863.“就有火由神那里从天降下，烧灭了他们”表他们因地狱之爱的欲望而灭亡。“从天降下并烧灭他们的火”表示对邪恶的欲望，即恶欲，或地狱之爱的欲望，如前所述（494，748节）；那些处于脱离内在敬拜的外在敬拜之人都陷入各种邪恶和欲望，因他们里面的邪恶没有通过任何实际的悔改而被除去（859节）。
经上说“就有火由神那里从天降下”；当教会的一切事物在他们眼前被代表，因而教会具有代表性时，这种事在古时真实发生过。但如今，当代表停止后，经上以同样的方式说话，以此表示和先前它被代表时所表相同的事物。火从天降到那些亵渎神圣事物的人身上（参看494，748节）。在以西结书，类似的话论到“歌革和玛各”：
我必将火与硫磺如雨般降与歌革和他的翅膀，并与他在一起的多民。（以西结书 38:22）
我要降火在玛各。（以西结书39:6）
863. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. This symbolically means that they were destroyed by the lusts of their hellish love.
The fire that came down out of heaven and devoured them symbolizes lusts for evil, or the lusts of a hellish love, as in nos. 494, 748 above, since people who engage in external worship divorced from any internal worship are caught up in evils of every kind and in lusts for them, because the evils in them have not been removed by any actual repentance (no. 859).
We are told that the fire came down from God out of heaven. This occurred in ancient times when everything connected with the church was represented before their eyes, thus when the church was a representational one. But today, now that representations have ceased, similar imagery is used, and it has the same symbolic meaning as before when the meaning was represented.
That fire came down out of heaven on those who profaned sacred things may be seen in nos. 494, 748 above.
Something similar is said of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel:
I will cause... fire and brimstone to rain down on him, and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him. (Ezekiel 38:22)
I will send fire on Magog... (Ezekiel 39:6)
863. 'And fire from God came down from heaven and consumed them' signifies that they perished from the lusts of infernal love. By the 'fire coming down out of heaven' which 'consumed them' are signified the lusts of evils, or of infernal love, as above (494, 748), inasmuch as those who are in external worship separate from internal worship are in evils of every kind and in lusts, because the evils with them have not been removed by any actual repentance (859). It is said that fire from God came down out of heaven. This was the case in ancient times when all the things of the Church used to be represented before their eyes, consequently when Churches were representative. But at the present day, when the representatives have ceased, it is said in a like manner, and by it the same thing is signified as formerly when it was represented. That fire came down out of heaven upon those who profaned holy things may be seen above (494, 748). Something similar is said of 'Gog and Magog' in Ezekiel:
I will cause fire and sulphur to rain upon Gog, and upon his wings, and upon the many peoples that are with him. Ezekiel 38:22.
I will send fire upon Magog. Ezekiel 39:6.
863. And fire came down from God out of heaven, and consumed them, signifies that they perished by the lusts of infernal love. By "fire coming down out of heaven which consumed them," are signified the lusts of evils, or of infernal love (as above, 494, 748), because they who are in external worship separated from internal worship, are in all kinds of evils and lusts, because with them evils are not removed by any actual repentance, (859). It is said that "fire came down from God out of heaven;" this was done in ancient times, when all things of the church were represented before their eyes, consequently when churches were representative; but at this day, when representatives have ceased, the like is said, and the signification is the same as formerly when the thing was represented. That fire came down out of heaven upon those who profaned things holy, may be seen above, (494, 748). The same is said of "Gog and Magog" in Ezekiel:
I will cause it to rain upon Gog, and upon his wings, and upon many people that are with him, fire and brimstone, (Ezekiel 38:22).
I will send fire upon Magog, (Ezekiel 39:6).
863. "Et descendit ignis a Deo de Caelo, et consumpsit eos," significat quod perierint a concupiscentiis amoris infernalis. - Per "ignem descendentem e Caelo" qui consumpsit eos, significantur concupiscentiae malorum, seu amoris infernalis (494, 748); quoniam illi qui in cultu externo separato a cultu interno sunt, in omnis generis malis et in concupiscentiis sunt, quia mala apud illos non per aliquam paenitentiam actualem remota sunt (859). Dicitur quod "ignis a Deo e Caelo descenderit:" ita factum est antiquis temporibus, quando omnia Ecclesiae coram oculis illorum repraesentabantur, proinde quando Ecclesiae erant repraesentativae; at vero hodie, cum repraesentativa cessarunt, similiter dicitur, et per id significatur idem quod olim cum repraesentabatur: quod ignis e Caelo descenderit super illos qui prophanaverunt sancta, videatur supra (494, 748). Simile dicitur de "Gogo et Magogo" apud Ezechielem:
"Ignem et sulphur pluere faciam super Gogum, et super alas ejus, et super populos multos qui cum illo," (38:22); 1
"Mittam ignem in Magogum," (39:6).
Footnotes:
1. 22 pro "21"