Apocalypse Explained # 531
531. Woe, woe, woe, to those that dwell on the earth, from the remaining voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound, signifies grievous lamentation over the changes of state of the church at its end, on account of the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation. This is evident from the signification of "woe," as being lamentation over the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation; and as "woe" is said three times, grievous lamentation is meant (of which presently); also from the signification of "those that dwell on the earth," as being those who are of the church (the "earth" means the church, as may be seen above, n. 29, 304, 417); also from the signification of "the voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound," as being the changes of state of the church; for "the angels sounding the trumpets" signify changes from influx out of heaven (See above, n. 502). That "three" signifies what is complete even to the end will be seen in the following article. From this it can be seen that "Woe, woe, woe, to those that dwell on the earth, from the voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound," signifies grievous lamentation over the changes of state of the church at its end, on account of the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation.
[2] That "woe" signifies lamentation over calamity, danger, hardship, destruction can be seen from passages in the Word where it occurs; but here it means lamentation over the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation, because this is what is treated of in what follows; and as the aversion from good and truth becomes successively more grievous in the church even to its end, it is said three times, each one standing for the successively increasing grievousness of the evil. This can be seen from the following, where it is said:
The first woe is past; behold there come yet two woes hereafter (Revelation 9:12).
And afterwards:
The second woe is past, behold the third woe cometh quickly (Revelation 11:14).
[3] That "woe" signifies in the Word lamentation over various occurrences, especially over the evils that devastate the church, can be seen from many passages therein. As in Matthew:
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Matthew 23:13, 14, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29).
In Luke:
Woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! (Luke 22:22).
In the same:
Woe unto him through whom occasions for stumbling come! (Luke 17:1).
In Isaiah:
Woe unto them that join house to house! (Isaiah 5:8).
Woe unto them that rise early in the morning that they may follow strong drink! (Isaiah 5:11).
Woe unto them that draw iniquity! (Isaiah 5:18).
Woe unto them that call evil good! (Isaiah 5:20).
Woe unto the wise in their own eyes! (Isaiah 5:21).
Woe unto the mighty in drinking wine! (Isaiah 5:22).
(See in many other passages, as in Isaiah 3:11; 10:1; 17:12; 18:1; 29:1, 29:15; 30:1; 31:1; 33:1; 45:9, 10, etc.; Jeremiah 22:13; Ezekiel 13:3; Revelation 18:16, 19).
Isaiah 17
1
The burden of Damascus: "Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap.
2
The cities of Aroer are forsaken. They will be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
3
The fortress shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria. They will be as the glory of the children of Israel," says Yahweh of Armies.
4
"It will happen in that day that the glory of Jacob will be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh will become lean.
5
It will be like when the harvester gathers the wheat, and his arm reaps the grain. Yes, it will be like when one gleans grain in the valley of Rephaim.
6
Yet gleanings will be left there, like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outermost branches of a fruitful tree," says Yahweh, the God of Israel.
7
In that day, people will look to their Maker, and their eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.
8
They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands; neither shall they respect that which their fingers have made, either the Asherim, or the incense altars.
9
In that day, their strong cities will be like the forsaken places in the woods and on the mountain top, which were forsaken from before the children of Israel; and it will be a desolation.
10
For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not remembered the rock of your strength. Therefore you plant pleasant plants, and set out foreign seedlings.
11
In the day of your planting, you hedge it in. In the morning, you make your seed blossom, but the harvest flees away in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12
Ah, the uproar of many peoples, who roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters!
13
The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters: but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far off, and will be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm.
14
At evening, behold, terror! Before the morning, they are no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us.
