421.“有无底坑的钥匙赐给他”表打开他们的地狱。“钥匙”表示打开的能力，以及打开的行为（62，174，840节）；“无底坑”（the deep或译深渊）表示那些自己确认唯信称义并得救之人所在的地狱，他们全都属于新教教会。然而，此处它表示那些在自己眼中，因而在其他许多人眼中看上去学识渊博的人，而在天上的天使眼中，他们在涉及天堂和教会的事上看上去缺乏理解力，因为那些确认唯信甚至直到其内层的人关闭了其理解力的高层事物，最终导致他们再也不能在光中看到任何属灵的真理。这是因为，确认虚假就是否认真理。因此，他们一听到属灵真理，也就是圣言中服务于那些属教会之人的教义和生活的真理，就会把心思执守于他们所确认的虚假，然后要么以虚假来掩饰他们所听到的真理，要么当作纯粹的噪音而弃绝之，要么对它哈欠连天并远离。反应的强烈取决于他们以自己的博学为骄傲的程度，因为骄傲与虚假如此粘结在一起，以致最终浑然一体，如同海中凝结的泡沫。正因如此，圣言向他们隐藏，如同被七个印封住的一本书卷。
有必要说明他们及其地狱的性质，因为我蒙恩得以亲眼目睹，并与那里的人交谈，还看到从那里出来的蝗虫。这个坑像一个炉窑口，看上去在南方，下面的深渊向东延伸到很远。那里头有光，但若天上来的光可以照进去，它就变成黑暗，所以这坑从上面被关闭了。其中有一些仿佛砖砌的拱形房屋，它们分成了若干小房间，每小间都有一张桌子，桌子上有纸张和一些书。每个人都坐在自己的桌子前，这些人在世时确认唯信称义与得救，将仁视为纯属世道德行为，仁爱的行为只不过是文明生活的行为，人们由此获得世上的回报；但这些行为若为得救而做出的，他们就诅咒之，其中一些人的诅咒还很严厉，因为这些行为含有人的理性和意愿在里面。在这深渊里的所有人在世时都学识渊博；其中有些形而上学者和经院学者在那里比其余的人更受推崇。我蒙恩得以与他们交谈时，认出其中一些人。
但其实他们的命运却是这样：他们刚进来的进修，在第一排小房间里坐下，但他们因通过摒弃仁爱行为来确认信，故离开就离开第一排居所，进入更靠东的小房间，如此反复，直到尽头，那里的人通过圣言确认这些信条。由于这时他们必歪曲圣言，所以他们的小屋就消失了，他们发现自己身处旷野，于是上面所描述的情形（153节）就发生在他们身上。这个深渊下面还有一个深渊，住在那里的人以同样的方式确认唯信称义与得救，不过，他们独自在灵里时就否认神，并发自内心嘲笑教会的神圣事物。他们在那里除了争吵、把自己的衣服撕成碎片、爬上桌子、跺脚、互相辱骂争斗外，就没别的事干了；由于在那里谁也不许伤害他人身体，所以他们只好用嘴巴和拳头来威胁。这个深渊污秽肮脏，不过，此处不论述那里的环境。
421. And to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. This symbolizes their hell opened.
A key symbolizes the power to open, and also to close (nos. 62, 174, 840). And a bottomless pit symbolizes hell, where those people reside who have affirmed in themselves justification and salvation by faith alone, all of whom come from the Protestant Reformed Church. Here, however, they are people who appear in their own eyes and so in the eyes of many others to be educated and erudite - even though in the sight of angels in heaven they appear to be bereft of intellect as regards matters having to do with heaven and the church, since people who affirm such a faith, even so far as to affirm its inner tenets, close the higher constituents of their intellect, and this at last to such an extent that they can no longer see any spiritual truth in any light. The reason is that an affirmation of falsity constitutes a denial of the truth. Consequently, whenever they hear some spiritual truth, namely, a truth of the Word serviceable for doctrine and life for people of the church, they keep their mind in the falsities they have affirmed; and then they either shroud the truth they have heard in falsities or reject it as nothing but words, or they yawn at it and turn away, and this the more conceited they are owing to their erudition. For conceit glues the falsities together until they at last stick together, like solidified sea foam. The Word is therefore hidden from them, like a book sealed with seven seals.
[2] I will describe, furthermore, their character, and the character of their hell, because it has been given me to see it and speak with the inhabitants there, and also to see the locusts that issued from it:
That pit, which is like the mouth of a furnace, appears in the southern zone, and the abyss beneath it extends a great distance toward the east. The inhabitants in it have light, but if light from heaven is let in, the hell becomes dark. Consequently the pit is closed above.
Seen there are huts with arched roofs, built seemingly of brick, which are divided into several small rooms, and each room has in it a table, with sheets of paper lying on it, along with some books. At each table sits someone who in the world affirmed justification and salvation by faith alone, making charity a merely natural moral act, and deeds of charity simply those of civil life by which people are able to achieve rewards in the world; but if people should do those deeds for the sake of salvation, they condemn those deeds, and some of them do so severely, because the deeds have in them human reason and human will.
All the people in this abyss were educated and erudite in the world. And among them are some metaphysicians and scholastics who are held in higher esteem than the rest there. I recognized several when it was granted me to speak with them.
[3] Their fate, however, is this: When they are first admitted there, they sit in the first small rooms; but as they argue for faith to the exclusion of works of charity, they leave their former seats and go into little rooms nearer the east, and this repeatedly until they reach the end, where those people reside who use the Word to defend those tenets. And because they cannot help but falsify the Word then, their huts vanish, and they see themselves in a desert; and at that point they undergo such experiences as described in no. 153 above.
There is also another abyss beneath that abyss, where the residents are people who have similarly argued for justification and salvation by faith alone, but who within themselves, in their spirit, have denied God, and at heart have laughed at the sanctities of the church. They do nothing but argue there, tearing their garments, climbing up on the tables, stamping their feet and battling each other with invectives. And because no one is permitted to do physical harm there, they threaten vocally and shake their fists.
The environment there is unclean and squalid. But this a subject for another time.
421. 'And to him was given the key of the pit of the deep' signifies their hell open. By a 'key' is signified the power of opening and also the act of opening (62, 174, 840); and by 'the deep' is signified the hell where those are who have confirmed justification and salvation by faith alone with themselves, all of whom belong to the Church of the Reformed. Here, however, it signifies those who in their own eyes and consequently [in the view] of many others appear as learned and well-informed, when yet before angels in heaven they appear destitute of understanding in respect of the things that are of heaven and the Church, since those who confirm that faith as far as the interior things thereof close the higher things of their understanding till at length they are no longer able to see any spiritual truth in light. This is because the confirmation of untruth is the denial of truth. Therefore, while they are hearing any spiritual truth that is a truth of the Word serviceable for doctrine and life to those who belong to the Church, they keep the mind on the untruths they have confirmed, and then they either veil over with untruths the truth they have heard, or reject it as a mere noise, or yawn at it and turn away. And this is done all the more in proportion as they are in the pride of their own erudition, for pride sticks untruths together so that at length they cohere like the congealed foam of the sea. On account of this the Word has been hidden from them as a book sealed with seven seals.
[2] What else their qualities are, and what their hell is like, shall also be told, because it has been granted [me] to see it, to speak with those who are there, and also to see the locusts that came out therefrom.
[3] But actually their lot is this: When they are first admitted therein they sit down in the first little rooms, but as they confirm faith by excluding the works of charity they leave the first seats and enter little rooms nearer to the east, and so on successively until they reach the end, where those are who confirm these dogmas out of the Word. And because then they cannot but falsify the Word, their hovels vanish and they see themselves in a wilderness, and then what was described above (153) happens to them. There is also a deep below that deep where those are who in like manner have confirmed justification and salvation by faith alone, but who by themselves in their spirit have denied God, and in their heart have laughed at the holy things of the Church. There they do nothing but quarrel, tear their garments to bits, clamber up on the tables, stamp their feet, and fight among themselves with abusive language; and because it is not permitted anyone there to do bodily harm, they menace with the mouth and fists. It is dirty and squalid there; but it does not treat of those conditions here.
421. And to him was given the key of the abyss, signifies the opening of their hell. By "a key" is signified the power of opening, and also the act of opening, (62, 174, 840). And by "the abyss" is signified the hell where they are who have confirmed themselves in justification and salvation by faith alone, who are all from the church of the Reformed; but in the present case, they who in their own eyes, and thence in the eyes of many others, appear as learned and erudite, when yet in the sight of the angels in heaven they appear destitute of understanding as to those things which pertain to heaven and the church; since they who confirm that faith even to its interiors, close the higher things of their understanding, till at length they are unable to see any spiritual truth in light. The reason is, because the confirmation of falsity is the denial of truth; therefore when they hear any spiritual truth, which is a truth of the Word serviceable to those who are of the church for doctrine and life, they keep their minds fixed in the falsities which they have confirmed, and then they either veil over the truth they have heard with falsities, or reject them as a mere sound, or yawn at it and avert themselves; and this in the degree in which they are in the pride of their own erudition; for pride glues falsities together, so that at last they cohere like the hardened foam of the sea.
[2] Therefore the Word is hidden from them as a book sealed with seven seals. What their quality is, and what their hell, shall also be told, because it has been granted me to see it, and to discourse with those who are therein, and also to see "the locusts" that went forth from it.
That pit, which is like the aperture of a furnace, appears in the southern quarter, and the abyss beneath is of large extent towards the east; there is light in it, but if light from heaven be admitted into it, it becomes darkness, wherefore the pit is closed above. Huts, arched as it were with brick, appear therein, divided into various little cells, in each of which there is a table, with paper and some books lying upon it. Everyone sits at his own table, who in the world had confirmed justification and salvation by faith alone, making charity a merely natural-moral act, and its works only works of civil life, whereby men may gain rewards in the world; but if they are done for the sake of salvation, they condemn them, and this severely, because human reason and will are in them. All who are in this abyss were learned and erudite in the world; and among them there are some metaphysicians and scholastics, who are esteemed there above the rest. When it was granted me to speak with them, I recognized some of them.
[3] But this is their lot: When they are first admitted, they sit in the foremost cells; but as they confirm faith by excluding works of charity; they leave their first habitations, and enter into cells nearer to the east, and so on successively till towards the end, where those are who confirm these dogmas from the Word; and as they then cannot but falsify the Word, their huts disappear, and they see themselves in a desert, whereupon what is described above, (153) happens to them. There is also an abyss beneath the one just mentioned, where they are who in like manner have confirmed justification and salvation by faith alone, but who by themselves in their spirit have denied God, and in their hearts have laughed at the holy things of the church. There they do nothing but quarrel, tear their garments, climb upon the tables, kick, and fight with each other with vituperations; and because no one is there permitted to do mischief to the body of another, they menace with their faces and fists. It is unclean and squalid there. But these are not treated of in this place.
421. "Et data ei clavis putei abyssi," significat infernum eorum apertum. - Per "clavem" significatur potentia aperiendi, et quoque aperitio (62, 174, 840); et per "abyssum" significatur infernum ubi illi sunt qui apud se confirmaverunt justificationem et salvationem per solam fidem, qui omnes sunt ab Ecclesia Reformatorum; hic tamen qui in suis oculis et inde plurium aliorum apparent sicut docti et eruditi, cum tamen coram angelis in Caelo apparent sicut orbati intellectu quoad illa quae Caeli et Ecclesiae sunt; quoniam qui confirmant illam fidem usque ad interiora ejus, claudunt superiora intellectus sui, et tandem ita, ut non amplius possint videre aliquod verum spirituale in luce; causa est, quia confirmatio falsi est negatio veri; quare dum audiunt aliquod verum spirituale, quod est verum Verbi inserviens pro doctrina et vita illis qui ab Ecclesia sunt, tenent mentem in falsis quae confirmaverunt, et tunc verum auditum vel obvelant falsis, vel rejiciunt sicut merum sonum, vel ad illud oscitant, et se avertunt, et hoc eo plus, quo in fastu ex eruditione sua sunt; fastus enim conglutinat falsa, ut tandem cohaereant sicut spuma maris concreta: quare Verbum illis absconditum est sicut liber septem sigillis obsignatum.
Quales porro sunt, et quale illorum infernum, etiam dicetur, quia datum est illud videre, tum loqui cum illis qui ibi sunt, et quoque videre "locustas" quae inde exiverunt.
Puteus ille, qui est sicut apertura fornacis, apparet in plaga meridionali, et abyssus infra est multae extensionis versus orientem. Est inibi lux illis, sed si illuc immittitur lux e Caelo, fiunt ibi tenebrae; quare puteus ille clausus est superne. Apparent ibi mapalia lacunata sicut ex lateribus, quae divisa sunt in cellulas et cellulas, et in quavis est mensa, super qua jacent chartae cum aliquibus libris; ad suam sedet quisque qui in mundo confirmaverat justificationem et salvationem per solam fidem, faciendo charitatem actum mere naturalem moralem, et opera ejus modo opera vitae civilis, ex quibus homines aucupare possunt praemia in mundo; sed si facerent illa propter salutem, condemnant illa, et quidam graviter, quia humana ratio et voluntas est in illis.
Omnes qui in hac abysso sunt, fuerunt docti et eruditi in mundo; et inter illos aliqui metaphysici et scholastici, qui prae reliquis ibi aestimantur; quando datum est loqui cum illis, cognovi aliquos.
At vero sors illorum haec est: - Cum primum illuc immittuntur, sedent in primis cellulis; sed sicut confirmant fidem, excludendo opera charitatis, relinquunt primas sedes, ac intrant cellulas propius ad orientem, ac ita successive usque versus finem, ubi sunt illi qui dogmatica illa confirmant ex Verbo; et quia tunc non possunt non falsificare Verbum, evanescunt mapalia eorum, ac vident se in de serto, et tunc fit illis sicut supra (153) descriptum est.
Est quoque abyssus infra illam abyssum, ubi sunt illi qui similiter confirmaverunt justificationem et salvationem per solam fidem, sed qui apud se in suo spiritu negaverunt Deum, et corde suo riserunt ad sancta Ecclesiae; ibi solum rixantur, dilacerant vestes, scandunt mensas, calcitrant, pugnant inter se vituperiis; et quia non licet ibi alicui malefacere quoad corpus, minantur ore et pugnis: est ibi immundum et squalidum. Sed de his non hic agitur.