525. And Thy anger is come, and the time of judging the dead, signifies their destruction, and the Last Judgment upon those who have not any spiritual life. By "Thy anger" is signified the Last Judgment (n. 340), thus their destruction; the reason why this is signified by "the Lord's anger," is, because it seems to them as if the Lord cast them down into hell from anger, when nevertheless it is the wicked who cast themselves down. For it is like a malefactor who attributes his punishment to the law, or to the fire that burns, if he thrusts his hand in it, or like ascribing to a drawn sword in the hand of one defending himself, if he is thrust through, when he has run against its point. Thus it happens with everyone who is against the Lord, and, out of anger, rushes against those whom the Lord protects. By "the dead" who are to be judged, in the universal sense, are meant they who have died out of the world, but, in a proper sense, are meant they who have not any spiritual life; judgment being predicated of these (John 3:18; 5:24, 29). The reason is, because they are called "the living" who have spiritual life. Spiritual life is with those only who approach the Lord, and at the same time shun evils as sins.
[2] They who have no spiritual life are meant in these passages:
They joined themselves to Baalpeor and ate the sacrifices of the dead (Ps. 106:28).
The enemy persecuteth my soul, he hath caused me to sit in darkness as the dead of the world (Ps. 143:3).
To hear the groaning of the bound, and to open to the sons of death (Ps. 102:20).
I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, but art dead; be watchful and strengthen the remaining things which are ready to die (Rev. 3:1-2).
The reason these are meant by "the dead," is because spiritual death is meant; therefore also by "the slain" they are signified who are destroyed by that death (n. 321, 325), and in other places. But they who have died out of the world are meant by the dead in these passages:
And the dead were judged from those things which were written in the books (Rev. 20:12).
The rest of the dead lived not again (Rev. 20:5).
The reason is, because, by "the first death" there is meant natural death, which is from the world; and by "the second death" is meant spiritual death, which is damnation.