539. And there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, signifies dense falsities therefrom out of the evils of earthly and corporeal loves. This is evident from the signification of "smoke," as being the falsity of evil (of which presently); from the signification of "the pit of the abyss," as being the hell where those are who have falsified the Word (respecting which see above, n. 537; and from the signification of "a great furnace," as being the evils of earthly and corporeal loves out of which such falsities break forth (of which in the following article). "Smoke" signifies the falsity of evil, because it proceeds from fire, and "fire" signifies the loves of self and the world and thence all evils; consequently the hells that are in falsities from the evils of those loves, and still more the hells where those are who have falsified the Word by adapting it to favor those loves, appear in a fire like that of a great furnace, from which a dense smoke mingled with fire goes up. I have also seen those hells, and it was evident that it was the loves with those who were in them that presented the appearance of such a fire, and the falsities flowing forth from those loves that presented the appearance of the fiery smoke. But there is no such appearance to those who are therein, for they are in these loves and in the falsities therefrom, their life is in them, and it is by these that they are tormented in many ways, and not by such fire and smoke as are in our natural world. (This can be seen better in the chapter in the work on Heaven and Hell 566-575, which treats of Infernal Fire and the Gnashing of Teeth.)

[2] That "smoke" signifies the dense falsity that flows forth from evil can be seen from the following passages. In Moses:

Abraham looked upon the faces of Sodom and Gomorrah, and upon all the faces of the land of the plain, and he saw, and lo, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace (Genesis 19:28).

"Sodom and Gomorrah" in the spiritual sense mean those who are altogether in the loves of self; therefore the smoke that Abraham saw rising from their land after the burning, signifies the dense falsity pertaining to those who are altogether in the love of self; for those who love themselves supremely are in the thickest darkness in respect to things spiritual and celestial, for they are merely natural and sensual, and are wholly separated from heaven; and then they not only deny Divine things, but they think out falsities by which to destroy them. These falsities are what are signified by the "smoke" seen rising from Sodom and Gomorrah.

[3] In the same:

And the sun went down, and there was dense darkness, and behold a furnace of smoke, and a torch of fire that passed through between those pieces (Genesis 15:17).

This was said of Abraham's posterity from Jacob, as can be seen from what precedes in that chapter; "the sun went down" signifies the last time, when consummation takes place; "and there was dense darkness" signifies when evil takes the place of good and falsity the place of truth; "behold a furnace of smoke" signifies the densest falsity from evils; "a torch of fire" signifies the heat of cupidities; "it passed through between the pieces" signifies that these separated them from the Lord. (But this may be seen more fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 1858-1862.)

[4] In the same:

Moses made the people to go forth from the camp to meet God; and they stood in the lower parts of the mount. And Mount Sinai smoked, the whole of it, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire; and the smoke ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked exceedingly (Exodus 19:17, 18);

And all the people saw the voices and the torches, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and the people saw, and they were moved and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us and we will hear, but let not God speak with us lest we die (Exodus 20:18, 19).

This represented the quality of that people; for Jehovah, that is, the Lord, appears to everyone according to his quality; to those who are in truths from good He appears as a serene light, but to those who are in falsities from evil as smoke from fire. And because that people was in earthly and corporeal loves, and in falsities of evil therefrom, the Lord appeared to them from Mount Sinai as a devouring fire, and as the smoke of a furnace. (That the sons of Jacob were such has been shown in many places in the Arcana Coelestia, as may be seen from what is brought together in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248; and that the Lord appears to everyone according to his quality, as a vivifying and recreating fire to those who are in good, and as a consuming fire to those who are in evil, see Arcana Coelestia 934, 1861, 6832, 8814, 8819, 9434, 10551; what the other particulars in the passages cited signify may be seen in the same work where the book of Exodus is explained.)

[5] "Smoke and fire" have a like signification in David:

Because He was wroth there went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured, coals burned from Him; He bowed heaven also and came down; and gross darkness was under His feet (Psalms 18:7-9; 2 Samuel 22:8, 9).

This does not mean that smoke and a devouring fire went up from Jehovah, for there is no anger in Him; but it is so said because the Lord so appears to those who are in falsities and evils, for they regard Him from their falsities and evils.

[6] The like is signified by the following in the same:

He looketh on the earth and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains and they smoke (Psalms 104:32).

In the same:

Bow Thy heavens, O Jehovah, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke (Psalms 144:5).

In Isaiah:

Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou whole Philistia art dissolved; for from the north cometh a smoke (14 Isaiah 14:31).

"Gate" signifies truth introducing into the church, "city" doctrine, "Philistia" faith; therefore "Howl, O gate, cry, O city, thou whole Philistia art dissolved," signifies the vastation of the church in respect to the truth of doctrine, and thence in respect to faith. The "north" signifies the hell where and from which are the falsities of doctrine and the falsities of faith, and "smoke" such falsities; therefore "from the north cometh smoke" signifies devastating falsity out of the hells.

[7] In Nahum:

Behold, I will burn her chariot with smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions (Nahum 2:13).

This, too, treats of the devastation of the church; and "to burn a chariot with smoke" signifies to pervert all truths of doctrine into falsities, "smoke" meaning falsities, and "chariot" doctrine; and "the sword shall devour thy young lions" signifies that falsities will destroy the chief truths of the church, "young lions" meaning the chief and protecting truths of the church, and "sword" meaning falsity destroying truth.

[8] In Joel:

I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth; blood and fire and columns of smoke (Joel 2:30).

This is said of the Last Judgment; and "blood, fire, and columns of smoke," signify the truth of the Word falsified, its good adulterated, and mere falsities resulting therefrom, "blood" meaning the truth of the Word falsified, "fire" its good adulterated, and "columns of smoke" mere and dense falsities therefrom.

[9] In David:

The wicked shall perish, and the enemies of Jehovah as the glory of lambs shall be consumed, in smoke shall they be consumed (Psalms 37:20).

"The wicked and the enemies of Jehovah shall be consumed in smoke" signifies that they shall be destroyed by the falsities of evil; those are called "wicked" who are in falsities, and "enemies" who are in evils, and "smoke" means the falsity of evil.

[10] In the same:

As smoke is driven away Thou wilt drive away; as wax melteth before the fire the wicked shall perish before God (Psalms 68:2).

The destruction of the wicked is compared to smoke driven away by the wind, and to wax that melts before the fire, because "smoke" signifies falsities, and "fire" evils.

[11] In Isaiah:

The heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment (Isaiah 51:6).

"Smoke" here signifies falsity, by which those who were in the former heaven would be destroyed; and "the garment waxing old" signifies truth destroyed by the falsities of evil. Comparison is made with smoke vanishing away, and with a garment waxing old, because comparisons in the Word are also correspondences, and in like manner significative.

[12] In Hosea:

They sin more and more, and make them a molten image of their silver, idols in their understanding, all of it the work of the artificers; therefore they shall be as a morning cloud, and as the dew falling early and going away, it is driven by a whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and like smoke out of a chimney (Hosea 13:2, 3).

This describes the doctrinals that are from self-intelligence, in which are the evils of falsity and the falsities of evil. Such doctrinals are signified by "molten images of silver," and by "idols;" their "silver" signifies what is from self-intelligence, and the "work of the artificers" that intelligence; it is therefore added "in their understanding they have made them idols, all of it the work of the artificers." That such doctrinals, being falsities, would pass away, is signified by "they shall pass away like smoke out of a chimney." It is also said "as a morning cloud, and as the dew falling early, and as [chaff] out of the threshing-floor," because the church in its beginning is like a morning cloud, like dew falling early, and like corn in the threshing-floor, by which are signified the truths of good and the goods of truths, which nevertheless successively pass away and are changed into the falsities of evil and into the evils of falsity.

[13] "Smoke" also signifies falsity in other passages in Revelation, as in the following:

Out of the mouth of the horses went forth fire and smoke and brimstone; and by these was the third part of men slain, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone (Revelation 9:17, 18).

The smoke of their torment goeth up unto the ages of the ages (Revelation 14:11).

And again:

The smoke of Babylon goeth up unto the ages of the ages (Revelation 19:3).

[14] Because "fire" signifies love in both senses, both celestial love and infernal love, and therefore "smoke" signifies that which flows forth from love-falsity, which is from infernal love, and truth, which is from heavenly love-therefore "smoke" signifies in a good sense holy truth. This is what "smoke from the fire of the incense-offerings" signifies, as may be seen above (n. 494), as also in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Jehovah will create over every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and over her convocations, a cloud by day and a smoke and the brightness of a flame of fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a veiling (Isaiah 4:5).

(This may be seen explained above, n. 294, 504.) In the same:

The posts of the thresholds were moved at the voice of the crying seraphim, and the house was filled with smoke (Isaiah 6:4).

In Revelation:

The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power (Revelation 15:8).

And again:

The smoke of the incense-offerings with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God (Revelation 8:4).

295. And by Thy will they are, and they were created, signifies that through Divine good they have being, and through Divine truth they have existence. This is evident from the signification of "will," as being, in reference to the Lord, the Divine love; also from the signification of "are" [sunt] or "being" [esse], as the good of love, here the Divine good of the Divine love received (of which presently), also from the signification of "they were created," or "being created," as being Divine truth also received, thus those reformed by it. "To be created" signifies to have existence, because only those who have been reformed are said to have existence; for in them is life, and they have intelligence and wisdom; while those who are not reformed have no life in them, but spiritual death, neither have they intelligence and wisdom, but insanity and folly, therefore they are not said to have existence. Everything indeed, that appears to any of the senses is said to have existence, but this cannot be said of man spiritually unless he is in good and truth; for man is created that he may be living, intelligent, and wise; consequently when he is dead, insane, and foolish, to that extent he does not exist as a man. There are two things that cause man to be a man, namely, good and truth, both from the Lord; good is the esse of his life, but truth is the existere of life therefrom; for all truth has existence from good, since it is the form and therefore the quality of good; and since good is the esse of life, and truth is the existere of life therefrom, and "to be created" signifies to have existence, it is said, "by Thy will they are, and they were created." This, then, is the spiritual in these words.

[2] "Will" in reference to the Lord means Divine love; because the Divine Itself, from which are all things, is the Divine love. The Lord, therefore, appears before the angels as a Sun, fiery and flaming, and this for the reason that in the spiritual world love appears as fire, consequently in reference to the Lord, heaven, and the church, "fire" in the Word signifies love. From that sun in the heavens heat and light proceed; and heat there is Divine good proceeding, and light is Divine truth proceeding. (This is more fully shown in the work on Heaven and Hell, On the Sun of Heaven, n. 116-125; and On Heat and Light in Heaven, n 126-140) And since the Divine Itself from which are all things is the Divine love, so "will" in reference to the Lord is Divine love, for what love itself wills, that is the good of love; the truth which is said to be of faith is merely a means that good may have existence, and that truth may afterwards exist from good. Will and understanding with man are from this origin, the will is the receptacle of the good of love with man, and the understanding is the receptacle of the truth of faith with him. The understanding is the medium by which the will may be reformed, and by which afterwards the will may appear in form, such as it is by means of the understanding. From this it is clear that the will is the esse of man's life, and the understanding is the existere of life therefrom. (But this is also more fully shown in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, where the Will and Understanding are treated of, n 28-35.)

[3] Because man's will is his love, and God's will is the Divine love, it can be seen what is meant in the spiritual sense by "doing the will of God" and "the will of the Father," namely, that it is to love God above all things, and the neighbor as oneself. And as to love is to will, so it is also to do; for what a man loves, that he wills, and what he wills he also does. Therefore "doing the will of God" or "of the Father" means doing His commandments, or living according to them from the affection of love or charity. This is what is meant by "the will of God" and "of the Father" in the following passages. In John:

God heareth not sinners; but if anyone worship God and do His will, him He heareth (John 9:31).

In Matthew (that the one who does the will of the Father who is in the heavens shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens):

Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but He that doeth the will of My Father that is in the heavens (Matthew 7:21).

In the same:

Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven so upon the earth (Matthew 6:10).

In the same:

It is not the will of the Father that one of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:14).

"It is not His will that one of these little ones should perish" means evidently love. It is said "the will of the Father," because "Father" means Divine good. In John:

If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you may ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7).

Whatsoever they will and ask shall be done for those who abide in the Lord and in whom His words abide, because they then will nothing except what the Lord gives them to will, and that is good, and good is from Him.

[4] The Lord's will in the Old Testament is called His "good pleasure," and this likewise means the Divine love; and to do His good pleasure or His will signifies to love God and the neighbor, thus to live according to the commandments of the Lord, since this is to love God and the neighbor, and this comes down from the Lord's love. For no one can love the Lord and the neighbor except from the Lord; for this is the veriest good for man, and all good is from the Lord. That "good pleasure" has this signification is clear from the following passages. In Isaiah:

In My wrath I smote thee, but in My good pleasure have I had mercy on thee (Isaiah 60:10).

"To smite in anger" signifies temptation; "in good pleasure to have mercy" signifies deliverance from love; "to have mercy" is to do good to the needy from love.

[5] In David:

My prayer is unto thee, O Jehovah, in the time of good pleasure; O God, for the greatness of Thy mercy answer me, in the truth of Thy salvation (Psalms 69:13).

"The time of Jehovah's good pleasure" signifies acceptance from love; "time," when said of men, signifies the existing state, but in reference to Jehovah, perpetual existing, thus His love, because this is perpetual. Hearing and help from love through the proceeding Divine which is the Divine truth, is signified by "for the greatness of Thy mercy answer me, in the truth of Thy salvation. "

[6] In Isaiah:

Jehovah said, In the time of My good pleasure have I answered thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee (Isaiah 49:8).

Here also "the time of good pleasure," that is, of will, signifies the Divine love; and "to answer" signifies to bring aid, and to benefit.

[7] In the same:

To proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, to comfort all that mourn (Isaiah 61:2).

This is said of the coming of the Lord; and "the year of Jehovah's good pleasure" signifies the time and state of the men of the church, when from love they are to be succored, therefore it is also said, "to comfort all that mourn. "

[8] In David:

Thou dost bless the righteous; Thou wilt compass him with Thy good pleasure as with a shield (Psalms 5:12).

Here "good pleasure" stands plainly for the Divine love, from which the Lord protects everyone; protection by the Lord from love is signified by "Thou wilt compass him as with a shield."

[9] In the same:

Jehovah openeth the hand and satisfieth every living thing with His good pleasure (Psalms 145:16);

"to open the hand" signifies to gift with good; and "to satisfy every living thing with good pleasure" signifies from love to enrich with Divine truth all who receive life from Him.

[10] In Moses:

Of the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof and the good pleasure of Him that dwelleth in the thorn-bush, let them come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of the Nazarite of his brethren. O Naphtali, satisfied with the good pleasure and the blessings of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 33:16, 23).

"Joseph" in the highest sense signifies the Lord in respect to the spiritual Divine; in the internal sense the spiritual kingdom; and in the external, salvation, the fructification of good, and the multiplication of truth (See Arcana Coelestia 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417). This makes clear what is signified by Joseph's having "of the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof, and the good pleasure of Him that dwelleth in the thorn-bush;" "the precious things of the earth" are spiritual goods and truths therefrom belonging to the church; "the earth" is the church; the "good pleasure of Him that dwelleth in the thorn-bush" is the Lord's Divine love of truth; the "thorn-bush" in which the Lord appeared to Moses signifies that Divine love; "the head of Joseph" signifies the wisdom of the internal man; and "the crown of the head of the Nazarite of his brethren" signifies the intelligence and knowledge [scientia] of the external man; "Naphtali" (named from wrestlings) signifies temptations and after them consolation and blessing from the Divine love, which is meant by "satisfied with the good pleasure and the blessing of Jehovah."

[11] In Isaiah:

Wilt thou call this a fast, and the day of Jehovah's good pleasure? Is it not to break thy bread to the hungry; and when thou seest the naked that thou cover him? (Isaiah 58:5, 7).

That "Jehovah's good pleasure," in reference to men, signifies to live according to His commandments, which is to love God and the neighbor (as was said above) is evident; for it is said that "His good pleasure is to break the bread to the hungry, and to cover the naked;" "to break bread to the hungry" signifies from love to do good to the neighbor who desires good; and "to cover the naked" signifies to instruct in truths him who desires to be instructed.

[12] In David:

I delight in doing Thy good pleasure (that is, Thy will) O my God; and Thy law is in my bowels (Psalms 40:8).

In the same:

Teach me to do Thy good pleasure; Thy good spirit shall lead me into the land of uprightness (Psalms 143:10).

In the same:

Bless ye Jehovah, all His hosts; ye ministers of His that do His good pleasure (Psalms 103:21).

To "do the good pleasure of Jehovah God" signifies to live according to His commandments; this is His good pleasure or His will, because from Divine love He wills that all should be saved, and by it they are saved. Moreover, in the Hebrew expression "good pleasure" also means will; for whatever is done according to the will is well pleasing, and the Divine love wills nothing else than that love from itself may be with angels and men, and His love is with them when they love to live according to His commandments. That this is to love the Lord He teaches in John 14:15, 21, 23, 24; 15:10, 14; 21:15-17).

[13] That "will" signifies love in a contrary sense, namely, the love of evil and the love of falsity, is evident in John:

As many as received Jesus, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, to them that believe in His name; who were born, not of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but from God (John 1:12, 13).

"To believe in the Lord's name" signifies to live according to the commandments of His teaching; that "the Lord's name" signifies all things by which He is worshiped, thus all things of love and faith, see above (n. 102, 135). "Not of bloods" signifies not in a life contrary to good and truth; "not of the will of the flesh" signifies not in a love of evil; "not of the will of man" [vir] signifies not in the love of falsity. (That "flesh," in reference to man, means the voluntary that is man's own [proprium voluntarium], thus evil, see Arcana Coelestia 148, 149, 780, 999, 3813, 8409, 10283; and that man [vir] means the intellectual that is man's own [proprium intellectuale], which is falsity, see n. 4823.)