Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 16:3
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AR 680. Verse 3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, signifies an influx of truth and good from the Lord with those in the church of the Reformed who are in its externals, and are in that faith, and are called the laity. By "pouring out his vial" is signified the influx of truth and good from the Lord, as above (n. 676, 677); by "the sea" is signified the external of the church, thus those who are in its externals, when "the earth" signifies the internal of the church, thus those who are in its internals (n. 398, 403, 404, 420, 470, 677); these are they who are called the laity, and are in that faith.

AR 681. And it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul died in the sea, signifies infernal falsity with them, by which every truth of the Word, and thence of the church, and of faith, is extinguished. By "blood as of one dead," or by gore and matter, is signified infernal falsity; for by "blood" is signified the Divine truth, and, in the opposite sense, the same falsified (n. 379); but by "blood as of one dead," is signified infernal falsity, for by "death" is signified the extinction of spiritual life, and thence by "dead" is signified what is infernal (n. 321, 525). By "every living soul died," is signified that every truth of the Word, of the church, and of faith was extinguished, for by "living soul" is signified the truth of faith, and by "the living soul died," is signified the extinction of the truth of faith. By "soul" in the Word, when spoken of man, is signified his spiritual life, which also is the life of his understanding, and as the understanding is the understanding from truths, and truths are of faith, therefore by "soul" is signified the truth of faith. That this is the signification of "soul" may appear from many passages in the Word, and also from those where soul and heart are spoken of. That by "soul and heart" is meant the life of man, is evident, but his life is from the will and the understanding, or spiritually speaking, from love and wisdom, then from charity and faith; and the life of the will from the good of love, or of charity, is meant by "the heart," and the life of the understanding from the truths of wisdom or of faith, is meant by "the soul." This is what is meant by "soul and heart" in (Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33; Luke 10:27; Deut. 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 26:16; Jer. 32:41). It is the same in those passages where "the heart" is mentioned by itself, and "the soul" by itself. That the reason of their being named is from the correspondence of the heart with the will and love, and of the respiration of the lungs with the understanding and wisdom, may be seen in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, Part V. (DLW n. 371-431), where that correspondence is treated of.

AR 682.

REVELATION 16:3    previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Revelation  -  Full Page

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info