753. For the devil is come down unto you.- That this signifies, because they receive evils from hell, is evident from the signification of the devil, as denoting that hell from which evils come (concerning which see above, n. 740); and from the signification of coming down unto them, when said of the devil, as denoting to be among them, to seduce them, and to be received by them. Those to whom the devil came down mean those that inhabit the earth and the sea, and these signify those who are merely natural and sensual, who became such because they rejected the life of faith, which is called charity. Those who reject this because of their religion, and who believe and say in their heart that deeds contribute nothing to salvation, but that faith alone and piety in worship save, remain natural, and even become sensual, so far as they reject goods in act or deed, and give themselves up to the pleasures that spring from the loves of self and of the world. Because such remain natural, and even become sensual, they receive with delight the evils that arise out of hell; for the natural man is in those evils from birth, and unless he also becomes spiritual, he continues in them. For when a man becomes spiritual he has communion with the heavens, and receives goods therefrom, and the goods received from the Lord through heaven remove evils, and this is effected entirely by a life according to the commandments from the Word.

742. He was cast out unto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.- That this signifies that those evils and the falsities therefrom were condemned to hell, is evident from the signification of being cast out unto the earth, as denoting to be separated from heaven and to be condemned to hell (concerning which we shall speak presently); and from the signification of the angels of the dragon, as denoting falsities from evil, which evil is signified by the dragon. For the angels of heaven, in the Word, signify Divine Truths, because they are recipients of them, as may be seen above (n. 130, 302). The angels of the dragon therefore signify the infernal falsities which go forth from the evil signified by the dragon; those falsities are for the most part truths falsified, which in themselves are falsities, as we have said above.

[2] To be cast out unto the earth, means to be condemned to hell, because this is signified when the expression "to cast out of heaven" is used.

In the spiritual world there are lands (terroe) as in the natural world, full of mountains and hills, and also of valleys and rivers, and when these are collectively called the earth, then the earth signifies the church; but when the lowest parts of the earth are meant, as is the case when the expression "to be cast out from heaven unto the earth" is used, then the earth signifies what is damned, because under those lowest parts are the hells, and also in the hells there are lands, but such as are damned. For this reason no angel goes about with head bent forward, bowed down or looking on the earth, much less does he lie upon the earth in its lowest parts, or take up any of its dust. It arises from this, that those who in the world had condemned others to hell, are accustomed to cast dust taken from that earth upon another, for this corresponds to such condemnation. Moreover, no one is allowed to walk with naked feet upon those lands (terroe) in the spiritual world. The lands (terroe) there that are damned are readily distinguished from those that are not damned, because the land that is damned is utterly barren and mere dust, and is here and there covered with thorns and briars, while the land that is not damned is fertile, full of herbs, shrubs, trees, and cultivated fields. It was therefore a customary rite in the Jewish representative church to cast themselves to the earth, to roll themselves upon it, and to sprinkle dust from it upon their heads, when they were in great grief on account of defeat by their enemies, and on account of violence offered to their sanctuaries. By these actions they represented that they acknowledged themselves to be of themselves accursed, thus in this most humble posture they begged that their sins might be forgiven. That those who are meant by the dragon and his angels were separated from heaven and condemned to hell, while the Last Judgment was being performed, and also afterwards, I was permitted to see, as an eye-witness; upon this fact more will be said at the end of this work. From these things it is evident that to be cast out of heaven unto the earth signifies to be condemned to hell.