Water generally represents “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas, then, it follows that a sea represents a huge agglomeration of such natural truths -- usually all of the natural truth a person has, or all the natural truth a church has. Water in the sea mixes freely, and is easily stirred up by winds and currents. This is also true of the concepts we hold about natural things -- they are not all related to each other, and when relationships do exist they usually can change without damaging the concepts themselves. Many of the concepts are easily disputed, and arguments can arise like waves on the ocean -- generally with little effect other than a mixing of waters. But the sea also offers great bounty. We draw fish from it (spiritual food), float ships (doctrinal systems) on it, bathe in it (using true concepts to purify ourselves), and the water that evaporates from it and falls as rain (purer forms of truth that can attach to desires for good) makes life possible.

525. And the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, signifies that all good of love, all good and truth of faith, and all knowledge of good and truth, perished. This is evident from the signification of "the third part," as being all (See above, n. 506); from the signification of the "sun," as being the good of love from the Lord; from the signification of the "moon," as being the good and truth of faith from the Lord (See above, n. 401); from the signification of "stars," as being the knowledges of good and truth, also from the Lord (See above, n. 72, 402); and from the signification of "to be smitten," in reference to the goods of love and faith, and the knowledges of good and truth, as being to perish. This makes evident that "the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars," signifies that all good of love, all good and truth of faith, and all knowledge of good and truth perished. By "the sun, moon, and stars," are not meant here the sun, moon, and stars that appear before the eyes of men in our solar world, but the sun, moon, and stars that appear before the eyes of angels in the spiritual world; for the Lord appears there as a sun before those who are in the good of love to Him from Him, and as a moon before those who are in the good and truth of faith; and this is why the "sun" signifies the good of love, and the "moon" the good and truth of faith. Evidently it was that sun, that moon, and those stars that appeared to John, since he was in the spirit when he saw them. (That the Lord appears as a sun and as a moon in the angelic heavens may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 116-125.) It is from appearance that these are said to have been smitten, for when the good of love and the good and truth of faith are no longer with man, the appearance to him is that they no longer exist, and that they have perished; and the Word in the sense of the letter is written according to appearances.