534. Verse 1. And the fifth angel sounded, signifies influx out of heaven manifesting the state of the church, that it was wholly changed. This is evident from the signification of "sounding with a trumpet," as being influx out of heaven, and a change of the state of the church (of which above, n. 502; here that the state of the church was wholly changed, since it was said just above respecting these last three times the angels sounded, "Woe, woe, woe, to those that dwell on the earth, from the remaining voices ¹ of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound." The change described in what now follows is that all truth was destroyed, and that the falsity that took its place opened the hells, from which falsities flow forth.

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