888. And shall be tormented with fire and sulphur before the holy angels and before the Lamb. That this signifies that their hell from the love of evil and falsity is direful according to the falsification and consequent destruction of Divine truth and Divine good, thus of the Word; this is evident from the signification of being tormented, as denoting hell. For as, when heaven is mentioned, joy therein is also meant, so when hell is mentioned the torment there is also meant; and the reverse, especially by being tormented with fire and sulphur; and from the signification of fire, as denoting love in both senses, namely, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, which are the loves that reign in heaven; and, in the opposite sense, the love of self and the love of the world, these being the loves that reign in hell (concerning which see above, n. 504). And because all goods arise from love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour; and all evils, through the love of self and the love of the world; therefore by fire is signified the love of everything pertaining to good, and, in the opposite sense, the love of everything pertaining to evil. And from the signification of sulphur, as denoting the love of falsity from evil; properly the lust of destroying the truths of the good of the church by means of the falsities of evil (see n. 578). And from the signification of the holy angels, as denoting Divine truths from the Lord (see n. 130, 200, 302, 800). And from the signification of the Lamb, as denoting the Lord's Divine Human; here the Divine proceeding from the Lord, which is Divine good united with Divine truth in the heavens; accordingly, in the present instance, Divine good, because it is mentioned together with the holy angels, by whom are signified Divine truths from the Lord.
[2] The reason why being tormented before the holy angels and before the Lamb, signifies the direfulness of hell according to the falsification and consequent destruction of Divine truth and Divine Good, thus of the Word, is, that the direfulness of hell, or the torment there, is entirely according to these. For in proportion as a man falsifies the Word, in the same proportion he closes heaven against himself; and in proportion as he destroys interior Divine truths, which are Divine truths in the heavens, and from which the heavens exist, in the same proportion he is removed from the heavens, and cast down more deeply into hell. The reason why this is being tormented before the angels and before the Lamb is, that the Word in the letter communicates with heaven by means of the spiritual sense; therefore as far as it is destroyed by falsification, so far is the falsifier rejected from heaven; and as far as any one is rejected from heaven, so far is he tormented. That this is the spiritual sense of these words is evident from this, that no one is tormented in hell by the angels and by the Lord, nor, consequently, before the angels or before the Lord; but by himself, by the falsification and consequent destruction of Divine truth, which is signified by the holy angels, and of Divine Good, which is signified by the Lamb.
[3] How infernal and therefore how damnable it is to falsify the Word so as to destroy the Divine truth and Divine Good in the heavens, is evident from this, that all things of the sense of the letter of the Word, which are Divine truths for the natural man, communicate with the angels of heaven by means of the spiritual sense so that men and the angels of heaven are conjoined by means of the Word. Therefore the sense of the letter of the Word, with the man who falsifies it, is perceived in heaven in a two-fold way - to such a degree as genuine truth, and also as that [genuine truth] destroyed; as genuine truth from the sense of the letter, according to correspondences, and as destroyed, according to falsifications. It comes to pass, therefore, that truth and falsity are presented as conjoined together; when the angels of heaven see this they are grieved and turn entirely away. Thus heaven is closed, and all communication with it perishes with such a man; consequently he comes into conjunction with hell. And as far as any one is conjoined with hell, so far is he in the love of all evil, and the falsity therefrom; and consequently he is in the lust of destroying the truths and goods of the church, and then at the same time he is in torment. This, therefore, is what is signified by being tormented with fire and sulphur before the holy angels and before the Lamb.
[4] This is the case chiefly with those who think from faith alone, and also live from faith alone, that is, who confirm that faith both in doctrine and life, as those more especially do who have studied much to confirm that faith in their writings and preachings. Such persons cannot but falsify the Word to such a degree as to destroy its genuine truth. For the Word in its whole content concerns the life of man, consequently works. For the Lord says that the law and the prophets hang upon these two commandments - to love God above all things, and the neighbour as ourselves. The law and the prophets signify the Word in its whole extent; and to love God and the neighbour is to do the precepts, and these are works, as may be seen above (n. 826), these the defenders of faith separated shut out. And therefore they reject all the essentials of the Word, when they read it; and the essentials being rejected, all the rest is but dross; just as when an animal is deprived of life, the body becomes putrid. For love, which is the same with deeds, is its life.
I have also heard spirits, who, when they lived as men in the world, had embraced faith alone, speaking concerning the Word, and saying that it contained Divine truths in abundance. [I have heard such say,] what are the knowledges of good and truth to me? What advantage is it to know anything of regeneration, of the remission of sins, free-will, Providence, love and charity, good works, and the rest, when the trust and confidence reposed in this faith alone, that the Lord died for our sins, alone saves, seeing that all things contained in the Word are to be explained so as to confirm this, and can be so explained, because everything said therein about good works, and doing, are included, and stored up, in that faith, like treasures hidden under the earth?
It is evident that such persons cannot but falsify all the truth's and goods of the Word, when they read it, and when they think more deeply about its meaning than about anything else and apply it to faith alone.