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916. Having power over fire. That this signifies, thus as to celestial and spiritual love, is evident from the signification of fire, as denoting love in both senses - love to the Lord, which exists with those in heaven who are called celestial angels, and love towards the neighbour, which exists with those in heaven who are called spiritual angels; and, in the opposite sense, the love of self, which exists with those in hell who are called devils; and the love of the world, which exists with those in hell who are called satans. That these loves are signified by fire in the Word may be seen above (n. 68, 496, 504, 539).
The reason why it is said concerning this angel, that he had power over fire is, that the subject treated of is the devastation of the church as to the good of love; and devastation as to that is ascribed to this angel; as the devastation as to truth of doctrine is ascribed to the former angel, who, therefore, had a sharp sickle in his hand. It is evident, therefore, what is meant by its being said, that this angel had power over fire, namely, that he lays waste celestial and spiritual love, and all things thereof in the church.
[2] The devastation of the church is ascribed to the angel, as elsewhere in the Word it is ascribed to the Lord. But this is only said of Him in the sense of the letter; but it is not so understood in the spiritual sense. For truth, in the sense of the letter, is like a face seen through a veil; but truth in the spiritual sense is like that face uncovered. Or, truth, in the sense of the letter, is like a cloud; but truth, in the spiritual sense, is like light and its splendour. Or, truth, in the sense of the letter, is what appears as truth before the sensual man; but truth, in the spiritual sense, is truth before the spiritual-rational man. As, for example, in the Word, it is said of the sun, that it rises, progresses, sets, and causes days and years, that is entirely according to the appearance before the sensual man. But the rational man thinks of the sun as immovable, and of the earth as progressing. It is therefore evident that the understanding thinks inversely of those things that appear before the senses, in order that it may place them before us in the light of truth.
The case is similar with the things here said in the Apocalypse concerning him who sat on the white cloud, and concerning the angels; that is, that they thrust in the sickle into the harvest, and reap it, and that they gather the clusters of the grapes from the vineyard of the earth, and cast them into the winepress of the wrath of God. These things are said, in like manner, according to appearances before the sensual man; yet they are to be inverted and understood according to their spiritual sense.
[3] From these things it is also evident that the sensual man - such as man is in the periods of infancy and childhood - as also the simple-minded, may think of and believe these and other similar things according to the sense of the letter; as that God takes away good and truth from men on account of their wickedness. But an adult man, who desires to be wise, will not explain such things so as to make God the doer of them. As, for example, that He takes away from man all good and truth, and infuses in their place evil and falsity, or that He devastates the church; neither indeed that He is angry and wrathful. For if a wise adult should explain such things according to the sense of the letter, and confirm them by reasonings, then he would, by such means, destroy the genuine truth itself, such as it is in heaven, and consequently close heaven to himself. For who can enter heaven with the belief that God is angry, revengeful, that He punishes, and similar things; when the angels of heaven are in the perception that God is never angry, never revenges, or punishes any one? Would they not turn away from him, and bid him depart, and immediately close the door after him? Thus, also, heaven is closed to those who, while they live in the world, explain the sense of the letter of the Word, even to the destruction of the Divine truth in the heavens; this truth being the same as the truth of the spiritual sense, which is contained in the particular truths of the natural sense that constitute the sense of the letter of the Word.
916. Having authority over the fire, signifies thus as to celestial and spiritual love. This is evident from the signification of "fire," as being love in both senses, namely, love to the Lord, which exists with those in heaven who are called celestial angels, and love towards the neighbor, which exists with those in heaven who are called spiritual angels; and in the contrary sense love of self, which exists with those in hell who are called devils, and love of the world, which exists with those in hell who are called satans. (That these loves are signified in the Word by "fire" may be seen above in 68, 496, 504, 539.) It is said of this angel that "he had authority over the fire," because the devastation of the church as to the good of love is treated of, and the devastation as to that is attributed to this angel, as the devastation as to the truth of doctrine is attributed to the former angel, who was therefore said to have "a sharp sickle in his hand." This makes clear what is meant by its being said that this angel "had authority over the fire;" namely, that he will lay waste celestial and spiritual love, and all things of it in the church.
[2] The devastation of the church is attributed to an angel, as elsewhere in the Word it is attributed to the Lord. But this is said of the Lord merely in the sense of the letter, but is not so understood in the spiritual sense. For truth in the sense of the letter is like a face seen through a veil, while truth in the spiritual sense is like a face uncovered; or truth in the sense of the letter is like a cloud, while the truth in the spiritual sense is like light and its splendor; or again, truth in the sense of the letter is what appears to be truth to the sensual man, while truth in the spiritual sense is truth to the spiritual-rational man. For example, it is said in the Word that the sun rises, moves forward, and sets, making days and years, which is wholly according to the way it appears to the sensual man. Nevertheless, the rational man thinks of the sun as not moving, and of the earth as moving; which shows that man's understanding thinks in a reverse way of the things that appear before the senses in order that they may be presented before it in the light of truth. It is similar with the things here said in Revelation of "Him who sat on the white cloud" and of the angels, namely, that "they send the sickle into the harvest and reap it," and that "they gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth, and cast them into the wine press of the anger of God." All this, too, is said according to the way it appears to the sensual man; and yet it must be reversed, and understood according to its spiritual sense.
[3] All this makes clear that a sensual man, such as one is in the ages of infancy and early childhood, also the simple-minded, can think about and believe these and like things according to the sense of the letter, as that God takes away good and truth from men on account of their wickedness; while the adult man who wishes to be wise will not explain these things in the sense that this is done by God, that is, that He takes away from man all good and truth and infuses in the place of them evil and falsity, or that He devastates the church, or even that He is angry and wrathful. For if a wise adult should explain such expressions according to the sense of the letter and confirm them by reasonings, he would destroy the genuine truth itself such as it is in heaven, and consequently would close up heaven to himself. For how could anyone enter heaven with a belief that God is angry and revengeful, that He punishes, and the like, when the angels of heaven are in the perception that God is never angry, and never works vengeance, or punishes? Would they not turn themselves away from such a one and bid him depart, and immediately close the door after him? So is heaven closed to those who, while they live in the world, explain the sense of the letter of the Word even so as to destroy Divine truth in the heavens; which truth is also the same as the truth of the spiritual sense, which is in all the particular truths of the natural sense which constitute the sense of the letter of the Word.
916. "Habens potestatem super ignem. Quod significet ita quoad amorem caelestem et spiritualem, constat ex significatione "ignis", quod sit amor in utroque sensu, nempe amor in Dominum, qui est apud illos in caelo qui vocantur angeli caelestes, et amor erga proximum, qui est apud illos in caelo qui vocantur angeli spirituales; ac in opposito sensu amor sui, qui est apud illos in inferno qui vocantur diaboli, et amor mundi, qui est apud illos in inferno qui vocantur satanae. (Quod illi amores per "ignem" in Verbo significentur, videatur supra, n. 68, 496, 504, 539.) Quod de hoc angelo dicatur quod "haberet potestatem super ignem", est quia agitur de devastatione ecclesiae quoad bonum amoris, ac devastatio quoad illud tribuitur isti angelo, ut priori angelo devastatio quoad verum doctrinae, cui ideo fuit "falx acuta in manu": inde patet quid intelligitur per quod dicatur quod hic angelus "potestatem super ignem haberet", nempe ut amorem caelestem et spiritualem ac omnia ejus in ecclesia devastet.
[2] Tribuitur angelo devastatio ecclesiae, sicut alibi in Verbo tribuitur Domino; sed hoc solum dicitur de Ipso in sensu litterae, non autem sic intelligitur in sensu spirituali; nam veritas in sensu litterae est sicut facies per velum transparens, at veritas in sensu spirituali est sicut facies detecta; seu veritas in sensu litterae est sicut nubes, at veritas in sensu spirituali est sicut lux et ejus splendor; seu veritas in sensu litterae apparet sicut veritas coram sensuali homine, at veritas in sensu spirituali est veritas coram spirituali rationali homine: ut pro exemplo, in Verbo dicitur de sole quod oriatur, progrediatur, occidat, faciat dies et annos, ita prorsus secundum apparentiam coram sensuali homine; at usque rationalis homo cogitat solem immotum, ac tellurem progredientem; inde patet quod intellectus hominis inversum cogitet de illis quae coram sensibus apparent, ut sistat illa coram se in luce veri. Simile est cum his quae nunc in Apocalypsi de sedente super nube alba et de angelis dicuntur, quod nempe "illi mittant falcem in messem, et metant illam", et quod "vindemient botros vineae terrae, et conjiciant in torcular irae Dei"; haec similiter dicta sunt secundum apparentias coram sensuali homine, sed usque invertenda sunt, ac secundum spiritualem illorum sensum intelligenda.
[3] Ex his quoque constare potest quod homo sensualis, qualis est infans, et puer in sua prima aetate, tum homo simplex, possint haec et similia secundum sensum litterae cogitare et credere, ut quod Deus auferat bonum et verum hominibus propter malitiam illorum; sed homo adultus qui vult sapere non explicabit illa eousque, quod Deus hoc faciat, et sic quod auferat homini omne bonum et verum, ac loco eorum infundat malum et falsum, quoque devastet ecclesiam, immo nec quod irascatur et excandescat; nam si adultus sapiens talia secundum sensum litterae explicaret, et per ratiocinia confirmaret, tunc ipsum genuinum verum, quale est in caelo, destrueret, et inde sibi caelum clauderet: quis namque potest intrare caelum cum fide quod Deus irascatur, ulciscatur, puniat, et similia, cum angeli caeli in perceptione sunt quod Deus nusquam irascatur, ulciscatur, puniat? Annon se averterent ab illo, ac mandarent ut discedat, ac statim clauderent januam post illum? Ita quoque clauditur caelum illis qui, dum vivunt in mundo, sensum litterae Verbi explicant usque ad destructionem Divini Veri in caelis, quod verum etiam est idem cum vero sensus spiritualis, qui inest singulis veris sensus naturalis, quae Verbi sensum litterae faciunt.