10122. And a bullock of sin thou shalt offer daily upon the propitiations. That this signifies the continual removal of evils and of the derivative falsities in the natural man by means of the good of innocence from the Lord, is evident from the signification of “a bullock,” as being the good of innocence in the natural man (see n. 9391, 9990); and from the signification of “sin,” as being purification from evils and the derivative falsities; for by “sin” is meant the sacrifice for sin (n. 10039), and by the “sacrifice for sin” is signified purification from evils and falsities (n. 9938, 9990, 10022, 10053). It is said the “removal” of evils and the derivative falsities, for the reason that the evils and falsities pertaining to man are not cast out, but only removed (see the places cited in n. 10057). And from the signification of “daily,” as being continually; and from the signification of “propitiations,” as being the reception of the good of love and of faith from the Lord after the removal of evils and the derivative falsities (n. 9506).

[2] It is said the removal of evils and “the derivative falsities,” because all falsities are from evil, and therefore insofar as evil is removed, so far falsities are removed. The case herein is this. All things in heaven bear relation to good and the derivative truth, whereas all things in hell bear relation to evil and the derivative falsity; hence likewise in man, all things with him which are from heaven bear relation to good and truth, but all things with him which are from hell bear relation to evil and falsity. Or, what is the same, all things with man which are from the Lord bear relation to good and truth, but all things which are from man himself bear relation to evil and falsity. Now as these are the things to which all things in the universe bear relation, and man is a receptacle of them, therefore there are two things with man which receive them, one called the will, and the other the understanding. The will is the receptacle of good or of evil, and the understanding is the receptacle of truth or of falsity. The will which is from the Lord, which is also called the new will, is the receptacle of good; whereas the understanding which is from the Lord, which is also called the new understanding, is the receptacle of truth. But the will which is from man’s own, and is also called the old will, is the receptacle of evil, and the understanding which is from man’s own, and is also called the old understanding, is the receptacle of falsity. Into this understanding and into this will, man is born from his parents; but into the former understanding and into the former will, man is born from the Lord, which is done when he is being regenerated. For when a man is being regenerated, he is conceived and born anew.

[3] Man has been so created that the will and the understanding make a one, so that these two together constitute one man; for the understanding has been given to man that he may understand truth, but to the end that it may be implanted in the will and become good; and insofar as it becomes of the will, so far it is in the man, because the will is the inmost of man, and is the being of his life; but the understanding is exterior and comes forth from the will; for that which a man wills, he loves, and that which he loves, he feels delightful, and therefore calls good; while the understanding favors it and confirms it by reasons, and these he calls truths. Hence the will and the understanding really make a one; but it appears otherwise, as is the case when a man understands what is true, and yet wills what is evil. Nevertheless, when he is left to himself, and is thinking from himself, he understands just as he wills, that is, as he loves.

[4] That a man who wills what is evil can nevertheless speak what is true, and also do what is good, is from hypocrisy, to which truth and good serve as means. If these means are taken away from him, and he is left in freedom, such a man rushes into evils according to the pleasure of the will, and he defends them by his intellectual faculty. This is especially manifest from such persons in the other life, where everyone comes into a state similar to that of his will; and then those who have not a new will from the Lord rush into evils of every kind, and think such things as favor evils, however much in the world they had spoken and acted quite differently. For it is a law of Divine order that the will and the understanding should make one mind, thus one man; consequently that the whole man should be either in heaven or in hell, and should not hang between the two; that is, with the eye look to the things that belong to heaven, and with the heart to those which belong to hell. By the heart is meant the will, and by the eye the understanding.

2446. That “brimstone” denotes the hell of the evils of the love of self, and “fire” the hell of the falsities thence derived, is evident from the signification in the Word of “brimstone” and the “fire” from it, as being the love of self with its cupidities and the derivative falsities, thus as being hell, for hell consists of such things. That “brimstone” and “fire” have this signification is evident in David:

Jehovah shall rain upon the wicked snares, fire, and brimstone (Psalms 11:6).

That fire and brimstone are not here meant, but something else that is signified by “fire and brimstone,” is evident also from its being said that Jehovah “rains snares.”

In Ezekiel:

I will contend against him with pestilence and with blood, and I will make it rain an overflowing rain, and hailstones, fire and brimstone, upon him, and upon his troops, and upon the many peoples that are with him (Ezekiel 38:22); where God is treated of, who lays waste the land of Israel, that is, the church. (The signification of “God” may be seen above, n. 1151.) “Fire” denotes falsities, “brimstone” the evils thence, and at the same time the hells of those who lay waste.

In John:

They who adored the beast were cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone (Revelation 19:20);

meaning hell.

Again:

The devil was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10);

manifestly meaning hell.

Again:

The abominable, and murderers, and adulterers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8); where also “fire and brimstone” plainly denote hell.

[2] That they denote the evils of the love of self and the falsities thence derived, from which come the hells-in Isaiah:

The day of the vengeance of Jehovah, and the year of retribution in the controversy of Zion; and the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch (Isaiah 34:8-9); where “burning pitch,” here mentioned instead of “fire,” denotes dense and direful falsities and “brimstone” the evils from the love of self.

Again:

The pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of Jehovah is like a stream of brimstone kindling in it (Isaiah 30:33);

speaking of Topheth; the “stream of kindling brimstone” denoting falsities from the evils of the love of self.

In Luke:

In the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all; even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed (Luke 17:29-30).

That it will not then rain fire and brimstone is obvious; but what is meant is that the falsities and cupidities of the love of self, which are signified by “fire and brimstone,” and which make the hells, will then predominate.

[3] That in the Word “fire” signifies cupidities, and at the same time the hells, and that in this case the “smoke” from the fire signifies the falsity thence derived, and which is in those hells, may be seen above (n. 1861); and in John:

I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat upon them, having breastplates of fire and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouth issued fire, smoke, and brimstone: by these three were the third part of men killed, by the fire, and the smoke, and the brimstone (Revelation 9:17-18);

“fire, smoke, and brimstone” denote evils and falsities of every kind, of which as before said the hells consist.