Committing Whoredom

Selection from Apocalypse Revealed ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 2:18-29)

But I have a few things against thee, signifies that the following things may possibly be a stumblingblock to them. For what now follows relates to faith separated from charity, which may be a stumblingblock to those who are in faith from charity.

That thou permittest the woman Jezebel, signifies that among them there are some in the church who separate faith from charity, and make faith alone saving. That faith separated from charity is meant by "the woman Jezebel" is evident from the things which now follow, when they are unfolded in series by means of the spiritual sense and when they are compared with that faith; for these were the evil deeds of Jezebel the wife of Ahab:

That she went and served Baal, and built him an altar in Samaria, and made a grove (1 Kings 16:31-33).

That she slew the prophets of Jehovah (1 Kings 18:4, 13).

That she wished to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2).

That through deceit by substituting false witnesses, she took away the vineyard from Naboth, and killed him (1 Kings 21:6-7 seq.).

That on account of these evil deeds, it was foretold to her by Elijah, that the dogs should eat her (1 Kings 21:23).

That she was thrown down from the window where she stood painted, and that some of her blood was sprinkled upon the wall, and upon the horses which trampled her (2 Kings 9:30-33).

As all the historical as well as the prophetical parts of the Word signify the spiritual things of the church, so also do these. They signify faith separated from charity is evident from the spiritual sense, and from collating them together; for by "going and serving Baal" and "building him an altar" and "making a grove" is signified to serve lusts of all kinds, or what is the same, the devil, not thinking of any evil lust, nor of any sin, as they do who have no doctrine of charity and life, but of faith only. By "slaying the prophets" is signified to destroy the truths of doctrine from the Word. By "wishing to kill Elijah" is signified to wish to do the same to the Word itself. By "taking away the vineyard from Naboth and killing him" is signified the church, for "the vineyard" is the church: by "the dogs" which ate her, are signified lusts. By "casting from the window, sprinkling the blood on the wall, and being trampled by the horses" is signified their destruction, for the particulars signify that also; "window" signifies truth in the light; "blood" falsity; "wall" truth in ultimates, "horse" the understanding of the Word. ...

Who calleth herself a prophetess, signifies and who make it the very doctrine of the church, and found all theology upon it. That by "prophet" in the Word is signified the doctrine of the church; therefore the like is signified by "prophetess." It is known that in the Reformed Christian church faith alone has been accepted as the only means of salvation, and that thence the works of charity have been separated from faith, as not saving; hence it is that the entire doctrine of the salvation of man, which is called theology, at this day is that faith, consequently "the woman Jezebel."

To teach and to seduce My servants to commit whoredom, signifies, from which it comes to pass that the truths of the Word are falsified. By "to teach and to seduce the servants of the Lord," is meant those who are able and willing to be instructed in truths from the Word; that they are called "servants of the Lord" who are in truths; and by "committing whoredom," is signified to adulterate and falsify the Word: that this is signified by "committing whoredom," is, because in every particular of the Word there is the marriage of good and truth, and this marriage is broken when good is separated and taken away from truth. That in every particular of the Word there is the marriage of the Lord and the church, and thence the marriage of good and truth. From this it is, that "to commit whoredom" signifies to adulterate the goods and falsify the truths of the Word; and because this is spiritual whoredom, therefore also they who from their own reason have falsified the Word, after death, when they come into the spiritual world, become whoremongers: and, what has hitherto been concealed from the world, they who have confirmed themselves in faith alone to the exclusion of works of charity, are in the lust of committing the adultery of a son with his mother. That they are in the lust of committing so abominable a kind of adultery, has often been perceived in the spiritual world. Remember this, and inquire after death, and you will be confirmed.

I have not ventured to reveal this before, because it offends the ears.

This adultery is signified by the adultery of Reuben with Bilhah his father's concubine (Gen. 35:22); for by "Reuben" that faith is signified, for which cause he was cursed by his father Israel, and afterwards his birthright was taken away from him; for his father Israel, prophesying concerning his sons, said of Reuben:

Reuben my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my power, light as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then thou didst profane it: he went up to my couch (Gen. 49:3-4).

Therefore his birthright was taken from him.

Reuben was the firstborn of Israel; but because he polluted his father's couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph (1 Chron. 5:1).

By "Reuben" was represented truth from good, or faith U charity, and afterwards truth separated from good, or faith separated from charity.

That by "whoredoms" are signified adulterations of good and falsifications of truth in the Word, may appear from the following passages:

When Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? Who said, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her incantations are so many? (2 Kings 9:22).

By "the whoredoms of Jezebel" are not meant any whoredoms, but her deeds.

Your sons shall be pasturing in the wilderness forty years, and they shall bear your whoredoms (Num. 14:33).

And I will cut off the soul that looketh back to pythons and soothsayers to go a whoring after them (Lev. 20:6).

Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods (Exod. 34:15-16).

Jerusalem, thou didst trust in thy beauty, and didst commit whoredom on account of thy fame, even so that thou didst pour out thy whoredoms on everyone that passed by. Thou didst commit whoredom with the sons of Egypt, thy neighbors, great of flesh, and didst multiply thy whoredom. Thou didst commit whoredom with the sons of Assyria even when there was no satiety to thee with whom thou didst commit whoredom. Thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even to Chaldea. A woman, an adulteress, that taketh strangers instead of her husband. All give reward to their harlots; but thou hast given rewards to all, that they may come unto thee on every side in thy whoredoms. Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of Jehovah (Ezek. 16:15-16, 26, 28-29, 32-33, 35 seq.).

"Jerusalem" in this passage is the Israelitish and Jewish church; by her "whoredoms" are meant adulterations and falsifications of the Word; and because in the Word by "Egypt" is signified the science of the natural man, by "Assyria" ratiocination thence, by "Chaldea" profanation of truth, and by "Babylon" profanation of good, therefore it is said that she committed whoredom with them.

There were two women, the daughters of one mother; they committed whoredom in Egypt; they committed whoredom in their youth; one committed whoredom under Me, and she doted on her lovers, the Assyrians her neighbors. Thus she gave her whoredoms with them; yet she did not abandon her whoredoms in Egypt. The other corrupted her love more than she, and her whoredoms more than the whoredoms of her sister. She added to her whoredoms, she loved the Chaldeans. The sons of Babel came to her to the bed of loves, and they polluted her by their whoredoms (Ezek. 23:2-3, 5, 7-8, 11, 14, 16-17 seq.).

Here "the two daughters of one mother" are likewise the Israelitish and Jewish church, whose adulterations and falsifications of the Word are here described as above by "whoredoms."

So in the following passages:

Thou hast committed whoredom with many companions; thou hast profaned the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? going up upon every high mountain, and committing whoredom. Also perfidious Judah went and committed whoredom. So that by the voice of her whoredom, she hath profaned the land; she hath committed adultery with stone and wood (Jer. 3:1-2, 6, 8-9; and in other places).

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, seek if you can find a man, who doeth judgment, and seeketh the truth. When I had satiated them, they committed whoredom and came into the harlot's house in a crowd (Jer. 5:1, 7).

I have seen thy adulteries, thy neighings, the crime of thy whoredoms, thy abominations on the hills in the field. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean? (Jer. 13:27).

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible stubbornness, in committing adultery and walking in lies (Jer. 23:14).

They have committed foolishness in Israel, they committed whoredom and spoke My word in My name with lying (Jer. 29:23).

They sinned against Me, I will turn their glory into reproach; they committed whoredom, because they have forsaken Jehovah. Whoredom occupied their heart. Your daughters commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery (Hos. 4:7, 10-11, 13).

I know, Ephraim, that he hath altogether committed whoredom, and Israel is polluted (Hos. 5:3).

I have seen a foul thing in the house of Israel; there Ephraim committeth whoredom; Israel is polluted (Hos. 6:10).

"Israel" here is the church, and "Ephraim" is the understanding of the Word, from which, and according to which, the church is; therefore it is said "Ephraim hath committed whoredom, and Israel is polluted."

Because the church had falsified the Word, the prophet Hosea was commanded to take unto himself a
harlot to wife, saying:

Take unto thee a woman of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms; for the land, by committing whoredom, hath committed whoredom against Jehovah (Hos. 1:2).

Again:

Love a woman beloved of her companion, and an adulteress (Hos. 3:1).

As the Jewish church was such, therefore the Jewish nation was called by the Lord "an adulterous generation" (Matt. 12:39; 16:4; Mark 8:38)

and in Isaiah, "a seed of adulterers" (57:3)

and in Nahum:

Woe to the city of bloods, wholly in a lie, a multitude of those pierced, above the multitude of the whoredoms of the harlot, that selleth nations by her whoredoms (Nahum 3:1, 3-4).

Since "Babylon" adulterates and falsifies the Word more than others in the Christian world, she is therefore called "the great harlot," and the following is said of her in Revelation:

Babylon hath made all nations to drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom (Rev. 14:8).

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her (Rev. 18:3).

The angel said, I will show unto thee the judgment of the great harlot, with whom the kings of the earth have committed whoredom (Rev. 17:1-2).

He hath judged the great harlot, which did corrupt the earth with her whoredom (Rev. 19:2).

From these passages it manifestly appears, that "to commit adultery" and "to commit whoredom" signify to adulterate and falsify the goods and truths of the Word.

And to eat idol-sacrifices, signifies the defilement of worship thence, and profanations; for they who adulterate goods appropriate to themselves unclean things, by which they defile and profane worship.

And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom, and she repented not, signifies that they who have confirmed themselves in that doctrine, will not recede, although they see things contrary to it in the Word. By receding from whoredom, is here signified to recede from falsifying the Word. That they see things contrary to their doctrine, is evident from a thousand passages in the Word, where it is said that evils are to be shunned, and that goods are to be done; also that they who do goods come into heaven, and they who do evils into hell, as also that faith without works is dead and diabolical.

But it may be asked, what part of the Word have they falsified, or where have they spiritually committed whoredom with the Word?

It may be answered, that they have falsified the whole Word — for the whole Word is nothing else but the doctrine of love to the Lord, and of love towards the neighbor, for the Lord says, that on the commandments concerning those two loves hang all the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:40). There is also in the Word the doctrine of faith, yet not of such faith, but of the faith of love.

Behold I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great affliction, signifies that thus they will be left in their doctrine with the falsifications, and that they will be grievously infested by falsities. That by "bed" is signified doctrine, will be seen presently. By "committing adultery" falsifications of truth are signified, and that by "affliction" is signified infestation from falsities; and hence by "great affliction" is signified grievous infestation.

That "a bed" signifies doctrine is from correspondence, for as the body rests in its bed, so does the mind rest in its doctrine. But by "bed" is signified the doctrine which everyone acquires to himself either from the Word, or from his own intelligence, for therein the mind rests and, as it were, sleeps. The beds in which they lie in the spiritual world, are from no other origin - for there everyone's bed is according to the quality of his science and intelligence, magnificent for the wise, mean for the unwise, and filthy for falsifiers.

This is signified by "a bed" in Luke:

I say unto you, in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other left (Luke 17:34).

This is concerning the Last Judgment; "two in one bed" means two in one doctrine, but not in similar life.

In John:

Jesus saith unto the sick man, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk; and he took up his bed, and walked (John 5:8-9)

In Mark:

Jesus said unto the palsied, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee; and He said unto the Scribes, Whether is it easier to say, thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, take up thy bed, and walk? then He said, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk; and he took up the bed, and went forth from them (Mark 2:5, 9, 11-12).

That here something is signified by "bed" is evident, because Jesus said, "Whether is it easier to say, thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, take up thy bed and walk?" By "carrying his bed and walking" is signified to meditate in doctrine; it is so understood in heaven.

Doctrine is also signified by "bed" in Amos:

As the shepherd rescueth from the mouth of the lion, so shall the sons of Israel be rescued that dwell in Samaria, in the corner of a bed, and in the extremity of a couch (Amos 3:12).

"In the corner of a bed" and "in the extremity of a couch" means what is more remote from the truths and goods of doctrine. "Bed" and "couch" and "bed chamber" have a similar signification in other places (as in Isa. 28:20; 57:2, 7-8; Ezek. 23:41; Amos 6:4; Micah 2:1; Ps. 4:4; Ps. 36:4; Ps. 41:3; Job 7:13; Lev. 15:4-5).

Since by "Jacob" in the Propheticals of the Word is signified the church as to doctrine, therefore it is said of him, that:

He bowed himself upon the head of the bed (Gen. 47:31).

That when Joseph came, he sat upon the bed (Gen. 48:2).

That he gathered up his feet upon the bed, and expired (Gen. 49:33).

The doctrine of the church is signified by "Jacob" therefore sometimes when I have thought of Jacob, there has appeared to me above, in front, a man lying in a bed.

Except they repent of their works, signifies if they will not desist from separating faith from charity, and from falsifying the Word, as may appear without further explanation.

And I will kill her sons with death, signifies that all the truths of the Word with them will be turned into falsities. By "sons" in the Word, are signified truths, and in the opposite sense, falsities; therefore "to kill sons" signifies to turn truths into falsities, for thus they perish; neither is anything else meant by "the slain and pierced of Jehovah;" by "killing her sons with death" is also signified to condemn their falsities. That "sons" signify truths, and in the opposite sense falsities is because in the spiritual sense of the Word by generations, are meant spiritual generations, and in like manner by consanguinities and affinities; thus by their names, as by father, mother, sons, daughters, brethren, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, and the rest; neither does spiritual generation give birth to any other sons and daughters, than truths and goods.

And all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts, signifies that the church shall know that the Lord sees the quality of everyone's truth and the quality of everyone's good. By "the seven churches" is signified the whole church, as before; and by "searching the reins and hearts," is signified to see all the things which a man believes and loves, thus the quality of his truth and of his good. That this is the signification of "searching the reins and hearts," is from correspondence, for the Word in its literal sense consists of mere correspondences. The correspondence is from this, that as the reins purify the blood from the impurities which are called urinous, and the heart purifies the blood from the unclean things which are called foul, so the truth of faith purifies man from falsities, and the good of love from evils.

Thence it is that the ancients placed love and its affections in the heart, and intelligence and its perceptions in the reins; as may appear from these passages in the Word:

Behold, thou desirest truth in the reins, and in the hidden part thou makest wisdom known to me (Ps. 51:6).

Thou possessest my reins, my bone was not hid from thee when I was made in secret (Ps. 139:13, 15).

My heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins, but I am stupid, I do not know (Ps. 73:21-22).

I Jehovah search the heart, and try the reins, even to give everyone according to his ways (Jer. 17:10).

Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins; Thou, O Jehovah, wilt see me, and try my heart (Jer. 12:2-3).

Jehovah is a judge of justice, trying the reins and the heart (Jer. 11:20; 20:12).

Confirm the just, for it is the just God who trieth the hearts and reins (Ps. 7:9).

Prove me, O Jehovah, and try me, explore my reins and my heart (Ps. 26:2).

By "reins" in these places are signified truths of intelligence and faith, and by "heart," the good of love and charity. That "heart" signifies the love and its affections, may be seen in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom (n. 371-393).

And I will give unto everyone according to his works, signifies that He gives unto everyone according to the charity and its faith which are in his works. That "works" are the containers of charity and faith, and that charity and faith without works are only like airy images, which vanish as soon as they have appeared.

(from Apocalypse Revealed 131-141)