1. A

Abaddon [Abaddon]. See Destroyer.

Abomination [abominatio]. The evils enumerated in the second table of the Decalogue are called abominations, shown n. 891.

Abyss [abyssus]. A description of the pit of the abyss, where they are who have confirmed in themselves faith alone separated from charity, n. 421, 442.

Accuse, to [accusare]. Accuser and to accuse, when spoken of the devil, signifies to bring forth various things out of man, and to condemn, n. 554.

Adore, to [adorare]. To adore signifies to acknowledge as holy or sacred, n. 579, 580, 588, 630. When spoken with respect to the Lord, it signifies to acknowledge him as the God of heaven and earth, and to adore him, n. 630.

Adultery [adulterium]. To commit adultery and whoredom signifies to adulterate and to falsify the goods and truths of the Word, illustrated and shown n. 134. The reason is, because in the Word and in every part thereof there is a marriage of the Lord and the church, also a marriage of good and truth, which constitutes the church; concerning which, n. 134, 359, 380, 812, 816, 881, 955. See Marriage and Bridegroom. That by the great harlot of Babylon is signified the adulteration and profanation of the Word, n. 719. See Papists.

Afar off [longinquum]. Afar off signifies remoteness of state, that is, removed from such things as constitute states of good and truth, and thence appertain to the church, illustrated and shown n. 769. The contrary is signified by near, n. 947. See At hand. To stand afar off, and to lament over damnation signifies to be in a state remote from damnation and in fear, n. 769,783, 787.

Affection [affectio]. See Love.

Affliction [afflictio]. Affliction signifies the state of the church infested by evils and falsities, shown n. 33. It also signifies temptations, n. 377. Affliction is predicated of falsities, n. 95,137.

After [post]. To walk after another signifies to obey, shown n. 578.

Air [aer]. What is signified by air, see n. 708.

Alas [vae]. See Woe.

Allelujah [alleluia]. It signifies praise ye God; it was an expression of thanksgiving, confession, and celebration of the Lord from joy of heart, shown n. 803, 807, 808. See To praise.

Altar [altare]. In the church amongst the children of Israel there were two altars, one for burnt offerings, the other for incense; and by the altar for burnt offerings is represented, and thence signified worship from celestial love, and by the altar for incense, worship from spiritual love illustrated and shown n. 392, 649. See Sacrifice and Incense. The altar for burnt offerings also signifies the celestial kingdom of the Lord, n. 649. Fire was continually burning upon the altar of burnt offering, and that hence fire was taken in the censer, and offered with incense, shown n. 395. That fire signifies the Divine celestial love, n. 395. See Fire.

Amen [amen]. Amen signifies confirmation from the truth, and since the Lord is truth itself, it signifies confirmation from the Lord, shown n. 23, 61, 199, 292, and it also signifies consent of all, n. 375.

Amphitheater [amphitheatrum]. Concerning the amphitheater where the dragons held their diversions, illustrated n. 655. Concerning their diversions there, see Faith.

Angel [angelus]. By angel, in the highest sense, is meant the Lord, in a respective sense, heaven, also a heavenly society, and likewise Divine truth, n. 647, 910. By angel, in the highest sense, is meant the Lord, illustrated and shown n. 5, 258, 344, 465, 647, 910, also by the seven angels, n. 657. By angel and angels are signified heaven because heaven is heaven from the Lord, n. 5, 342, 910. By Michael and Gabriel are not meant any archangel but societies of heaven and ministries therein, by Michael are meant societies of angels, whose special ministry is to teach, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that God the Father and he are one; and by Gabriel are meant societies of angels, wherein is taught, that Jehovah came into the world, and that his human is the son of God, n. 77, 548, 564. Angel signifies Divine truth n. 900, 910. Concerning the angels of the third heaven, n. 120, and in the following. An angel does not speak with man out of heaven, but the Lord through heaven; but when an angel is to talk with man, he is sent out of heaven, and talks with man from the Lord, n. 816 See Heaven. The angels are not superior men, but their equals; the reason why they excel men in wisdom is because they are in spiritual light, but men in natural light 818. Angels and spirits know nothing of man, with whom they do not speak; the reason is because they are consociated by correspondences, n. 943. Angels are consociated with men, but the Lord only is conjoined with them n. 818, 946. Angels are not to be invoked, much less worshiped, but only the Lord, n. 818. He is an angel of heaven who receives the Lord in love and faith, n. 344.

Animals [animalia]. See Beasts. Concerning the four animals, see Cherubim.

Anointing, to Anoint [unctio, ungere]. See Oil.

Antipas [Antipas]. The martyr, that is, a confessor of the truth, n. 112.

Apes [simia]. Concerning apes mounted on horses, and seated thereon with their bodies reversed: who they were, and of what nature and quality, illustrated n. 839.

Apocalypse [Apocalypsis]. The Apocalypse treats concerning the last state of the Christian church, afterwards concerning the last judgment, and lastly concerning the new church, which is the new Jerusalem, and not concerning the empires or kingdoms of the world, Preface, and n. 2, 227, 387, 483, 543. In series it treats of the falsities in the church, inasmuch as the truths of the new church cannot be received before those falsities are discovered and removed, n. 700. The Apocalypse was manifested to John by the Lord, and it is now opened by him, preface, and n. 953, 954, 957. Nothing shall be added or taken away from what is written in Revelation signifies that nothing shall be added or taken away from the truths of the new church which contain prophecies, and are now revealed, illustrated n. 957–959. The last words in Revelation are the words of betrothal between the Lord and the church to marriage, n. 960.

Apostles [apostoli]. By the disciples of the Lord are meant those who are taught and instructed in the goods and truths of the church, n. 79. By apostles are meant those who teach the goods and truths of the church, and the twelve apostles of the Lord consequently represent and thence in the Word signify the church as to all the goods and truths thereof, n. 5, 233, 790, 903, 915. What is signified by Peter, James, and John, n. 5. The same is signified by the apostles sitting on twelve thrones, and judging the twelve tribes of Israel, n. 233, 798. The apostles are called holy, because they represent holy things, n. 790.

Ark [arca]. See Decalogue.

Armageddon [Armageddon]. Armageddon signifies the love of honor, dominion, and preeminence, shown n. 707. To gather together to war, in Armageddon signifies a state of combat from falsities against truths, and a desire of destroying the new church, arising from a love of dominion or power and preeminence, n. 707, illustrated n. 839. Concerning the combat in Armageddon with respect to the understanding of the Lord’s prayer in its beginning, illustrated n. 839. See Prayer.

Arms [arma]. Arms signifies such things as belong to spiritual war, shown n. 436. See War. Breast plates signify argument, shown n. 436, 450.

Army or Host [exercitus]. An army signifies those who are in Divine goods and truths, and thence abstractly goods and truths, and in the opposite sense, those who are in evils and falsities, and thence abstractly evils and falsities, illustrated and shown n. 447, 833. Therefore the sun, moon, and the stars, are called hosts or armies, shown n. 447. By sun, moon, and stars, are signified the goods and truths of the church, also its evils and falsities, n. 413. See Sun, Moon, and Stars.

Artificer [artifex]. An artificer signifies a man who is intelligent, and who from understanding thinks truths, and, in the opposite sense, who from self-derived intelligence thinks falsities, illustrated and shown n. 793. Every kind of device in the world corresponds with such things as belong to angelic wisdom, illustrated n. 793.

Asher [Ascher]. Asher in the highest sense signifies eternity, in the spiritual sense, eternal happiness, in the natural sense, the affection of good and truth, also the love of being useful, which is called mutual love, shown n. 353.

Asia [Asia]. Asia signifies those who are in the light of truth from the Word, illustrated n. 11. Concerning Great Tartary in Asia, n. 11. See Tartary.

Assyria or Ashur [Assyria]. It signifies the rational faculty of the church, illustrated n. 444. See Euphrates.

At Hand, Near, Nearness [prope, propinquum]. At hand and near signifies nearness of state, also that it is absolutely necessary, illustrated n. 947. See also Afar Off, and Shortly.

Atmospheres [atmospherae]. In the spiritual world there are atmospheres like ether, air, and water, in which the angels of the three heavens dwell, and those atmospheres are spiritual, n. 238, 878.

Axe [securis]. An axe signifies the falsity from one’s own intelligence, illustrated and shown n. 847.

787. 18:18 "Stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What other city may be compared to this great city?'" This symbolizes their mourning in a state apart over the damnation of the Roman Catholic religion, which they believed to be preeminent over every other religion in the world.

The merchants' standing at a distance symbolizes a time when they were as yet in a state apart from a state of damnation, and yet were afraid of being punished (nos. 769, 783). Their crying out symbolizes their mourning. The smoke of the city's burning symbolizes a state of damnation because of its adulteration and profanation of the Word (nos. 766, 767). Their saying, "What other city may be compared to this great city," means symbolically that they believed that religion to be preeminent over every other religion in the world. That great city symbolizes the Roman Catholic religion, here as a number of times above.

Everyone knows that Roman Catholics believe their religion to be preeminent over every other religion, and that their church is the mother, queen and mistress of them all. Everyone knows, too, that their believing so is continually instilled in them by canons and monks, and people attentive to it know also that the canons and monks are moved to do this by a fire to achieve dominion and material gain. And yet because of the power of their domination Roman Catholics cannot separate themselves from all the external practices of that religion; but they can nevertheless separate themselves from its internal constituents, since everyone's will and intellect, and so affection and thought, have been left, and continue to be left, in complete freedom.

342. CHAPTER 7

1. After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.

2. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,

3. saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

4. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of Israel:

5. of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;

6. of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;

7. of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;

8. of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

9. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

10. and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

11. And all the angels stood around the throne, with the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

12. saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

13. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"

14. And I said to him, "Lord, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

15. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.

16. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; neither shall the sun strike them, nor any heat;

17. for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING

The Contents of the Whole Chapter

This chapter describes people who are and who will be in the Christian heaven. It describes first their separation from evil people (verses 1-3); after that, those of them who are impelled by love toward the Lord and so by wisdom, of whom the higher heavens consist (verses 4-8); and those who are impelled by charity from the Lord and its accompanying faith because they fought against evils, of whom the lower heavens consist (verses 9-17).

The Contents of the Individual Verses:

THE EXPOSITION

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. (7:1) This symbolizes the whole of heaven now in an effort to execute the Last Judgment on the people who were in the world of spirits.

There follows now much concerning the state of the spiritual world just before the Last Judgment, which no one could know without its being revealed by the Lord. And because I have been given to see how the Last Judgment was executed, including the transformations which preceded it and the dispositions following it, I can relate therefore the symbolic meaning of everything in this chapter and in the chapters that follow.

[2] The four angels here symbolize the whole of heaven. The four corners of the earth symbolize the entire world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell. For the Last Judgment was executed on people who were in the world of spirits, and not on anyone in heaven, nor on anyone in hell.

Angels symbolize heaven because an angel in the highest sense means the Lord in respect to His Divine humanity (no. 344), and as heaven is heaven owing to the Lord, angels symbolize heaven as well.

[3] The four angels here symbolize the whole of heaven because they were seen standing at the four corners of the earth, and the four corners symbolize the four quarters of the compass.

They symbolize that the whole of heaven was now in an effort to execute the Last Judgment for the reason that when the Last Judgment was at hand, the Lord caused the heavens to draw closer over the world of spirits, and the closeness of the heavens produced such a change in the state of the inner constituents of the people's minds below that they saw nothing but terrors before their eyes.

[4] That corners symbolize quarters of the compass, and thus the four quarters all points, can be seen from the following passages:

You shall measure, outside the city, the corner toward the east..., the corner toward the south..., the corner toward the west..., and the corner toward the north... (Numbers 35:5)

You shall make the boards for the Tabernacle, ...for the south corner..., and for... the north corner... (Exodus 26:18, 20, 23)

And... the court..., for the south corner..., for the north corner..., for the west corner..., and... for the east corner... (Exodus 27:9, 11-13)

[5] The four quarters are also called four corners often in Ezekiel, as in Ezekiel 47:18-20, and 48.

Since corners symbolize the quarters of the compass, they also therefore symbolize everything, such as everything in heaven or in hell, or everything pertaining to goodness or to truth, as is apparent from the following:

(Satan) will go out to lead astray the nations which are at the four corners of the earth... (Revelation 20:8)

I will cut off nations, (and) their corners will be devastated. (Zephaniah 3:6)

...(Israel) gathered together as one man... And the corners of all the people stationed themselves... (Judges 20:1-2)

A scepter shall rise out of Israel, and crush the corners of Moab... (Numbers 24:17)

A day of trumpet and alarm... upon the high corners. (Zephaniah 1:16)

I will cast them into the ends of the corners. (Deuteronomy 32:26)

[6] That a corner symbolizes the lowest component supporting higher ones, as a foundation does a house, and so symbolizes also everything, is apparent from the following:

(He) will lay in Zion a corner stone..., the price of the laying of a foundation. (Isaiah 28:16)

They shall not take from it a stone for a corner... (Jeremiah 51:26)

From (Judah) shall come the corner stone... (Zechariah 10:4)

The stone which (they) rejected has become the corner stone. (Psalms 118:22, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17-18)