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563. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he hath the name Apollyon.- That this signifies its quality which is destructive of all truth and good, is evident from the signification of name, as denoting the quality of state and the quality of a thing; see above (n. 148); and from the signification of Abaddon in the Hebrew tongue as denoting destruction, and similarly Apollyon in the Greek tongue; consequently the destruction of truth and good, because this is the subject treated of. The reason why the Sensual of man, which is the ultimate of his intellectual life, is destructive of all spiritual truth and good, which is the truth and good of the church, is, that that Sensual lies nearest to the world, and adheres very closely to the body, therefore both from the world and the body it has affections, and thence thoughts, which, regarded in themselves, are diametrically opposed to spiritual affections and thoughts therefrom, which are from heaven. For man, from that Sensual, loves himself and the world above all things, and so far as these loves rule, so far evils and the falsities therefrom dominate, for evils and falsities spring up and go forth from these loves, as from their source. In these loves are all those who become utterly sensual through evils of life and the falsities thence. Any one, by virtue of the faculty of understanding which is given to every man, may see that this is the case. For if that which lies nearest to the world, and adheres very closely to the body dominates, it follows as a consequence, that the world itself and the body itself, with all their pleasures and lusts (concupiscentiae) which are called those of the eye and of the flesh, exercise dominion. And [every one may also see] that a man must be entirely withdrawn and elevated from these sensual things, in order that he may come into spiritual affections, and the thoughts thence. This withdrawing and elevation is effected by the Lord alone, when man suffers himself to be led of the Lord to Himself, and thus to heaven, by the laws of order, which are the truths and goods of the church; and when this is the case, man leaves this ultimate Sensual, as often as he is in a spiritual state, and is kept elevated above it. The reason also of this is, that this Sensual in men is altogether destroyed, for therein is the proprium, into which every one is born, which in itself is nothing but evil. It is evident from these considerations why this Sensual is called destruction, or Abaddon and Apollyon.
[2] It must be observed, that there are three degrees of life in every man, an inmost, a middle, and an ultimate; and that man becomes more perfect, that is more wise, in the measure that he becomes more interior, because by that means he comes more interiorly into the light of heaven; and that he becomes more imperfect, that is, less wise, in the measure that he becomes more exterior, because by that means he comes out of the light of heaven nearer to the light of the world. It is therefore evident what the quality of the merely sensual man is, who sees nothing from the light of heaven, but only from the light of the world, namely, that every thing pertaining to the world, is to him in light and splendour, while every thing pertaining to heaven, is in darkness and thick darkness; and when the latter are in darkness and thick darkness, and the former in light and splendour, it follows that the only fire of life, or the [only] love that enkindles and leads, is the love of self and consequently the love of all evils, and that the only light of life, which lays hold of and instructs the sight of the thought, is that which favours the evils that are loved, and these are falsities of evil. The quality of the utterly sensual man, hitherto treated of in this chapter, is also evident from the above considerations.
563. His name in the Hebrew Abaddon, and in the Greek he hath the name Apollyon, signifies the quality of that influx, that it is destructive of all truth and good. This is evident from the signification of "name" 1as meaning the quality of a state and of a thing (See above, n. 148); also from the meaning of Abaddon in the Hebrew, which is destruction; Apollyon has the like meaning in the Greek; consequently the destruction of truth and good is meant, because these are treated of. The sensual of man, which is the ultimate of his intellectual life, is destructive of all spiritual truth and good, which is the truth and good of the church, because that sensual stands nearest to the world and clings most closely to the body; and from both these it has affections and consequent thoughts, which viewed in themselves are diametrically contrary to spiritual affections and the consequent thoughts, which are from heaven. For man from that sensual loves himself and the world above all things, and so far as these loves are dominant, so far evils and falsities from them are dominant, for evils and falsities swarm forth and flow out from these loves as from their origins. In such loves are all who have become merely sensual through evils of life and falsities therefrom.
This anyone can see from the faculty to understand that everyone possesses; for if that which stands nearest to the world and clings most closely to the body is dominant it follows that the world itself and the body itself, with all their pleasures and lusts, which are called pleasures "of the eye and of the flesh," will be dominant, and that man in order that he may come into spiritual affections and thoughts therefrom must be entirely withdrawn and elevated from these sensual things. This withdrawing and elevation are effected by the Lord alone, so far as man suffers himself, of the Lord, to be led to the Lord, and thus to heaven, by the laws of order which are the truths and goods of the church. When this takes place, as often as man is in a spiritual state he withdraws from this ultimate sensual and is kept elevated above it; and this also for the reason that this sensual in men is altogether corrupted, for in it is what is one's own (proprium) into which everyone is born, which in itself is nothing but evil. From this it can be seen why this sensual is called destruction, that is, "Abaddon" and "Apollyon. "
[2] It is to be known, that there are three degrees of life with every man, an inmost, a middle, and an ultimate; and that man becomes more perfect, that is, wiser, as he becomes more interior, because he thus comes so much the more interiorly into the light of heaven; also that man becomes more imperfect, that is, less wise, as he becomes more exterior, because he thus draws so much nearer to the light of the world and so much farther away from the light of heaven. From this it can be seen what is the quality of the merely sensual man who sees nothing from the light of heaven but solely from the light of the world, namely, that all things belonging to the world are to him in light and splendor, and all things belonging to heaven are in darkness and thick darkness; and when these are in darkness and in thick darkness, and the former in light and splendor, it follows that the only fire of life or the only love that incites and leads is the love of self, and the consequent love of all evils, and that the only light of life that touches and instructs the sight of the thought is that which favors the evils that are loved, and such are the falsities of evil. From this it can be seen of what quality the merely sensual man is, which is treated of thus far in this chapter.
Footnotes:
1. Latin has "man," the Greek and the Latin just before has "name."
563. "Nomen ei Hebraice Abaddon, et in Graeca nomen habet Apollyon." - Quod significet quale ejus, quod sit perdens omne verum et bonum, constat ex significatione " 1
nominis", quod sit quale status et quale rei (de qua supra, n. 148); et ex significatione "Abaddon" in lingua Hebraica, quod sit perditio, similiter "Apollyon" in lingua Graeca; proinde perditio veri et boni, quia de illis agitur. Quod sensuale hominis, quod est ultimum vitae intellectualis ejus, sit perdens omne verum et bonum spirituale, quod est verum et bonum ecclesiae, est quia illud sensuale proxime exstat mundo, et proxime adhaeret corpori; unde ei ex utroque sunt affectiones et inde cogitationes, quae in se spectatae e diametro sunt contra affectiones et inde cogitationes spirituales, quae e caelo sunt: nam homo ex sensuali illo amat se et mundum super omnia; et quantum hi amores dominantur, tantum dominantur mala et inde falsa, quae ex illis ut ex suis originibus scaturiunt et effluunt. In illis amoribus sunt omnes qui mere sensuales per mala vitae et inde falsa facti sunt. Haec quisque potest ex intellectus facultate, quae cuivis est, videre; si enim dominatur illud quod proxime exstat mundo et proxime adhaeret corpori, sequitur quod ipse mundus et ipsum corpus cum omnibus eorum voluptatibus et concupiscentiis, quae vocantur "oculi et carnis", dominentur; et quod homo omnino abducendus et elevandus sit ab his sensualibus, ut in spirituales affectiones et inde cogitationes venire possit. Haec abductio et elevatio fit a solo Domino, quando homo patitur se duci a Domino per leges ordinis, quae sunt vera et bona ecclesiae, ad Ipsum et sic ad caelum: et cum hoc fit, homo relinquit ultimum hoc sensuale, quoties in statu spirituali est, et elevatus supra illud tenetur; et hoc quoque ex causa, quia hoc sensuale est prorSus deperditum apud homines; in eo enim est cujusvis proprium, in quod nascitur, quod in se non est nisi quam malum. Ex his constare potest unde est quod id sensuale dicatur "perditio", seu "Abaddon" et "Apollyon. "
[2] Sciendum est quod tres gradus vitae apud unumquemvis hominem sint, intimus, medius et ultimus; et quod homo eo perfectior fiat, hoc est, sapientior, quo interior fit, ex causa quia eo interius in lucem caeli venit; et quod homo eo imperfectior fiat, hoc est, minus sapiens, quo exterior fit, ex causa quia a luce caeli eo propius ad lucem mundi venit. Inde constare potest qualis est mere sensualis homo, qui nihil videt ex luce caeli sed solum ex luce mundi; quod nempe ei in luce et splendore sint omnia quae mundi sunt, ac in tenebris et caligine sint omnia quae caeli; et quando haec in tenebris et caligine sunt, et illa in luce et splendore, sequitur quod non alius ignis vitae et amor sit qui accendit et ducit, quam amor sui et inde amor omnium malorum; et quod non alia lux vitae sit quae cogitationis visum stringit et instruit, quam quae favet malis quae amat, et haec sunt falsa mali. Ex his etiam videri potest qualis est mere sensualis homo, de quo huc usque in hoc capite actum est.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.