421. Verses 2, 3. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun," signifies the Divine Love going forth from the Lord; "having the seal of the living God," signifies the Divine Will; "and he cried with a great voice," signifies Divine command: "to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea," signifies that influx was not permitted so far as to become powerful; "saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees," signifies lest the good perish everywhere with the evil; "till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads," signifies that they who are in truths from good must be first separated.

402. Verse 13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth. That this signifies that the knowledges of good and truth have perished, is plain from the signification of stars, as denoting the knowledges of good and truth (concerning which see above, n. 72); and from the signification of falling unto the earth, as denoting to perish; for when the stars fall to the earth, they perish. The same is signified by, the stars shall fall from heaven, in Matthew 24:29 and in Mark 13:25. Any one may see that by the stars are not meant stars, for these cannot fall from heaven, as they are fixed or stand in their place; neither could they fall to the earth, because they are larger than the earth; therefore such things as pertain to the light of heaven, and give light, which are the knowledges of good and truth, are signified by them. Stars appear also in the angelic heaven, but they are appearances from the knowledges of good and truth, therefore they appear around those who are in those knowledges, especially when they turn them over in the mind, and are in the desire of knowing them.