Apocalypse Explained # 812
812. If anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword, signifies that those who imbue others with falsities are imbued with falsities from hell. This is evident from the signification of a "sword" [gladius et machaera] as being truth fighting against falsity, and in the contrary sense falsity fighting against truth, here falsity fighting against truth; therefore "to kill with the sword" means to destroy truths by falsities, and also to imbue with falsities. Also from the signification of "he must be killed with the sword," as being to be imbued with falsities from hell. Such are imbued with falsities from hell because they have shut heaven against themselves by falsities; and when heaven is shut against anyone then hell is open to him. For man must be either in heaven or in hell; he cannot be between the two; consequently when anyone closes heaven to himself he opens hell to himself and from hell nothing but falsities of evil spring forth, and with these he becomes imbued. But no other falsities but the falsities of evil close heaven. For there are various kinds of falsities, for instance, falsities of ignorance, falsities of religion, and falsities from misunderstanding the Word; in a word, the falsities that lead to a life of evil, or that proceed from a life of evil, because they are from hell close heaven. From this it is clear that "if anyone shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword" signifies that those who imbue others with falsities will be imbued with falsities from hell.
[2] There is a like signification in what the Lord said to Peter:
All they that take the sword must perish by the sword (Matthew 26:52).
This was said to Peter because he represented the truth of faith, and also the falsity of faith; therefore "to take the sword and to perish by it" signified to receive the falsity of faith, and to perish by it. Those who are signified by this "beast," who are such as by reasonings confirm the separation of faith from life, "kill with the sword, and are killed with the sword," that is, imbue others with falsities, and are themselves imbued with falsities from hell, because the dogma of faith alone shuts out all truths and rejects all goods. Faith alone shuts out all truths because such insist that we are saved solely by this, "That the Lord endured the cross for our sins, and thereby took away the condemnation of the law, and that He thus redeemed us." And as they hold that this alone, which they call faith itself, saves, they make no effort to learn truths, although truths are what teach man how he must live, and these truths are manifold. That faith alone rejects goods follows from the dogma itself, which is that faith justifies without good works; thus the essential goods of love to God and the goods of charity towards the neighbor are made of no account.
Ezekiel 6:1-10
1
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
2
Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them,
3
and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.
4
Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
5
I will lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars.
6
In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
7
The slain shall fall in the midst of you, and you shall know that I am Yahweh.
8
Yet will I leave a remnant, in that you shall have some that escape the sword among the nations, when you shall be scattered through the countries.
9
Those of you that escape shall remember me among the nations where they shall be carried captive, how that I have been broken with their lewd heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the prostitute after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
10
They shall know that I am Yahweh: I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.
