86# “并且我拿着地狱和死亡的钥匙”表示祂拥有拯救的能力。这从“钥匙”、“地狱”和“死亡”的含义清楚可知：“钥匙”是指打开和关闭的能力(参看《属天的奥秘》，9410节)；“地狱”是指邪恶，因为一切邪恶都来自地狱，并属于地狱；“死亡”是指诅咒，诅咒也被称为属灵的死亡(参看5407, 6119, 9008节)。“拿着地狱和死亡的钥匙”之所以也表示拯救的能力，是因为唯独主除去与人同在的地狱和由此而来的诅咒；当地狱被除去时，人就得救了，因为天堂和永生取代它们而流入；事实上，主不断与人同在，渴望以天堂充满他，但邪恶却反对接受它；因此，地狱被除去，也就是人停止邪恶到何等程度，主与天堂就流入到何等程度。主在此之所以说“祂拿着地狱和死亡的钥匙”，是因为在此之前经上说祂“是活着的，直到世世代代”，以此表示永生来自祂。主在信和爱中被接受到何等程度，就在人里面到何等程度；祂在人里面到何等程度，就除去邪恶，从而除去地狱和永死到何等程度。唯独主成就这一切，并因此应当被接受，这一点从刚才(AE83节)所引用的圣言经文明显看出来。
“地狱”表示各种邪恶，是因为一切邪恶都来自地狱。凡一个人所思考和意愿的，要么来自地狱，要么来自天堂。如果他思考和意愿邪恶，那么这是来自地狱；如果他思考和意愿良善，那么这是来自天堂；人从其它任何源头去思考和意愿都是不可能的，或说人里面没有来自其它任何源头的思维和意愿。人若以为他从自己思考和意愿，就不会意识到这一点；但我凭我关于这个主题的一切经历可以断言，一个人所思考和意愿的一切就来自这两个源头中的一个，要么来自这个源头，要么来自那个源头。此外，由于这个原因，一个思考和意愿邪恶的人实际上就在地狱；他活在世上时实际上在哪里，死后就会去到哪里。他不能去往其它任何地方，因为人的灵就是由他所思考和意愿的事物形成和构成的。因此，当他思考和意愿邪恶时，整个人都由邪恶形成和构成，以至于他在形式上就是他自己的邪恶。正因如此，地狱灵完全是他们自己邪恶的形像，照着邪恶的种类而丑陋和可怕。此外，一个灵人能为天堂而形成和构成所藉由的唯一手段就是在信和爱中接受主；事实上，唯独主因在信和爱中与人同在而除去邪恶，并把他塑造成天堂的形像，也就是一位天使。
由此可见“拿着地狱和死亡的钥匙”表示什么。经上之所以用“钥匙”这个词，是因为所有地狱都是关闭的，只有当恶灵被投入地狱时，并且当有恶灵从地狱中被提出来时(如世人中间的邪恶增长时的情形)，才打开。那时的开口被称为“门”，由于它们被称为“门”，所以经上也提到“钥匙”；因此，这些钥匙表示打开和关闭的能力，因为用钥匙才能打开和关闭门。赐给彼得的钥匙(马太福音16:18, 19)具有同样的含义；因为“彼得”在那里表示来自主、出于良善的真理，因而表示唯独主拥有这种能力或权柄，一切信之真理和爱之良善都来自祂(参看《最后的审判》，57节)。
86. And have the keys of hell and of death. That this signifies that He has the power of saving, is evident from the signification of keys, as being the power of opening and shutting (concerning which, see Arcana Coelestia 9410); and from the signification of hell, as being evils, because all evils are from hell and are of hell; and from the signification of death, as denoting damnation, which also is called spiritual death (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 5407, 6119, 9008). The reason why to have the keys of hell and of death, denotes also the power of saving, is, that the Lord alone removes the hells from man, and thereby damnation; and when they are removed, then man is saved, for in their place heaven and eternal life flow in. For the Lord is constantly present with man, and desires to infill him with heaven, but evils oppose its reception; therefore so far as the hells are removed, that is, so far as man desists from evils, so far the Lord with heaven flows in. The reason why the Lord here says that He has the keys of hell and of death, is, because in the immediately preceding words it is said, that He is alive unto the ages of the ages, by which is meant that life eternal is from Him. So far also as the Lord is received in faith and love, so far He is in man; and so far as He is in man, so far He removes evils, and thus the hells and eternal death. He alone effects this, on which account He is to be received, as is also evident from the passages quoted just above from the Word.
[2] The reason why by hell are signified evils of every kind, is that all evils are therefrom; whatsoever a man thinks or wills, is either from hell or heaven; if he thinks and wills evil, it is from hell, but if he thinks what is good, it is from heaven; nor is it possible for a man to think and will from any other source.
The man who believes that he thinks and wills from himself is ignorant of this; nevertheless, I can assert from all my experience concerning this circumstance, that everything that a man thinks and wills, is from either one or other of those two sources. This also is the reason why a man who thinks and wills evil, is actually in hell; and where he actually is when he lives in the world, thither also he comes after death; he cannot go to any other place, because his spirit is formed and composed of those things which he thinks and wills, therefore when he thinks and wills evil, he is wholly formed and constituted of evil, so that he is his own evil in form. Hence it is that infernal spirits are altogether the images of their own evil, monstrous and horrible according to the species of evil; but the only means by which a spirit can be formed and fitted for heaven is to receive the Lord in faith and love, for the Lord alone, because He is present in faith and love with man, removes evils, and forms him into an image of heaven, which is an angel.
[3] From these considerations it is evident what is signified by having the keys of hell and of death. The reason why they are called keys is, that all the hells are shut up, and only opened when evil spirits are cast in thither, and when any are taken out, as in the case when evils increase with men. The openings then made are called gates, and because they are called gates, therefore mention is made of keys, by which, on that account, is signified the power of opening and shutting, for the opening and shutting of gates is effected by means of keys. Something similar to this is signified by the keys given to Peter (The Last Judgment 57).
86. And I have the keys of hell and of death, signifies that He has power to save. This is evident from the signification of "keys," as being the power to open and shut (See The Last Judgment 57).
86. "Et habeo claves inferni et mortis." - Quod significet quod Ipsi potentia salvandi, constat ex significatione "clavium", quod sint potentia aperiendi et claudendi (de qua n. 9410); et ex significatione "inferni", quod sint mala, quoniam omnia mala sunt ex inferno, et sint inferni; et ex significatione "mortis", quod sit damnatio, quae etiam vocatur mors spiritualis (de qua n. 5407, 6119, 9008); quod "habere claves inferni et mortis" etiam sit potentia salvandi, est quia Dominus solus removet inferna apud hominem, et per id damnationem; et quando illa remota sunt, tunc homo salvatur, nam loco eorum influit caelum et vita aeterna; nam Dominus constanter praesens est apud hominem, et vult implere illum caelo, sed obstant mala quin recipiatur; quapropter quantum inferna removentur, hoc est, quantum homo desistit a malis, tantum Dominus cum caelo influit. Quod Dominus hic Se dicat "habere claves inferni et mortis", est quia in mox praecedentibus dicitur quod Ipse sit "vivens in saecula saeculorum", per quod intelligitur quod ab Ipso sit vita aeterna; quantum etiam Dominus recipitur fide et amore tantum in homine est, et quantum in homine est tantum removet mala, et sic inferna et aeternam mortem; solus Ille hoc facit, quapropter Ille recipiendus est, ut quoque constare potest a locis e Verbo mox supra (n. 83) allatis. Quod per "infernum" significentur mala omnis generis, est quia omnia mala inde sunt; quicquid homo cogitat et vult, vel ex inferno vel ex caelo est; si cogitat et vult malum, ex inferno est; si autem cogitat (et vult) bonum, e caelo est; non datur aliunde cogitatio et voluntas hominis: homo, qui credit quod cogitet et velit ex se, hoc nescit; sed asseverare possum ex omni experientia de hac re, quod omnia quae homo cogitat et vult ab uno aut ab altero sint. Haec etiam causa est, quod homo qui cogitat et vult malum, actualiter in inferno sit; et ubi actualiter est cum vivit in mundo, illuc etiam veniat post mortem; non potest alio venire, quia spiritus ejus formatur et componitur ex illis quae homo cogitat et vult; quare cum cogitat et vult malum, totus est formatus et compositus a malo, sic ut sit suum malum in forma. Inde est quod spiritus infernales prorsus sint imagines sui mali, et monstra secundum mali speciem horrenda. Facere autem ut spiritus formetur et componatur ad caelum, est unicum medium ut recipiat Dominum fide et amore; nam Dominus solus, quia praesens est in fide et amore apud hominem, removet mala, et facit illum in imaginem caeli, quae est angelus. Ex his constare potest quid significatur per "habere claves inferni et mortis." Quod dicantur "claves", est, quia omnia inferna occlusa sunt, et modo aperta cum mali spiritus illuc injiciuntur, et cum aliqui inde eximuntur, quod fit cum increscunt mala apud homines; aperturae illae, quae tunc, dicuntur "portae"; et quia dicuntur "portae", ideo dicuntur "claves", per quas ideo significatur potentia aperiendi et claudendi, aperitio enim et occlusio portarum fit per claves. Simile quod hic etiam significatur per claves Petro datas (Matthaeus 16:18, 19), quoniam per "Petrum" ibi significatur verum ex bono quod a Domino; ita quod Domino soli, a quo omne verum dei et bonum amoris, sit illa potestas (videatur in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio 57).