Apocalypse Explained, Vol. 3

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED.

Him all Divine truth; for with them there was nothing but vain traditions drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word in which the essential truths of the Word were falsified and its goods adulterated. (That lowest things signify all things, and why, see A. C., n. 634, 5897, 6239, 6451, 6465, 9216, 9824, 9828, 9836, 9905, 10044, 10099, 10329, 10335, 10548.)

418[a]. "Holding back the four winds of the earth" signifies moderation of its influx. This is evident from the signification of "the four winds of the earth" as meaning everything Divine in heaven (of which presently); also from the signification of "holding them back," as meaning to moderate its influx. But what is meant by moderating the influx of the Divine in heaven can be known to no one unless it is revealed to him, nor consequently can it be known what is signified by "holding back the four winds of the earth." Without revelation, who would not think that "winds" here mean winds held back by angels, since it is added "that the wind should not blow upon the earth nor upon the sea nor upon any tree." But "the winds of the earth," here as elsewhere in the Word, signify everything Divine that is from the Lord in heaven, in particular, Divine truth. Because Divine truth flows from the Lord as a sun into the whole heaven, and from that into the whole earth, "holding back the winds" signifies to moderate influx. But that these things may be more clearly understood, it shall be told how it is with respect to that influx. The Lord is the sun of the angelic heaven; from Him as a sun all light and all heat there go forth. The light that goes forth is in its essence Divine truth, because it is spiritual light; and the heat that goes forth is in its essence Divine good, because it is spiritual heat. From the Lord as a sun these flow out into all the heavens in a way accommodated to reception by the angels, thus sometimes moderately, sometimes intensely.

When they flow out moderately the good are separated from the evil, but when intensely the evil are cast out. When, therefore, a last judgment is at hand the Lord first flows in moderately, in order that the good may be separated from the evil. Because this separation is what is treated of in this chapter, the "holding back of the four winds of the earth" is first mentioned, which signifies the moderation of the influx of Divine good and Divine truth from the Lord. It is evident from what follows in this chapter that this has reference to the separation of the good from the evil, for it is said, "Hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads" (verse 3); and afterwards, to the end of the chapter, "those sealed," that is, the good separated from the evil are treated of. But re-