This represents the next step in the judgment of the Ancient Church - and, by extension, the process we all go through as we are shedding an evil and trying to become better. In the previous verse the Lord entered in to, purified and protected the remnant of that church that still had the desire to be good. Here we see the beginning of the counterattack from those confirmed in evil desires and false ideas.

The "men of the city" represent those confirmed in false beliefs; the "men of Sodom" represent those confirmed in evil desires; "old and young and from every quarter" means all of them together. The "house" represents the inmost desire for good in the remnant being protected by the Lord, and the fact that they "surrounded" it shows their opposition and hatred of that desire for good.

We suffer similar conflicts within ourselves in times of temptation, as our own evil desires and false beliefs mass together to oppose the desire we have to be good.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 2345)

81. THE INTERNAL SENSE

The subject in this chapter is the celestial man; in the previous chapter it was the spiritual man who progressed to being spiritual from having been a dead man. But since people nowadays do not know what the celestial man is, and scarcely know what the spiritual man is or what the dead man is, let the nature of each one be presented briefly, in order that it may be known how they differ.

First. The dead man acknowledges no other truth or good than that belonging to the body and the world. This he also worships. The spiritual man acknowledges spiritual and celestial truth and good. But he does so not so much from love as from faith, which is also the basis of his actions. The celestial man believes and perceives spiritual and celestial truth and good, and does not acknowledge any other faith than that which stems from love, which is also the basis of his actions.

Second. The dead man has solely the life of the body and of the world as his ends in view. He does not know what eternal life is, or what the Lord is. Or if he does know, he does not believe. The spiritual man has eternal life, and therefore the Lord, as his ends in view. The celestial man has the Lord and therefore His kingdom and eternal life as his ends in view.

Third. The dead man when involved in conflict nearly always gives in. And when there is no conflict evils and falsities reign supreme within him, making him their slave. His bonds are external ones, such as fear of the law, loss of life, wealth, profits, and reputation on account of these. The spiritual man is involved in conflict, but he always conquers. The bonds which restrain him are internal, and are called the bonds of conscience. The celestial man is not involved in conflict. If evils and falsities assail him, he treats them with contempt, and is therefore called a conqueror. No visible bonds restrict him, for he is a free man. His bonds, which are not visible, are perceptions of good and truth.