Those who profaned the Name of Jehovah by worshipping other gods should themselves and all that they had be burnt up with fire Deut. xiii 12-18 [H.B. 13-19].

Therefore:-

Moses burned with fire the golden calf that the sons of Israel were profanely worshipping Exod. xxxii; Deut. ix 21.

And two sons of Aaron were consumed by fire out of heaven, because they were profaning holy things Lev. x 1-6.

Nor is anything else signified by 'the fire and pile in Tophet' (Isa. xxx 33; Jer. vii 11, 31, 32; xix 5,6; 2 Kings xxiii 10), than the fire of hell which is for those who profane holy things, for there they used to worship Molech by means of an abominable sacrifice. [2] Since by 'the fourth beast' in Daniel (chap. vii) is signified a form of religion that profanes the Word and the holy things of the Church therefrom (n. 717), it is therefore said that 'it was burnt up with fire' (Dan. vii 11). Now, because it is profane worship to worship a man in place of the Lord, therefore here it is said that they have burned the harlot up with fire, by which is signified that they have execrated that form of religion and blotted it out with themselves. The reason that by 'to eat up her flesh' is signified to condemn out of hatred and destroy with themselves the evils and untruths that are proper to that form of religion, is because that is signified by 'to eat up her flesh'; for by 'flesh' are signified the things proper to anyone, and these have relation to goods and truths, and in the opposite sense tin) evils and untruths, and by 'to eat up' is signified to consume, thus to blot out. That by 'flesh' is signified the proprium of anyone, which in itself is evil, is established from these passages:-

It is the spirit that enlivens, the flesh is no use at all John vi 63.

What has been born of the flesh is flesh, what has been generated by the spirit is spirit John iii 6.

As many as received, He has given them authority that they might be the sons of God, who are neither of blood nor of the will of the flesh John i 12, 13.

God has remembered that they are flesh, a breath that would go away and not return* Ps. lxxviii 39.

Egypt is man and not God; and its horses are flesh and not spirit Isa. xxxi 3.

Jerusalem has committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, great in flesh Ezek. xvi 26.

Jesus said to Peter, Flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee Matt. xvi 17.

Cursed is he who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm Jer. xvii 5.

[3] Because 'flesh' signifies man's proprium, and those who hate another attack his proprial things with the intention (animus) of destroying them, therefore this is signified by to eat flesh', as also in these passages:-

Let the dying one die, and let one that has been cut off be cut off, any of the rest shall eat up the flesh of another Zech. xi 9.

They shall eat up Israel with every mouth, they shall eat up a man the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh Isa. ix 12, 20, 21 [H.B. 11, 19, 20].

I will feed thine oppressors with their flesh Isa. xlix 26.

They shall eat everyone the flesh of his companion Jer. xix 9.

By 'to eat the flesh of sons and daughters' (Jer. xix 9; Lev. xxvi 29; Deut. xxviii 53) is signified to destroy truths and goods with themselves, for by 'sons' are signified truths and by 'daughters' goods, as may be seen above (n. 139, 543, 545, 612). Besides, in the Word 'all flesh' is said, and by it is signified every man (Gen. vi 12, 13, 17, 19; Isa. xl 5, 6; xlix 26; lxvi 16, 23, 24; Jer. xxv 31; xxxii 27; xlv 5; Ezek. xx 48; xxi 4, 5). * Reading abiret (would go away) instead of abivit (has gone away). Cf. AE 1082:7.