Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 1015

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1015. And there was a great earthquake. That this signifies the state of the church entirely changed, is evident from the signification of an earthquake, as denoting a change of the state of the church (concerning which see n. 400, 499); for the earth signifies the church, and the quaking thereof a change of state; and its being called great, signifies that its state was entirely changed.

Continuation concerning the Seventh Precept:-

[2] Because hatred, which is the desire to kill, is the opposite of love to the Lord, and also of love towards the neighbour, and these loves make heaven with a man, it is evident that hatred, being thus opposite, makes hell with him. Nor is infernal fire anything else but hatred. Therefore, also, the hells appear as if in a fire of a dusky red according to the quality and degree of the hatred, and in a fire of dusky flame according to the quality and degree of revenge from hatred. Because hatred and love are diametrically opposite to each other, and since hatred thence constitutes hell with a man, just as love constitutes heaven with him, therefore the Lord thus teaches:

"If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Be kindly disposed towards thine adversary, whilst thou art in the way with him; lest thine adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing" (Matt. v. 21-26).

By being delivered to the judge, and by the judge to the officer, and being cast into prison by him, is described the state of the man who is in hatred after death, from his having hated his brother in the world. By the prison is meant hell; and by paying the uttermost farthing is signified the punishment which is called the fire everlasting.


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