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 influx the flow of spiritual 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" as the Divine proceeding from the Lord. It is also shown by the meaning of "four corners of the earth" as the whole of the spiritual world, or the expanse of heaven and the world of spirits. The Lord is present everywhere through the Divine proceeding from Him, and by this power He sustains the structure of the heavens. When the Last Judgment is prepared, this Divine presence acts to preserve the order of the spiritual world while the separation of souls takes place.