865. Verse 11. And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them, signifies the universal judgment executed by the Lord upon all the former heavens in which were those who were in civil and moral good, but in no spiritual good, thus who simulated Christians in externals, but in internals were devils; which heavens, with their earth, were totally dissipated, so that nothing of them appeared any more. Before these things are explained in their order according to the letter, something must be premised concerning the universal judgment here treated of. From the time when the Lord was in the world, when He executed the Last Judgment in Person, it was permitted that they who were in civil and moral good, although in no spiritual good, whence in externals they appeared like Christians, but in internals were devils, should continue longer than the rest in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell; and at length they were allowed to make there for themselves fixed habitations, and also by the abuse of correspondences, and by phantasies, to form to themselves as it were heavens, which also they did form in great abundance. But when these were multiplied to such a degree as to intercept the spiritual light and spiritual heat in their descent from the higher heavens to men on earth, then the Lord executed the Last Judgment, and dissipated those imaginary heavens; which was effected in such a manner, that the externals, by which they simulated Christians, were taken away, and the internals, in which they were devils, were opened; and then they were seen such as they were in themselves, and they who were seen to be devils, were cast into hell, everyone according to the evils of his life; this was done in the year 1757. But more concerning this universal judgment may be seen in the little work on The Last Judgment, published at London in the year 1758, and in The Continuation of the same, published at Amsterdam in the year 1763.

[2] Now to the explanation: By "the great white throne, and Him who sat upon it," is signified the universal judgment executed by the Lord; by "the throne" is signified heaven, and likewise judgment (n. 229); by "Him who sat upon the throne" is meant the Lord (n. 808 at the end). The reason why the throne appeared "white," is because judgment was executed from Divine truths, for "white" is predicated of truths (n. 167, 379). The reason why the throne appeared "great," is because judgment was likewise executed from Divine good, for "great" is predicated of good (n. 656, 663). "From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away," signifies that those heavens, which they had made for themselves, as described above, together with their earths, were dissipated; for there are earths in the spiritual world as well as in the natural world, as may be seen (n. 260, 331); but the earths, like all other things there, are from a spiritual origin. And "there was not found a place for them," signifies that those heavens with their earths were so totally dissipated, that nothing of them appeared any more. Hence it is evident, that by "I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was not found a place for them," is signified the universal judgment executed by the Lord upon all the former* heavens that were inhabited by such as were in civil and moral good, but in no spiritual good, thus who simulated Christians in externals, but in internals were devils; which heavens, together with their earth, were totally dissipated, so that nothing of them appeared any more. * The original Latin has "new" for "former."