531. Woe, woe, woe, to those that dwell on the earth, from the remaining voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound, signifies grievous lamentation over the changes of state of the church at its end, on account of the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation. This is evident from the signification of "woe," as being lamentation over the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation; and as "woe" is said three times, grievous lamentation is meant (of which presently); also from the signification of "those that dwell on the earth," as being those who are of the church (the "earth" means the church, as may be seen above, n. 29, 304, 417); also from the signification of "the voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound," as being the changes of state of the church; for "the angels sounding the trumpets" signify changes from influx out of heaven (See above, n. 502). That "three" signifies what is complete even to the end will be seen in the following article. From this it can be seen that "Woe, woe, woe, to those that dwell on the earth, from the voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound," signifies grievous lamentation over the changes of state of the church at its end, on account of the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation.

[2] That "woe" signifies lamentation over calamity, danger, hardship, destruction can be seen from passages in the Word where it occurs; but here it means lamentation over the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation, because this is what is treated of in what follows; and as the aversion from good and truth becomes successively more grievous in the church even to its end, it is said three times, each one standing for the successively increasing grievousness of the evil. This can be seen from the following, where it is said:

The first woe is past; behold there come yet two woes hereafter (Revelation 9:12).

And afterwards:

The second woe is past, behold the third woe cometh quickly (Revelation 11:14).

[3] That "woe" signifies in the Word lamentation over various occurrences, especially over the evils that devastate the church, can be seen from many passages therein. As in Matthew:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Matthew 23:13, 14, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29).

In Luke:

Woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! (Luke 22:22).

In the same:

Woe unto him through whom occasions for stumbling come! (Luke 17:1).

In Isaiah:

Woe unto them that join house to house! (Isaiah 5:8).

Woe unto them that rise early in the morning that they may follow strong drink! (Isaiah 5:11).

Woe unto them that draw iniquity! (Isaiah 5:18).

Woe unto them that call evil good! (Isaiah 5:20).

Woe unto the wise in their own eyes! (Isaiah 5:21).

Woe unto the mighty in drinking wine! (Isaiah 5:22).

(See in many other passages, as in Isaiah 3:11; 10:1; 17:12; 18:1; 29:1, 29:15; 30:1; 31:1; 33:1; 45:9, 10, etc.; Jeremiah 22:13; Ezekiel 13:3; Revelation 18:16, 19).

9216. 'In which he may sleep' means resting on them. This is clear from the meaning of 'sleeping' as resting, in this instance on the external and sensory level, meant by 'clothing', 9212; for it says that it is clothing 'in which he may sleep'. How the explanation that more internal things find rest on the sensory level should be understood must be stated. The sensory level is the last and lowest of a person's life, as has been shown above. What is lowest contains all the more internal levels and is general to them all; for they terminate in it and accordingly rest on it. It is like the skin, for example, which is the outermost covering of the body. The body and all things in it terminate in the skin, because it contains them and they accordingly rest on the skin. In a similar way it is like the peritoneum within the body. Because it contains the abdominal organs, these rest on it and are also linked to it all round. Or equally it is like the pleura's relationship to the organs in the chest.

[2] A similar situation exists with all the things that compose a person's actual life, with those for instance that are connected with his understanding and those that are connected with his will. These too follow one another in order from more internal things to relatively external ones. The relatively external ones are factual knowledge together with its delights, while the outermost things are those of the senses, which are in contact with the world through sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. The more internal things rest on them since they terminate in them. These are the matters that are meant in the spiritual sense by 'the covering' or 'the clothing in which he may sleep'. The reason why things on the level of the senses are meant by 'the clothing' or 'the covering' lies in correspondences; for as stated above in 9212, spirits and angels appear dressed in garments in keeping with their truths of faith. Those governed by truths springing from good appear in shining ones, as for instance those at the Lord's tomb did, Luke 24:4; Matthew 28:3, and also in ones of fine, white linen, as for instance those referred to in Revelation 19:14 did; and others appear in garments of various colours.

[3] Furthermore it should be realized that all things without exception proceed in successive stages from their first or inmost level to their terminations on the last and lowest and rest on them. Each thing at a prior or more internal stage in order has its own connection with terminations on the lowest level. Therefore if things on the lowest level are dispelled those on interior levels are also scattered. This also explains why there are three heavens. The inmost or third heaven flows into the middle or second heaven; the middle or second heaven flows into the first or lowest heaven, which in turn flows into and resides with mankind. Consequently the human race constitutes the lowest level of order; in it heaven terminates and on it heaven rests. This being so, the Lord in His Divine [Love and Care] always provides for the presence among the human race of a Church in which truth revealed by God exists; such truth on our planet is the Word. By means of this a continuous link exists between the human race and the heavens. This is why every detail of the Word has within it an internal sense which exists for heaven's benefit and whose nature is such that it joins angels' minds to those of people on earth in so firm a bond that they act as one. All this goes to show yet again the nature of a situation in which interior things rest on those at the lowest level.