1014. Verse 18. And there were voices, lightnings, and thunders, signifies reasonings, darkenings of the understanding, and conclusions of falsities from evils. This is evident from the signification of "voices, lightnings, and thunders," which in reference to those of the church with whom there is no longer any good of love and truth of faith mean reasonings, darkness of the understanding, and conclusions of falsities from evils (see above n. 702, 704). This signification in the Word of "voices, lightnings, and thunders," is derived from the appearance of these in the spiritual world with those who are not in the good of love and in the truths of faith, but who talk with each other about them. Their discourse, which is reasoning, is signified by "voices," the conflict of truth and falsity by "lightnings," and consequent rejection of truth and good by "thunders." And as such things come forth in the spiritual world by correspondence, it follows that the like things in the natural world correspond, and thus have such signification as has been said.
(Continuation respecting the Seventh Commandment)
[2] From what has been said above it can be seen that all who are in evils as to life, and in the falsities therefrom, are murderers; for they are enemies and haters of good and truth, since evil hates good and falsity hates truth. The evil man does not know that he is in such hatred until he becomes a spirit; then hatred is the very delight of his life. Consequently from hell, where all the evil are, there constantly breathes forth the delight in doing evil from hatred; but from heaven, where all the good are, there constantly breathes forth the delight in doing good from love. Therefore two opposite spheres meet each other in the middle region between heaven and hell, and engage in reciprocal combat. While man lives in the world he is in this middle region. If he is then in evil and in falsities therefrom he passes over to the side of hell, and thus comes into the delight of doing evil from hatred. But if he is in good and in truths therefrom, he passes over to the side of heaven, and thus comes into the delight of doing good from love. [3] The delight of doing evil from hatred, which breathes forth from hell, is the delight in killing. But as they cannot kill the body they wish to kill the spirit; and to kill the spirit is to take away spiritual life, which is the life of heaven. This makes clear that the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," involves also "thou shalt not hate thy neighbor, also thou shalt not hate the good of the church and its truth;" for if one hates good and truth he hates the neighbor; and to hate is to wish to kill. This is why the devil, by whom hell in the whole complex is meant, is called by the Lord, "A murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44).
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