422. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. (9:2) This symbolizes falsities accompanying the lusts of the natural self springing from those people's evil loves.

The bottomless pit symbolizes the hell described just above in no. 421. The smoke from it symbolizes falsities arising from lusts, and because the smoke is said to be like that of a great furnace, it means falsities accompanying lusts springing from evil loves, inasmuch as fire symbolizes love (no. 468), and the fire of hell, evil love (no. 494). A great furnace has the same symbolism, since it smokes owing to fire.

Spirits of hell are not caught up in any material fire, but in a spiritual fire, which is the fire of their love. Consequently they do not feel any other fire. On this subject, see the book Heaven and Hell, nos. 134 566-575.

When any love is aroused in the spiritual world, it appears at a distance like fire - in the hells like a brightly burning fire, and outside the hells like the smoke of a conflagration or the smoke of a furnace.

Falsities accompanying lusts springing from evil loves are described also elsewhere in the Word by smoke from a fire or from a furnace or oven, as in the following places:

(Abraham) looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah..., and behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. (Genesis 19:28)

...the sun went down and it was dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between the pieces. (Genesis 15:17)

...they sin more and more... Therefore they shall be... like smoke from a flue. (Hosea 13:2-3)

...the wicked shall perish... In smoke they shall be consumed. (Psalms 37:20)

I will show wonders in heaven and on the earth: ...fire and pillars of smoke. (Joel 2:30)

(They) will cast (the evil) into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41-42, 49-50)

And elsewhere.

134. The heat of heaven, like the light of heaven, is everywhere different. It is different in the celestial kingdom from what it is in the spiritual kingdom, and it is different in each particular society there. It differs not only in degree but also in quality. It is more intense and pure in the Lord's celestial kingdom, because the angels there receive more Divine Good, less intense and pure in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, because the angels there receive more Divine Truth. Also, in each society the heat differs in accordance with the reception. There is heat also in the hells but it is unclean. ¹ The heat in heaven is what is meant by "sacred and heavenly fire", and the heat of hell by "profane and infernal fire". Love is meant by both. By "heavenly fire" is meant love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, with every affection of those loves. By "infernal fire" is meant love of self and of the world and every lust of those loves. That love is heat from a spiritual source is evident from one's growing warm with love; for in accordance with the strength and nature of his love, a man is inflamed and grows warm, the heat of his love becoming manifest when attacked. So it is usual to speak of being inflamed, of growing warm, burning, boiling, being on fire, both in regard to the affections of the love of good and the lusts of the love of evil.

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