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737. It is said in the third verse that the dragon was seen in heaven, and now, that war was made with him in heaven; and afterwards, that the place of him and his angels was not found any more in heaven; and yet in verse nine he is called the old serpent, also the devil and Satan. It may be a matter of wonder to some how the dragon, who is the devil, could be in heaven, and have a place there before he was cast down, when in fact the devil could never have a place in heaven but in hell only. But the case is as follows: by the dragon are not meant those who have denied God and the Lord, rejected the Word, and made no account of the church and its doctrine, for those who do this are cast into hell immediately after death and never appear in heaven, much less have they any place there. Therefore the dragon and his angels mean those who acknowledge God and the Lord, declare the Word to be holy, and uphold the church and its doctrine, but with the lips only and not with the heart. They do not do this with the heart, because they make no account of life, and those who make no account of life are interiorly devils, however much they may outwardly appear like angels. Thus it is evident that through the acknowledgment of God and the Lord, and by the reading and preaching of the Word, they were exteriorly conjoined with heaven, but because they lived in no way in accord with anything of the Lord in the Word, they were interiorly conjoined with hell. Such are called the devil and Satan, because they defiled the truths of the Word by a life of the love of self and of the love of the world, and by the evils which flow from those loves, like streams from their fountains, and because they applied the literal sense of the Word to confirm such a life. Those who are of such a character are serpents more than others, being more hurtful than others, for they have the power to draw over the simple-good, who are in the lowest heaven, to their side, especially by means of those things that they take out from the sense of the letter of the Word, and pervert. It is said that they were seen in heaven, and there fought with Michael and his angels, because they were conjoined with the heavens by means of the Word - for men are conjoined with the heavens by means of the Word; but when it was ascertained that they were in other than heavenly affections, they were cast down out of heaven. Nevertheless, since the completion of the Last Judgment, it has been provided and ordained by the Lord that hereafter only those who are in spiritual faith shall have conjunction with heaven; and spiritual faith is acquired by a life according to the truths of the Word, and such life is called charity. This then is what is signified by The dragon with his angels was cast out unto the earth, and their place was not found any more in heaven.
737. It is said in verse 3 that the dragon was seen "in heaven;" and now that war was made with him "in heaven;" and afterwards no place for him and his angels was found "in heaven;" and yet he is called in verse 9 "that old serpent," also "the devil" and "Satan;" and some may wonder how the dragon, who is the devil, could be in heaven and could have a place there until he was cast down; and yet there is never any place for the devil in heaven, but in hell. But the matter is thus: "the dragon" does not mean those who have denied God and the Lord, and have rejected the Word, and made no account of the church and its doctrine, for those who are such and who do this are cast into hell immediately after death, and never appear in heaven, much less have any place there. "The dragon and his angels" mean those who acknowledge God and the Lord, and declare the Word to be holy, and also stand for the church and its doctrine, but only with the mouth and not with the heart. They do not do this in heart because they make no account of life, and those who make no account of life are interiorly devils, however much they may exteriorly appear like angels. Thence it can be seen that by the acknowledgment of God and the Lord, and by reading the Word and preaching it, they were exteriorly conjoined with heaven; but because their lives have not been at all in accord with anything of the Lord in the Word, interiorly they were conjoined with hell. Such are called "devil" and "Satan," because they have defiled the truths of the Word by a life of the love of self and the love of the world, and by evils that have gushed forth from those loves, like bubbling waters from their fountains, and because they have applied the literal sense of the Word to confirm such a life. Such persons, more than all others, are serpents, since they are more noxious than others; for they can draw over to their side the simple good, who are in the lowest heaven, especially by means of such things as they take from the sense of the letter of the Word and pervert. It is said that "they were seen in heaven," and there "fought with Michael and his angels," because the Word conjoined them with the heavens; for men are conjoined with the heavens by means of the Word; but when it was ascertained that they were in other than heavenly affections they were cast down out of heaven. Nevertheless, after the Last Judgment was accomplished it was provided and ordained by the Lord that henceforth no others but those who are in spiritual faith should have conjunction with heaven, and spiritual faith is acquired by a life according to the truths of the Word, which life is called charity. This, then, is what is signified by "the dragon with his angels was cast unto the earth," and "their place was not found anymore in heaven. "
737. Dicitur quod draco visus sit "in caelo" (vers. 3); et nunc quod bellum factum sit cum illo "in caelo"; et postea quod non locus ejus et angelorum ejus inventus sit "in caelo"; et usque tamen (vers. seq. 9) vocatur "ille serpens antiquus", tum "diabolus et satanas"; et mirari quis potest quomodo draco, qui diabolus, potuerit in caelo esse, et ibi locum habere priusquam dejectus est, cum tamen diabolo nusquam in caelo, sed in inferno, locus est: verum res ita se habet; per "draconem" non intelliguntur illi qui Deum et Dominum negarunt, quique rejecerunt Verbum, ac nihili fecerunt ecclesiam et ejus doctrinam; illi qui tales sunt ac ita faciunt in infernum illico post mortem conjiciuntur, et nusquam apparent in caelo, et minus aliquem locum ibi habent; quare per "draconem et ejus angelos" intelliguntur qui Deum et Dominum agnoscunt, ac Verbum sanctum dicunt, et quoque pro ecclesia et ejus doctrina stant, sed solum ore et non corde: quod non corde, est quia nihili faciunt vitam; et qui nihili faciunt vitam, illi interius diaboli sunt, utcunque exterius sicut angeli possunt apparere. Inde constare potest quod per agnitionem Dei et Domini, ac per lectionem et praedicationem Verbi, exterius conjuncti fuerint caelo; sed quia prorsus non vixerunt secundum aliquid Domini ii, Verbo, interius conjuncti fuerint inferno. Hi vocantur "diabolus et satanas" quia conspurcaverunt vera Verbi per vitam amoris sui et amoris mundi, et per mala, quae ex amoribus illis, sicut scaturigines ex fontibus suis, profluxerunt, et quia sensum litteralem Verbi applicuerunt ad confirmandum talem vitam; et qui tales sunt, prae reliquis sunt serpentes, quia plus noxii quam alii; possunt enim simplices bonos, qui in ultimo caelo sunt, in partes suas trahere, imprimis per talia quae ex sensu litterae Verbi depromunt, et pervertunt. Quod dicatur quod "visi sint in caelo", et ibi "cum Michaele et cum angelis ejus pugnaverint", est quia Verbum conjunxit eos caelis, nam conjunctio hominum cum caelis est per Verbum; at cum animadversum est quod in aliis affectionibus quam caelestibus essent, e caelo dejecti sunt. Verum enim vero postquam ultimum judicium peractum est, tunc provisum et ordinatum est a Domino ut posthac nemo cum caelo conjunctionem habeat quam qui in spirituali fide est; ac spiritualis fides comparatur per vitam secundum vera Verbi, quae vita vocatur charitas. Hoc nunc est quod significatur per quod "draco cum angelis suis projectus sit in terram", et quod "non locus amplius eorum inventus sit in caelo."