752. Woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea.- That this signifies lamentation over those who become merely natural and sensual, is plain from the signification of woe, as denoting lamentation (concerning which see above, n. 531); and from the signification of those that inhabit the earth and the sea, as denoting the merely natural and sensual. For as those who dwell in the heavens signify the spiritual, so those that inhabit the earth and the sea signify the natural and sensual, the natural and sensual mind being beneath the spiritual mind, as the earth and sea are beneath the heavens. And also in the spiritual world the heavens appear on high (in editis), and far off beneath them lands and seas appear; and the spiritual dwell in the heavens, while on the lands far off beneath them dwell the natural; and the sensual dwell in the seas. For every one dwells on high, or deeply beneath (alte et profunde), according as his interiors, which are called the interiors of the mind, are opened or closed. For this reason, heaven and earth, in certain passages of the Word, signify the internal and external church, or the spiritual and natural church; also specifically, the spiritual and natural man, because the church is in man, and therefore the man who is spiritual is a church. Here the earth and the sea signify those who are merely natural and sensual, because the earth here means that earth unto which the dragon was cast, and to which the devil came down, as will be seen in what follows. This is where the merely natural or external man is, for the natural man without the spiritual, or the external man without the internal, is upon land that is damned, under which is hell. For man is born sensual and natural, that is, as it were in hell, because born into evils of every kind, but through regeneration he becomes spiritual, and by that means he is withdrawn from hell and raised up into heaven by the Lord. This is the reason of this lamentation over those who are merely natural and sensual. There is lamentation over them, because those are meant who are in faith separated from charity, thus those who say that they are in faith, although they have no life of faith; and that such become merely natural and sensual has been shown above (n. 714, 739). These are also meant by the dragon and his angels, and by the old serpent, but here those who suffer themselves to be easily led astray by the dragon and his angels are meant. It is these, therefore, of whom it is said, "Woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea." That heaven and earth signify the internal church, which is spiritual, and the external church which is natural, may be seen above (n. 304). That the earth also signifies damnation (n. 742); that seas signify the most exterior things of the life of man, which are called sensual (n. 275, 342, 511); that they also signify the hells (n. 537, 538).

302. (5:2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice. That this signifies exploration from the influx of the Lord into heaven, is evident from the signification of a strong angel, as denoting heaven (concerning which in what follows) and from the signification of proclaiming with a great voice, as denoting exploration from the influx of the Lord, - exploration that is, as to whether any one can know the states of the life of all in heaven and on the earth in general and in particular, for this is the subject here treated of. This exploration is signified by proclaiming, and the influx of the Lord is signified by a great voice. For voice, when said of the Lord, signifies all the truth of the Word, of doctrine and of faith from Him; and when said of heaven and the church, all the thought and affection thence. And because everything true and good, that angels in heaven, and men in whom the church is, think, and by which they are affected, is from the influx of the Lord, therefore this is here signified by a great voice; for it is well known, that no one can be affected with good from the love of good, and think truth from the love of truth, of himself, but that it flows in from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and because this is the case, by a great voice is signified the influx of the Lord; that voice in the Word signifies the truth of the Word, of doctrine and of faith, as well as everything announced from the Word, may be seen above, n. 261, and in the Arcana Coelestia 3563, 6971, 8813, 9926; and that it signifies the interior affection of truth and good, and the thought thence, n. 10454. The reason why a strong angel signifies heaven, is, because the whole angelic heaven before the Lord is as one man, or as one angel; in like manner each society of heaven; therefore by an angel in the Word is not meant an angel, but an entire angelic society, as by Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Here, therefore, by a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, is signified the influx of the Lord into the whole heaven; that it is into the whole heaven, is also evident from what follows, for it is said, "And no one in heaven neither upon the earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon." (That by the angels in the Word are meant entire societies of heaven, and, in the highest sense, the Lord as to the proceeding Divine truth, may be seen above, n.90, 130, 200; and that all heaven before the Lord is as one man, or as one angel, and also every society of heaven, in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 59-87.)