8286. And with the wind of Thy nostrils the waters were heaped up. That this signifies that falsities were gathered together into a one through the presence of heaven, is evident from the signification of “the wind of Thy nostrils,” as being heaven (of which in what follows); from the signification of “to be heaped up,” as being to be gathered together into a one; and from the signification of “waters,” as being falsities (see n. 7307, 8137, 8138). (That damnation and casting into hell is a gathering together of all falsities derived from evil and an environment by them, see n. 8146, 8210, 8232; and that this is effected by the mere presence of the Lord, n. 8265.) That “the wind of the nostrils of Jehovah,” or of the Lord, denotes heaven, is because by it is meant the breath of life, thus the Divine life, and as this makes the life of heaven, by “the wind of the nostrils of Jehovah” is signified heaven; hence also it is that the same word in the original tongue means both “wind” and “spirit.”

[2] That by “the wind of Jehovah,” or “His breath,” is signified the life that belongs to heaven, and that belongs to the man who is in heaven, that is, to one who is regenerate, is evident in David:

By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the army of them by the breath [wind] of His mouth (Psalms 33:6).

Thou gatherest their breath, they expire, and return to their dust; Thou sendest forth Thy spirit [wind], they are created (Psalms 104:29-30).

Jehovah said unto me, Will these bones live? Then said He, Prophesy upon the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live; and the breath came into them, and they revived (Ezekiel 37:3, 9-10).

I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree (Revelation 7:1);

“the wind” here denotes the life of heaven, that is, Divine life, as also in Job:

The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of Shaddai hath vivified me (33:4).

[3] As “wind” signifies life, therefore, when the Lord teaches about the regeneration of man, He also says:

The spirit (or wind) bloweth where it willeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, yet knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is everyone that is begotten of the spirit (John 3:8).

And because by the “wind of Jehovah,” or “His breath,” was signified life from the Divine, therefore where the new life of Adam is treated of, it is said:

Jehovah breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7);

it is said “through the nostrils,” because through them respiration is effected, and through respiration, life, as in Isaiah:

Cease ye from man, in whose nose is breath (Isaiah 2:22).

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; of whom we had said, In his shadow we shall live among the nations (Lam. 4:20);

“the anointed of Jehovah” denotes the Lord; “the breath of our nostrils,” life from Him.

In Job:

As long as my breath (anima) is in me, and the wind of God is in my nose (27:3).

[4] As, then, by “the wind of the nostrils of Jehovah” is signified the life which is from the Lord, and thus in the universal sense, heaven; and as by the presence of the Lord, or by the presence of heaven where the Lord is, evils and falsities are cast into hell (n. 8265); therefore also this effect is signified by “the wind of the nostrils of Jehovah” in David:

The channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were revealed, at the rebuke of Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of His nose (Psalms 18:8, 15; 2 Samuel 22:16).

The blast of Jehovah, like a stream of sulphur, doth kindle it (Isaiah 30:33).

Nay, they are not planted; nay, they are not sown; nay, their trunk is not rooted in the earth; and He even bloweth on them, and they wither, that the whirlwind may take them away like stubble (Isaiah 40:24).

He sendeth His word, and melteth them; He causeth His wind to blow, the waters flow (Psalms 147:18).

Hence also it is, that by “the nose,” when predicated of Jehovah or the Lord, is also signified wrath, thus the punishment, vastation, and damnation of those who are in evils and falsities (as in Numbers 25:4; Deuteronomy 7:4; Judges 2:14Isaiah 9:21; Jeremiah 4:8; Hosea 14:4; Psalms 6:1; 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; and in many other passages); and also by “blowing with the nostrils,” or “breathing,” is signified to be angry (Deuteronomy 4:21; Isaiah 12:1; Psalms 2:12 6:1; 60:3; 79:5; 85:5).

8232. There was not left of them even one. That this signifies all and each, is evident without explication. In this verse the subject treated of is the immersion or casting into hell of those who have been in falsities from evil. But what immersion and casting into hell are, is known to few, it being supposed that it is a casting down into a certain place where is the devil with his crew, who torment those who are there. But such is not the case with this matter. Casting into hell is nothing else than a crowding by mere falsities which are from evil, in which evil they had been when in the world. When they have been crowded there by these falsities, they are in hell, and the evils and falsities in which they then are, torment them. But the torment does not arise from their grieving at the evil which they have done, but from their not being able to do evil, which is the delight of their life; for when they do evil to others in hell, they are punished and tormented by those to whom they do it. They chiefly do evil to one another from the cupidity of exercising command, and of subjugating others with this end in view, which is done (if others do not suffer themselves to be subjugated) by a thousand methods of punishments and torments. But the lordships there, which they continually aspire to, take turns, those who had punished and tormented others being subsequently punished and tormented by these others; and this until at last this kind of ardor abates from the fear of the penalty. From all this it can now be seen whence comes hell, and what hell is. The fire of hell is nothing else than concupiscence originating in the love of self, which inflames and torments (n. 6314, 7324, 7575).