251. The reason why the “serpent” means all evil in general, and specifically the love of self, is that all evil has had its rise from that sensuous part of the mind, and also from that memory-knowledge [scientifico], which at first were signified by the “serpent;” and therefore it here denotes evil of every kind, and specifically the love of self, or hatred against the neighbor and the Lord, which is the same thing. As this evil or hatred was various, consisting of numerous genera and still more numerous species, it is described in the Word by various kinds of serpents, as “snakes” “cockatrices” “asps” “adders” “fiery serpents” “serpents that fly” and “that creep” and “vipers” according to the differences of the poison, which is hatred. Thus we read in Isaiah:

Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, because the rod which smiteth thee is broken, for out of the serpent’s root shall go forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a flying fire-serpent (Isaiah 14:29).The “serpent’s root” denotes that part of the mind, or that principle, which is connected with the senses and with memory-knowledge [est sensuale et scientificum]; the “cockatrice” denotes evil originating in the falsity thence derived; and the “flying fire-serpent” the cupidity that comes from the love of self. By the same Prophet also similar things are elsewhere thus described:

They hatch cockatrice’s eggs, and weave the spider’s web; he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and when it is crushed there cometh out a viper (Isaiah 59:5).

The serpent described here in Genesis is called in the Revelation the “great and red dragon” and the “old serpent” and also the “devil and satan” that “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:3, 9; 20:2), where, and also in other places, by the “devil” is not meant any particular devil who is prince over the others, but the whole crew of evil spirits, and evil itself.

864. 20:10 Then the devil who led them astray was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. This symbolically means that people who were caught up in evils in the way they lived and in falsities as regards their doctrine were cast into hell, where they will be inwardly afflicted by the love of their falsity and lusts of their evil continually to eternity.

The devil who led them astray means the dragon, as is apparent from what has gone before, and the dragon means people in general who are caught up in evils in the way they live and in falsities as regards their doctrine (no. 841). We are told that the devil led them astray, in order to make known that the devil was the dragon, because it was the dragon that led astray, as is apparent from verses 2, 3, 7, 8 in this chapter. The lake of fire into which it was cast symbolizes the hell where their loves of falsity and lusts for evil are found (no. 835). The beast and the false prophet symbolize people caught up in faith alone as to both life and doctrine, the unlearned as well as the learned - the unlearned being symbolized by the beast and the learned by the false prophet (no. 834). To be tormented day and night means, symbolically, to be inwardly afflicted continually, and forever and ever means to eternity. Moreover, because we are told that they were cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, and this symbolizes a place where loves of falsity and lusts for evil are found (no. 835), it is by these that they will be inwardly afflicted. For everyone in hell is tormented by his own love and its lusts, as these form everyone's life there, and it is the life that is tormented. Consequently there are degrees of torment in hell in accordance with degrees in the inhabitants' love of evil and its accompanying falsity.