651. And shall overcome them, and kill them.- That this signifies the destruction thence of all the good and truth of the church, is evident from the signification of overcome and killing the two witnesses, as denoting to destroy those things which the two witnesses signify, which are the good of love and of charity, and the truth of doctrine and of faith. That the affections of the natural man separated from the affections of the spiritual man, which are evil desires of every kind arising from infernal loves, will destroy those things, is signified by the beast coming up out of the abyss; that it was predicted that this will come to pass at the end of the church, when the Last Judgment takes place, has been stated above. To kill, in the Word, signifies to kill spiritually, which is here to destroy the good of love and truth of doctrine, as may be seen above (n. 315).

8282. 'With Your right hand, O Jehovah, You break the enemy in pieces' means the effect almighty power has on evils and resulting falsities, whose power is eliminated. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah's right hand' as the Lord's almighty power, dealt with immediately above in 8281; from the meaning of 'breaking in pieces' as eliminating; and from the meaning of 'the enemy' as evils and falsities, since nothing else is meant in the spiritual sense of the Word by those who are enemies, foes, and haters. The reason why the terms enemies, foes, and haters are used, is not that the Lord is an enemy to them or hates them, but because they hate and are hostile towards the Divine. When however they undergo vastation which they themselves bring about, and cast themselves into damnation and into hell, it appears as though the Divine is responsible for what is happening to them. This appearance or illusion is as when someone sees the sun making a circuit each day around our planet and from this supposes that the sun is moving, when in fact the planet is doing so. Or it is as when someone receives a sentence from the king or judge and is punished because he has broken the law, and then supposes that the king or judge is responsible for what he suffers, when in fact he who has broken the law is himself responsible. Or that appearance is as when someone hurls himself into water or fire, or onto an outstretched sword, or an enemy troop, and then supposes that these are responsible for his destruction, when in fact he himself is. The same is so when those immersed in evil raise themselves up against the Divine, and cast themselves into the midst of His presence.