870. And Death and Hell delivered up the dead who were in them. This symbolizes the impious at heart in the church, who in themselves were devils and satanic spirits, called together for judgment.

The people meant by Death and Hell are no others than people who inwardly were devils and satanic spirits - Death meaning people who inwardly were devils, and Hell people who inwardly were satanic spirits - accordingly all the impious at heart, who nevertheless in outward appearances seemed to be people of the church. For they were the only people who were called together for this universal judgment, inasmuch as only those people are judged who in outward appearances seem to be people of the church, whether laymen or clergy, but who inwardly are devils and satanic spirits. That is because in their case, their outward displays and inward realities have to be separated, and because they also can be judged, since they have known and professed the tenets of the church.

That Death means the impious at heart who in themselves were devils, and Hell those who in themselves were satanic spirits, is apparent from the statement in the next verse, verse 14, that Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire, when neither death nor hell can be cast into hell. But those can be who, as regards their interiors, personify death and hell, that is to say, who in themselves are devils and satanic spirits.

Just who are meant by the Devil and Satan may be seen in nos. 97, 841, 857 ¹ above; and that those are Death who in themselves are devils, in no. 866 above.

Death and hell are mentioned also elsewhere, as in the following:

(The Son of Man said,) "I have the keys of hell and death." (Revelation 1:18)

The name of him who sat on (the pale horse) was Death, and Hell followed him. (Revelation 6:8)

Likewise in Hosea 13:14; Psalms 18:4-5; 49:14-15; 116:3.

Фусноте:

10472. 'You know the people, that they [are set] on evil' means that that nation's interest lies in what is external separated from what is holy and internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'evil' and 'sin' as severance, separation, and turning away from the Divine, dealt with in 4997, 5746, 5841, 9346. The words 'separated from what is holy and internal' are used because when that which is external is separated from what is internal it is also separated from what is holy; for what is holy in a person resides in his internal. That is called holy which flows in from heaven and resides with a person, that is, comes from the Lord by way of heaven. Heaven flows into a person's internal, and by way of this into his external; for a person's internal has been created so as to conform to an image of heaven, thus to receive spiritual things that belong there, and the external to conform to an image of the world, thus to receive natural things that belong there, 9279, 10156. From this it is evident what a person whose external has been separated from his internal is like, that is to say, his interest lies solely in worldly, earthly, and bodily things. Those whose interest lies solely in these have no understanding of what the internal is, nor thus of what a concern for heavenly and Divine things is. They suppose that when they are engaged in doing the things that compose the external worship of the Church they are also involved in things that are Divine. But this is not so; for at such times either the bodily delights to which they have been accustomed since they were young children rule their minds, or the worldly aim that they may seen by others spurs them on, or the gain to be made or the prestige to be won out of performing the duties of their office motivates them. Thus they too are interested in worldly, earthly, and bodily things, and not in heavenly and Divine ones. It is different with those who are interested in external things from a concern for what is internal.