843.启20:3.“把他扔进无底深渊，关起来，用印封上，使他不得再迷惑列族”表主完全移除那些陷入唯信的人，并剥夺他们与其余的人之间的一切联系，免得他们把自己的异端灌输给那些被接升天堂的人。“龙”在此表示那些陷入信之虚假的人，如刚才所述（842节）。经上论到那龙说，他被“捉”、“捆绑”、“扔进无底深渊”、“关起来”和“用印封上”，以此表示他被完全移除，他与其余的人之间的一切联系也被剥夺。他“被捉”表示他所指的那些人被聚集起来并扣留。他被“捆绑”表示他们被扣留，与灵人界中其余的人分开。他“被扔进无底深渊”表示他们被送往地狱。他“被关起来”表示他们被完全移除。他“用印封上”表示他与其余的人之间的一切联系完全被剥夺。
“龙”被完全移除一段时间，是为了那些被主藏起来（如4-6节经文所述）的人可以从低地被提升上去，免得他们在被提升时被龙们迷惑；因此经上还说“使他不得再迷惑列族”，以此表示免得他将自己的异端灌输给他们。这事之所以发生在天堂与地狱中间的灵人界，是因为在那里，恶者与善者联系在了一起，在灵人界，善者为天堂做预备，恶者为地狱做预备，那里的善者通过与恶者的某些联系而被测试，并接受检查以查明他们的性质和坚定程度。他所“迷惑”的“列族”表示良善，“民族”表示那些在生活上良善的人，在反面意义上表示在生活上邪恶的人（483节）。由此明显可知，他被“把他扔进无底深渊，关起来，用印封上，使他不得再迷惑列族”表示主完全移除那些陷入信之虚假的人，剥夺他们与其余的人之间的一切联系，免得他们将自己的异端灌输给那些正被接升天堂的人。
843. 20:3 And he cast it into the bottomless pit, and shut it up, and set a seal on it, so that it should not lead the nations astray any more. This symbolically means that the Lord removed entirely those who were caught up in faith alone and took away all their communication with the rest, to keep them from inspiring any of their heresy in people who were being raised into heaven.
The dragon here means people caught up in falsities as regards their faith, as in no. 842 just above. We are told that the dragon was laid hold of, bound, cast into the bottomless pit, and shut up, and had a seal set on it; and this symbolically means that it was entirely removed and kept from having any communication with the rest. Its being laid hold of means, symbolically, that the people meant by it were brought together and detained. Its being bound means, symbolically, that the people were forcibly drawn away and separated. Its being cast into the bottomless pit means, symbolically, that the people were sent down in the direction of hell. Its being shut up means, symbolically, that the people were entirely removed. A seal's being set on it means, symbolically, that communication with the rest was completely taken away.
[2] The dragon was entirely removed for a time in order that the people who had been hidden away by the Lord might be raised from the lower earth (the subject of verses 4-6) without being led astray by the dragon-people as they were being raised. Consequently the text also says, "so that it should not lead the nations astray any more," which symbolically means, to keep them from inspiring any of their heresy in those other people.
This event occurred in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and it took place because in that world evil people have dealings with the good while the good are being prepared for heaven and the evil for hell, and the good there are tried and tested by having some association with the evil and being explored as to their character and constancy.
The good are meant by the nations that the dragon-people were kept from leading astray. That nations mean people who are good in the way they live, and in an opposite sense people who are evil, may be seen in no. 483 above.
It can be seen from this that the dragon's being cast into the bottomless pit, shut up, and having a seal set on it, symbolically means that the Lord removed entirely those who were caught up in falsities as regards their faith, and took away from them any communication with the rest, to keep them from inspiring any of their heresy in people being raised into heaven.
843. [verse 3] 'And cast him into the deep, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him that he should not lead the nations astray any more' signifies that the Lord entirely removed those who were in faith alone and took away all communication between them and the rest, lest they should inspire anything of their heresy into those who were being taken up into heaven. By 'the dragon' here those are understood who are in untruths of faith, as just above (842 1). It is said of the dragon that he was 'arrested,' 'bound,' 'cast into the deep,' 'shut up,' and 'had a seal set upon him,' whereby is signified that he was entirely removed, and that all communication was taken away between him and the rest. By his being 'arrested' is signified that those who are understood by him were gathered together and held back. By his being' bound 'is signified that they were withdrawn and torn away [from the rest]. By his being 'cast into the deep' is signified that they were sent down towards hell. By his being shut up' is signified that they were entirely removed. By his having 'a seal set upon him' is signified that all communication between him and the rest was entirely taken away.
[2] The reason why 'the dragon' was entirely removed for a time was so that those who had been hidden by the Lord (treated of in verses 4-6) might be taken up from the lower land, lest they might be led astray by the dragonists while being taken up; and therefore it is also said 'lest he should lead the nations astray any more,' by which is signified lest he should inspire into them anything of his heresy. The reason why this was done in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, is because there the evil have communication with the good, and in that world the good are prepared for heaven and the evil for hell, and there the good are tested by having some companionship with the evil and are examined to find out what they are like and how steadfast they are. By 'the nations' which 'he should not lead astray' are understood the good. That by 'the nations' are understood those who as to life are good, and in the opposite sense, evil, may be seen above (483). From these considerations it can be established that by 'he cast him into the deep, and shut him up and set a seal upon him' is signified that the Lord entirely removed those who were in untruths of faith, and took away all communication between them and the rest, lest they should inspire anything of their heresy into those who were being raised up into heaven.
Footnotes:
1. Perhaps 841 was intended.
843. Verse 3. And cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should not seduce the nations any more, signifies that the Lord entirely removed those who were in faith alone, and took away all communication between them and the rest, lest they should inspire into those who were to be taken up into heaven, anything of their heresy. By "the dragon" are here meant those who are in falsities of faith, as above, (842). It is said of the dragon that "he was taken," "bound," "cast into the abyss," "shut up," and "a seal set upon him," whereby is signified that he was entirely removed, and that all communication was taken away between him and the rest; by "his being taken," is signified that they who are meant by him were collected and retained; by "his being bound" is signified that they were withdrawn and torn away from the rest; by "his being cast into the abyss" is signified that they were let down towards hell; by "his being shut up" is signified that they were entirely removed; by "a seal being set upon him" is signified that communication with the rest was entirely taken away.
[2] The reason why the dragon was entirely removed for a time, was that they might be taken up from the lower earth, who had been concealed by the Lord, and who are treated of (vers. 4-6), lest when they were taken up, they should be seduced by the dragonists; therefore it is also said, "that he should not seduce the nations any more," by which is signified that he might not inspire into them anything of his heresy. The reason why this was done in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, is because there the evil have communication with the good, and the good are prepared in that world for heaven, and the evil for hell, and there the good are proved by having some consociation with the evil, and they are explored and tried as to their quality and constancy. By "the nations" which he should not seduce, are meant the good; that by "nations" are meant they who are good as to life, and, in the opposite sense, the evil, may be seen above, (483). From these things it may appear, that by "he cast them into the abyss, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him" is signified that the Lord entirely removed those who were in the falsities of faith, and took away all communication between them and the rest, lest they should inspire anything of their heresy into those who were to be elevated into heaven.
843. (Vers. 3.) "Et conjecit eum in abyssum, et conclusit eum, et obsignavit super eo, ut non seduceret gentes amplius," significat quod Dominus prorsus removerit illos qui in sola Fide erant, ac ademerit omnem communicationem eorum cum reliquis, ne ex haeresi sua inspirarent aliquid illis qui 1in Caelum elevarentur. Per "Draconem" hic intelliguntur qui in falsis fidei sunt, ut mox supra (842). Dicitur de Dracone quod "comprehensus sit," "ligatus," "conjectus in abyssum," "conclusus," et "obsignatum super eo," et per illud significatur quod prorsus remotus sit, et quod adempta sit omnis communicatio ejus cum reliquis; per quod "comprehensus sit" significatur quod collecti sint et retenti qui per illum intelliguntur: per quod "ligatus sit" significatur quod retracti et avulsi sint; per quod "conjectus in abyssum" significatur quod demissi versus Infernum; per quod "conclusus sit" significatur quod prorsus remoti sint; per quod "obsignatum sit super eo" significatur quod communicatio cum reliquis prorsus adempta sit. Causa quod Draco prorsus remotus sit ad tempus, est ut ab inferiore terra elevarentur illi qui a Domino reconditi fuerunt (de quibus vers. 4-6, agitur), ne a Draconicis, cum elevantur, seducerentur; quare etiam dicitur, "ne seduceret gentes amplius," per quae significatur ne inspiraret illis ex haeresi sua aliquid. Quod hoc factum sit in Mundo spirituum, qui est medius inter Caelum et Infernum, est quia ibi communicant mali cum bonis, et praeparantur in illo mundo boni ad Caelum et mali ad Infernum, et probantur ibi boni per consortium aliquod cum malis, et explorantur quales sunt et quam constantes. Per "gentes," quas ne seduceret, intelliguntur boni; quod per "gentes" intelligantur qui boni sunt quoad vitam, et in opposito sensu mali, videatur supra (483). Ex his constare potest, quod per "conjecit eum in abyssum, et conclusit eum et obsignavit super eo" significetur quod Dominus prorsus removerit illos qui in falsis fidei erant, ac ademerit omnem communicationem eorum cum reliquis, ne ex haeresi sua inspirarent aliquid illis qui in Caelum elevarentur.
Footnotes:
1. qui pro "quo"