Apocalypse Explained, Vol. 3

CHAPTER VII, VERSE 1.—NUMBER 417[a].

1. "And after these things I saw" signifies a new perception of the state of heaven before the last judgment referencing entry n. 416; "four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth" signifies the Divine proceeding from the Lord throughout the whole spiritual world referencing entry n. 417; "holding back the four winds of the earth" signifies the moderation of its influxThe "flow" of spiritual energy or life from the Divine into the created world. referencing entry n. 418; "that the wind should not blow" signifies that the good are not to be harmed, and the evil are not to be cast out before the appointed day referencing entry n. 419; "upon the earth nor upon the sea nor upon any tree" signifies everywhere in the spiritual world, even to its furthest reaches, among those who possess any spiritual perception referencing entry n. 420.

416. [Verse 1.] "And after these things I saw" signifies a new perception of the state of heaven before the last judgment.—This is evident from what follows in this chapter, which deals with the separation of the good from the evil. Before the last judgment occurs, the Lord separates the good from the evil and leads them away; because this process is involved in the things seen in the vision, it is signified here by the phrase "after these things I saw."

417[a]. "Four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth" signifies the Divine proceeding from the Lord in the whole spiritual world.—This is shown by the meaning of "angels," which refers to the Divine proceedingThe continuous radiation of God’s power, truth, and love into the universe. from the Lord (see earlier entries, n. 130[a], 200, 302). It is also shown by the "four corners of the earth," which refers to the entire spiritual world. The "four corners" signify the spiritual world because there are actual lands there just as there are on our globe; for there, as here, there are mountains, hills, rocks, plains, valleys, and other features, as has been frequently noted. As the ApocalypseThe Book of Revelation. describes the last judgment upon everyone in the spiritual world, and this section treats the separation of the good from the evil there, "the earth" means that world.

"The earth" signifies the church, as has been frequently said before, because the appearance of the land in the spiritual world is exactly like the state of the church In this context, "the church" refers to the internal spiritual state of faith and love within individuals. in the spirits and angels who live there. The face of the earth is most beautiful where angels of the higher heavens dwell, and beautiful where angels of the lower heavens dwell, but it is unbeautiful where evil spirits dwell. Where angels live, there are paradises, gardens, flower-beds, palaces, and all things exist in a heavenly form and harmony that provides inmost delight to the mind. But where evil spirits are, the places are marshy, stony, or barren, and they dwell in huts of a vile appearance, or in caverns and caves. [2.] This has been mentioned to clarify that "the earth," in its most direct sense here, means the spiritual world. No other "earth" could have appeared to John, since he saw these things while he was "in the spirit"; and when a person is in the spirit, they cannot see anything on our physical globe, but only what is in the spiritual world.