Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 756

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756. 'And has become a habitation of demons' signifies that their hells are the hells of the lusts of dominating derived from the fever of the love of self, and of the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven derived from the spurious zeal of that love. By 'demons' are signified lusts of evil (n. 458), and also lusts of falsifying truths. But demons, like lusts, are of many kinds. The worst are those who are the lusts of dominating over the holy things of the Church and over heaven derived from the fever of the love of self. And because this tyranny occupies their hearts they are also the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven derived from the spurious zeal of that love. And as these when they become demons, which occurs after death, know that the Only Lord has dominion over heaven and earth, they become hatreds against Him until at length, as after the lapse of an age, they cannot bear to hear Him being named. It is plain from these things that by 'Babylon has become a habitation of demons' is signified that their hells are the hells of the lusts of dominating derived from the fever of the love of self, and of the lusts of profaning the truths of heaven derived from the spurious zeal of that love. [2] It is not known in the world that after death all become the affections of the love ruling with themselves, good affections those who have looked to the Lord and to heaven and have at the same time fled from evils as sins, but evil affections that are lusts those who have looked only to self and the world and have not fled from evils as sins, but only [from them] as hurtful to reputation and honour. Those affections appear and are perceived livingly in the spiritual world, but in the natural world only the thoughts derived from the affections [are perceived]. The result is that a man does not know that hell occupies the affections of the love of evil, and heaven the affections of the love of good. His not knowing is in consequence of this; and his not perceiving is because the lusts of the love of evil derive from heredity that they are delightful in the will and consequently pleasant in the understanding; and the man does not reflect upon that which is delightful and pleasant, because it draws his mind (animus) along just as the current of a rushing river does a ship. Those therefore who have immersed themselves in those delights and pleasures cannot come to the delights and pleasures of the affections of the love of good and truth otherwise than those who, with the force of a strong arm, urge the oars against the current of a rushing river. But it is otherwise with those who have not immersed themselves deeply.


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