Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 427Here “Lucifer” means Babylon, where every truth of the doctrine ofthe church was either falsified or annihilated; “he made the worldas a wilderness, and threw down the cities thereof,” signifies thatthis was done to the church and its doctrines; “prepare slaughter forhis sons, that they may not rise up,” signifies that its falsities mustbe destroyed; “and may not possess the land, and fill the faces ofthe world with cities,” signifies in order that a church and doctrinemay be there. In Revelation:And the great city was broken into three parts, and the cities of thenations fell (16:18, 19).Here also Babylon is treated of; the doctrine of its falsities is what ismeant by “a city broken’ into three parts,” and the doctrine of evilstherefrom by “the cities of the nations which fell.”[5] In David:The redeemed of Jehovah wandered in the wilderness in lonelinessof life; they found not a city of habitation; hungry and thirsty [their soulfainted in them]. He led them into a straight way, that they might go toa city of habitation (Ps. 107:2, 4, 5, 7).“To wander in the wilderness and in loneliness of way,” is to be inwant of the knowledges of truth and good; “to find not a city ofhabitation” means not to find the doctrine of truth according towhich they may live; “the hungry and thirsty” are those who have alonging to know good and truth; “to lead them into a straight way,that they might go to a city of habitation” is to lead them intogenuine truth, and into the doctrine of life. In Isaiah:I said, Lord, how long? And He said, Until the cities shall be sodevastated as to be without inhabitant, and the houses so that no manbe In them, and the land be reduced to a waste (6:11).Here the total vastation of the church is treated of; “cities” are thetruths of doctrine; “houses” the goods thereof; and “land” thechurch.