2220. That “Sodom” is all evil from the love of self, is evident from the signification of “Sodom” in the Word. Although in the following chapter it appears as if the evil of the worst adultery was signified by “Sodom,” nevertheless in the internal sense nothing else than evil from the love of self is signified by it. In the Word also the abominations that well forth from the love of self are represented by adulteries of various kinds. That “Sodom” signifies in general all evil from the love of self, and “Gomorrah” all falsity therefrom, has been shown in Part First (n. 1212, 1663, 1682, 1689), and is further evident from the following passages in the Word.

In Jeremiah:

A sword upon the Chaldeans, and upon the inhabitants of Babel, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbor cities thereof, saith Jehovah, there shall not a man dwell there, and there shall not a son of man sojourn therein (Jeremiah 50:35, 40).

This passage treats of those signified by the Chaldeans, who are such as have profane falsity in their worship (see n. 1368); and of those signified by Babel, who are such as have profane evil in their worship (see n. 1182, 1326). Their condemnation is described by the “overthrow of Sodom,” that is, of evil in general, and by the “overthrow of Gomorrah,” that is, of falsity in general; because they also have in their worship the evil of the love of self, and the derivative falsity.

[2] In Amos:

I have overthrown you as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah; and ye became as a brand plucked out of the burning (Amos 4:11),

where Samaria is treated of, by which is signified the perverted spiritual church, and which in respect to evils in general contrary to the goods of charity is called “Sodom,” and in respect to falsities in general contrary to the truths of faith is called “Gomorrah;” and in respect to both (here as previously) is called the “overthrowing of God.”

In Zephaniah:

Moab shall be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, a forsaken place of the nettle, and a pit of salt, and a desolation even to eternity; this shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and have enlarged upon the people of Jehovah Zebaoth (Zeph. 2:9-10),

where “Sodom” denotes evil from the love of self, and “Gomorrah” the derivative falsity, of both of which “desolation” is here predicated, as previously was “overthrow.” “Pride” is the love of self; to “reproach the people of Jehovah Zebaoth,” is to bring evil upon truths; and to “enlarge upon the people,” is to bring falsity upon them.

[3] In Ezekiel:

Thine elder sister is Samaria, that dwelleth at thy left hand, she and her daughters; and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. Thy sister Sodom hath not done, she and her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom; pride, satiety of bread, and security of ease, were in her and her daughters, and she did not strengthen the hand of the wretched and needy; and they became haughty, and committed abomination before Me (Ezekiel 16:46-50),

where the abominations of Jerusalem are treated of, and are described by “Samaria” and “Sodom”; by “Samaria,” instead of Gomorrah, as to falsities, and by “Sodom” as to evils; and it is stated what is specifically signified by “Sodom,” for it is said, “this was the iniquity of Sodom,” to wit that it was the love of self, which is there signified by “pride.” That they turned away from the goods of charity, is signified by the “satiety of bread;” that they had acquiesced in these things, is signified by the “security of ease;” that they had no mercy, is described by their “not having strengthened the hand of the poor and needy;” and that all the cupidities thence derived are imbued with the love of self, is signified by their “daughters having become haughty;” the “daughters” are cupidities.

[4] Hence it is manifestly evident what “Sodom” is, thus that it is not according to the historic sense in the following chapter, but that such things are there signified in the internal sense as are described here by the prophet, namely, those which are of the love of self. But Sodom is here described more mildly because the abominations of Jerusalem are treated of as having been greater than those of Sodom, as is also evident from the Lord’s words in Matthew:

Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city (Matthew 10:15; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12).

In John:

Their bodies shall lie upon the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt (Revelation 11:8),

where it is evident that by “Sodom” is not meant Sodom, nor Egypt by “Egypt,” for it is said that it is “spiritually called Sodom and Egypt;” “Sodom” denotes all evil from the love of self, and “Egypt” (instead of Gomorrah) all derivative falsity.

1690. They that remained fled to the mountain. That this signifies that not all were overcome, is evident without explication, from the fact that there was a residue that fled away. In the internal sense the temptations are treated of that the Lord sustained in His childhood, concerning which nothing is related in the Word of the New Testament, except concerning His temptation in the wilderness, or soon after He came out of the wilderness, and finally concerning His last temptation in Gethsemane and what then followed. That the Lord’s life, from His earliest childhood even to the last hour of His life in the world, was continual temptation and continual victory, is evident from many things in the Word of the Old Testament; and that it did not cease with the temptation in the wilderness is evident from what is said in Luke:

And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from Him for a season (Luke 4:13);

as also from the fact that He was tempted even to the death on the cross, and thus to the last hour of His life in the world. Hence it is evident that the whole of the Lord’s life in the world, from His earliest childhood, was continual temptation and continual victory. The last was when He prayed on the cross for His enemies, and thus for all in the whole world.

[2] In the Word of the Lord’s life, in the Gospels, none but the last is mentioned, except His temptation in the wilderness. More were not disclosed to the disciples. The things that were disclosed appear in the sense of the letter so slight as to be scarcely anything; for to speak and to answer in this manner is no temptation, when yet His temptation was more grievous than can ever be comprehended and believed by any human mind. No one can know what temptation is except the one who has been in it. The temptation that is related in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13, contains all temptations in a summary; namely, that from love toward the whole human race, the Lord fought against the loves of self and of the world, with which the hells were filled.

[3] All temptation is an assault upon the love in which the man is, and the temptation is in the same degree as is the love. If the love is not assaulted, there is no temptation. To destroy anyone’s love is to destroy his very life; for the love is the life. The Lord’s life was love toward the whole human race, and was indeed so great, and of such a quality, as to be nothing but pure love. Against this His life, continual temptations were admitted, as before said, from His earliest childhood to His last hour in the world. The love which was the Lord’s veriest life is signified by His “hungering,” and by the devil’s saying,

If Thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread; and by Jesus answering that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (Luke 4:2-4; Matthew 4:2-4).

[4] That He fought against the love of the world, or all things that are of the love of the world, is signified by:

The devil took Him up into a high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said unto Him, All this power will I give Thee and the glory of them, for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will, I give it; if Thou therefore wilt worship before me, all shall be Thine. But Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve (Luke 4:5-8; Matt 4:8-10).

[5] That He fought against the love of self, and all things that are of the love of self, is signified by this:

The devil took Him into the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If Thou art the Son of God, cast Thyself down for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee, and upon their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Matthew 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12).

Continual victory is signified by its being said that after the temptations, “angels came and ministered unto Him” (Matthew 4:11; Mark 1:13).

[6] In brief, the Lord from His earliest childhood up to the last hour of His life in the world, was assaulted by all the hells, against which He continually fought, and subjugated and overcame them, and this solely from love toward the whole human race. And because this love was not human but Divine, and because such as is the greatness of the love, such is that of the temptation, it may be seen how grievous the combats were, and how great the ferocity on the part of the hells. That all this was so, I know of a certainty.