502. Verse 7 (Revelation 8:7). And the first angel sounded, signifies influx out of heaven, and in consequence the first change. This is evident from the signification of "sounding a trumpet," as being the influx of Divine truth out of heaven; and as the first change resulting therefrom is now described, this also is what is signified. "To sound a trumpet" signifies the influx of Divine truth out of heaven, because when Divine truth flows down out of heaven it is sometimes heard in the spiritual world as the sound of a horn or as the blast of a trumpet, and also to those who stand below there appear as it were angels having trumpets; but these are representations and appearances, such as exist below the heavens, for it is Divine truth descending or flowing down out of heaven towards the lower parts that is thus represented. This is why "to sound a trumpet" signifies the flowing down of Divine truth out of heaven.

[2] When this flowing down is strong it produces one effect with the good and another with the evil. With the good it illustrates the understanding, joins them more closely with heaven, and thence gladdens and vivifies their minds; but with the evil it disturbs the understanding, separates them from heaven, joins them more closely with hell, induces terror in their minds, and finally brings spiritual death. This makes clear that "sounding a trumpet" signifies, in its effect, the revelation and manifestation of Divine truth (See above, n. 55, 262); and in the contrary sense the deprivation of truth and desolation. Since it is here said that the angels sounded seven times, it is necessary to show from the Word what "to sound" signifies, and thence why it is said "the angel sounded."

[3] That "to sound trumpets" and "horns" signifies revelation and manifestation of Divine truth, is evident from the sound of a trumpet that was heard when Jehovah descended upon Mount Sinai and promulgated the Law, which is thus described in Moses:

And it came to pass on the third day when it was becoming morning, that there were voices and lightnings, and a heavy cloud upon the mount (Sinai), and the voice of a horn exceeding strong; and all the people that were in the camp trembled; when Jehovah descended upon it in fire. And the voice of the horn went on and became exceeding strong. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go down, testify to the people lest they break through unto Jehovah to see, and many of them fall (Exodus 19:16-25).

The "Law" that was then promulgated signifies Divine truth; the "voice of a horn" represented its flowing down out of heaven and its manifestation; "the voice of the horn going on and becoming exceeding strong" represented the increase of this influx in approaching the lower parts, for it is said that "the people stood in the lower parts of the mount;" that "the people trembled exceedingly," and were admonished "not to approach nearer to the mountain lest they perish," signifies the effect of the flowing down of Divine truth with such as the sons of Jacob were. That interiorly they were utterly evil is evident from their worship of the calf after a month of days; moreover, if they had not stood afar off they would have perished, consequently they were in terror of death.

[4] "To sound horns" and "trumpets" represented and thus signified Divine truth coming down and flowing in out of heaven, as can be seen from the institution and use of trumpets among the sons of Israel. For it was commanded:

That trumpets should be made of silver, and that the sons of Aaron should sound them for convocations, for journeyings, on days of gladness, on feast days, in the beginnings of months, over sacrifices, for a memorial, and for battle (Numbers 10:1-10).

They were made of silver, because "silver" signifies truth from good, thus Divine truth. (That "silver" has this signification, see Arcana Coelestia 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658.) The "sons of Aaron sounded them," because Aaron himself as chief priest represented the Lord in relation to Divine good, and his sons the Lord in relation to Divine truth (See Arcana Coelestia 9806, 9807, 9966, 10017). They were sounded for convocations and journeyings, because Divine truth is what calls together, gathers together, teaches the way, and leads. They were sounded on days of gladness, at feasts, in the beginnings of months, and over sacrifices, because Divine truth coming down out of heaven produces gladness and the holiness of worship. They were sounded for wars and for battle to signify that with the evil, who are the "enemies" in the Word, Divine truth flowing down out of heaven produces the terror of death, puts to flight, and disperses; in this sense, and because of this effect, it is here said that "the seven angels sounded" in their order.

[5] Because it was commanded that they should sound trumpets for convocations, it is said by the Lord in Malachi:

He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end (Matthew 24:31).

Here "angels with a great sound of a trumpet" signify the Divine truth that is to be revealed when the age is consummated, that is, when the church shall come to an end.

[6] In Isaiah:

In that day a great horn shall sound, and those perishing in the land of Assyria shall come, and the outcasts from the land of Egypt, and shall bow down to Jehovah in the mountain of holiness, at Jerusalem (Isaiah 27:13).

This is said of the Lord's coming; a convocation to the church and salvation by the Lord are signified by "In that day a great horn shall sound, and those perishing in the land of Assyria shall come, and the outcasts from the land of Egypt;" "to sound a horn" signifies Divine truth calling together and saving; "those perishing in the land of Assyria" mean those who are deceived by false reasonings, and "the outcasts from the land of Egypt" those who are deceived by knowledges (scientifica), thus the Gentiles that were in falsities from ignorance of the truth; that these shall worship the Lord from love and in truth is signified by "they shall bow down to Jehovah in the mountain of holiness, at Jerusalem;" "mountain of holiness" signifying the church in respect to the good of love, consequently also the good of love of the church, and "Jerusalem" signifying the church in respect to the truth of doctrine, consequently the truth of doctrine of the church. From this it is evident that "to sound with a horn" signifies Divine truth coming down out of heaven.

[7] Because Divine truth coming down from the Lord through the heavens makes the hearts glad and infuses the holiness of worship, and therefore trumpets were sounded on days of gladness and at the feasts, therefore it is said in David:

Sing unto Jehovah with the harp; with the harp and the voice of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn sound before the King Jehovah (Psalms 98:5, 6).

In Zephaniah:

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout (sound), O Israel; be glad and exult with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem (Zephaniah 3:14).

This is said of the establishment of the church by the Lord; "trumpets," "sound of the horn," and "sounding," signify joy on account of Divine truth coming down out of heaven. In Job:

When the morning stars sang, and all the sons of God shouted [sounded] (Job 38:7).

This is said of the state of the church in its beginning; and "stars" signify the knowledges of truth and good, and "the sons of God" Divine truths; the joy of these, that is, of men because of these, is signified by their "singing and sounding."

[8] In David:

Praise God with the sound of the horn (Psalms 150:3).

In the same:

Blessed is that people who know the trumpet sound; they shall walk, O Jehovah, in the light of Thy face (Psalms 89:15).

"The sound of the horn" signifies Divine truth making the heart glad, therefore it is also said, "in the light of Thy face," which signifies Divine truth. That "the voices of the horn" and "sounds of trumpets" signify Divine truth coming down out of heaven, and terrifying the evil and dispersing them, as here in Revelation "the trumpets" with which the seven angels sounded, is evident in Isaiah:

Jehovah shall go forth as a hero, ¹ He shall stir up zeal like a man of war, He shall shout [sound] and shall cry out, He shall prevail over His enemies (Isaiah 42:13);

"enemies" meaning the evil. In Joel:

Blow ye with the horn in Zion, and sound in the mountain of My holiness; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness and of thick darkness (Joel 2:1, 2).

"The day of Jehovah" is the coming of the Lord, when also the Last Judgment takes place on the evil.

[9] In Zechariah:

Jehovah shall be seen over them, and His arrow shall go forth as lightning; and the Lord Jehovih shall blow the horn, and shall go with the tempests of the south (Zechariah 9:14).

This, too, refers to the Lord's coming, when the evil are to perish; "to blow the horn" signifies to disperse by means of Divine truth; "the arrow shall go forth as lightning" signifies truth dispersing and destroying. "To blow the horn" has the same signification in Jeremiah 51:27; Hosea 5:8-9.

[10] Because the evil, where they are gathered together in the spiritual world, are deprived by the influx of Divine good and Divine truth of the truths and goods they have simulated in externals, and are let into their evils and falsities which they have inwardly cherished, and are thus separated from the good and cast down into the hells, and because when this takes place there are heard by those at a distance as it were horns and trumpets sounding, as has been said above repeatedly, so with the horns of Israel it was on this account commanded that they should sound with the trumpets for battle; and we read that this was done by Phinehas and by Gideon, in their combats against the Midianites and also at the taking of Jericho. It is said of Phinehas in Moses:

That Moses sent twelve thousand men armed, a thousand from each tribe, with the vessels of holiness and the trumpets, in the hand of Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, against Midian; and they slew all the males and their kings (Numbers 31:1-8).

[11] Of Gideon it is said in the book of Judges:

That he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put a horn in the hand of everyone, and empty pitchers and torches in the midst of the pitchers; and he said, When I blow the horn, I and all that are with me, blow ye also the horn about the whole camp. And when they blew the horns Jehovah set the sword of a man against his companion and against the whole camp, and the Midianites fled (Judges 7:16-22).

And of Jericho when it was taken, in Joshua:

It was commanded that seven priests should bear seven jubilee horns before the ark, and should go round the city six days, once each day, and on the seventh day they should go round the city seven times, and blow the horns; and when the people in Jericho heard the voice of the horn and the shoutings of the people, the wall of the city fell down under itself, and the people went up into the city and took it (Joshua 6:1-20).

These things represented the overcoming of the evil in the spiritual world, which is effected by Divine truth out of heaven, which is heard there when it flows down as a horn sounding, as was said above. All the miracles related in the Word were representative and thence significative of things Divine in the heavens; therefore the effect of the sound of horns against enemies on earth was like the effect against the evil in the spiritual world; for in the Word "enemies" represented and thence signified the evil, "the Midianites" those who are in the falsities of evil, and the city "Jericho" here the falsification of the knowledges of truth.

[12] From this the signification can be seen of the following in Jeremiah:

Sound against Babylon round about; she hath given her hand; her foundations are fallen, her walls are torn down (Jeremiah 50:15).

And in Zephaniah:

A day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and of gloominess, a day of the horn and of sounding upon the fenced cities, and upon the high corners (Zephaniah 1:15, 16).

From this it can now be seen what is signified by "the seven angels sounded the trumpets," and that such effects result therefrom as are here described; and thus that "to sound trumpets" signifies influx of Divine truth out of heaven, and the changes thence arising; for this and the following chapters of Revelation treat of the state of the church in the spiritual world before the judgment, and of the dispersion and casting into hell of the evil.

Poznámky pod čarou:

735. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, signifies the combat between those who are for the life of love and charity and for the Divine of the Lord in His Human, against those who are for faith alone and faith separate and are against the Divine of the Lord in His Human. This is evident from the signification of "Michael and his angels," as being those who are for the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and for the life of love and charity (of which presently); also from the signification of "the dragon," as being those who are for faith alone and separated from the life of love and charity, and also against the Divine of the Lord in His Human. That those who are in faith separated from charity, which faith is called faith alone, are meant by "the dragon," has been shown above (n. 714-715, 716).

The same are also against the Divine of the Lord in His Human, that is, against the Divine Human, because most of those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone are merely natural and sensual, and the natural and sensual man separated from the spiritual can have no idea of the Divine in the Human, for they think of the Human of the Lord naturally and sensually, and not at the same time from any spiritual idea; therefore they think of the Lord in the same way as they think of an ordinary man altogether like themselves, and this they also teach; consequently in the idea of their thought they set the Divine of the Lord above His Human, and thus they altogether separate those two, namely the Divine and the Human of the Lord; and this they do although their doctrine, which is the doctrine of Athanasius respecting the Trinity, teaches otherwise, for this teaches that the Divine and Human are a united person, and that the two are one like soul and body. Let any one of them examine himself, and he will perceive that such is their idea respecting the Lord. From this it is clear what is meant by "Michael and his angels" who fought with the dragon, namely, those who acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human and are for the life of love and charity, for they who are such cannot do otherwise than acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord, and for the reason that otherwise they could not be in any love to the Lord nor in any charity towards the neighbor thence, since this charity and love are solely from the Lord's Divine Human, and not from a Divine separated from His Human, nor from the Human separated from His Divine; consequently also after the dragon was cast down into the earth with his angels a voice said out of heaven:

Now is come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ (verse 10).

From this it is clear what is meant by "Michael and his angels."

[2] As to Michael in particular, it is believed from the sense of the letter that he is one of the archangels; but there is no archangel in the heavens. There are, indeed, higher and lower angels, also wiser and less wise; and in the societies of angels there are governors who are set over the rest; but yet there are no archangels in obedience to whom others are held by any authority. There is no such government in the heavens, for no one there acknowledges in heart anyone above himself except the Lord only; this is what is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:

Be not ye called teacher, for one is your Teacher, Christ, but all ye are brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens. Neither be ye called masters, for one is your Master, Christ. He that is greatest among you shall be your minister (Matthew 23:8-11).

But by those angels that are mentioned in the Word, as "Michael" and "Raphael," administrations and functions are meant, and in general, limited and certain departments of the administration and function of all the angels; so here "Michael" means that department of angelic function that has been referred to above, namely, the defense of that part of the doctrine from the Word that teaches that the Lord's Human is Divine, and that man must live a life of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbor that he may receive salvation from the Lord, consequently that department of function is meant that is for fighting against those who separate the Divine from the Human of the Lord, and who separate faith from the life of love and charity, and who even profess charity with the lips but not in the life.

[3] Moreover, in the Word "angels" do not mean angels in the spiritual sense, but Divine truths from the Lord (See above, n. 130, 302), for the reason that angels are not angels from what is their own [proprium], but from the reception of Divine truth from the Lord. It is the same in respect to archangels, who signify that Divine truth, as has been said above. Angels, moreover, in the heavens do not have such names as men on earth have, but they have names expressive of their functions, and in general, to every angel a name is given according to his quality; this is why "name" signifies in the Word the quality of a thing and state. The name Michael means, from its derivation in the Hebrew, "who is like God;" therefore Michael signifies the Lord in relation to that Divine truth that the Lord is God even as to the Human, and that man must live from Him, that is, in love to Him from Him, and in love towards the neighbor. Michael is mentioned also in Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1, and signifies there like as here the genuine truth from the Word, which will be for those who are of the church to be established by the Lord; for "Michael" means those who will favor the doctrine of the New Jerusalem, the two essentials of which doctrine are, that the Human of the Lord is Divine, and that there must be a life of love and charity.

[4] Michael is also mentioned in the Epistle of Jude in these words:

Michael the archangel, when contending with ¹ the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not pronounce a sentence of blasphemy, but said, The Lord rebuke thee (Jude 1:9).

This the apostle Jude quoted from ancient books that were written by correspondences, and by "Moses" in those books the Word was meant, and by his "body" the sense of the letter of the Word; and as the same persons are meant here by "the devil" as are meant in Revelation by "the dragon," which is also called "Satan" and "the devil," it is evident what is signified by "Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses," namely, that such falsified the sense of the letter of the Word; and because the Word in the letter is such that it can be distorted by the evil from its genuine sense, and yet can be received by the good according to its meaning, it was said by the ancients, from whom these words of Jude were quoted, that "Michael durst not pronounce a sentence of blasphemy." (That in the spiritual sense "Moses" signifies the law, thus the Word, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 4859 at the end, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8787, 8805, 9372, 9414, 9419, 9429, 10234, 10563, 10571, 10607, 10614.)

Poznámky pod čarou: