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.

737. It is said in verse 3 that the dragon was seen "in heaven;" and now that war was made with him "in heaven;" and afterwards no place for him and his angels was found "in heaven;" and yet he is called in verse 9 "that old serpent," also "the devil" and "Satan;" and some may wonder how the dragon, who is the devil, could be in heaven and could have a place there until he was cast down; and yet there is never any place for the devil in heaven, but in hell. But the matter is thus: "the dragon" does not mean those who have denied God and the Lord, and have rejected the Word, and made no account of the church and its doctrine, for those who are such and who do this are cast into hell immediately after death, and never appear in heaven, much less have any place there. "The dragon and his angels" mean those who acknowledge God and the Lord, and declare the Word to be holy, and also stand for the church and its doctrine, but only with the mouth and not with the heart. They do not do this in heart because they make no account of life, and those who make no account of life are interiorly devils, however much they may exteriorly appear like angels. Thence it can be seen that by the acknowledgment of God and the Lord, and by reading the Word and preaching it, they were exteriorly conjoined with heaven; but because their lives have not been at all in accord with anything of the Lord in the Word, interiorly they were conjoined with hell. Such are called "devil" and "Satan," because they have defiled the truths of the Word by a life of the love of self and the love of the world, and by evils that have gushed forth from those loves, like bubbling waters from their fountains, and because they have applied the literal sense of the Word to confirm such a life. Such persons, more than all others, are serpents, since they are more noxious than others; for they can draw over to their side the simple good, who are in the lowest heaven, especially by means of such things as they take from the sense of the letter of the Word and pervert. It is said that "they were seen in heaven," and there "fought with Michael and his angels," because the Word conjoined them with the heavens; for men are conjoined with the heavens by means of the Word; but when it was ascertained that they were in other than heavenly affections they were cast down out of heaven. Nevertheless, after the Last Judgment was accomplished it was provided and ordained by the Lord that henceforth no others but those who are in spiritual faith should have conjunction with heaven, and spiritual faith is acquired by a life according to the truths of the Word, which life is called charity. This, then, is what is signified by "the dragon with his angels was cast unto the earth," and "their place was not found anymore in heaven. "