398. The first angel sounded. (8:7) This symbolizes an examination and exposure of the state of life and its character in people caught up interiorly in that faith.

To sound a trumpet means, symbolically, to examine and expose (no. 397). The sounding of the first angel means an examination and exposure of the state of the church among people caught up interiorly in that faith, because it produced its effect on the earth, as said next, and the sounding of the second angel produced its effect on the sea; and throughout the book of Revelation, when both earth and sea are mentioned, the whole church is meant - the earth meaning the church composed of people concerned with its internal elements, and the sea meaning the church composed of people concerned with its external ones. For the church is internal and external - internal in the case of the clergy, external in the laity, or internal in the case of people who study its doctrines interiorly and defend them by the Word, and external in the case of people who do not do that.

[2] Both kinds of people are meant by the earth and the sea in the following places in the book of Revelation:

...that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea... (Revelation 7:1)

Do not harm the earth or the sea... (Revelation 7:3)

(The angel coming down from heaven) set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth. (Revelation 10:2, cf. 10:5-6)

I saw a beast rising up out of the sea... and another beast coming up out of the earth... (Revelation 13:1, 11)

Worship (God) who made heaven, the earth, and the sea... (Revelation 14:7)

(The first angel) poured out his bowl upon the earth... Then the second angel poured out his... on the sea... (Revelation 16:2-3)

Earth and sea symbolize the internal and external church, thus the whole church, because people in the spiritual world who are concerned with the internal elements of the church appear to live on dry land, while people who are concerned with its external elements are seemingly at sea, although the seas are appearances caused by the general truths which they possess.

To be shown that the earth symbolizes the church, see no. 285. And that the world does, too, no. 551.

551. Which leads the whole world astray. This symbolically means that they pervert everything having to do with the church.

To lead astray means, symbolically, to pervert, and the world, like the earth, symbolizes the church (no. 285).

The world does not mean the physical world, but the church in it, in the following passages:

The earth will mourn and be turned upside down; the world will languish and be turned upside down. (Isaiah 24:4)

The lands will learn Your judgments, and the inhabitants of the world Your righteousness. (Isaiah 26:9)

The Maker of the earth by His power, who prepares the world by His wisdom... (Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15)

The foundations of the world were uncovered... at the blast of (Your) breath... (Psalms 18:15)

The earth is Jehovah's and its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. ...He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers. (Psalms 24:1-2)

The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and its fullness, You have founded them. (Psalms 89:11)

...He will make them inherit the throne of glory. For the foundations of the earth are Jehovah's, and He has set the world upon them. (1 Samuel 2:8)

(Babylon,) you have made the world as a wilderness... ...you have destroyed your land and slain your people. (Isaiah 14:17, 20)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 18:3; 26:18; 27:6; 34:1; Nahum 1:5; Psalms 9:8; 77:18; 98:9; Lamentations 4:12; Job 18:18; Matthew 24:14; Luke 21:26; Revelation 16:14.

It should be known, however, that when the world and the earth are mentioned together, the world symbolizes the church in relation to good, and the earth the church in relation to truth.