Arcana Coelestia # 2446
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.
Revelation 20
1
I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2
He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years,
3
and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.
4
I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn't worship the beast nor his image, and didn't receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5
The rest of the dead didn't live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.
7
And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison,
8
and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9
They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God, and devoured them.
10
The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11
I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
12
I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13
The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
14
Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15
If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
