528. Verse 13. And I saw, and I heard one angel flying in midheaven, saying with a great voice, 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.

13. "And I saw, and I heard one angel flying in midheaven," signifies the Lord enlightening all in the heavens respecting the state of the church at its end n. 529; "saying with a great voice," signifies manifestation (n. 530); "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, on account of the aversion from good and truth, and consequent damnation (n. 531, 532).

The number "four" in the Bible represents things being linked together or joined. This is partly because four is two times two, and two represents the ultimate linking between our desire to be good and our understanding of truth. We can also see this in the fact that most buildings are rectangular, with the four sides linking together to make a whole. We also divide directions into four -- north, east, south and west -- and talk about the "four corners" of something meaning all of it. So our special thinking naturally looks at four sides as linking together into a whole.

(Referencat: Apocalypse Explained 417; Arcana Coelestia 1686, 9103, 9601, 9767, 9864)