919. Verse 19. And the angel cast his sickle into the earth and gathered the vineyard of the earth, signifies that this was done. This is evident from what has been just said in the preceding article. That a "vineyard" signifies the spiritual church is evident from the passages in the Word where "vineyard" is mentioned (as in Isaiah 1:8, 3:14; 5:1-10; 16:10; 36:17; 37:30; 65:21; Jeremiah 12:10; 32:15; 35:7, 9; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:26; Hosea 2:15; Amos 4:9; 5:11, 17; 9:14; Micah 1:6; Zephaniah 1:13; 1 Samuel 8:14, 15; Psalms 107:37; Matthew 20:1-8; 21:28, 38-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 13:6, 7; 20:9-16).

And concerning a "vine" see John 15:1-12; as well as in the historical parts of the Word.

From these passages it is clearly evident that a "vineyard" means the church (See also above, n. 376, 403, 638, 918, where many passages in which "vineyard" occurs are explained). From the signification of "vineyard" it can be seen that "to gather the vintage" signifies to collect for uses those things that will be serviceable to the understanding, and which will give intelligence and wisdom; and in the contrary sense it signifies to lay waste the church as to spiritual good, and thus as to the affection of truth and the understanding of truth. In this contrary sense "vintage" and "to gather the vintage" are used in the sense that there are no longer any clusters or grapes remaining; and this signifies in the spiritual sense that all spiritual good, and thus all truth that is truth in itself, is destroyed; and this is especially effected in the church by falsifications of the Word, likewise when evil of life corrupts all good, and falsity of doctrine perverts all truth; this is described also by "spoilers" and by "thieves."

[2] That "gathering the vintage" signifies, for this reason, laying waste, can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

A cry over the wine in the streets; every joy shall be mixed; the gladness of the earth shall be banished. The remnant in the city is a waste, and the gate shall be beaten down even to devastation. For so shall it be in the midst of the land as the beating of an olive-tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is finished (Isaiah 24:11-13).

This describes the mourning over the devastation of the church as to celestial good and as to spiritual good, which in its essence is truth from celestial good. This devastation is compared to "the beating of an olive-tree," and to "the gleanings when the vintage is finished." (But this may be seen explained above, n. 313, 638).

[3] In the same:

Ye confident daughters, perceive My word in your ears; year ¹ upon year shall ye be troubled, ye confident ones, for the vintage is finished, the ingathering shall not come (Isaiah 32:9, 10).

"Confident daughters" signify those in the church who love falsities more than truths. That with such, truths are gradually diminished in every state, is signified by "year ¹ upon year shall ye be troubled." The devastation of all truth until there is nothing left is signified by "the vintage is finished, and the ingathering shall not come."

[4] In Jeremiah:

Upon thy fruits of autumn and upon thy vintage hath the spoiler fallen, therefore gladness and joy are gathered out of Carmel (Jeremiah 48:32, 33).

"Fruits of autumn" signify the goods of the church; "the vintage" signifies its truths; for "bread," which is here meant by the "fruits of autumn," signifies the good of the church, and "wine," which is from the vintage, signifies its truth. "The spoiler" who fell upon them signifies evil and falsity therefrom. That the delight of spiritual and celestial love, which is the very joy of the heart, will perish, is signified by "gladness and joy shall be gathered out of Carmel."

[5] In Micah:

Woe is me, I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first ripe fruit (Micah 7:1).

"As the gleanings of the vintage, there is no cluster to eat," signifies such devastation of the church that there is no longer any good or truth. (The rest may be seen explained in the preceding article.) In Jeremiah:

If the grape-gatherers came to thee they would leave no gleanings; if thieves in the night they would destroy sufficiency (Jeremiah 49:9).

In Obadiah:

If thieves came to thee, if destroyers by night, how wouldst thou be cut off? Would they not steal till they had enough? If the grape-gatherers came to thee would they leave any clusters? (Obadiah 1:5).

"Grape-gatherers" signify falsities, and "thieves" evils, which lay waste the truths and goods of the church; but "destroyers" signify both falsities and evils; that "they would leave no clusters" signifies that there are no goods because there are no truths. But "to gather the vintage" signifies to gather for uses such things especially as will be serviceable to the understanding, see in Jeremiah 6:9; Leviticus 19:10, 26:5; Deuteronomy 20:6, 7, 24:21.

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302. Verse 2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, signifies exploration by the influx of the Lord into heaven. This is evident from the signification of a "strong angel," as being heaven (of which presently); also from the signification of "proclaiming with a great voice," as being exploration by the influx of the Lord, namely, exploration whether anyone is able to know the states of life of all in heaven and on the earth in general and in particular, for this is what is here treated of. This is signified by "proclaiming," and the influx of the Lord is signified by "a great voice;" for "voice," in reference to the Lord, signifies every truth of the Word, of doctrine, and of faith from Him; and in reference to heaven and the church, it signifies every thought and affection thence; and since everything true and good that angels in heaven and men in whom the church is, think and are affected by, is from the influx of the Lord, this is what is here signified by "a great voice." For it is well known, that no one from the love of good can be affected by good, and from the love of truth can think truth, of himself, but that this flows in from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and because this is so, "a great voice" signifies the influx of the Lord. (That "voice" in the Word signifies the truth of the Word, of doctrine, and of faith, also everything announced in the Word, see above, n. 261, and Arcana Coelestia 3563, 6971, 8813, 9926; and that it signifies the interior affection of truth and good, and thought therefrom, n. 10454) A "strong angel" signifies heaven because the whole angelic heaven before the Lord is as one man, or as one angel, likewise each society of heaven; therefore by "angel" in the Word an angel is not meant, but an entire angelic society, as by "Michael," "Gabriel," "Raphael." Here, therefore, "a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice" signifies the influx of the Lord into the whole heaven. That it is into the whole heaven is clear from what follows, for it is said, "And no one was able, in heaven nor upon the earth, neither under the earth, to open the book and to look thereon." (That "angels" in the Word mean entire societies of heaven, and in the highest sense the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding, see above, n. 90, 130, 200; and that The Whole Heaven before the Lord is as One Man, or as One Angel, and also every Society of Heaven, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 59-87.)