20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into lake of a fire burning with brimstone. -Revelation 19:20 Bible, King James Version (KJV)
Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
835. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, signifies that all those... were cast into the hell where are the loves of falsity, and at the same time the lusts of evil... By "these two," namely, "the beast and the false prophet," are signified all those who professed faith alone, and were interiorly evil, both the laity [the people of a religion who are not priests, ministers, etc.] and the clergy; as just above (n. 834). By "the lake of fire burning with brimstone" is signified the hell where they are who are in the loves of that falsity, and at the same time in the lusts of evil. By "a lake" is signified falsities in abundance, treated of in what follows. By "fire" is signified love, here their love of falsity. That "fire" signifies love both in the good and the evil sense, may be seen (n. 468, 494, 599); here the love of falsity, because it is said "a lake of fire." By "brimstone" is signified the lust of evil and thence of falsity (n. 452)...
[2] It is to be known that the hell where such are, appears at a distance like a fiery lake with a green flame as of brimstone. But they who are in it do not see this; they are shut up there in their workhouses, where they wrangle among themselves vehemently; and sometimes there appear knives in their hands, with which they threaten, if they do not yield. It is their love of falsity, together with the lusts of evil, that makes the appearance of such a lake. That appearance is from correspondence. [3] That by "a lake" is signified where there is truth in abundance, and thence in the opposite sense where there is falsity in abundance...
Last Judgment Posthumous, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1762], tr. by John Whitehead [1914], at sacred-texts.com
Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
835. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, signifies that all those... were cast into the hell where are the loves of falsity, and at the same time the lusts of evil... By "these two," namely, "the beast and the false prophet," are signified all those who professed faith alone, and were interiorly evil, both the laity [the people of a religion who are not priests, ministers, etc.] and the clergy; as just above (n. 834). By "the lake of fire burning with brimstone" is signified the hell where they are who are in the loves of that falsity, and at the same time in the lusts of evil. By "a lake" is signified falsities in abundance, treated of in what follows. By "fire" is signified love, here their love of falsity. That "fire" signifies love both in the good and the evil sense, may be seen (n. 468, 494, 599); here the love of falsity, because it is said "a lake of fire." By "brimstone" is signified the lust of evil and thence of falsity (n. 452)...
[2] It is to be known that the hell where such are, appears at a distance like a fiery lake with a green flame as of brimstone. But they who are in it do not see this; they are shut up there in their workhouses, where they wrangle among themselves vehemently; and sometimes there appear knives in their hands, with which they threaten, if they do not yield. It is their love of falsity, together with the lusts of evil, that makes the appearance of such a lake. That appearance is from correspondence. [3] That by "a lake" is signified where there is truth in abundance, and thence in the opposite sense where there is falsity in abundance...
Last Judgment Posthumous, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1762], tr. by John Whitehead [1914], at sacred-texts.com
233.
[236] All who are in the love of ruling for the sake of self and not for the sake of uses, retain that love after death; and wheresoever they come they wish to rule. This love rushes on as its bonds are relaxed. It spurns everything Divine, unless this afford it the means of ruling; in which case, so long as it serves as a means, it loves it; but when it does not serve as a means it not only rejects it but also holds it in hatred. The reason is, because this love is opposite to heavenly love. They are not admitted into heaven, and if, like hypocrites, they insinuate themselves into heaven they fill the whole neighborhood with an idea and image of themselves, and this even when they speak of God. This love turns aside the ideas of the angels, which are directed away from themselves and towards God; therefore they are driven away... Such spirits are taken to the boundaries of the world of spirits of our earth where there appears a lake smoking with fire; and first the spirit is rolled in the dust and let into his life in the world, and thus he is cast into the lake.
234.
[237] Let all who are in the world and read these lines know that the love of ruling for the sake of self and not for the sake of uses is diabolical love itself and in it are all evils. Let them know this and be on their guard. All evil loves are in that love and with it, even those of which the man had been wholly ignorant while in the world. I have examples in all abundance, showing that those who, in external form, appear to be moral and Christian men but interiorly in themselves have thought of nothing else but themselves and the world, after death are consociated with devils. There was one whom I saw during a long period of time, who was so haughty in his disposition that hardly anyone could be more haughty; and yet in the world he could talk with theologians and speak morally with other men; and he feigned justice and equity more than anyone else. But after death he became such a fiery devil that he not only denied God, but he also wished to be the devil himself, in order that he might continually fight against God and destroy heaven; and he was enflamed with hostility against all who were in the acknowledgment of the Lord. He was punished frequently, but in vain. If I should mention his deeds of malice, cunning, and crimes I would fill pages. In him I saw what the devil is, both in his own hell and with men (C. XII.). Such men do not acknowledge God, but believe all are gods who are powerful; and they wish to become gods themselves, and be worshipped.
235.
[238] There was once some conversation respecting the love of ruling, to the effect that many believe that those who worship the Lord in the world, although they are His enemies, [will be saved and will rule over all in heaven]. And it was said that a devil can be driven to worship the Lord, if only he be promised that he will be great, and still more if he would thereby become the greatest. It was then permitted that they should take from hell one of the devils there, who was most bitterly hostile to the Lord; and it was told him that he would be made the greatest by the Lord. He then put his whole mind to this object, and this to such a degree that he wished to lead all men to the Lord and to drive them by threats; saying, that the Lord alone should be honored and worshipped, and repeating it with earnestness and persuasion; but in his mind he cherished the thought that he would become the Lord's vicar. When, however, he saw that he had been deluded, he began to detest the Lord, and became as before, His most bitter enemy; but he was cast into hell. In a word, the delight of commanding exceeds every delight of the body.
237.
[240] With those who are in the love of commanding, the interiors appear black, and this because they are closed against the influx of heaven; but their inferiors appear as it were misty because they are opened to the hells. It is said that with those who are in the love of ruling, ...the interiors, can never be opened towards heaven...
243.
[246] I saw many who had lived in this and former centuries, some of them military officers, of higher and lower rank, and others civil functionaries, all of whom, under the favoring influence of fortune, had contracted such a delight of commanding that they aspired to dominion over all things. Their delight was perceived as being to them like heaven. Moreover, they were gifted, above others, with talent and natural light in regard to civil affairs. After their decease, they had at first spoken about God; but after a short time they not only denied God and acknowledged nature; but at last they became like fools, sitting in dark shade; and in this way they led a miserable life. The reason is because the love of commanding is opposite to heavenly love.
[236] All who are in the love of ruling for the sake of self and not for the sake of uses, retain that love after death; and wheresoever they come they wish to rule. This love rushes on as its bonds are relaxed. It spurns everything Divine, unless this afford it the means of ruling; in which case, so long as it serves as a means, it loves it; but when it does not serve as a means it not only rejects it but also holds it in hatred. The reason is, because this love is opposite to heavenly love. They are not admitted into heaven, and if, like hypocrites, they insinuate themselves into heaven they fill the whole neighborhood with an idea and image of themselves, and this even when they speak of God. This love turns aside the ideas of the angels, which are directed away from themselves and towards God; therefore they are driven away... Such spirits are taken to the boundaries of the world of spirits of our earth where there appears a lake smoking with fire; and first the spirit is rolled in the dust and let into his life in the world, and thus he is cast into the lake.
234.
[237] Let all who are in the world and read these lines know that the love of ruling for the sake of self and not for the sake of uses is diabolical love itself and in it are all evils. Let them know this and be on their guard. All evil loves are in that love and with it, even those of which the man had been wholly ignorant while in the world. I have examples in all abundance, showing that those who, in external form, appear to be moral and Christian men but interiorly in themselves have thought of nothing else but themselves and the world, after death are consociated with devils. There was one whom I saw during a long period of time, who was so haughty in his disposition that hardly anyone could be more haughty; and yet in the world he could talk with theologians and speak morally with other men; and he feigned justice and equity more than anyone else. But after death he became such a fiery devil that he not only denied God, but he also wished to be the devil himself, in order that he might continually fight against God and destroy heaven; and he was enflamed with hostility against all who were in the acknowledgment of the Lord. He was punished frequently, but in vain. If I should mention his deeds of malice, cunning, and crimes I would fill pages. In him I saw what the devil is, both in his own hell and with men (C. XII.). Such men do not acknowledge God, but believe all are gods who are powerful; and they wish to become gods themselves, and be worshipped.
235.
[238] There was once some conversation respecting the love of ruling, to the effect that many believe that those who worship the Lord in the world, although they are His enemies, [will be saved and will rule over all in heaven]. And it was said that a devil can be driven to worship the Lord, if only he be promised that he will be great, and still more if he would thereby become the greatest. It was then permitted that they should take from hell one of the devils there, who was most bitterly hostile to the Lord; and it was told him that he would be made the greatest by the Lord. He then put his whole mind to this object, and this to such a degree that he wished to lead all men to the Lord and to drive them by threats; saying, that the Lord alone should be honored and worshipped, and repeating it with earnestness and persuasion; but in his mind he cherished the thought that he would become the Lord's vicar. When, however, he saw that he had been deluded, he began to detest the Lord, and became as before, His most bitter enemy; but he was cast into hell. In a word, the delight of commanding exceeds every delight of the body.
237.
[240] With those who are in the love of commanding, the interiors appear black, and this because they are closed against the influx of heaven; but their inferiors appear as it were misty because they are opened to the hells. It is said that with those who are in the love of ruling, ...the interiors, can never be opened towards heaven...
243.
[246] I saw many who had lived in this and former centuries, some of them military officers, of higher and lower rank, and others civil functionaries, all of whom, under the favoring influence of fortune, had contracted such a delight of commanding that they aspired to dominion over all things. Their delight was perceived as being to them like heaven. Moreover, they were gifted, above others, with talent and natural light in regard to civil affairs. After their decease, they had at first spoken about God; but after a short time they not only denied God and acknowledged nature; but at last they became like fools, sitting in dark shade; and in this way they led a miserable life. The reason is because the love of commanding is opposite to heavenly love.
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