515. Verses 10, 11. And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star burning as a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of the waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter.

10. "And the third angel sounded," signifies influx out of heaven, and the consequent third change with the evil (n. 516); "and there fell from heaven a great star burning as a lamp," signifies the truth of the Word falsified by self-love n. 517; "and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of the waters," signifies that consequently all the understanding of truth perished, and thereby the doctrine of the church n. 518.

11. "And the name of the star is called Wormwood," signifies truth mixed with the falsity of evil n. 519; "and the third part [of the waters] became wormwood," signifies that every truth became such in the understanding and in doctrine n. 520; "and many men died of the waters," signifies that all who were such were destroyed by the falsities into which the truths of the Word were changed (n. 521); "because they were made bitter," signifies because the truths of the Word were falsified n. 522.

Used several times in the Bible, the phrase “both small and great” (or “both the small and the great”) represents various levels or degrees of involvement in a spiritual state. For instance, when the angels strike men with blindness, “both small and great,” in Genesis 19:11, it means removing all concepts of truth, both general ideas and specifics based on those ideas. When reward is promised to “those who fear Your name, small and great” in Revelation 11:18, it means people who love things having to do with the Lord in a lesser degree and in a greater degree.

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Revealed 527, 604, 810, 832; Arcana Coelestia 2384; The Apocalypse Explained 514 [11])