1144. And silk and scarlet.- That these signify truths and goods from a spiritual origin, profaned, is evident from the signification of silk, which denotes truth from a spiritual origin, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of scarlet, which denotes good from a spiritual origin (concerning which see above, n. 1142) - this good coincides with truth from a celestial origin, and therefore this is also signified in the Word by scarlet. But silk and scarlet here signify those truths and goods profaned by Babylon; and they are profaned in this way, that they have perverted spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbour. For those who are in the love of self, such as the Babylonians, cannot have any love for their neighbour; if they do love him it is for the sake of themselves, so that the end is still the man himself and the love of the neighbour the means; and the end loves the means so far as they are subservient to itself, and if they are not subservient it rejects them; this is also evident from every one of their works. The love of the neighbour, in the spiritual sense, is the love of uses; and when uses are for the sake of self, then it is not a love of uses, but a love of self. That silk signifies truth from a spiritual origin, is evident from the passage in Ezekiel (16:10, 13), explained just above (n. 1143). It derives this signification from its shining quality; for silk shines with light, and light signifies Divine Truth, which is also called the spiritual Divine.

[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- We have said that the love of self and the love of the world constitute hell; the origin of those loves shall now be shown. Man was created to love himself and the world, his neighbour and heaven, and also the Lord. For this reason, when he is born, he first loves himself and the world, then as he grows wise, he loves his neighbour and heaven, and as he grows still wiser, he loves the Lord. When this is the case, he is then in Divine Order, and is led by the Lord actually, and by himself apparently. So far, however, as he is not wise, so far does he stop short in the first degree, which is that of loving himself and the world; and if he loves his neighbour, heaven, and the Lord, it is for the sake of himself in the eyes of the world. But if he is altogether without wisdom, he then loves himself alone, and the world and his neighbour for the sake of himself; and with respect to heaven and the Lord, he either makes light of them, denies them, or even hates them, if not in words, still in heart. These are the sources of the love of self and of the love of the world, and because these loves are hell, the origin of hell is evident.

[3] When a man has become a hell, he is then like a tree cut down, or like a tree whose fruits are hurtful; he is also like sandy soil, in which no seed will strike its root, or like soil out of which springs nothing but the prickly thorn and the stinging nettle. When a man has become a hell, then the interior or higher things of his mind are closed, and the exterior and lower opened; and because the love of self directs everything of thought and will to itself, and immerses them in the body, it therefore inverts and twists back the exteriors of the mind, which, as was observed, are open; for this reason they incline, tend, and are borne downwards, that is, to hell.

[4] But because a man has still the faculty of thinking, willing, speaking, and acting - a faculty which is in no case taken from him, since he is born a man - and is at the same time in this inverted state, receiving no longer any good or truth from heaven, but only evil and falsity from hell, he therefore procures for himself a kind of light (lumen) by confirmations of evil from falsity, and of falsity from evil, in order that he may be pre-eminent above others. He imagines that this is rational light (lumen), although it is nevertheless infernal light, in itself full of foolish delusions, producing a vision like that of a dream in the night, or a craziness of imagination, by reason of which, things which are appear as if they were not, and things which are not, as if they were. But these things will be more clearly seen from a comparison between a man-angel and a man-devil.

1143. And fine linen and crimson.- That these signify truths and goods from a celestial origin, profaned, is evident from the signification of fine linen, which denotes truths from a celestial origin, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of crimson, which denotes goods from a celestial origin (concerning which see above, n. 1042), but in this case those truths and goods profaned, because the fine linen and crimson are called the merchandise of Babylon, and Babylon as a harlot and the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the earth, signifies profanations of truth and good. Truths and goods from a celestial origin are the truths and goods with those who are in love to the Lord, which are called celestial, and are distinguished from the truths and goods from a spiritual origin, signified by the silk and scarlet, which we shall refer to presently. They profane truths and goods from a celestial origin, especially in this, that they have arrogated to themselves the Lord's Divine Power of saving mankind, and thus also love to Him they have diverted [to the pope] as his vicar and to his ministers. But the Lord cannot be loved when the power of salvation is taken away from Him, and a man is loved instead of Him. They say, indeed, that the Lord is loved for giving that power to man, and that he is loved, and also reverently honoured by those who have received that power, and is worshipped by the rest. But love to the Lord cannot exist with such, the love of ruling over heaven and the Church being altogether contrary to it; for that love is the love of self, which is diabolical love, and from this the Lord cannot be loved. Such love, regarded in itself, is rather hatred against the Lord, into which also it is changed when they become spirits, and domination is taken away from them then they also persecute all those who are in love to the Lord. From these things it is evident how they profane truths and goods which are from a celestial origin.

[2] That fine linen signifies truths from a celestial origin, is evident from the following passages.

Thus in Ezekiel:

"I clothed thee with broidered-work, I shod thee with badger's skin (taxus), and I girded thee with fine linen, and covered thee with silks; thus wast thou adorned with gold and silver, and thy garments were fine linen, silk, and broidered-work" (16:10, 13).

This is said of Jerusalem, by which the Church is meant, in this case, at its first establishment. Broidered-work and badger's skin there signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word. Fine linen and silk signify truths from a celestial origin and truths from a spiritual origin; these are described as garments, because garments signify truths, with which good is clothed or invested.

Again in the same:

"Fine linen in broidered-work [from Egypt] was thine expansion, and crimson from the isle of Elisha was thy covering" (27:7).

This refers to Tyre, which signifies the Church as to the knowledges of good and truth; those knowledges are signified by broidered-work from Egypt, truths by fine linen, and good by crimson, both from a celestial origin.

So in Luke:

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in crimson and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day" (16:19).

The rich man here means the Jewish race, which is said to be clothed in crimson and fine linen, because they possessed the Word, from which they were in possession of goods and truths; goods are there meant by crimson, and truths by fine linen, both from a celestial origin. By Lazarus, who lay at the rich man's porch, are meant the nations who had not the Word.

[3] Because fine linen (byssus), which also is xylinum, signified truths from a celestial origin, and the garments of Aaron represented Divine truths, he himself representing the Lord, therefore fine linen and xyhinum were interwoven in his mitre and belt (Exodus 28:39; 39:27); they were also interwoven in the curtains of the tabernacle and its coverings, because they represented those things of the Church which inclose, and these are truths (Exodus 26:1; 27:9, 18; 36:8; 38:9, 16).

The signification of fine linen (byssus) in the following passages of the Apocalypse is similar:

"The time of the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready; and it was given unto her that she should be clothed in fine linen, clean and shining" (19:7, 8);

The armies of him that sat upon the white horse "followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (19:14).

The reason why fine linen signifies truth from a celestial origin is, because that kind of linen was a species of very white flax, of which garments are made. Flax, and also whiteness, signify truth, and a garment made from it signifies according to its brightness, truth pure and clean.

[4] Continuation of the Athanasian Creed.- The hell where those are who are called devils is the love of self; and the hell where those who are called satans is the love of the world. The reason why the diabolical hell is the love of self, is, that that love is the opposite of celestial love, which is love to the Lord; and the reason why the satanical hell is the love of the world, is, that this love is the opposite of spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbour.

Now, since the two loves of hell are the opposite of the two loves of heaven, therefore hell and the heavens are in opposition to each other. For all who are in the heavens have regard to the Lord and to the neighbour, but all who are in the hells have regard to themselves and the world. All who are in the heavens love the Lord and the neighbour, but all who are in the hells love themselves and the world, and hence bear hatred to the Lord and to the neighbour. All who are in the heavens think what is true and will what is good, because they think and will from the Lord; but all who are in the hells think what is false and will what is evil, because they think and will from themselves. It is for this reason that all who are in the hells appear averted, their faces being turned away from the Lord, they also appear inverted, their feet being upwards and their heads downwards; this appearance arises from their loves being the opposite of the loves of heaven.

[5] Since hell is the love of self, it is also fire; for all love corresponds to fire, and in the spiritual world is so presented as to seem at a distance like fire, yet still it is not fire but love. For this reason the hells appear within as if they were on fire, and without like ejections of fire in the midst of smoke rising from furnaces or conflagrations; sometimes the devils themselves also appear like fires of charcoal. The heat which they have from that fire is like an effervescence from impurities, which is lust, and the light which they receive from that fire is merely an appearance of light from phantasies, and from confirmations of evils by falsities; but yet, it is not light, for whenever the light of heaven enters by influx it becomes thick darkness to them, and when the heat of heaven enters it becomes cold to them. They see, however, from their own light, and live from their own heat; but their sight is like that of owls, birds of night, and bats, whose eyes are dim to the light of heaven, and they live in a semi-torpid state. The living principle pertaining to them consists merely in their ability to think and will, to speak and act, and hence to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel. It is merely a faculty derived from that life which is God acting upon them from without, according to order, and continually impelling them to order. It is from this faculty that they live for ever. The dead principle pertaining to them is from the evils and falsities derived from their loves; hence it is, that their life, viewed from their loves, is not life, but death; and therefore hell, in the Word is called "death," and its inhabitants are called "dead."