766. And she shall be burnt up in fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her signifies that they will be hatreds against the Lord and against His heaven and church, because they then see that the Lord alone has dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man from himself. By "fire" with which she will be burnt up is signified hatred against the Lord and against His heaven and church, of which see below. By "for strong is the Lord that judgeth her," is signified that they see then, that is, in the spiritual world into which they come after death, that the Lord alone has dominion and reigns over all things in the heavens and on earth, and not at all any man from himself. This is signified by "strong is the Lord God that judgeth her," because the Lord does not judge anyone to hell, but they themselves; for when they feel the angelic sphere concerning the Lord flowing down out of heaven, they flee away and cast themselves into hell, as may be evident from the things that were shown above (n. 233, 325, 339-340, 387, 502).
[2] That by "fire" is signified love in both senses, celestial love which is love to the Lord, and infernal love which is the love of self, may be seen above (n. 468, 494). That infernal fire is hatred, is because the love of self hates; for all who are in that love burn with anger according to the degree of it, and are inflamed with hatred and revenge against those who oppose; and they who are of Babylon, against those that deny that they are to be worshiped and adored as sanctities. When, therefore, they hear that the Lord alone is worshiped and adored in heaven, and that to worship any man in place of the Lord is profane, adoration of the Lord becomes in them hatred against Him, and the adulteration of the Word to the end that they may be worshiped becomes profane. This, therefore, is what is signified by "Babylon shall be burned up with fire." It may be seen above (n. 748), that "being burned up with fire" is the punishment of the profanation of what is holy. The like is meant by these words in Jeremiah:
I am against thee, O Babel, the destroying mountain, that destroyest the whole earth; I will roll thee down from the rocks, and will give thee for a mountain of burning. The walls of Babel are utterly overturned, and her high gates are burned up with fire (Jer. 51:25, 58).