Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 229To “adulterate” and to “commit adultery” here clearly mean topervert truths; “the prophets” signifying those who teach truthsfrom the Word; for it is said “in adulterating and walking in a lie,”and “they have spoken my word falsely.” A “lie” in the Wordsignifies falsity.[9] In Moses:Your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and shallbear your 12 whoredoms even till their carcasses are consumed in thewilderness (Num. 14:33).The sons of Israel did not bear whoredoms and were not for thatreason consumed in the wilderness, but because they spurnedheavenly truths, as is evident from this, that it was so said to thembecause they wished not to enter into the land of Canaan, but toreturn to Egypt; “the land of Canaan” signifies heaven and thechurch, with the truths thereof; and “Egypt” signifies the samefalsified and turned into magic.[10] In Micah:All her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all the rewardsof whoredom shall be burned up with fire; and all her idols will I laywaste, for she hath gathered them from the hire of an harlot, thereforeeven to the hire of an harlot shall they return (Micah 1:7).“Graven images” and “idols” signify falsities that are from selfintelligence;“the rewards of whoredom” are the knowledges oftruth and good that they have applied to falsities and evils and havethus perverted.[11] In Hosea:Jehovah said to the prophet, Take unto thee a wife of whoredomsand children of whoredoms, for whoring the land doth commitwhoredom in departing from Jehovah (Hosea 1:2).