. Verse 13. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, signifies a remarkable change of state then took place with them, and they were torn away from heaven and sank down into hell. "In that hour" signifies at the time when they saw "the two witnesses" ascend into heaven, and nevertheless they remained in their falsities as in (n. 514); for "the two witnesses prophesied," that is, taught them (ver. 3), and afterwards were killed, and revived; they also saw them ascend up to heaven, and still did not recede from their falsities, then there became a great earthquake. That a similar thing happened with the Two Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, one concerning the Lord, and the other concerning the Life according to the Commandments of the Decalogue, may in some measure be seen from the Relations after each chapter. Those two doctrines are the two witnesses here treated of By "an earthquake" is signified a change of state (n. 331), here their destruction, because in it "a tenth part of the city fell"; by "a tenth part" is signified all there, for "ten" signifies much and all (n. 101); in like manner, "the tenth part," or "a tenth," as "the fourth part," or "a fourth," signifies the same as "four" (n. 322); and "the third part" or "a third" the same as "three" (n. 400). By "falling" is signified to sink down into hell, which takes place when they are torn away from heaven; for the cities in the world of spirits which are in evils and falsities, after they that dwell therein are visited, informed and warned, and still remain in their evils and falsities, are shaken with an earthquake, by which a gulf is opened, into which they sink down, and then their inhabitants appear to themselves to be at the bottom, as it were, in a desert, whence they are severally removed to their places in hell. That it was so done to this city, will be seen below (n. 531).
. And in the earthquake were killed the names of men seven thousand, signifies that in that state all they who were in the confession of faith alone, and therefore made no account of works of charity, perished. By "being killed" is signified here, as before, to be killed spiritually, which is to perish as to the soul; by an "earthquake" is signified a change of state among them, and their destruction, as above; by "names of men seven thousand" are signified all who were in the confession of faith alone, and for that reason made no account of the works of charity, and therefore condemned those two holy essentials of the New Church; by "names" are signified they who are such, for "a name" signifies the quality of a man (n. 81, 122, 165); and by "seven thousand" are signified all who were such, for the same is signified by "seven thousand" as by "seven," just as by "twelve thousand" is signified the same as by "twelve" (n. 348). That "seven" signifies all, and all things and is predicated of the holy things of heaven and the church, and, in the opposite sense, of the same when profaned may be seen (n. 10, 391).
. And the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven, signifies that they who had adjoined some goods of charity to faith, when they saw their destruction, acknowledged the Lord, and were separated. By "the rest" are here meant they who adjoined some goods of charity to faith; by "being terrified" is signified through fear, when they saw the destruction of the others; by "giving glory to the God of heaven" is signified to acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth; by "giving glory" is signified to acknowledge and worship; and by "the God of heaven and earth" is meant the Lord, because He is the God of heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). These, because they acknowledged the Lord from fear, were separated, in order that they might be explored as to the origin from which they did good, whether from themselves or from the Lord. All they do good from themselves who do not shun evils as sins, that is, who do not live according to the commandments of the Decalogue; but they do good from the Lord, who so shun and live.
REVELATION 11:13previous
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