503. And there followed hail and fire mingled with blood.- That this signifies infernal falsity and evil destroying, intermingled with the truths and goods of the Word to which violence was done, is evident from the signification of hail, as denoting infernal falsity destroying, concerning which more will be said presently; and from the signification of fire, as denoting infernal evil destroying, concerning which also we shall speak presently; and from the signification of blood, as denoting the Divine Truth, in the present case, the Divine Truth to which violence was done, consequently, Divine Truth falsified, for it is said, "hail and fire mingled with blood."

[2] That blood signifies Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord and received by man, and the opposite sense its destruction by the falsities of evil, and thus violence done to it may be seen above (n. 329). That hail and fire signify infernal falsities and evil destroying, is also a result of appearances in the spiritual world. When the Divine Truth flows down there out of heaven, and flows into the sphere where those are who are in falsities from evil and who desire to destroy the truths and goods of the church, then as it were a raining down of hail and fire appears to those who stand afar off; as it were a raining down of hail, as a result of their falsities, and of fire, as a result of their evils. The reason of this appearance is, that the Divine Truth, when it flows into the sphere where evils and falsities are, is changed into what is similar to that sphere. For all influx is changed in the recipient subject according to the quality thereof, just as the light of the sun when it flows into dark objects, and the heat of the sun when it flows into putrid things. The case is similar with the Divine Truth, which is the light of heaven, and with the Divine Good, which is the heat of heaven, when they flow into evil subjects, which are those spirits who are in falsities from evil. This is the reason of that appearance. It is from this fact that hail and fire have such significations in the Word; for the sense of the letter of the Word as to the greater part of it is from appearances in the spiritual world.

[3] That hail signifies infernal falsity destroying the truth of the church, is clear from other places in the Word, where the destruction of truth is described by hail as in Egypt, when Pharaoh would not let the people of Israel go, concerning which it is thus written:

Moses told Pharaoh that it should rain a very grievous hail, such as had not been in Egypt. "And the hail shall be upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod towards heaven; and Jehovah sent thunder and hail, and the fire walked to the earth; and Jehovah rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and at the same fire walking in the midst of the hail, very grievous. And the hail smote all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail. And the flax and barley were smitten; for the barley was a ripening ear, and the flax a stalk. But the wheat and the rye were not smitten; for they were hidden" (Exodus 9:18-32).

Similar things are signified by the hail in Egypt as by the hail here mentioned in the Revelation; therefore several things of a similar kind are said concerning it; as that the hail and the fire walked together, that the herb of the field was smitten, and the trees broken. The reason why several things of a similar kind are here related is, that the signification of the plagues of Egypt is similar to that of the plagues in the Apocalypse which took place when the seven angels sounded. For the Egyptians signified merely natural men, the sons of Israel spiritual men, and the plagues of Egypt, the changes which precede a last judgment, just as here in the Apocalypse. For the drowning of Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the Sea Suph [or Red Sea] represented a last judgment, and condemnation; therefore hail and fire here also signify falsities and evils destroying the church. But these things are more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia 7553-7619).

[4] The signification also of hail and hot thunderbolts, mentioned in David, is similar:

"He destroyed their vine with hail, and their sycamore trees with great hailstones. He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to burning coals. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, the sending of evil angels" (Psalm 78:47-59).

Because hail signifies falsity destroying the truths of the church, it is therefore said, "He destroyed their vine with hail, and their sycamore trees with great hailstones;" for vine signifies the spiritual truth of the church, and a sycamore its natural truth; and because burning coals, or fire, signify the love of evil, and its eagerness to destroy the goods of the church, it is therefore said, "he gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to burning coals." Cattle and flocks signify evil affections or inordinate desires which arise from evil love, and burning coals, or fire, the lust and burning desire to destroy; by the sending of evil angels, is signified the falsity of evil from hell.

[5] So again:

"He gave them hail for rain; flaming fire in their land, and he smote their vine, and their fig tree; and brake the tree of their border" (Psalm 105:32, 33).

These things are also said concerning the hail of Egypt, which signifies infernal falsity destroying the truths of the church. The vine and the fig tree have here a similar signification to the vine and sycamores mentioned above, the vine signifying spiritual truth, and the fig tree, natural truth, each pertaining to the church, and tree signifies the perceptions and cognitions of truth and good.

[6] The signification of hail mentioned in Joshua, when he fought against the five kings of the Amorites, is similar, of which it is said:

"And it came to pass," as the kings "fled before Israel, while they were in the going down to Bethhoron, that Jehovah cast down great stones of hail from heaven upon them unto Azekah; and they were more that died from the hailstones than they whom the sons of Israel slew with the sword" (10:11).

Because the historical parts of the Word are representative, and contain an internal sense, equally as the prophetical parts, therefore this is the case also in regard to what is related of the five kings of the Amorites, and of the battle of the sons of Israel with them. For the nations that were driven out of the land of Canaan signified the evil who were to be cast out of the kingdom of the Lord, and the sons of Israel signify those to whom it is granted to possess the kingdom. The land of Canaan signified heaven and the church, and therefore the kingdom of the Lord; hence the five kings of the Amorites signified those who are in falsities of evil, and desire to destroy the truths of the good of the church. It was for this reason, that they were slain by hailstones from heaven, that is to say, they perished and were destroyed by their own falsities of evil; for the evil themselves perish by their own evils and falsities, by means of which they desire to destroy the truths and goods of the church.

[7] Again, in David:

"At the brightness before him his clouds passed, with hailstones and coals of fire. Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his darts and scattered them and many lightnings and discomfited them" (Psalm 18:12-14).

In these passages, hailstones and fire signify the same things as the hail and fire here in the Apocalypse, that is, falsities and evils destroying the truths and goods of the church.

It is said that such things are from Jehovah, because the Divine Truth descending out of heaven is changed into infernal falsities with the evil, as stated above. Out of this change various appearances arise, such as the flowing down of hail and fire; still these things do not proceed out of heaven from the Lord, but from those who are in falsities of evil, who turn the influx of Divine Truth and Good into the falsity of evil. It has also been granted me to perceive those changes, when the Divine Truth has flowed down out of heaven into some hell. During its course it was successively changed into the falsity of evil, according to the quality of that evil in those [who were there]; just as the heat of the sun, when it falls upon dunghills, and the light of the sun, when it falls upon subjects which turn its rays into dismal colours; or as the light and heat of the sun, in putrid marshy lands, produce noxious herbs which nourish serpents, while in good lands they cause trees and grasses to grow, which nourish men and useful beasts. The cause of such effects in putrid lands is not in the light and heat of the sun, but in the nature of the lands themselves, and yet those effects may be ascribed to the fire and heat of the sun. From these things the source from which hail and fire appear in the spiritual world is evident, and also why it is said that Jehovah causes them to be rained down, when nevertheless nothing comes from Jehovah but what is good. When Jehovah, that is the Lord, causes a powerful influx, it is not for the purpose of destroying the evil, but to rescue and protect the good, for by this means he conjoins the good to himself more closely and interiorly, and therefore they are separated from the evil, and the evil perish. For if the evil were not separated, the good would perish, and the angelic heaven would fall to ruin.

[8] Similar things are signified by hail, and by a tempest of hail, in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and behold, the Lord, strong and mighty, as a tempest of hail, as a destroying storm" (28:1, 2).

Again:

"The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place" (28:17).

Again:

"And Jehovah shall cause the glory of his voice to be heard, and shall cause his arm to see rest, in the indignation of his anger, and in the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering and inundation, and hailstones" (30:30).

And again:

"It shall hail until the forest come down, and the city humble herself with humility" (32:19).

In Ezekiel:

"And I will plead with" Gog "with pestilence and with blood; and I will cause to rain upon him, an overflowing rain, and hailstones, fire, and brimstone" (38:22).

In the Apocalypse,

"Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of the covenant; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail" (11:19).

And in another place:

"And great hail, as it were the weight of a talent, came out of heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great" (16:21).

[9] Therefore those who are in falsities are called hailstones in Ezekiel:

"Say unto them that cover over with untempered [mortar], that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing rain, and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall" (13:11).

Here by them "that cover over with untempered [mortar]," are signified those who confirm falsities in order that they may outwardly appear as truths. They are called hailstones, because they thus destroy truths; and the dispersion of such falsities is signified by the words "there shall be an overflowing rain."

[10] In Job,

"Hast thou entered into the treasuries of the snow? and hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail? which I reserve against the time of battle and of war? Which is the way where the light is spread abroad?" (Job 38:22-24).

Job is being questioned by Jehovah about many things, to see whether he knows them; but these things about which he is questioned signify such things as have reference to heaven and the church. Hast thou entered into the treasuries of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail? signifies, whether he knows whence come the deprivation of truth and the destruction of it by the falsities of evil, which appear in the spiritual world like a fall of snow and hail from heaven. That these appearances are seen when the evil have to be dispersed, is signified by the words, "Which I reserve against the time of battle and of war." It is therefore also said, "Which is the way where the light is spread abroad?" which signifies, by what way is truth insinuated? light denoting truth. Hail signifies the falsity of evil, and a storm of hail, the destruction of truth, because hail in itself is cold, and cannot support the heat of heaven, and cold signifies the deprivation of the good of love; and heat in the angelic heaven, is the good of love. As may be seen in the Heaven and Hell 126-140); also, because stones in the Word, signify truths, and in the opposite sense falsities; and large hail appears to consist as it were of stones cast down from heaven, which destroy the crops and herbs of the field, as well as the smaller animals, just as stones would do; therefore it is also said, hailstones. That stones, in the Word, signify truths, and in the opposite sense falsities, may be seen in the Arcana. Coelestia (n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376).

313. (5:6) And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four animals, and in the midst of the elders. That this signifies in the whole heaven, and specifically in the inmost heavens, is evident from the signification of, in the midst, as denoting the inmost, and hence also the whole, concerning which we shall speak presently; from the signification of throne, as denoting heaven in its whole extent (concerning which see above, n. 253); from the signification of the four animals, as denoting the Lord's Providence and protection, that He should not be approached except by the good of love (concerning which see above, n. 277). And because that guard is especially in the third or inmost heaven, for all who are there are in the good of love to the Lord from the Lord, therefore that heaven is specifically signified by the four animals; this will more clearly appear from the following contents of this chapter; and from the signification of the elders, as denoting those who are in truths from good (concerning, which also see above, n. 270); here, therefore, those who are in the middle or second heaven, because all who are there are in truths from good; for those two heavens, the third and second, are distinguished from each other by this, that those who are in the third heaven, are in love to the Lord; and those who are in the second, in charity towards the neighbour; those who are in charity towards the neighbour are in truths from good; hence it may appear what is specifically signified by the four animals and by the elders.

[2] But in general, by the four animals is signified all Divine good which guards in the whole heaven, and in general by the elders all Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good also in the whole heaven; both guard, because they are united; thus by the four animals and elders together is signified Divine good united to the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and hence the whole angelic heaven, but specifically the two inner heavens. The reason of this is, that the angels are not angels from their proprium, but from the Divine good and the Divine truth which they receive; for the Divine with them, or received by them, causes them to be angels, and causes heaven to be called heaven from them (as may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 2-12, and 51-86).

[3] That the midst, or in the midst, signifies the inmost and thence the whole, is clear from many passages in the Word; but something shall first be said to explain how it is that the midst, because it signifies the inmost, signifies also the whole. This may be illustrated by comparison with light, with the sun, with the arrangement of all in the heavens, and also of all who belong to the church on earth. By comparison with light, thus; The light in the midst propagates itself round about, or from the centre, into the circumferences in every direction; and because it is propagated from the inmost, and fills the spaces around, hence by, "in the midst," is also signified the whole. By comparison with the sun: The sun is in the midst because it is the centre of its universe; and because from it are the heat and light in its world, therefore by the sun in the midst is signified its presence in every direction, or through the whole. By comparison with the arrangement of all in the heavens: There are three heavens, and the inmost of them is the third heaven; this flows into the two lower heavens, and makes them to be one with it by communication, which is effected by influx from the inmost; in every society of the heavens also the inmost is the most perfect; hence these who are round about in that society are in light and intelligence, according to the degree of distance from the inmost (as may be seen in the work concerningHeaven and Hell 43, 50, 189). By comparison with those who are of the church on the earth: The Lord's church is spread through the whole world, but its inmost is where the Lord is known and acknowledged, and where the Word is; from that inmost, light and intelligence are propagated to all who are around and belong to the church, but this propagation of light and intelligence takes place in heaven (concerning which circumstance, see the work concerning Heaven and Hell 308). From these things it is evident that the midst, or in the midst, because it signifies the inmost, signifies also the whole. Hence it is evident what is meant by, "I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four animals, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb," namely, the Lord as to His Divine Human, in the whole heaven, and specifically in the inmost heavens.

[4] The midst also signifies the inmost, and hence the whole, in many passages of the Word, as in the following. In Isaiah:

"Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy [One] of Israel, in the midst of thee" (12:6).

By the inhabitant of Zion is signified the same as by the daughter of Zion, namely, the celestial church, or the church which is in the good of love to the Lord; great is the Holy [One] of Israel in the midst of thee, signifies the Lord, that He is everywhere and throughout the whole there.

[5] In David:

"We have considered thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth" (Psalms 48:9, 10).

By temple is signified the church, which is in truths from good, which is called the spiritual church; in the midst thereof, denotes in the inmost, and thence in the whole thereof; therefore it is said, "According to thy name, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth." "To the ends of the earth," denotes even to the last things of the church, the earth denoting the church.

[6] In the same:

"God is my King of old, working salvations in the midst of the earth" (Psalms 74:12).

Working salvations in the midst of the earth, signifies in every direction.

[7] In the same:

"God standeth in the assembly of God, in the midst of the gods he will Judge" (Psalms 82:1).

The assembly of God, signifies heaven; in the midst of the gods, signifies with all the angels there, thus in the whole heaven; for the angels are called gods from the Divine truth which they receive from the Lord, for God in the Word signifies the Lord as to the Divine truth which proceeds from Him, and which constitutes heaven (as may be seen above, n. 24, 130, 220, 222, 302).

[8] In Moses:

"Behold, I send an angel before thee; beware of his faces, for my name is in the midst of him" (Exodus 23:20,21).

By the angel here, in the highest sense, is meant the Lord; by "My name in the midst of him," is meant that all Divine good and Divine truth are in Him (as may be seen above, n. 102, 135, 224).

[9] In Luke,

Jesus said concerning the last times, "Then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of it go forth out" (21:21).

Here the consummation of the age is treated of, by which is signified the last time of the church when judgment takes place. By Judea is not meant Judea, but the church; and by the mountains are not meant mountains, but the good of love to the Lord; and because these things are said concerning the end of the church, it is evident what is signified by, "Let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of it go forth"; namely, that when judgment takes place, all those of the church who are in the good of love to the Lord will be safe.

[10] In Isaiah:

"In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land; whom Jehovah shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance" (19:24, 25).

By Israel is meant the Spiritual of the church; by Assyria, the Rational of the men thereof, and by Egypt, the knowledges (cognitiones) and scientifics. Hence it is evident what is signified by Israel being the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land; namely, that the Spiritual shall be the everything there, as well the Rational as the Cognitive and Scientific; for when the Spiritual, which is truth from good, is the inmost, then also the Rational, which is thence, is spiritual too, and also the Cognitive and Scientific; for both are formed from the inmost, which is truth from good or the Spiritual.

[11] In Jeremiah:

"My heart is broken in the midst of me, all my bones are shattered" (23:9).

The heart broken in the midst of me, signifies grief from inmost to ultimates, or throughout the whole; therefore it is said, "All my bones are shattered," the bones signifying the ultimates.

In the following passages, also, "in the midst," signifies in the whole, or through the whole.

[12] In Isaiah:

It shall be in the midst of the earth, in the midst of the peoples, as the shaking of an olive tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done" (24:13).

These things are said concerning the church vastated as to good and as to truth, in which there is nothing but evil and falsity. In the midst of the earth, denotes that throughout the whole of the church there is evil; and in the midst of the peoples, denotes that throughout the whole of it there is falsity; therefore it is compared to the shaking of an olive tree, and to the gleanings left when the vintage is done, the olive signifying the good of the church, the vintage the truth thereof, and the shaking and gleaning thereof signifying vastation.

[13] In David:

"They search out perversities; for the midst of man and the heart are deep" (Psalms 64:6).

The midst of man denotes the Intellectual where truth should be, and the heart the Voluntary, where good should be; in the present case, both perverted, the latter into evil, and the former into falsity.

[14] In the same:

"There is nothing sure in the mouth of any one; their midst are destructions" (Psalms 5:9).

In the same:

"They bless with their mouth, but in their midst they curse" (Psalms 62:4).

In the same:

"The saying of prevarication to the impious in the midst of my heart, there is no fear of God before his eyes" (Psalms 36:1).

In Jeremiah:

"They have taught their tongue to speak a lie; it is theirs to dwell in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me" (9:5, 6).

In these passages also, besides others, in the midst, signifies in the whole because in the inmost; for such as is the inmost such is the whole; because from the inmost all other things are produced and derived, as the body is from its soul. The inmost of any thing whatever is also that which is called the soul. For example: the inmost of man is his will and the understanding therefrom, and according to the quality of the will and of the understanding, therefrom, such is the whole man; also, the inmost of man is his love and the faith therefrom, and according to the quality of his love and the faith therefrom, such is the whole man.

[15] That the whole man is such as is his midst or inmost, is also meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:

"The lamp of the body is the eye; if the eye be good, the whole body is light; if the eye be evil, the whole body is dark" (6:22, 23).

By the eye is signified the understanding of man (as may be seen above, n. 37, 152), which, if good, that is, if from truths that are from good, then the whole man is such, which is signified by the whole body being then full of light; but, on the other hand, if the understanding is from the falsities of evil, that the whole man is such, is signified by the whole body being then full of darkness. The eye is called good, but, in the original tongue, it is said, single eye, and single signifies that it is one; and it is one when truth is from good, or the understanding from the will. By the right eye also is signified the understanding of good, and by the left eye the understanding of truth, which, if they make one, constitute the single eye, thus the good eye.