858. 20:8 And he will go out to lead astray the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for battle. This symbolically means that those meant by the dragon here drew to their side from any land throughout the world of spirits all who lived the life of an external, natural worship only and no internal, spiritual worship, and roused them up against those who worshiped the Lord and lived according to His commandments in the Word.

His going out to lead astray the nations which are at the four corners of the earth means, symbolically, that the people meant by the dragon, described just above in nos. 856 and 857, drew to their side all throughout the world of spirits. To lead astray here means, symbolically, to draw to their side. The nations symbolize both good people and evil (no. 483). The four corners of the earth symbolize the entire spiritual world (no. 342), here people throughout the entire world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and where all first gather after their departure from the earth (see nos. 784, 791). For people who were in hell could not be seen by the dragon, nor those who were in heaven.

Gog and Magog symbolize people who engage in external, natural worship divorced from any internal, spiritual worship, as discussed in the following number. To gather the nations together for battle means, symbolically, to rouse up those meant by the nations against those who worship the Lord and live according to His commandments in the Word, since all who do not worship the Lord and live according to His commandments are evil, and evil people act in concert with the dragon and its followers. The battle means a spiritual battle, which is one of falsity against truth, and of truth against falsity, as may be seen in nos. 500 and 586 above.

Most of the time, falling means a lowering in spiritual state, from one closer to the Lord to one further. But, as with other common verbs, the meaning of "fall" is highly dependent on context in regular language, and in the spiritual sense as well. People fall on their faces in prayer, fall in battle, fall on others to attack them and fall on each other's necks in greeting. Stars fall from the sky, mountains fall on people, cities fall, and even faces fall. There's a lot of falling, in very different circumstances. When people fall on their faces in prayer -- it shows humility, and an acknowledgement of their own low state and need for the Lord's help. When they fall on each other's necks, it means a communication between the two spiritual states. At the other end of the scale, it illustrates complete spiritual destruction in the fall of a city.