Apocalypse Revealed # 411
411. And many people died from the water, because it was made bitter. This symbolizes the extinction of spiritual life in many people because of the falsification of the Word's truths.
"Many people died" symbolizes the extinction of spiritual life, as a person is called living by virtue of the spiritual life in him, and on the other hand is called dead when his natural life is divorced from spiritual life. "From the water, because it was made bitter," symbolically means, because of the falsification of the Word's truths. That waters are the Word's truths may be seen just above in no. 410. Bitterness symbolizes falsification because the bitterness of wormwood is meant, and wormwood symbolizes hellish falsity (no. 410).
[2] Spiritual life, for a Christian, comes only from the Word's truths, for in them is life. But when the Word's truths have been falsified, and a person interprets them and views them in accordance with falsities connected with his religion, then the spiritual life in him is extinguished. That is because the Word communicates with heaven. Consequently, when a person reads it, the truths in it ascend into heaven, while the falsities to which truths have been attached or joined lead to hell. As a result the person is torn apart, which extinguishes the Word's life. This occurs, however, only in the case of people who use the Word to defend falsities, but not in the case of people who do not defend them.
I have seen people thus torn apart, and I have heard coming from them a noise like that of wood in a fireplace split apart by the fire.
[3] Bitterness symbolizes falsification also in the following passages:
Woe to those who speak good of evil, and evil of good...; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)
They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. (Isaiah 24:9)
Something similar is symbolically meant by the little book eaten, which was sweet in the mouth, but made the stomach bitter (Revelation 10:9-10). And by the following:
They came to Marah, but they could not drink the waters for their bitterness... But Jehovah showed him a piece of wood, which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. (Exodus 15:23-25)
Wood in the Word symbolizes goodness.
Something similar is symbolically meant also by the gourds put into the stew, which caused the company of prophets to cry out, "There is death in the pot!" which Elisha cured by putting in some flour (2 Kings 4:38-41).
Flour symbolizes truth arising from goodness.
Revelation 8
1
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2
I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3
Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.
4
The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.
5
The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it on the earth. There followed thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake.
6
The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7
The first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. One third of the earth was burnt up, and one third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8
The second angel sounded, and something like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea. One third of the sea became blood,
9
and one third of the living creatures which were in the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed.
10
The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of the waters.
11
The name of the star is called "Wormwood." One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
12
The fourth angel sounded, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars; so that one third of them would be darkened, and the day wouldn't shine for one third of it, and the night in the same way.
13
I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe! Woe! Woe for those who dwell on the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!"
