I saw, and behold the temple of the Tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

6. And there came out of the temple the seven angels that had the seven plagues, clothed in linen clean and bright, and girded about the breasts with golden girdles.

7. And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the anger of God, who liveth unto the ages of the ages.

8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter into the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels should be consuminated.

EXPOSITION.

925. Verse 1. And I saw another sign in heaven great and wonderful, seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them was consummated the anger of God. 1. "And I saw another sign in heaven," signifies revelation by the Lord of the state of the church before the Last Judgment (n. 926); "great and wonderful," signifies from Divine omnipotence and providence (n. 927); "seven angels having the seven last plagues," signifies evils and falsities in the whole complex, that have wholly devastated the church as to all its goods and truths, made manifest by the Lord by means of Divine truth (n. 928); "for in them was consummated the anger of God," signifies thus the end of the church (n. 929).

926. Ver. 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, signifies revelation by the Lord of the state of the church just before the Last Judgment. This is evident from the signification of a "sign," as being revelation; also from the signification of "heaven," as being the Lord (of which presently). A "sign" signifies revelation because by a "sign" are meant those things that were seen by John, and that are described in what follows; and the things seen by him involve arcana respecting the state of the church just before the Last Judgment. For in general, whatever appears in heaven has precisely the same appearance as the things which exist in our material world in its three

kingdoms; and such things appear before the eyes of the angels in just the same way as the things of the three kingdoms appear before the eyes of men in the world. There appear there gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, stones precious and not precious, soil, lands, mountains, hills, valleys, waters, fountains, and other things of the mineral kingdom. There appear paradises, gardens, forests, fruit-trees of every kind, lawns, fields of grain, meadows filled with flowers, plants, and grasses of every kind; also things produced from these, as oils, wines, strong drinks, and other things of the vegetable kingdom. There appear animals of the earth, flying things of heaven, fishes of the sea, creeping things, and these of every kind, and so much like those on our earth that they cannot be distinguished. I have seen them, and could see no difference. [2] Still there is this difference, that the things seen in heaven are from a spiritual origin, but those seen in our world are from a material origin; and things from a spiritual origin affect the senses of the angels because their senses are spiritual, as those from a material origin affect the senses of men because they are material. For spiritual things are homogeneous with spiritual beings, and material things are homogeneous with material beings. It is said that they are from a spiritual origin because they exist from the Divine that proceeds from the Lord as a sun; and the Divine proceeding from the Lord as a sun is spiritual. For the sun there is not fire, but is the Divine love, which appears before the eyes of angels as the sun of the world appears before the eyes of men; and whatever proceeds from the Divine love is Divine and is spiritual. That which proceeds appears in general as light, and is felt as heat; and yet that light as well as the heat is spiritual. For that light is the Divine wisdom, and is called the Divine truth, and that heat is the Divine love, and is called the Divine good, consequently that light inwardly enlightens the understanding of angels, and that heat inwardly fills the will of angels with the good of love. From that origin are all things that exist in the heavens; and they appear in forms like those in our world in its three kingdoms, as has been said above. Their appearing in such forms is according to the order of creation, which is that when the things pertaining to the wisdom of angels and to their love descend into the lower