The term "world" has both general and more specific meanings in the Bible, including the relatively literal sense of the natural, physical world. In more spiritual terms it represents all the good affections and true ideas that make up the church (the "church" being the society of people who acknowledge and follow the Lord). And in more specific cases - especially when used together with "earth" - it represents the affections for good that exist in the church.

(Reference: Apocalypse Explained 807, The Apocalypse Explained 741 [5-27])