angel
"Angels" in the Bible represent qualities of the Lord himself, or a variety of things that come directly from the Lord. On a lower level...
saw
The symbolic meaning of "seeing" is "understanding," which is obvious enough that it has become part of common language (think about it; you might see...
star
'Stars' signify the knowledge of truth and good. 'Stars' are frequently mentioned in the Word, and always signify goods and truths, but in an opposite...
heaven
"Air" in the Bible represents thought, but in a very general way – more like our capacity to perceive ideas and the way we tend...
key
'Key' denotes power. The key' which opened the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:1, signifies communication and conjunction with the hells by falsities. The truths of...
opened
To open,' as in Revelation 9, signifies communication and conjunction.
the sun and the air
In Revelation 9:2, 'the sun and the air' here signifies the light of truth, because 'the sun' signifies love, and the light coming from it,...
sun and the air
In Revelation 9:2, 'the sun and the air' here signifies the light of truth, because 'the sun' signifies love, and the light coming from it,...
air
"Air" in the Bible represents thought, but in a very general way – more like our capacity to perceive ideas and the way we tend...
power
Power,' as in Revelation 4, signifies salvation, because all divine power regards this as its final purpose. A person is reformed by divine power, and...
scorpions
'A scorpion' signifies deadly persuasion. When a scorpion stings a person, it induces stupor in the limbs, and if he be not cured, it can...
hurt
'To hurt,' as mentioned in Revelation 6:6, signifies violation and profanation. 'To hurt' as mentioned in Revelation 9:4, signifies perverting the truths and goods of...
foreheads
The forehead corresponds to heavenly love. The forehead signifies love both good and evil: because the face is the inmost of man's affections and the...
kill
The Lord is love itself, and that love is the ultimate source of all energy and thus of all life. It follows, then, that the...
tormented
'Torment,' as in Revelation 9:5, signifies induce stupor, or to stupefy the understanding.
torment
'Torment,' as in Revelation 9:5, signifies induce stupor, or to stupefy the understanding.
scorpion
'A scorpion' signifies deadly persuasion. When a scorpion stings a person, it induces stupor in the limbs, and if he be not cured, it can...
seek
The meaning of "to seek" in the Bible is pretty straightforward, but there is a bit of nuance: Swedenborg tells us that in most cases...
die
'To perish,' or 'die,' relates to damnation, or the state in hell.
prepared
In general, when something is "prepared" in the Bible it means that it is in the proper spiritual order, which happens when our hearts and...
iron
'Iron,' in Deuteronomy 8:9, signifies natural or rational truth. Iron' signifies natural truth, and consequently, the natural sense of the Word. At the same time,...
sound of their wings
'The voice of wings,' as in Revelation 9:9, signifies rationalizations, because 'to fly' signifies perceiving and instructing.
stings
The word 'stings' signify falsities of a hurtful nature originating in evil. The word 'stings,' as in Revelation 9:10, signify craftiness and subtleties to persuade...
over
'Upon' or 'over' signifies being within.
Abaddon
Apollyon, or Abaddon in some translations, represents the destruction of spiritual truth and good.
greek
Greeks, as in Joel 3:6, signify the falsities of evil. Also the gentiles who are in falsities.
apollyon
Apollyon, or Abaddon in some translations, represents the destruction of spiritual truth and good.
woe
'Woe' signifies lamentation over evils and falsities which devastate the church.
come
Coming (Gen. 41:14) denotes communication by influx.
sixth
Like most numbers in the Bible, "six" can have various meanings depending on context, but has a couple that are primary. When used in relation...
heard
Thanks to modern science, we now understand that hearing actually happens in the brain, not the ears. The ears collect vibrations in the air and...
voice
'Voice' signifies what is announced from the Word. 'Voice' often refers and is applied to things that cannot have a voice, as in Exodus 4,...
angels
"Angels" in the Bible represent qualities of the Lord himself, or a variety of things that come directly from the Lord. On a lower level...
hour
The Writings tell us that time and space are aspects of the physical world, but do not exist as we know them in the spiritual...
third
The Writings talk about many aspects of life using the philosophical terms "end," "cause" and "effect." The "end" is someone’s goal or purpose, the ultimate...
horsemen
'A horseman' signifies intelligence, or one who is intelligent. 'A horseman,' as mentioned in Revelation 9:16, signifies reasonings concerning faith alone. 'A horseman' can also...
sat
If you think about sitting, it seems fair to say that where you're sitting is more important than that you're sitting. Sitting in a movie...
brimstone
Brimstone (Isa. 34:9, etc.) signifies filthy lusts.
three
The Writings talk about many aspects of life using the philosophical terms "end," "cause" and "effect." The "end" is someone’s goal or purpose, the ultimate...
killed
The Lord is love itself, and that love is the ultimate source of all energy and thus of all life. It follows, then, that the...
plagues
'Plagues' signify evils of love, and falsities of faith. 'The plagues of Egypt' signify the falsities and lust which cause the church to perish. In...
hands
'Washing of the hands' was an ancient declaration of innocence, and signifies purification from evils and falsities, as in Psalms 73:13 and Matthew 27:24.
worship
To adore, in the Word, signifies to acknowledge and believe.
see
The symbolic meaning of "seeing" is "understanding," which is obvious enough that it has become part of common language (think about it; you might see...
hear
Thanks to modern science, we now understand that hearing actually happens in the brain, not the ears. The ears collect vibrations in the air and...
walk
To walk in the Bible represents living, and usually means living according to the true things taught to us by the Lord -- to "walk...
fornication
The fornication of Babylon with the kings of the earth, as in Revelation 18:3, signifies the falsification of the truth of the church.