324. [verse 9] 'And when He had opened the fifth seal' signifies examination by the Lord of the states of life of those who were to be saved at the day of judgment, and were reserved in the meantime. That it treats of these things is plain from the things now following. But it is to be known that it treats fully of these and similar things in chap. xx and onwards, the exposition of which may be seen from n. 840 to 874, from which it is plain who they are and why they were reserved .