1025. And the mountains were not found. That this signifies that there was no longer any good of love, is evident from the signification of mountains, as denoting the church as to the good of love (concerning which see (n. 405, 510, 850). The reason why mountains denote the church as to the good of love is, that the earth signifies the church; and the angels who are in love to the Lord inhabit mountain lands in the spiritual world. Hence mountains signify the church as to the good of love to the Lord.

These dwell upon mountains in the spiritual world because they are interior angels; and interior things in the spiritual world correspond to higher things, and actually become higher. This is why the Lord, being in the inmost, is called the Highest, and is said to dwell in the highest.

Concerning the Precepts of the Decalogue in general:-

[2] What these three senses are in the Precepts of the Decalogue may be further seen from the following summary exposition. The first precept, "Thou shalt not worship other gods besides me," in the spiritual moral sense involves, that thou shalt not worship any other thing or any other person as Divine. It is said no other thing, that is, not to ascribe to nature anything Divine of itself; nor to any other person, namely, any vicar of the Lord; or any saint. In the celestial-spiritual sense it involves that thou shalt acknowledge only one God, and not several, according to their characters, as did the ancients, and as some pagans do at this day, or according to the works of each, as do the Christians at this day, who set up one God of creation, one of redemption, and one of enlightenment.

[3] The same precept in the Divine-celestial sense involves that the Lord alone is to be acknowledged and worshipped; and the Trinity in Him, namely, the Divine itself from eternity, meant by the Father; the Divine Human born in time, meant by the Son of God, and the Divine proceeding from both, meant by the Holy Spirit.

These are the three senses of the first precept in their order.

[4] From this precept, considered in its threefold sense, it is evident that in it are contained and included, in summary, everything concerning the Divine as to Essence. In the other precept, "Thou shalt not profane the name of God," in its three senses are contained and included everything concerning the Divine as to quality. For by the name of God is signified His quality, which, in a primary sense, is the Word; from the Word, doctrine, and from doctrine, worship of the lips and of the life. In the second sense, it is the Lord's kingdom on the earth and the Lord's kingdom in the heavens; and in the third sense, it is the Lord's Divine Human; for this is the quality of the Divine Itself. That the Lord's Divine Human, in the highest sense, is the name of God, may be seen above (n. 224).

In the rest of the precepts there are similarly three internal senses for the three heavens. But of these, the Lord willing, we shall treat elsewhere.

510. And as it were a great mountain burning with fire.- That this signifies the love of self, and thence of [one's] own intelligence, is evident from the signification of a mountain burning with fire, which denotes the love of self and thence the love of [one's] own intelligence. The reason why this love is signified by the mountain here named, is, that a mountain, in the Word, signifies love in both senses, or celestial love and infernal love, as may be seen above (n. 405); fire has a similar signification. See also above (n. 504). The subject here dealt with is the evil, who were to be separated from the good, and cast into hell, and with these, all truth is turned into falsity by means of that love. This effect resulting from the mountain cast into the sea, is described in what follows; for the mountain cast into the sea, whence the third part of the sea became blood, signifies, that in the natural man everything was changed into the falsity of evil. It is therefore evident, that here the great mountain burning with fire signifies the love of self, and thence the love of [man's] own intelligence; for all man's own intelligence is from the love of self.

[2] The reason why a mountain means love in both senses, is, that the angels of the third heaven, who are in celestial love, dwell upon mountains in the spiritual world; when therefore a mountain is mentioned, that heaven is meant, and, according, to the ideas of angelic thought, which are abstracted from persons and places, celestial love which makes that heaven is meant. But the reason why a mountain in the opposite sense, signifies the love of self, is, that those who are in the love of self continually desire to ascend mountains, by making themselves equal to those who are in the third heaven. Because they revolve this in their imagination they also attempt it while they are out of the hells; for this reason a mountain, in the opposite sense, signifies the love of self. In a word, those who are in the love of self always aspire after high things, therefore, after death, when all the states of the love are changed into things correspondent, they also in imagination mount on high, believing themselves, while in such state of imagination, to be upon lofty mountains, although, with the body, they are in the hells.

[3] Hence it is that those who are of Babylon, and are in such love of self as to desire not only to rule over all the earth, but also over the heavens, are called in the Word mountains, and are said to sit upon a mountain, and to ascend above the heights of the clouds. Thus it is said in Jeremiah:

"Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out my hand against thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a mountain of burning" (51:25).

And in Isaiah:

"For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud; I will become like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be cast down to hell" (14:13-15).

These things are said concerning Babylon.