530. And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. This symbolizes the reasonings, disturbances, and falsifications of goodness and truth then in the lower regions.

Lightnings, voices and thunderings symbolize reasonings (no. 396). Earthquakes symbolize changes in the state of the church (no. 331), here disturbances. Great hail symbolizes falsifications of truth and goodness (no. 399).

These things took place in the lower regions where evil people still remained before the Last Judgment was executed on them. For we are told in the preceding verse 18 that "the time to judge the dead" has come, "and to destroy those who are destroying the earth."

Such phenomena occur in the world of spirits owing to the presence and influx of heaven that is above them.

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