389. Verses 9-11. And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Lord, who art holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet a little time until both their fellow-servants and their brethren, that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled.

"And when he had opened the fifth seal," signifies prediction still further; "I saw under the altar," signifies those who were reserved under heaven; "the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held," signifies those who were rejected and concealed on account of the Divine truth and confession of the Lord.

"And they cried with a great voice," signifies the grief of their minds saying, How long, O Lord, who art holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth," signifies sighings to the Lord, who is justice, concerning the judgment and removal of those who persecute and infest them who acknowledge the Lord, and are in the life of charity.

"And white robes were given unto every one," signifies Divine truth from the Lord with them, and protection. "And it was said unto them that they should rest yet a little time," signifies some further duration in that state; "until both their fellow-servants and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled," signifies, until all things were consummated.

4517. 'To the Canaanite and the Perizzite' means those who are governed by good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the Canaanite' here as those who are governed by the good of the Church, and 'the Perizzite' those who are governed by the truth of the Church. Canaanite and Perizzite have these meanings because the Ancient Church continued to exist in that land among those people, as stated just above in 4516. For in that land there were people who belonged to the Most Ancient Church, see 4447, 4454. There were also those who belonged to the Ancient Church, in particular the one called the Hebrew Church, which was why people from the land of Canaan were in general called the Hebrews, Genesis 40:15, and had altars and offered sacrifices, and why after they had become idolaters the command was frequently given for their altars to be destroyed. Therefore so long as the Church or something like the Church remained with them 'the Canaanites' meant the good of the Church and 'the Perizzites' the truth of the Church. But once everything of the Church with these had reached its end 'Canaanite' means evil and 'Perizzite' falsify, 1573, 1574.