642# “就有火从他们口中喷出来，烧灭仇敌”表示那些对他们实施伤害的人陷入来自地狱、毁灭自己的邪恶和虚假。这从“火”和“烧灭仇敌”的含义清楚可知：“火”是指两种意义上的爱，在此是指对自我和世界的爱，因而对各种邪恶和虚假的爱(对此，参看AE 68, 504, 539节)。由此可知，“就有火从他们口中喷出来”表示那些渴望伤害他们或对他们造成伤害的人都陷入来自地狱的各种邪恶和虚假。“烧灭仇敌”是指这些人将因邪恶之虚假而灭亡；因为在圣言中，“仇敌”表示邪恶之虚假，“敌人”表示邪恶，那进行摧毁的，是对邪恶和虚假的爱。
经上说，“就有火从他们口中喷出来”；但这话是照着表象来说的；经上照着表象还说，火和火焰从神的口中出来，怒气和愤怒从祂鼻孔中出来；然而，没有任何火、怒气和愤怒从祂那里发出来，因为祂是良善本身，爱本身和怜悯本身，从中不可能发出任何火、怒气或愤怒；但经上仍如此说，是因为表象就是这样。表象之所以是这样，是因为当邪恶和地狱的灵人攻击任何神性事物，企图伤害它时，如当他亵渎主或圣言，或任何教义之良善和真理，或主所保护的任何善灵或天使时，这恶灵就立刻失去主的保护；因为每个灵人，无论恶的还是善的，都在主的保护之下，当他失去这种保护时，就陷入来自地狱的各种邪恶和虚假，同时落到那些来自地狱、被称为惩罚者之人的手中；然后，这些灵人就照着他曾做过或试图做的恶事来惩罚和折磨他。由此可见，不是主向这些人行恶，而是恶灵自己自招邪恶，也就是说，是他里面的邪恶如此行。
这清楚表明这些话是什么意思，即“若有人想要伤害这两个见证人，就有火从他们口中喷出来，烧灭仇敌”；两个见证人是爱与仁之良善，以及教义与信仰之真理；这些是神性，因为它们来自与天使并世人同在的主；意思不是说火将从这些中喷出来，而是说火将从努力伤害他们的邪恶本身中喷出来，如刚才所述；理解这话的方式与理解火、怒气、愤怒从耶和华那里发出来这句话是一样的。《天堂与地狱》(545–550节)更充分地说明了这些事，那里的主题是，主不将任何人投入地狱，而是灵人自己将自己扔下去的。
642. Fire shall go forth out of their mouth, and shall devour their enemies.- That this signifies that those who should inflict injury upon them would fall into evils and falsities which are from hell, and which destroy them, is evident from the signification of fire, as denoting love in both senses, in this case, the love of self and of the world, and thence the love of evil and of falsity of every kind. Concerning this see above (n. 68, 504, 539). It therefore follows that by fire going forth out of their mouth is signified that those who desire to hurt or to inflict injury upon them, fall into evils and falsities of every kind, which are from hell; and from the signification of devouring their enemies, as denoting that they would perish by means of the falsities of evil. For by enemies in the Word are signified falsities of evil, and by foes, evils; the love of evil and falsity is that which destroys.
[2] The words "fire shall go forth out of their mouth" are said according to appearance, and for the same reason it is also said that fire and a flame goeth forth out of the mouth of God, and that anger and wrath go forth from His nostril, although no fire, anger, or wrath proceed from Him, for He is Good itself, Love itself, and Mercy itself, and no fire, anger, or wrath can go forth from these, but still it is said to be so, because such is the appearance. The reason for this appearance is, that when an evil and infernal spirit assails any thing Divine, with the intention of doing injury to it, as when he blasphemes the Lord or the Word, or any good and truth of doctrine, or any good spirit or angel whom the Lord protects, then that evil spirit immediately deprives himself of the protection of the Lord. For every spirit, as well evil as good, is under the protection of the Lord, and when he is deprived of this he falls into evils and falsities of every kind from hell; and then at the same time he falls into the hands of those who are thence, and are called punishers; these then punish and torment him according to the evil which he has attempted to do or has done. It is evident from this that the Lord does not do any evil to them, but that an evil spirit himself brings evil upon himself, that is to say, the evil itself that is in him does this. It is plain from these things what is meant by the words, "if any one desire to hurt the two witnesses, fire shall go forth out of their mouth and shall devour them" - the two witnesses are the good of love and of charity, and the truth of doctrine and of faith, and these are Divine, because they are from the Lord with angels and with men namely, that fire will not go forth from them, but from the evil itself, which endeavours to injure them, as just stated, and that this must be understood in a similar way to the statement that fire, anger, and wrath proceed from Jehovah. But these things are more fully illustrated in Heaven and Hell (545-550), where the subject is, that the Lord casts no one into hell, but that the spirit himself casts himself in.
642. Fire shall go forth out of their mouth and shall devour their enemies, signifies that those who would do them harm fall into evils and falsities which are from hell, and these destroy them. This is evident from the signification of "fire," as being love in both senses, here the love of self and of the world, and thus the love of evil and falsity of every kind (of which above, n. 68, 504, 539). From this it follows that "fire shall go forth out of their mouth" signifies that those who desire to hurt them or do them harm fall into evils and falsities of every kind, which are from hell. Also from the signification of "devouring their enemies," as being that such will be destroyed by the falsities of evil; for "enemies" in the Word signify the falsities of evil, and "adversaries" evils, and the love of evil and falsity is what destroys.
[2] It is said that "fire shall go forth out of their mouth;" but this is said according to appearance, and it is according to this that it is also said that "fire and a flame go forth out of the mouth of God," and that "anger and wrath go forth from His nostril," and yet nothing of the fire of anger and wrath goes forth from Him, for He is good itself, love itself, and mercy itself, from which nothing of fire, of anger, or of wrath, can go forth, yet it is so said, because it so appears. It so appears, because when an evil and infernal spirit assails anything Divine with intent of hurting it, as when he blasphemes the Lord or the Word, or any good and truth of doctrine, or any good spirit or angel whom the Lord protects, that evil spirit immediately deprives himself of the Lord's protection; for every spirit, the evil as well as the good, is under the Lord's protection, and when that is taken away, he falls into evils and falsities of every kind which are from hell, and at the same time he falls into the hands of those that are from hell, who are called punishers, and these then punish and torment him according to the evil that he has done or has attempted to do. From this it can be seen that the Lord does no evil to such, but that the evil spirit himself brings evil upon himself, that is, the evil itself which is in him does it.
[3] This makes clear the meaning of the words, "If anyone desires to hurt the two witnesses, fire shall go forth out of their mouth and shall devour them;" the two witnesses are the good of love and charity, and the truth of doctrine and faith; and these are Divine, because they are from the Lord with angel and man; the meaning is, not that fire will go forth from these, but from the evil itself, which endeavors to do them harm, as has just been said; and that this is to be understood in a similar way as when it was said that fire, anger, and wrath go forth from Jehovah. (But these things are more fully set forth in the work on Heaven and Hell 545-550, under the head, The Lord Casts no one down into Hell, but the Spirit Casts himself down. )
642. "Ignis egredietur ex ore illorum, et devorabit inimicos illorum." - Quod significet quod illaturi damnum illis cadant in mala et falsa quae ab inferno, quae illos perdunt, constat ex significatione "ignis", quod sit amor in utroque sensu, hic amor sui et mundi, et inde amor mali et falsi omnis generis (de qua supra, n. 68, 504, 539); inde sequitur quod per "Egredietur ignis ex ore illorum" significetur quod in mala et falsa omnis generis, quae ab inferno, cadant, nempe illi qui volunt illis nocere seu damnum inferre: et ex significatione "devorare inimicos illorum", quod sit quod perituri per falsa mali; in Verbo enim per "inimicos" significantur falsa mali, et per "hostes" mala, ac amor mali et falsi est qui perdit.
[2] Dicitur quod "ignis egredietur ex ore illorum", sed hoc dictum est secundum apparentiam; secundum quam etiam dicitur quod "ignis et flamma exeat ex ore Dei", et quod "ira et excandescentia ex naso Ipsius", cum tamen ex Ipso nihil ignis irae et excandescentiae exit; est enim ipsum Bonum, ipse Amor, et ipsa Misericordia, ex quibus nihil ignis, irae et excandescentiae potest exire; sed usque ita dicitur quia ita apparet: quod ita appareat est quia cum malus et infernalis spiritus aggreditur aliquod Divinum nocendi causa, sicut cum blasphemat Dominum aut Verbum, aut aliquod bonum et verum doctrinae, aut aliquem bonum spiritum vel angelum quem Dominus tutatur, tunc malus ille spiritus illico se deprivat tutela a Domino: omnis enim spiritus tam malus quam bonus in tutela Domini est; qua cum deprivatur, cadit in mala et falsa omnis generis quae ab inferno, et simul tunc cadit in illorum manus qui inde sunt, et punitores vocantur; hi tunc illum secundum malum quod aggressus est facere, aut quod fecit, puniunt et cruciant: exinde constare potest quod non Dominus aliquod malum illis faciat, sed quod ipse malus spiritus sibi, hoc est, ipsum malum quod apud illum.
[3] Ex his patet quomodo intelligendum est quod "si quis velit nocere binis testibus, ignis ex ore illorum egredietur, et devorabit illos"; (bini testes sunt bonum amoris et charitatis ac verum doctrinae et fidei, et haec sunt Divina, quia a Domino apud angelum et apud hominem;) quod nempe non ex illis egredietur ignis, sed ex ipso malo, quod conatur illis inferre damnum, ut nunc dictum est; et quod hoc similiter intelligendum sit sicut quod ignis, ira et excandescentia ex Jehovah dicatur exire. (Sed haec amplius illustrata sunt in opere De Caelo et Inferno 545-550, ubi actum est de eo, Quod Dominus neminem in Infernum dejiciat, sed quod ipse Spiritus semet.)