Apocalypse Explained, Vol. 6

be inhabited for ever, it shall not be dwelt in even from generation to generation,” signifies its eternal destruction, “not to be inhabited for ever” relating to destruction of good, and “not to be dwelt in from generation to generation” relating to destruction of truth; for those who destroy good and truth and afterwards embrace in place of these evil and falsity cannot be reformed. It is otherwise with those who are in evils and falsities but have not destroyed good and truth, which is the condition of the nations that have no knowledge of good and truth. “The Arabian shall not abide there, and the shepherds shall not make their flocks to lie down there,” signifies that the church will become such a desert, “the Arabian” meaning one who lives in a desert, but does not abide there, because there is no corn or fruit; and it is the same with the flocks of shepherds, when there is no pasture. “The ijim jackals shall lie down there, and the houses shall be full of ochim howling creatures,” signifies the infernal falsities and evils pertaining to such, “ijim” meaning infernal falsities, and “ochim” infernal evils, and “house” the mind of those who are such. “The daughters of the owl shall lie down there, and the satyrs shall dance there,” signifies that falsified truths and adulterated goods shall be there, “daughters of the owl” meaning falsified truths, and “satyrs” adulterated goods, and “to dance” meaning the joy from filthy love which has adulterated the good of love. “The ijim jackals shall answer in her palaces, and dragons in her palaces of delights,” signifies these adulterations and falsifications in their doctrines. [15.] Babylon is likewise described in other passages in the prophets. As in Jeremiah:

O sword against Babylon, “a sword against her treasures, that they may be spoiled; a drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up; for it is a land of graven images, and they glory in horrible things; therefore the ziim wild beasts of the desert with the ijim jackals shall dwell there, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell therein; she shall not sit any more for ever, nor shall she be inhabited even from generation to generation; according to God’s overthrow, Sodom and Gomorrah, and its neighboring cities, . . . not a man shall dwell there, neither shall a son of man tarry therein” (l. 35, 37–40).

In the same,

“Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver a man his soul, lest ye be cut off for her iniquity. . . . . Babylon hath been a cup of gold in the hand of Jehovah, making the whole earth drunken; the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is fallen suddenly, and is broken in pieces. . . . Behold I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith Jehovah, destroying the whole earth. And I will stretch out My hand against thee, to roll thee down from the rocks, and to make thee a mountain of burning. And they shall not take from thee a stone for a corner. . . . Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment and a hissing, without inhabitant” (li. 6–8, 25, 26, 37).