586. That they should not adore demons, signifies that they should not worship their own cupidities. This is evident from the signification of "to adore," as being to worship, and from the signification of "demons," as being evil cupidities. "Demons" are evil cupidities because by demons infernal spirits are meant, and all spirits that are in the hells are nothing but evil cupidities; for all spirits that are in the hells, as well as all angels in the heavens, are from the human race; and every man after death becomes such as his life has been in the world, consequently such as his affection has been; therefore after death man is wholly his affection, a good man the affection of good and truth, and an evil man the affection of evil and falsity. Moreover, every man after death thinks, wills, speaks, and acts in accordance with his affection. The affection of evil and falsity is what is called cupidity, and is what is signified by "demon. "

[2] But what is meant by "worshiping demons" shall also be told briefly. Every man is associated with spirits; without association and conjunction with them no one can live; and the spirits with man are such as his affections or cupidities are; therefore when man in his worship does not look to the Lord or to the neighbor, but looks to himself and to the world, that is, when he worships God for the sole end of being carried to honors, and of gaining wealth, or of being able to do injury to others, then he worships demons; for then the Lord is not present in his worship, but infernal spirits are present, who are closely associated with him. These spirits are so insane as to believe that they are gods, and that they are to be worshiped; for every spirit, as well as every man, who is in the love of self, is eager to be worshiped as a god; consequently this insane cupidity continues with men after death, when they become demon-spirits; and this is what is signified by "adoring demons."

[3] This worship is meant also by "sacrificing to demons." In Moses:

They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations they made Him angry. They sacrificed to demons that were not God, to gods that they knew not (Deuteronomy 32:16, 17).

The sons of Israel shall sacrifice at the entrance of the tent, and they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto demons, after whom they go whoring (Leviticus 17:7).

The sacrifices that were offered at the entrance of the tent represented the worship of the Lord, because the altar, and also the tabernacle, represented heaven where the Lord is present; but the sacrifices that were offered elsewhere represented worship where the Lord is not present, thus the worship of demons; this was because all things at that time were representative.

[4] In David:

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons (Psalms 106:37).

This was altogether infernal; but in the spiritual sense "to sacrifice sons and daughters" signified to pervert and destroy the truths and goods of the church by evil cupidities; "sons" signifying the truths of the church, and "daughters" its goods.

[5] In Isaiah:

The tziim shall encounter the ijim, and the demon of the wood shall meet his fellow, the night-monster shall also settle there and find for itself rest (Isaiah 34:14).

This treats of the total devastation of the church by corporeal and merely natural lusts, from which flow forth falsities and evils of every kind; such lusts are signified by "the tziim and the ijim," also by "the night-monster, and the demon of the wood" (or satyr).

[6] So elsewhere in the same:

The tziim shall sing ¹ there, and their houses shall be full of ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and the demons of the wood shall dance there (Isaiah 13:21).

This is said of Babylon; that there are such corporeal and purely natural lusts with those who are meant by Babylon, and that these constitute the life of their mind is signified by "their houses shall be full of such things," and "they shall dwell and dance there." "House" signifies the mind or disposition of man, with the things therein; "daughters of the owl" signify falsities, and "demons of the wood" (or satyrs) cupidities merely corporeal. Like things are said of Babylon in Revelation:

Babylon is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird (Revelation 18:2).

The demons cast out by the Lord, by which many were then obsessed, signify falsities of every kind by which the church was infested, and from which it was delivered by the Lord (as in Matthew 8:16, 28; 9:32, 33; 10:8; 12:22; 15:22; Mark 1:32-34; Luke 4:33-38, 41; 8:2, 26-40; 9:1, 37-44, 49, 50; 13:32; and elsewhere).

Poznámky pod čarou:

4572. 'I am God Shaddai' means a state of temptation is past, and now there is Divine comfort. This is clear from the meaning of 'God Shaddai' as temptation and subsequent comfort, for the ancients had called Jehovah or the Lord 'God Shaddai' whenever they referred to Him in connection with temptations and the comfort that followed these, see 1992, 3667. Therefore 'God Shaddai' means a state of temptation that is past, and now there is Divine comfort. The reason why it is past is that previously, in particular when he wrestled with the angel, Chapter 32:25-end, and when he met Esau, Chapter 33, 'Jacob' represented temptations; and the reason why now there is comfort is that the joining of good and truth within the natural is effected by means of those temptations. The actual joining together brings that comfort since such a joining together is the end in view of the temptations. Indeed whoever attains that end receives comfort, as much as he has suffered severely in the means to that end.

[2] In general it should be recognized that every joining together of good and truth is effected by means of temptations. The reason for this is that evils and falsities offer resistance and so to speak engage in rebellion, and by every means try to prevent the joining of good to truth, and of truth to good. This conflict takes place between the spirits present within man, that is to say, between the spirits governed by evils and falsities and the spirits governed by goods and truths. Man experiences that conflict as temptation within himself. When therefore the spirits governed by evils and falsities are conquered by the spirits governed by goods and truths, the former are compelled to depart and the latter receive joy from the Lord by way of heaven. This joy is also felt by the person concerned as comfort; he feels it within himself. Yet the joy and comfort do not come because a victory has been won but because good and truth have been joined together. Joy is present within every joining together of good and truth, for that joining together is the heavenly marriage, in which the Divine is present.