752. Woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea, signifies lamentation over those who become merely natural and sensual. This is evident from the signification of "woe," as being lamentation (of which above, n. 531); also from the signification of "those that inhabit the earth and the sea," as being the merely natural and sensual; for as "those that dwell in the heavens" signify the spiritual, so "those that inhabit the earth and the sea" signify the natural and sensual, for the natural and sensual mind is beneath the spiritual mind, as the earth and sea are beneath the heavens. So also in the spiritual world the heavens appear on high, and far beneath them appear lands and seas; and the spiritual dwell in the heavens, while the natural dwell upon the earths far beneath them, and the sensual in the seas. For everyone has his dwelling place on high or in the deep, as his interiors, which are called interiors of the mind, are opened or closed. For this reason "heaven and earth" in certain passages in the Word signify the church internal and external, or spiritual or natural; also in particular the spiritual and the natural man, since the church is in man, and thence the man who is spiritual is a church. Here "the earth and the sea" signify the merely natural and sensual, because the earth here means the earth into which the dragon was cast out, and unto which the devil came down, as is next said. That is where the merely natural or external man is, since the natural man without the spiritual, or the external man without the internal, is upon the land that is condemned, under which is hell. For man is born sensual and natural, that is, as if in hell, because into evils of every kind; but by regeneration he becomes spiritual, and by it he is drawn out of hell and raised up into heaven by the Lord. This is why this lamentation is over those who are merely natural and sensual. There is lamentation over them because those are meant who are in faith separated from charity, that is, who say that they have faith and yet have no life of faith; and that such become merely natural and sensual has been shown above (n. 714, 739); such also are meant by "the dragon and his angels" and by "the old serpent," but here those are meant who permit themselves to be easily led astray by the dragon and his angels. It is of such, therefore, that it is said, "Woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea." (That "heaven and earth" signify the internal church, which is spiritual, and the external church, which is natural, may be seen above, n. 304. That "the earth" also signifies damnation, n. 742. That "seas" signify the most external things of man's life, which are called sensual, n. 275, 342, 511; that they also signify the hells, n. 537, 538).