697. And to destroy them that are destroying the earth, signifies hell to those who destroy the church. This is evident from the signification of "to destroy," as being, in reference to those that destroy the church, damnation and hell; for as "to give the reward to His servants, the prophets and the saints," signifies salvation and heaven to those who are in truths from good, that is, who constitute the church, so "to destroy" the earth signifies damnation and hell. Also from the signification of the "earth," as meaning the church (of which above, n. 29, 304, 413, 417); therefore "to destroy the earth" signifies to destroy the church. That in the Word the "earth" means the church has been shown frequently above, also in the Arcana Coelestia. There are many reasons why in the Word the "earth" signifies the church; that is, when no land in particular is mentioned, as the land of Egypt, of Edom, of Moab, of Assyria, of Chaldea, of Babylon, and others, the "earth" (or land) means the land of Canaan, and that land, to those who are in spiritual thought, does not suggest the idea of a land which is earthly, not heavenly, but the idea of the quality of the nation there in respect to the church. So again, when the church, or religion, or worship, is in one's thought, and from this lands are mentioned, the land is not thought of, but the quality of the nation of the land in respect to the church, religion, or worship. For this reason when a man in reading the Word mentions a land, the angels, who are spiritual, think of the church; and what the angels think is the spiritual sense of the Word; for the spiritual sense of the Word is for the angels, and also for those men who are spiritual. For the Word in the letter is natural, and yet inwardly or in its bosom it is spiritual; and whenever the natural is withdrawn the spiritual that is within or in its bosom is disclosed.

[2] Moreover, there are lands in the spiritual world, that is, in the world where spirits and angels are, equally as in the natural world where men are, and these lands are altogether alike in external appearance; there are there plains, valleys, mountains, hills, and there are rivers, and seas, and also fields, meadows, forests, gardens, and paradises; and those lands are in appearance beautiful in exact accord with the state of the church with those who dwell upon them, and they undergo changes in accord with the changes of the church with the inhabitants; in a word, there is a full correspondence of the lands there with the reception of the good of love and the truth of faith with those who dwell there. It is for this reason also that "land" in the Word signifies the church, for in that world according to the quality of the land is the quality of the church there, and correspondence is what makes it be so. In that world the land itself makes one with the church, as a correspondent with its own thing to which it corresponds, just as an effect does with its effecting cause, as the eye with its sight, as speech with its understanding, as action with the will, as the expression of the face with the affection of the thought, in a word, as the instrumental with its principal, of which it is said that they make one thing; so in the spiritual world the quality of the land makes one with that of the church. From this it is clear why in the Word "land (or earth)" signifies the church, and "to destroy the earth" signifies here to destroy the church.

[3] So also in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Is this the man that maketh the earth to tremble, that maketh the kingdoms to quake, that made the world a wilderness, and threw down the cities thereof? Thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people (Isaiah 14:16, 17, 20.)

This is said of Lucifer, by whom Babylon is here meant, as is evident from what here precedes and follows; and "the earth that he maketh to tremble and that he destroyed" signifies the church; the "kingdoms that he maketh to quake" signify the churches into which the general church is divided; the "world that he made a wilderness" signifies the church in general; the "cities that he threw down" signify its truths of doctrine; and the "people that he slew" signify the men of the church whose spiritual life he destroyed.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, destroying the whole earth (Jeremiah 51:25).

This, too, is said of Babylon, which is called a destroying mountain, because a "mountain" signifies the love of ruling, here over heaven and earth, which the goods and truths of the church are made to serve as means; therefore "to destroy the whole earth" signifies to destroy the church.

[5] In Daniel:

The fourth beast coming up out of the sea shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down and break it in pieces (Daniel 7:23).

This beast, too, signifies the love of ruling over the whole heaven and the whole earth, which love those have who are of Babylon (See above, n. 316, 556); therefore "to devour," "to tread down," and "to break in pieces the earth," signifies to destroy the church utterly. Who does not see that no beast is to come up out of the sea and devour and tread down and break in pieces the whole earth, but that it is some evil and diabolical love that will do thus to the church? In Moses:

There shall not be anymore a flood to destroy the earth (Genesis 9:11).

Here again "the earth" also signifies the church that was destroyed by the antediluvians, but was not again to be destroyed.

[6] In Isaiah:

Jehovah maketh the earth void and maketh it empty, and He shall overturn the faces thereof. In emptying the earth shall be emptied, and in spoiling it shall be spoiled; the habitable earth shall mourn, shall be confounded; the world shall languish, shall be confounded; the earth itself shall be profaned because they have transgressed the laws, overstepped the statute, made void the covenant of eternity, therefore a malediction shall devour the earth. The floodgates from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth quake; in breaking the earth is broken, in moving the earth is moved, in staggering the earth shall stagger as a drunkard, and it shall be moved to and fro as a balance (Isaiah 24:1, 3-6, 18-20).

Anyone can see that "the earth" here does not mean the earth, but the church. This is said of the church, because the earths (or lands) in the spiritual world, upon which angels and spirits dwell, undergo such changes as are here described according to the changes of state of the church with those who dwell there; they are even moved accordingly. It is said that "Jehovah maketh the earth void and maketh it empty," also that "in emptying it shall be emptied, and in spoiling it shall be spoiled," because the lands there, when the church is laid waste with those who dwell upon them, altogether change their appearance; the paradises, flower gardens, lawns, and the like, with which they before flourished disappear, and things that are unpleasant, such as sandy and rocky places, and plains full of brambles and briars, and like things corresponding to the falsities and evils that have devastated the church, spring up in their place. The devastation of the church in respect to the good of love and charity is signified by "making the earth void," and its desolation in respect to the truths of doctrine and faith is signified by "making it empty and spoiling it," and the change itself by "overturning its faces." "The habitable earth shall mourn, shall be confounded, the world shall languish, shall be confounded, a malediction shall devour the earth," signifies that nothing shall there grow and flourish, but that it shall become barren and filled with useless things, on account of which the earth is said "to mourn, to languish, and to be devoured with a malediction." Because this takes place when those that dwell there have no longer any regard for the holy things of the church, it is said, "because they have transgressed the laws, overstepped the statute, made void the covenant of eternity." Because there the lands are sometimes overflowed, sometimes shaken, and also here and there gape and open towards the hell that lies below and that lifts itself up, and this takes place according to the quality and quantity of the falsities and evils that are loved, and the consequent falsification and denial of the goods and truths of the church, therefore it is said that "the floodgates from on high shall be opened, the foundations of the earth shall quake, the earth shall be broken, and shall stagger like a drunkard," and these things actually take place in the spiritual world, when the state of the church there is changed into a contrary state. From this it can be seen why "the earth" here and elsewhere in the Word, means the church.

821. And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, signifies in consequence of which those in the church who are in falsities and in evils therefrom acknowledge the agreement in heart. This is evident from the signification of "the earth and them that dwell therein," as being those of the church who are in falsities and in evils therefrom; for "the earth" signifies the church that is in truths or that is in falsities, here, that which is in falsities; and "them that dwell therein" signify the goods or the evils of the church, here the evils; therefore as applied to the persons upon it, "the earth and them that dwell therein" signify those in the church who are in falsities and in evils therefrom. (That "the earth" signifies the church in respect to truths and in respect to falsities see above, n. 304, 413, 417, 697, 741, 752; and that "those that dwell" signify the good in the church, and also the evil, and in an abstract sense goods or evils, see above, n. 479) The above is evident also from the signification of "worshiping," as being to acknowledge as certain, to acknowledge in heart, and to believe (See above, n. 790, 805); also from the signification of "the first beast," as being reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from the life (See above, n. 774), here the agreement of reasonings with the sense of the letter of the Word, because this "beast" signifies confirmations therefrom (See also above, n. 815). From this it is clear that the words "the beast coming up out of the earth maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast" signifies that those in the church who are in falsities and in evils therefrom acknowledge the agreement in heart.

[2] In the preceding article it was shown that "Peter" signified truth and faith in both senses, namely, truth from good and truth without good; so also faith from charity and faith without charity. Something shall now be said about the apostle John, as signifying the works of charity. It has been said above that the twelve apostles, like the twelve tribes of Israel, represented the church in the whole complex, or all things of truth and good, or all things of faith and charity; likewise that Peter, James, and John, signified faith, charity, and the works of charity, in their order; from which it follows that when they were together they represented these as one. It is said as one, because without charity there is no faith that is faith; and without works there is no charity that is charity.

[3] Because these three apostles had this signification they followed the Lord more than the others, as can be seen in Mark, where it is said:

Jesus suffered no man to follow Him save Peter, James, and John the brother of James (Mark 5:37).

For this reason Peter was the first to be called by the Lord through Andrew, "Andrew" signifying the obedience of faith; and afterwards James and John were called; and to these two the Lord gave a new name. Likewise He took Peter, James, and John up into the mountain when He was transfigured; He also spoke with these three about the consummation of the age, and about His coming; they were also with the Lord in Gethsemane. That the Lord called James and John after He had called Peter is shown in the Gospels:

Jesus going on from thence saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. And straightway leaving the boat and their father, they followed Him (Matthew 4:21, 22; Mark 1:19, 20).

[4] That the Lord gave a new name to James and John is evident in Mark:

Jesus called James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and them He surnamed Boanerges, which is, sons of thunder (Mark 3:17).

"Sons of thunder" signify truths from celestial good. This is the signification of "thunders" in the Word, because in the spiritual world thunders are also heard, and these are produced by truths that are from celestial good when these are descending from the higher heavens into the lower. The light itself of truth from good is then seen as lightning, the good itself is heard as thunder, and the truths themselves therefrom as variations of sound. This is why lightnings, thunders, and voices, are mentioned here and there in the Word with this signification. Good is there heard as thunder, because good, which is of man's affection or love and is also of his will, is not spoken, but only sounds; while truth, which is of man's understanding and of his thought therefrom, articulates that sound into words. Celestial good is the same thing as the good of love in will and in act; before this it is not celestial good; and celestial good is what produces truths by means of thought and speech therefrom. From this it is clear why James and John were called "sons of thunder." (What "lightnings, thunders, and voices," signify in the Word may be seen above, n. 273, 702, 704)

[5] That the Lord took Peter, James and John up into a mountain when He was transfigured appears in Mark (Mark 9:2 Luke (Luke 9:28). These were taken because only those who are in truths from celestial good are able to see the Lord in His glory; and no others can be enlightened and can perceive the Word in enlightenment. For when the Lord was transfigured before them He represented Divine truth, which is the Word; and this is why Moses and Elijah were seen speaking with Him, "Moses and Elijah" signifying the Word. (But on this see above, n. 594. That the Lord talked with Peter, James, and John, about the consummation of the age and about His coming is evident in Mark (Mark 13:3); and that these three were with the Lord in Gethsemane is evident in Matthew (Matthew 26:37 and in Mark (Mark 14:33).

[6] As John represented the church in respect to good works, and good works contain all things of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbor, John was more loved by the Lord than the others, as is evident:

From his reclining in the Lord's bosom, and his gliding on His breast when he spake with Him (John 13:23, 25).

The "bosom" and the "breast" signify in the Word spiritual love, which is love in act; and "the Lord's bosom and breast" Divine love itself; therefore those in heaven who are in spiritual love are in the province of the breast.

[7] So, too, John took the Lord's mother to his own house, and abode with her; which is described thus in John:

Jesus from the cross saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by; He saith to His mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then He saith to the disciple, Behold thy mother! Therefore from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home (John 19:26, 27).

This signified that the church is where there is charity in act, or where there are good works; for the Lord's "mother" and "woman" signify the church, and "John" signifies charity in act, which is good works. (That "mother" signifies the church may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia (Arcana Coelestia 289), and n. 2691, 2717, 3703, 4257, 5581, 8897; and that "woman" has a similar signification see above n. 555, 707, 721, 730.

[8] That the Lord's church is in those who are in charity in act, or in good works, and not with those who are in faith separated from these, is signified also by what is related about Peter and John, namely:

Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom the Lord loved following, which also leaned upon His breast at supper. Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, but what about this one? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me (John 21:20-22).

It may be seen above (n. 820), where also the preceding words are explained, that "Peter" here signifies truth without good, or faith separated from good works, such as the faith will be at the end of the church; and as "John" signifies the goods of charity, which are called good works, and these are with those who constitute the Lord's church; therefore it was not Peter but John who followed the Lord, and to Peter who had asked, "But what about this one?" the Lord replied, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me," which means that the good of charity will continue with those who are the Lord's, even to the end of the church and when there is the New Church, but not with those who are in faith separated from that good; and this is what is signified by these words to Peter, "what is that to thee?"