Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me ye cursed into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;

and, These shall go away into eternal punishment;

is because they have averted themselves from good and truth, and have turned to evil and falsity. A "curse," in the internal sense of the Word, signifies a turning away (n. 245, 379, 1423, 3530, 3584). The "eternal fire" into which they must depart is not natural fire, nor is it torment of conscience, but is concupiscence of evil; for the concupiscences in man are spiritual fires which consume him in the life of the body, and torment him in the other life. By these fires the infernals torture one another in direful ways. [2] That "eternal fire" is not natural fire, is evident. That it is not torment of conscience, is because all who are in evil have no conscience, and they who have had none in the life of the body cannot have any in the other life. But that it is concupiscence is because all vital fire is from the loves in man-heavenly fire from the love of good and truth, and infernal fire from the love of evil and falsity-or what is the same, heavenly fire is from love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, and infernal fire is from the love of self and the love of the world. That all the fire or heat within man is from this source, anyone may know if he pays attention to the matter. It is for this reason also that love is called spiritual heat, and that by "fire" and "heat" in the Word nothing else is signified (n. 934e, 1297, 1527, 1528, 1861, 2446, 4906). The vital fire in the evil is such that when they are in the vehemence of their concupiscences, they are also in a kind of fire, from which they are in the ardor and fury of tormenting others; but the vital fire in the good is such that when in a high degree of affection, they also are in a kind of fire, but from it they are in the love and zeal of benefiting others. GENESIS 40

1. And it came to pass after these words that they sinned, the butler of the king of Egypt and the baker, to their lord the king of Egypt. 2. And Pharaoh was wroth over his two court ministers, over the prince of the butlers, and over the prince of the bakers. 3. And he put them into the custody of the house of the prince of the guards, unto the prison house, the place where Joseph was bound. 4. And the prince of the guards set Joseph over them, and he ministered to them; and they were for days in custody. 5. And they dreamed a dream both of them, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison house. 6. And Joseph came unto them in the morning, and saw them, and behold they were troubled. 7. And he asked Pharaoh's court ministers that were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore are your faces evil today? 8. And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it me, I pray. 9. And the prince of the butlers told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream behold a vine was before me. 10. And in the vine were three shoots, and it was as though it budded, its blossom went up, and the clusters thereof ripened grapes. 11. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh. 12. And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it; the three shoots three days are these. 13. In yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head, and shall bring thee back upon thy station, and thou shalt give Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. 14. But remember me with thee when it is well with thee, and do mercy I pray with me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. 15. For being carried off by theft I was carried away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the pit. 16. And the prince of the bakers saw that he had interpreted good, and he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold three baskets with holes in them upon my head. 17. And in the uppermost basket there was of all food for Pharaoh, the work of the baker; and the birds did eat them out of the basket from upon my head. 18. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof. The three baskets three days are these. 19. In yet three days shall Pharaoh lift off thy head from upon thee, and shall hang thee upon wood; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from upon thee. 20. And it came to pass on the third day, on Pharaoh's birthday, and he made a feast unto all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the prince of the butlers and the head of the prince of the bakers in the midst of his servants. 21. And he brought back the prince of the butlers upon his butlership; and he gave the cup upon Pharaoh's palm. 22. And he hanged the prince of the bakers; as Joseph interpreted to them. 23. And the prince of the butlers did not remember Joseph, and he forgot him.