2058. That soul shall be cut off from his peoples. That this signifies eternal death, is evident from the signification of “soul,” as being life (n. 1000, 1040, 1742); and from the signification of “peoples,” as being truths (see n. 1259, 1260). Thus “peoples” are they who live in truths, that is, angels; and for a “soul to be cut off” from these, is to be damned, or to perish in eternal death.

1260. Because in the Most Ancient and in the Ancient Church, nations signified goods, or good men, therefore in the opposite sense they signify evils, or evil men. In like manner peoples, because they signified truths, in the opposite sense signify falsities. For in a depraved church good is turned into evil, and truth into falsity. Hence comes the signification of “nations” and of “peoples” in this opposite sense in many places in the Word, as in Isaiah 13:4; 14:6; 18:2, 7; 30:28; 34:1-2; Ezekiel 20:32.