10439. And to consume them from upon the faces of the earth. That this signifies that those who are of the church will perish, is evident from the signification of “consuming” as being to destroy, but when it is said of Jehovah, who does not destroy anyone, it denotes to perish by their own evil (as above); and from the signification of “the earth,” as being the church (see the places cited in n. 9325, 10373).