Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 1126

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1126. And she shall be burned in the fire.- That this signifies, that because this is from a diabolical love, they will perish, is evident from the signification of fire, which denotes love in both senses-celestial love and diabolical love (concerning which see n. 68, 496, 504, 916); but here it signifies diabolical love, because this is the love of ruling over heaven, and also over the world. It is called diabolical love, because it is from the deepest hells, where those devils are, who desire to have dominion over all things of heaven, and believe in their hearts that they are gods, and that there is no God beside them. It is also evident from the signification of being burned, which denotes to perish from that love. That to be burned with fire is the punishment for the profanation of holy things through the love of ruling over them, may be seen above (n. 1083).

[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed, and concerning a the Lord.- Since God is life, it follows that He is uncreated. The reason why He is uncreated, is, that life cannot he created, but can create. For to be created is to exist from another, and if life existed from another, that other would still be life, and this life would be life in itself. And if this First were not life in itself, it would be either from another or from itself, and you cannot speak of life from itself, because "from itself" implies origin, and such origin would be from nothing, and from nothing nothing originates. This First (hoc primum), which in itself is, and from which (ex quo) all things have been created, is God, who, from the Esse in Himself, is called Jehovah. Reason can see that this is the case, and particularly if illustrated by means of created things. Now since what is underived is not underived unless it is also self-existent, therefore Esse and Existere in God are one; for being underived He is self-existent, and being self-existent He is underived. This, therefore, is life itself which is God, and which is Man.


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