674. There was a great earthquake.- That this signifies a remarkable change of the state of the interiors in those who are of the church, is evident from the signification of a great earthquake (terrae motus), as denoting a remarkable change of the state of the church; for the earth (terra) signifies the church, motion, change of state, and great, what is remarkable. That an earthquake, in the Word, signifies a change of the state of the church, may be seen above (n.400:2, 499).

[2] That a change of state as to the truths and goods of the church, sprang from causes involved in the preceding verse, is evident; that is, because the two witnesses that had been slain and restored to life ascended by command into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them. It is therefore clear that the cause was the separation of the good from the evil, as shown in preceding articles, where the ascent of the two witnesses has been explained. But these things cannot be made plain to the understanding, until the state of the case in the spiritual world be made known. For the things described in this verse - namely, that there was a great earthquake, that the tenth part of the city fell, and that there were killed in the earthquake names of men seven thousand, also, that the rest became afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven - do take place, and also did take place at the time of the Last Judgment, but in the spiritual world, not in the natural world. For when it is necessary for the good there to be separated from the evil, and the good to be protected from being injured by the evil, then the good are removed from the societies, and the evil left, according to the words of the Lord in Matthew:

"Two shall be in the field, one shall be taken, the other shall be left; two [women] grinding, one shall be taken, the other shall be left" (24:40, 41);

this may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 4334, 4335). When the good are taken away, then in the societies in which the good and evil were intermingled, a remarkable change takes place as to those things which pertain to the church.

[3] But the cause of that change shall be further explained. In the spiritual world there is a communication of all affections, and sometimes of thoughts; and within every society there is a general communication, extending itself from the midst in every direction, even to the boundaries, almost as light spreads from the centre to the circumference. The variations and changes of the affections arising from communication and its extension, spring from an influx of affections from other societies, which are either above or at the sides, also from the new comers who enter the society, and also from the fact of few or many being removed from the society.

[4] The societies upon which the Last Judgment took place, consisted of both the good and the evil, the evil being those who were interiorly, but not outwardly, opposed to the goods of love and the truths of doctrine, for outwardly they could act according to what was right and just, and speak what was pious and true not for the sake of rectitude, justice, piety, and truth, but from habit acquired in the world, for the sake of fame, glory, honour, gain, and various delights of the natural loves; also on account of the laws and their penalties. Such persons therefore, although interiorly evil, were still able to associate with those who were not only outwardly but also interiorly good. When therefore the good were being separated from those who appeared good only in external form, then the external good [of the latter] vanished, and their interior evil became apparent; for they were kept in such external good by communication with those within the same society, who, as said above, were not only outwardly but also interiorly, good. When external good then was removed from the evil, their interiors, which were full of mere evil and filthy things were opened, and consequently their real quality was made manifest. These are the things, therefore, that are specifically meant by the two witnesses ascending by command into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies seeing them; and here, that in that hour there was a great earthquake, that is, that when that state came, a remarkable change took place as to those things which pertain to the church.

3720. 'This is nothing other than the house of God' means the Lord's kingdom as it exists in the ultimate degree of order. This is clear from the meaning of 'the house of God'. In the Word 'the house of God' is referred to in many places, and in the external sense, that is, literally, it means a building where holy worship takes place. But in the internal sense it means the Church, in the more universal sense it means heaven, and in the most universal the Lord's kingdom. In the highest sense however it means the Lord Himself as regards the Divine Human. But in the Word sometimes the expression 'House of God' is used and sometimes 'Temple'. The two are similar in meaning, the difference being that the expression 'House of God' is used when the subject is good but 'temple' when the subject is truth. From this it is evident that 'the House of God' means the Lord's celestial Church, and in the more universal sense the heaven of celestial angels, in the most universal the Lord's celestial kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord as regards Divine Good; whereas 'the Temple' means the Lord's spiritual Church, and in the more universal sense the heaven of spiritual angels, in the most universal the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and in the highest the Lord as regards Divine Truth, see 2048. The reason why 'the House of God' means that which is celestial and the dwelling-place of good, while 'the Temple' means that which is spiritual and the dwelling-place of truth, is that 'a house' in the Word means good, see 710, 2233, 2559, 3128, 3652, and among the most ancient people used to be built of pieces of wood for the reason that 'wood' meant good, 643, 1110, 2784, 2812, whereas 'the Temple' means truth because it was built of stones - 'stones' meaning truths, see 643, 1296, 1298.

[2] These meanings that 'pieces of wood' and 'stones' possess are clear not only from the Word where they are mentioned but also from representatives in the next life. For people who assume that merit lies in good works seem to themselves to be cutting wood, and those who assume that it lies in truths, that is to say, people who have believed that they knew more truths than anybody else and yet have lived wickedly, seem to themselves to be breaking up stones. I have often seen such people wood-cutting or stone-breaking, from which the meaning of 'wood' and of 'stone' was made clear to me - that good is meant by 'wood' and truth by 'stone'. It has in like manner been made clear to me from the fact that when I have seen a wooden house the concept of good has instantly presented itself, and when I have seen a stone house the concept of truth has done so. And I have also learned from angels about this matter. This is why, when in the Word 'the House of God' is mentioned, the concept of good presents itself to angels, the kind of good depending on the nature of the subject that is being dealt with. And when 'the Temple' is mentioned, the concept of truth presents itself, the kind of truth depending on the subject that is being dealt with. From this one may also deduce how deeply and inwardly concealed the heavenly arcana lie in the Word.

[3] The reason 'the House of God' here means the Lord's kingdom as it exists in the ultimate degree of order is that the subject is Jacob who, as often shown already, represents the Lord's Divine Natural. The natural exists in the ultimate degree of order, for the natural encompasses all interior degrees and includes them all together within itself. And since they are included all together within the natural, and so countless things are beheld as a single whole, obscurity exists there compared with other degrees. This obscurity too has been dealt with frequently.