777. And upon his horns ten diadems, signifies power from appearances of truth in abundance. This is evident from the signification of "horns," as being power (of which just above); also from the signification of "ten," as being much, thus also abundance (See above, n. 675); also from the signification of "diadems," as being truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word (See above, n. 717). Appearances of truth are also meant, because the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word are for the most part appearances of truth; and by means of these apparent truths of the Word those who are meant by this "beast" have their power. These are such as confirm by reasonings the separation of faith from life. For the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, which are appearances of truth, and which they connect by reasonings so as to make them to appear like genuine truths, are what are here signified by "diadems." But when these have been connected by reasonings from falsities and fallacies they are no longer apparent truths but truths falsified, and thus falsities; according to what was illustrated above (n. 719) from the apparent progression of the sun. Upon the heads of the dragon there appeared seven diadems, but upon the horns of the beast ten diadems, because "the head of the dragon" signifies the knowledge [scientia] of the holy things of the Word which are falsified and adulterated, thus apparent truths which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word; while the "horns" signify their much power when these are connected and confirmed by reasonings from the natural man. Yet this much power is not from the reasonings, but through the reasonings from the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word.

545. The Lord Does Not Cast Anyone into Hell: Spirits Cast Themselves In

Some people cherish the notion that God turns his face away from people, spurns them, and casts them into hell, and is angry against them because of their evil. Some people even go so far as to think that God punishes people and does them harm. They support this notion from the literal meaning of the Word where things like this are said, not realizing that the spiritual meaning of the Word, which makes sense of the letter, is wholly different. So the real doctrine of the church, which is from the spiritual meaning of the Word, teaches something else. It teaches that the Lord never turns his face away from anyone or spurns anyone, never casts anyone into hell or is angry. ¹

Anyone whose mind is enlightened perceives this while reading the Word simply from the fact that the Lord is goodness itself, love itself, and mercy itself. Good itself cannot do harm to anyone. Love itself and mercy itself cannot spurn anyone, because this is contrary to mercy and love and is therefore contrary to the divine nature itself. So people who are thinking with an enlightened mind when they read the Word perceive clearly that God never turns away from us, and that because he does not turn away from us, he behaves toward us out of goodness and love and mercy. That is, he wills well toward us, loves us, and has compassion on us.

Enlightened minds also see from this that the literal meaning of the Word where things like this are said has a spiritual meaning concealed within it, a meaning needed to explain expressions that in the letter are adapted to human comprehension, things said in accord with our primary and general conceptions.

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