677. And the rest became afraid, signifies the disturbance of mind and turning away of those who were to some extent spiritual. This is evident from the signification of "the rest," as being those who had not been merely external and natural, but also to some extent internal and spiritual (of which presently); also from the signification of "to become afraid," as being to be disturbed in mind and to be turned away from those who have been merely natural, and thus in mere falsities and evils.

[2] That "to become afraid" signifies such disturbance and turning away will be seen below. In the first place, let something be said about those who are meant by "the rest that became afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven," as being not merely natural, but also to some extent spiritual. For when from those who are merely natural the truths of good that resided in their externals are taken away, they are not disturbed by the influx of falsities and evils from hell, still less do they turn away; for their proper thought and will, which has been interiorly concealed with them, consists of mere falsities and evils therefrom and of evils and falsities therefrom; and when they are in these they are enraged against truths and goods, and thence are eager to destroy them. This is why the evil, when they are no longer in externals, are not afraid of evils and falsities, or even of hell, for these belong to their love, consequently to the delights of their life. But it is not so with those who are also spiritual; these are disturbed in mind and become afraid when they are infested by evils and falsities, which takes place when they are among the evil; for they fear the loss of their spiritual life, respecting which they are disturbed in mind and are alarmed, and supplicate the Lord for aid, and turn themselves away from the evil.

[3] When societies in the spiritual world are purified, which takes place whenever those who are evil, especially hypocrites, have insinuated themselves into them, and mingled themselves with the good there (the signs of whose presence are an obscuration of the understanding, a loss of the perception of good, a dullness of the affection of truth, and the like), then influx is let in from hell, at which the evil rejoice, but the good are disturbed in mind, and turn themselves away; thus there is a separation, and those who become afraid and turn themselves away are preserved, while the rest are cast out. Thence it is clear why it is that it is said that some "became afraid," and why this signifies the disturbance of mind and turning away of those who are to some extent spiritual.

[4] In the Word "to become afraid," "to be dismayed," and like expressions are often used in reference both to the good and to the evil, and "terror" and "dismay" signify a state of the mind disturbed and changed by an imminent or visible danger to the life; but this is one thing with the good and another with the evil; with the good it is a disturbance of mind and a change of state from imminent and visible danger to the soul, but with the evil it is from imminent and visible danger to the life of the body. This is because the good regard the life of the soul and not so much the life of the body as the chief and final thing, while the evil regard the life of the body and not so much the life of the soul as the chief and final thing; in fact, the evil do not in heart believe in that life, and such as do believe still love only the things that are of the body, such as the appetites and pleasures of various kinds. But with the good the reverse is true.

[5] To make clear that "to become afraid," "to be dismayed," "to dread," and the like, signify to be disturbed in mind from a change of state of the interiors, I will cite some passages from the Word by way of confirmation. In David:

My heart is agitated in the midst of me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me; fear and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath covered me (Psalms 55:4, 5).

This is said of temptations, in which evils and falsities break in from hell and inspire terror in regard to damnation; for as has been said above, the good become afraid and tremble on account of imminent dangers to the soul, thus from the invasion of evils into the thoughts and intentions of the will. Thus there are various disturbances of mind that in particular are signified by "agitation of heart," "terrors of death," "fear," "trembling," and "horror," which are here mentioned according to the order of their succession.

[6] In Isaiah:

The islands came ¹ and feared, the ends of the earth were agitated, they drew near and came (Isaiah 41:5).

This is said of the Lord's coming; and "the islands and ends of the earth" mean the Gentiles that are remote from the truths of the church; and their "fear and agitation" signify disturbances of mind from fear of being destroyed.

[7] In Ezekiel:

All hands are relaxed, and all knees go into waters, whence they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, terror shall cover them, and upon all faces there shall be shame; they shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be an abomination (Ezekiel 7:17-19).

This, too, treats of the Lord's coming, and these things are said of it; the various disturbances of the mind from grief on account of evils and from joy on account of goods are described by various expressions of fear and grief, as that "the hands are relaxed," "the knees go into waters," "terror shall cover them," and "upon all faces shall be shame," which signify not only various disturbances of mind and changes of state of the life, but also turnings from falsities and evils; for the falsities that they will reject are signified by the "silver that they shall cast into the streets," and the evils by "the gold that shall be an abomination;" "all knees shall go into waters" signifies grief on account of the loss of the good of love, and joy that it is now recovered, "knees" signifying the love of good, and "to go into waters" signifying to weep.

[8] The holy tremor that seizes upon, agitates, and convulses the inner parts of the head, when the Divine flows in and fills them is called "fear," "terror," "dread," as can be seen from the following passages. In Luke:

When Zacharias saw the angel he was troubled, and fear fell upon him; the angel therefore said to him, Fear not, Zacharias (Luke 1:12, 13).

Likewise when the virgin Mary saw the angel (Luke 1:29, 30).

When the angel of the Lord stood by the shepherds, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, they were afraid with a great fear; but the angel said to them, Be not afraid; behold, I proclaim unto you good tidings of great joy, which is ² to all the people (Luke 2:9, 10).

When Jesus was transfigured and was seen in glory, it is said that Peter, James, and John feared when they entered into the cloud (Luke 9:34).

And when they heard the voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, they fell upon their faces and feared exceedingly; but Jesus drawing near touched them, saying, Arise, be not afraid (Matthew 17:5-7; Mark 9:6).

When the Lord healed the palsied man, it is said that fear took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen wonderful things today (Luke 5:26).

And when the Lord raised to life the dead young man of Nain, it is said that fear took hold on all, and they praised God (Luke 7:16).

So here in Revelation it is said that "they became afraid, and gave glory to the God of heaven." Furthermore:

When the women entered into the tomb they saw an angel sitting at the right side, clothed in a white robe; and they were terrified (Mark 16:5, 6).

And when the women departed from the tomb they were seized with fear, trembling, and amazement, and at the same time with great joy; and they told no one, for they were afraid; therefore Jesus said to them, Fear not; tell the brethren (Matthew 28:8, 10; Mark 16:8).

The two disciples going to Emmaus said to Jesus, Certain women terrified us (Luke 24:22).

From these passages it can be concluded that "terror" and "alarm" mean in the Word various disturbances of mind arising from the influx of such things as cause amazement, connected also with joy.

[9] Again, "terror" signifies in the spiritual sense terror on account of evils and falsities that are from hell, for these terrify the spiritual man, because they are the opposites of the goods and truths, which the spiritual man loves and the loss of which he fears. In this sense "terror" is mentioned in many passages of the Word. Thus in Isaiah:

About the time of evening behold terror; before the morning it is not (Isaiah 17:14).

"Evening" signifies the last time of the church, when there are mere evils and falsities; these are called "terror" because they are hell. But the "morning" signifies the first time of the church, when there are no evils and falsities, therefore it is said, "before the morning the terror is not."

[10] In Jeremiah:

Fear thou not, my servant Jacob, and be not terrified, O Israel, for behold, I save thee from afar; Jacob shall be tranquil and quiet, none shall make him afraid (Jeremiah 30:9, 10).

And in Zephaniah:

The remnant of Israel shall feed and be at rest, none making them afraid (Zephaniah 3:13).

"Jacob" and "Israel" mean those in the church who are in goods and truths; and "none terrifying and making afraid" signifies that nothing of evil and falsity from hell shall infest them. It is similar in many other passages. But what is signified by "fearing God" in the spiritual sense will be told in the explanation of the eighteenth verse of this chapter.

601. Verse 3. And cried out with a great voice, as a lion roareth, signifies the testification of grievous distress on account of the desolation of Divine truth in the church. This is evident from the signification of "crying out with a great voice," as being the testification of grievous distress (of which presently); and from the signification of "as a lion roareth," as being on account of the desolation of Divine truth in the church; for a "lion" signifies Divine truth in its power (See above, n. 278), and "to roar" signifies the result of distress because of the desolation of truth.

[2] That this is the signification of "crying out with a great voice, as a lion roareth," can be seen from what follows in this chapter, where the desolation of Divine truth in the church is treated of; for "a strong angel coming down out of heaven" means the Lord in relation to the Word, which is Divine truth, of whom it is said afterwards that "the angel lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth unto the ages of the ages, that there shall be time no longer," which signifies that there shall be no longer any understanding of Divine truth, and thence no state of the church.

[3] And afterwards it is said, "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God shall be finished," which signifies the Last Judgment that was to come when there should be no faith in Divine truth because there would be no good of charity. From this it can be seen that "He cried out with a great voice, as a lion roareth," signifies the testification of grievous distress on account of the desolation of Divine truth in the church.

[4] Moreover, a "lion" is often mentioned in the Word; and in the highest sense a "lion" signifies the Lord in relation to Divine truth, likewise heaven and the church in respect to Divine truth from the Lord; and from this a "lion" signifies Divine truth in respect to power (See above, n. 278). This makes evident what "to roar" or "the roaring of a lion" signifies, namely, an ardent affection for defending heaven and the church, and thus for saving the angels of heaven and the men of the church, which is done by destroying the falsities of evil by means of Divine truth and its power; but in the contrary sense "to roar" or "the roaring of a lion" signifies an ardent desire to destroy and devastate the church, which is done by destroying Divine truth by means of the falsities of evil. Such is the signification of a "lion's roaring," because when a lion is hungry and seeks its prey, and also when it is enraged with anger against its enemy, it is its habit to roar.

[5] That this is the signification of "to roar" and "roaring" in the Word can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Thus Jehovah said unto me, Like as the lion, and the young lion roareth over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds goeth out against him, and he is not dismayed at their voice nor affected by their tumult, so shall Jehovah of Hosts come down to wage war upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:4).

Jehovah is compared to a lion roaring, because a "lion" signifies the Lord in relation to Divine truth and its power, and "to roar" signifies the eagerness to defend the church against evils and falsities; therefore it is said, "so shall Jehovah of Hosts come down to wage war upon Mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof," "Mount Zion" meaning the celestial church, and "the hill thereof" (or Jerusalem) the spiritual church; the "prey over which the lion roareth" signifies deliverance from hell.

[6] In Joel:

Jehovah shall roar out of Zion, and shall give forth His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall quake; but Jehovah shall be a shelter for His people, and a stronghold for the sons of Israel (Joel 3:16).

The protection of the faithful by the Lord by means of Divine truth is described by "Jehovah shall roar out of Zion, and shall give forth His voice from Jerusalem;" the vehement power of Divine truth, and consequent terror, are described by "the heavens and the earth shall quake;" and salvation and protection by "Jehovah shall be a shelter for His people, and a stronghold for the sons of Israel;" "the people of Jehovah" and "the sons of Israel" being the faithful who are of the church.

[7] In Hosea:

I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall go after Jehovah; He shall roar like a lion, for He shall roar, and sons from the sea shall draw near with honor, with honor shall they come as the bird out of Egypt and as the dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will make them to dwell upon their houses (Hosea 11:9-11).

"Ephraim" signifies the church in respect to the understanding of truth, concerning which therefore what follows is said. "To go after Jehovah" signifies to worship the Lord and to live from Him; "He shall roar like a lion, for He shall roar," signifies the protection of such by the Divine truth; "the sons from the sea shall draw near with honor," signifies that those who are in natural good shall draw near to the church; "with honor shall they come as a bird out of Egypt," signifies their natural thought from true knowledges [scientifica]; the "bird" meaning thought, and "Egypt" knowledge, which is natural truth; "and as the dove out of the land of Assyria," signifies that they shall have rational good and truth, a "dove" meaning rational good, and "the land of Assyria" the church in respect to rational truth; for in man there are both natural and rational good and truth; the natural is lower or exterior, looking to the world, the rational is higher or interior, conjoining the natural with the spiritual; the natural is meant by "Egypt," the rational by "Assyria," and the spiritual by "Israel." "To make them to dwell upon their houses" signifies life from the will of good and from the understanding of truth; the human mind, which consists of these, is meant by a "house," and "to dwell" signifies to live.

[8] In Amos:

The Lord Jehovih will not do ¹ a word unless He shall reveal His secret unto His servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy? (Amos 3:7, 8).

"The Lord Jehovih will not do a word unless He hath revealed His secret to His servants the prophets" signifies that the Lord opens the interior things of the Word and of doctrine to those who are in truths from good; "to reveal a secret," signifies to enlighten and to open the interior things of the Word; "His servants the prophets" signify those who are in the truths of doctrine and who receive; "the lion hath roared, who will not fear?" signifies a powerful revelation and manifestation of Divine truth; "the Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy?" signifies its reception and manifestation. The Lord is called "Lord Jehovih" when good is treated of.

[9] In Zechariah:

The voice of the howling of the shepherds that their magnificence is devastated; the voice of the roaring of the young lions that the pride of Jordan is devastated (Zechariah 11:3).

"The voice of the howling of the shepherds that their magnificence is devastated" signifies the grief of those who teach, because the good of the church has perished; those are called "shepherds" who teach truth and by truth lead to the good of life, and "magnificence" means the good of the church; "the voice of the roaring of the young lions that the pride of Jordan is devastated" signifies grief, because of the desolation of Divine truth in the church. Those are called "lions" who are in Divine truths; "roaring" signifies grief; "the pride of Jordan, which is devastated," signifies the church in respect to Divine truth which introduces.

[10] In Job:

God roareth with His voice; He thundereth with the voice of His majesty; nor yet doth He overthrow when His voice is heard; God thundereth marvelously with His voice (Job 37:4, 5).

"To roar" and "to thunder with the voice" signify the power and efficacy of Divine truth or the Word.

[11] In the passages that have been cited, "to roar" signifies in a broad sense the ardent affection of protecting heaven and the church, or the angels of heaven and the men of the church, which is done by destroying the falsities of evil by means of Divine truth and its power. But in the contrary sense, "to roar" signifies an eager cupidity for ruining and destroying the church, which is done by destroying Divine truth by means of the falsities of evil. In this sense "to roar" is used in the following passages. In Jeremiah:

Babylon shall become heaps, the abode of dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing. They shall roar together like lions; they shall growl like lions' whelps; when they are heated I will set ² their feasts, and I will make them drunken that they may exult and may sleep the sleep of an age and not awake (Jeremiah 51:37-39).

The destruction of Babylon so that there may be in it no truth or good, is signified by "Babylon shall become heaps, the abode of dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing." "Babylon" signifies those who abuse holy things for the sake of dominion; their eager cupidity for destroying Divine truth by means of the falsities of evil is signified by "they shall roar together like lions, they shall growl like lions' whelps." The eagerness of those who unite in doing this crime is signified by "when they are heated I will set their feasts;" that such will become insane from the falsities of evil is signified by "I will make them drunken that they may exult." That they will never understand anything of truth, and therefore will not see life, is signified by "that they may sleep the sleep of an age and not awake."

[12] In the same:

Is Israel a servant? Is he one born of the house? Why has he become a prey? The young lions roar against him, they give forth their voice, they reduce his land to a waste; his cities are burned, even so that there is no inhabitant (Jeremiah 2:14, 15).

"Is Israel a servant? Is he one born of the house?" signifies the church that had been in truths and goods, but is so no longer. "Israel" signifies the church; a "servant" those who are in truths, and "one born of the house," those who are in goods; "why has he become a prey?" signifies its devastation; "the young lions roar against him, they give forth their voice" signifies the desolation of Divine truth in the church by the falsities of evil; "they reduce his land to a waste" signifies the destruction of the church itself by evils; "his cities are burned even so that there is no inhabitant" signifies the destruction of the doctrinals also of the church by evils, so that there is no good of the church left.

[13] In Ezekiel:

One of the whelps of the lioness grew up, it became a young lion, and it learned to tear the prey; it devoured men. It ravished widows and devastated their cities, and the land was devastated ³ and the fullness thereof by the voice of his roaring (Ezekiel 19:3, 7).

This is said of the Jewish Church, which is here meant by "the mother of lions." A "young lion" signifies the falsity of evil in eagerness to destroy the truth of the church; "to tear the prey" signifies the destruction of the truth and good of the church. "It devoured men, it ravished widows, and devastated cities," signifies the destruction of all the understanding of truth and of good desiring truth, likewise of doctrinals; "men" signifying the understanding of truth, "widows" good desiring truth, and "cities" doctrinals; "the land was laid waste and the fullness thereof by the voice of his roaring" signifies the devastation of the church and the extinction of all truth from the Word by the falsity of evil, "land" meaning the church, "fullness" its truths from the Word, and "the voice of roaring" the falsity of evil destroying.

[14] In Jeremiah:

I call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the land. Therefore say unto them, Jehovah shall roar from on high, and give forth His voice from the abode of His holiness; in roaring He shall roar against their habitations; a tumult cometh even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy against the nations. He shall enter judgment with all flesh, He shall give the wicked to the sword (25 Jeremiah 25:29-31).

The vastation of the church is attributed to Jehovah, although men are the cause of it. "I call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the land" signifies falsity destroying every truth in the universal church. "Jehovah shall roar from on high, and give forth His voice from the abode of His holiness," signifies the testification of grief in heaven on account of the vastation of Divine truth. "In roaring He shall roar against their habitations" signifies great grief and lamentation over all things of the church; "a tumult cometh even to the end of the earth" signifies the disturbance of all things of the church from first to last; "for Jehovah hath a controversy against the nations, He shall enter judgment with all flesh," signifies visitation and judgment upon all who are in evils; "He shall give the wicked to the sword" signifies their destruction by falsities.

[15] In Amos:

Jehovah shall roar from Zion, and give forth His voice from Jerusalem; that the habitations of the shepherds may mourn, and the head of Carmel dry up (Amos 1:2).

"Roaring from Zion" signifies grievous distress, and "the voice from Jerusalem" lamentation; "the mourning of the habitations of the shepherds, and the drying up of the head of Carmel," signifies because of the vastation of all the goods and truths of the church; "the habitations of shepherds" signifying all the goods of the church; "the head of Carmel" all its truths, and "mourning" and "drying up" vastation. "The head of Carmel" signifies the truths of the church, because in Carmel there were vineyards, and "wine" signifies the truth of the church.

[16] In Isaiah:

The anger of Jehovah is kindled against His people. He hath lifted up an ensign to the nations from far, and hath hissed to him from the end of the earth. His roaring is like that of a lion, He roareth like young lions; He growleth and seizeth the prey, he shall snatch and none shall deliver, and he growleth against him like the growling of the sea; and if He shall look unto the earth, behold darkness and distress, and the light is darkened in the ruins thereof (5 Isaiah 5:25-30).

Here, too, "the roaring like that of a lion, and like that of young lions," signifies grief and lamentation over the vastation of Divine truth in the church by the falsities of evil. "He seizeth the prey and none shall deliver" signifies the deliverance and salvation of those who are in truths from good. The vastation itself is described by "behold darkness, distress, and the light is darkened in the ruins thereof;" "darkness" meaning falsities; "distress" evil; "the darkening of the light" the disappearance of Divine truth, and "ruins" total overthrow.

[17] In David:

The enemy hath destroyed all things in the sanctuary; the adversaries have roared in the midst of thy feast (Psalms 74:3, 4).

"The enemy" signifies evil from hell; "the sanctuary" the church, and "feast" worship. This makes clear what is signified by these words in series. That roaring signifies grievous lamentation from grief of heart can be seen from these passages. In David:

When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day (Psalms 32:3).

In the same:

I am weakened and crushed exceedingly; I have roared by reason of the roaring of my heart (Psalms 38:8).

And in Job:

My sighing cometh before bread, and my roarings are poured out like the waters (Job 3:24).

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