558. Woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea, for the Devil is come down unto you, having great anger, signifies lamentation over those who are in the internals and the externals of the doctrine of faith alone, and thence in evils of life, because their like are cast down from heaven into the world of spirits, and are thence in conjunction with men on the earth, whom, out of hatred against the New Church, they excite to persevere in their falsities and evils thence. By "woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea" is signified lamentation over those in the church who are in the doctrine of faith alone; by "woe" is signified lamentation (n. 416); by "those that inhabit" are signified they who are in the church whose doctrine is faith alone; by "earth" are meant they who are in its internals, and by "sea" they who are in its externals (n. 470); by "great anger" is signified hatred against the New Church, because it is against "the woman" (n. 525); "to come down unto them" signifies to those who are in the world of spirits, and as these are in conjunction with men upon the earth, it also signifies to such on the earth. That the dragon was cast out of heaven into the world of spirits, and that they who are there are in conjunction with men on the earth, see above (n. 552).
[2] The dragon is here called the Devil, because they are meant who from that heresy are in evils of life; and they are in evils of life from that heresy who live according to this tenet of their faith, that they have no sins who pray in confidence to God the Father, and that if they have they are remitted. All such, because they do not examine themselves, do not know any sin in themselves, and at length do not even know what sin is, as may be seen above (n. 531). That by the dragon, as "the Devil," are meant they who are in the evils of their lusts (n. 550). The reason why every man is in conjunction with those who are in the world of spirits, is because man, as to the affections of his mind and the thoughts thence proceeding, is a spirit; therefore as to such affections and thoughts, he is continually in conjunction with spirits who are in a similar affection, and thence in similar thoughts. There is such a conjunction, that if this bond was broken for a single moment, man would fall down dead. The church has hitherto known nothing of this; nor that man, after death, is his own affection and thought thence, therefore his own charity and faith thence, and that no one can be faith separated from charity.
