THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. THE CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER. The reformed church is here treated of, as to the quality of those therein who are in faith alone: the preparation of the spiritual heaven for communication with them, verses 1-6. The exploration and manifestation of those therein, who are in the interiors of that faith, verse 7; of those who are in its exteriors, verses 8, 9; what they are in regard to the understanding of the Word, verses 10, 11. That they are in falses and thence in evils, verses 12, 13. THE CONTENTS OF EACH VERSE. "And when he had opened the seventh seal," signifies, exploration from the Lord of the state of the church, and thence of the life of those who are in his spiritual kingdom, being those who are in charity and its faith; in this case, who are in faith alone: "There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour,” signifies, that the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom were greatly amazed, when they saw those who said they were in faith, in such a state: "And I saw the seven angels who stood before God," signifies, the universal spiritual heaven in the presence of the Lord, hearing and doing his commands: "And to them were given seven trumpets," signifies, the exploration and discovery of the state of the church, and thence of the life of those who are in faith alone: "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer," signifies, spiritual worship, which is performed from the good of charity by the truths of faith: "And there was given him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne," signifies, propitiation lest the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom should be hurt by the spirits of the Satanic kingdom that were beneath: "And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended up out of the hand of the angels before God," signifies, the protection of them by the Lord: "And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it unto the earth," signifies, spiritual love, in which there is celestial love, and its influx into inferior things, where they were who were in faith separated from charity: "And there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake," signifies, that after a communication was opened with them, there were heard reasonings concerning faith alone and confirmations in favor of it: "And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound," signifies, that they were prepared and ready to explore the state of the church and thence the state of life with those whose religion is faith alone: "The first angel sounded," signifies, the exploration and manifestation of the quality of the state of the church with those who are interiorly in that faith: "And there followed hail and fire mingled with blood," signifies, falsity from infernal love destroying good and truth, and falsifying the Word: "And they were cast upon the earth, and the third part of the trees was burnt up," signifies, that with them all the affection and perception of truth, which constitute the man of the church, had perished: "And all green grass was burnt up," signifies, thus all that is alive in faith: "And the second angel sounded," signifies, the exploration and manifestation of what the state of the church is with those who are exteriorly in that faith: "And as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea," signifies, the appearance of infernal love with them: "And the third part of the sea became blood," signifies, that all general truths with them were falsified : "And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea that had life, died," signifies, that they who have lived and do live this faith cannot be reformed and receive life: "And the third part of the ships were destroyed," signifies, that all the knowledges of good and truth from the Word, serving for use of life, were destroyed with them: "And the third angel sounded," signifies, the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, as to the affection and reception of truths from the Word: "And there fell from heaven a great star burning as it were a lamp," signifies, the appearance of self-derived intelligence from a pride, springing from infernal love: "And it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters," signifies, that thence all the truths of the Word were totally falsified: "And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood," signifies, the infernal falsity from which their self-derived intelligence is derived, by which all the truths of the Word are falsified: "And many men died of the waters because they were made bitter," signifies, the extinction of spiritual life from the falsified truths of the Word: "And the fourth angel sounded," signifies, the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, as being in the evils of falsity, and in the falsities of evil: "And the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, so that the third part of them was darkened," signifies, that by reason of evils from falsities and of falsities from evils, they did not know what love is, or what faith is, or any truth: "And the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise," signifies, that there is no longer any spiritual truth nor natural truth serviceable for doctrine and life from the Word with them: "And I beheld, and I heard an angel flying in the midst of heaven," signifies, instruction and prediction from the Lord: "Saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound," signifies, deep lamentation over the damned state of those in the church who in doctrine and life have confirmed themselves in faith separate from charity. THE EXPLANATION. 387. THERE are two kingdoms into which the universal heaven is divided, the CELESTIAL KINGDOM and the SPIRITUAL KINGDOM. The celestial kingdom consists of those who are in love to the Lord and thence in wisdom; and the spiritual kingdom consists of those who are in love towards their neighbor and thence in intelligence; and as love towards our neighbor is at this day called charity, and intelligence, faith, the latter kingdom consists of those who are in charity and thence in faith. Now because heaven is divided into two kingdoms, hell also is divided into two kingdoms that are opposite to them; into a DIABOLICAL KINGDOM and into a SATANICAL KINGDOM. The diabolical kingdom consists of those who are in the love of dominion from self-love, and thence in foolishness; for this love is opposite to celestial love, and its foolishness is opposite to celestial wisdom: but the satanical kingdom consists of those who are in the love of dominion from the pride of self-derived intelligence, and thence in insanity; for this love is opposite to spiritual love, and its insanity is opposite to spiritual intelligence. By foolishness and insanity are meant foolishness and insanity in things celestial and spiritual. The same things which are said of heaven are to be understood of the church on earth, for they make one. Concerning these two kingdoms, see the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 20-28, and many other places. Now as the Apocalypse treats only of the state of the church at its end, as was observed in the preface, and at n. 2, therefore what now follows treats of those who are in the two kingdoms of heaven, and of those who are in the two kingdoms of hell, and of their quality; from this chapter, viz. viii. to xvi., of those who are in the spiritual kingdom, and in the satanical kingdom opposite to it; in chap. xvii. and xviii., of those who are in the celestial kingdom, and in the diabolical kingdom opposite to it; and afterwards of the last judgment; and, lastly, of the New Church which is the New Jerusalem; this bringing all that goes before to a conclusion, by reason of its constituting the final purpose. In many parts of the Word the devil and satan are mentioned, and by both is meant hell; it is so named, because all in one hell are called devils, and all in the other are called satans. 388. "And when he had opened the seventh seal,” signifies, exploration from the Lord of the state of the church, and thence of the state of life of those who are in his spiritual kingdom, being those who are in charity and its faith; in this case, who are in faith alone. That this is the signification of these words, may appear from all the particulars of this chapter when understood in a spiritual sense; for this chapter and the following to chapter xvi., treat of those who are in the spiritual kingdom, or those who are in love towards their neighbor and thence in intelligence, as was said above, n. 387. But since, at this day, the word charity is used instead of love towards our neighbor, and faith instead of intelligence; and here there is not any exploration of those who are in charity and thence in faith, because these belong to such as are in heaven; therefore exploration is here made of those who are in faith alone. Faith alone is also faith separated from charity, there being no conjunction; see below, n. 417. That to open the seal signifies to explore states of life, or, what is the same thing, the states of the church and thence of life, see above, n. 295, 302, 309, 317, 324. 389. "There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour," signifies, that the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom were greatly amazed, when they saw those, who said they were in faith, in such a state. By silence in heaven, nothing else is meant but amazement there in regard to those who say they are in faith, and are nevertheless in such a state; for their state is described in what follows, the quality of which will be rendered evident by the explanation. By half an hour is signified greatly, because by an hour is signified a full state. That time signifies state, will be seen below. 390. "And I saw the seven angels who stood before God," signifies, the universal spiritual heaven in the presence of the Lord, hearing and doing his commands. By seven angels, is signified the universal heaven, because seven signifies all, or every thing, thence the total, and the universal, n. 10; and by angels, in a supreme sense, is signified the Lord, and, in a relative sense, heaven, n. 5, 66, 342, 344; here, the spiritual heaven, as may appear from what was said above, n. 387, 388. That to stand before God signifies to hear and do his commands, see above, n. 366. 391. "And to them were given seven trumpets," signifies, the exploration and discovery of the state of the church, and thence of the life of those who are in faith alone. Here, by trumpets the same thing is signified as by sounding, because they sounded with them, and by sounding with trumpets is signified to call together upon solemn occasions, which were various; in this case, for the purpose of exploring and discovering the quality of those who are in faith alone, thus the quality of those who are at this day of the reformed churches. It should be observed, that the church in the reformed world is at this day divided into three, from the three leaders, Luther, Calvin, and Melanchthon, and that these three churches differ in various things; but in this point, That man is justified by faith without the works of the law, they all agree; which is remarkable." That by sounding with trumpets is signified to call together, will be seen below, n. 397. 66 392. "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer," signifies, spiritual worship, which is performed from the good of charity by the truths of faith. By the altar at which the angel stood, and by the golden censer which he had in his hand, is signified the worship of the Lord from spiritual love, which worship exists from the good of charity by the truths of faith. With the children of Israel there were two altars, one without the tent, and the other within it; the altar without the tent, was called the altar of burnt-offering, because burnt-offerings and sacrifices were offered upon it; the altar within the tent, was called the altar of incense, as also the golden altar. There were two altars, because the worship of the Lord is performed from celestial love |