566. Verse 13. And the sixth angel sounded, signifies influx out of heaven manifesting the state of the church at its end, that it is utterly perverted. This is evident from the signification of "sounding a trumpet" as being influx out of heaven, from which changes are effected in the lower parts, which manifest what the state of the church is (See above, n. 502); here what it is at its end, because it is the "sixth angel" that sounded; for the successive changes of the state of the church are described by the seven angels that sounded trumpets, and here its change near its end is described by the sixth angel sounding, for the end itself, which is when the Last Judgment is at hand, is described by the sounding of the seventh angel; and because at its end the state of the church is utterly perverted, this too is signified by these words.