As the Ancient Church – the second of the world’s great belief systems – slipped completely into evil, the Lord separated the evil in it from those who still had some remnant of good. Sodom here represents that church, dominated at this point by love of self. The two angels represent the Lord’s human aspect and his active force, which in the New Testament would be called the Son and the Holy Spirit. Lot represents those within that church who still had a desire to care for others, even if their worship was false.

Here, then, we see the Lord coming near to judge the church – and we see those who still have some good in them recognizing His presence, welcoming it and humbling themselves.

(Izinkomba: Arcana Coelestia 2317)

2317. THE INTERNAL SENSE

Verse 1 And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. And Lot saw and rose up to meet them, and bowed down with his face towards the ground.

'The two angels came to Sodom in the evening' means the visitation which takes place prior to judgement, 'the two angels' meaning the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, to which judgement belongs; 'Sodom' meaning the evil, especially those inside the Church; 'evening' meaning the time when visitation takes place. 'And Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom' means those people with whom the good of charity exists but whose worship is external - people represented by 'Lot' here - who are among and yet separated from the evil, which is meant by his 'sitting in the gateway of Sodom'. 'And Lot saw' means their conscience. 'And he rose up to meet them' means acknowledgement, and a feeling of charity. 'And bowed down with his face towards the ground' means humiliation.