422. [verse 2] 'And he opened the pit of the deep, and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace' signifies the untruths of the lusts of the natural man springing forth out of their evil loves. By 'the pit of the deep' is signified the hell treated of just above (n. 421); by the 'smoke' therefrom are signified untruths derived from lusts, and because it is said 'the smoke as of a great furnace' the untruths of the lusts pouring forth out of evil loves are understood, for 'fire' signifies love (n. 468), and 'the fire of hell' evil love (n. 494). 'A great furnace' has a like signification, since it gives off smoke from fire. Infernal spirits are not in any material fire but in a spiritual fire that is their love, and therefore they do not feel any other fire. Something about this may be seen in the work concerning HEAVEN AND HELL, published at London in 1758 (n. 134, 566-575). Every love in the spiritual world, when it is kindled, appears from afar as a fire, within the hells as a glowing fire, and outside them as the smoke of a conflagration or as the smoke of a furnace. The untruths of the lusts springing forth out of evil loves are described elsewhere in the Word also by smoke from fire and from a furnace, as in these passages:-
Abraham looked Out over against the faces of Sodom and Gomorrah, and behold, the smoke of the land went up as the snake of a furnace Gen. xix 28.
The sun set, and it became very dark, and behold a furnace of smoke, and a torch of fire, that passed between the pieces Gen. xv 17.
They go on sinning, therefore they shall be as the smoke out of the chimney Hosea xiii 2, 3.
The wicked shall perish, in smoke they shall be consumed Ps. xxxvii 20.
I will furnish portents in heaven and on the land, fire and pillars of smoke Joel ii 30 [H.B. iii 3].
They shall cast the evil into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Matt. xiii 41, 42, 49, 50;
and elsewhere.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church