1. AND when He opened the seventh seal, it became silent in heaven for what seemed half an hour. 2. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there were given unto him many incense-offerings for him to offer with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4. And the smoke of the incense-offerings with the prayers of the saints went up from the angel's hand before God. 5. And the angel took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the land, and voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake were produced. 6. And the seven angels having the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7. And the first angel sounded, and hail and fire mingled with blood was produced and hurled upon the land, and a third part of the trees was burnt, and all the green grass was burnt. 8. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was hurled into the sea, and a third part of the sea became blood. 9. And a third part of the creatures in the sea having souls died, and a third part of the ships was destroyed. 10. And the third angel sounded, and there fell out of heaven a great star burning as if it were a torch, and it fell upon a third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. 11. And the name of the star is termed Wormwood; and a third part of the waters became wormwood, and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter. 12. And the fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was smitten, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, and a third part of them was darkened, so that the day should not shine for a third part of it, and the night likewise. 13. And I saw and heard one angel flying in the midst of heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe to those dwelling upon the land, by reason of the remaining voices of the trumpet of the three angels that are yet to sound.

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE

THE CONTENT OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER

It treats here of the Church of the Reformed, of what quality they are there who are in faith alone: the preparation of the spiritual heaven for communication with them (vers. 1-6). An examination and making manifest [to show the State] of those there who are in the interiors of that faith (verse 7); of those who are in the exteriors thereof (vers. 8, 9). What they are as to the understanding of the Word (vers. 10, 11). That they are in untruths and consequently in evils (vers. 12, 13).

THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES

1. And [when] He opened the seventh seal signifies examination by the Lord of the state of the Church and consequently of the state of life of those who are in His spiritual kingdom, being those who are in charity and the faith thereof, here those who are in faith alone. It became silent in heaven for what seemed half an hour signifies that the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom were exceedingly astonished when they saw those who had declared themselves to be in faith in such a state. 2. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God signifies the entire spiritual heaven in the presence of the Lord, hearing and doing the things He commands. And seven trumpets were given to them signifies the examination and disclosure of the state of the Church, and consequently of the life of those who are in faith alone. 3. And another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer signifies spiritual worship which is produced out of the good of charity by means of truths of faith. And there were given unto him many incense-offerings for him to offer with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar that is before the throne signifies propitiation lest the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom should be hurt by the spirits of the satanic kingdom who were below. 4. And the smoke of the incense-offerings with the prayers of the saints went up from the angel's hand before God signifies the safeguarding of those [angels] by the Lord. 5. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the land signifies spiritual love in which there is celestial love, and its influx into the lower regions where were those who are in faith separated from charity And voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake were produced signifies that after communication was opened with them they were heard reasoning about faith alone and confirmations in favour of it [, and that the state of the Church with them was perceived to be tottering to destruction]. 6. And the seven angels having the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound signifies [the spiritual angels] prepared and equipped for examining the state of the Church and consequently of the life with those for whom religion is faith alone. 7. And the first angel sounded signifies an examination and making manifest [to show] what the state of the Church is with those who are interiorly in that faith. And hail and fire mingled with blood was produced signifies untruth derived from infernal love destroying good and truth, and falsifying the Word. And hurled upon the land, and a third part of the trees was burnt signifies that with those every affection and perception of truth that make the man of the Church had perished. And all the green grass was burnt signifies thus every living thing of faith. 8. And the second angel sounded signifies an examination and making manifest [to show] what the state of the Church is with those who are exteriorly in that faith. And as it were a great mountain burning with fire was hurled into the sea signifies the appearance of infernal love with those. And a third part of the sea became blood signifies that all the general truths with them had been falsified. 9. And a third part of the creatures in the sea having souls died signifies that those who have lived and are living that faith cannot be reformed and accept life. And a third part of the ships was destroyed signifies that all the cognitions of good and truth serviceable for use of life had been utterly lost with them. 10. And the third angel sounded signifies an examination and making manifest [to show] the state of the Church with those for whom religion is faith alone, in regard to the affection and reception of the truths (veritas) out of the Word. And there fell out of heaven a great star burning as if it were a torch signifies the appearance of their self-intelligence derived from pride arising from infernal love. And it fell upon a third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters signifies that as a result of this all the truths of the Word have been altogether falsified. 11. And the name of the star is termed Wormwood, and a third part of the waters became wormwood signifies the infernal untruth from which their self- intelligence is derived, by means of which all the truths of the Word have been falsified. And many men died of the waters because they were made bitter signifies the extinction of spiritual life [with many] as a result of the truths of the Word having been falsified. 12. And the fourth angel sounded signifies an examination and making manifest [to show] the state of the Church with those for whom religion is faith alone, that they are in evils of untruth and untruths of evil. And a third part of the sun was smitten and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, and a third part of them was darkened signifies that by reason of the evils derived from untruths and the untruths derived from evils, they did not know what love is, what faith is, nor anything true. So that the day should not shine for a third part of it, and the night likewise signifies no longer any spiritual truth nor natural truth serviceable for doctrine and life out of the Word with them. 13. And I saw and heard one angel flying in the midst of heaven signifies instruction and prediction by the Lord. Saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe to those dwelling upon the land by reason of the remaining voices of the trumpet of the three angels that are yet to sound signifies the utmost lamentation over the damned state of those in the Church who, in doctrine and life, have confirmed with themselves faith separated from charity.

THE EXPOSITION

There are two kingdoms into which the entire heaven is distinguished, a CELESTIAL KINGDOM and a SPIRITUAL KINGDOM. The celestial kingdom consists of those who are in love directed to the Lord and consequently in wisdom; while the spiritual kingdom consists of those who are in love towards the neighbour and consequently in intelligence; and because love towards the neighbour is at this day called charity, and intelligence is called faith, the latter kingdom consists of those who are in charity and consequently in faith. Now because heaven is distinguished into two kingdoms, hell also is distinguished into two kingdoms opposed to them; into a DIAOLICAL KINGDOM and a SATANIC KINGDOM. The diabolical kingdom consists of those who are in a love of domineering derived from the love of self, and consequently are in folly, for that love is opposed to celestial love, while the folly thereof is opposed to celestial wisdom. The satanic kingdom, however, consists of those who are in a love of domineering derived from self-intelligence, and consequently are in insanity, for that love is opposed to spiritual love, while the insanity thereof is opposed to spiritual intelligence. By 'folly' and 'insanity' is understood a folly and insanity in things celestial and spiritual. Similar things are to be understood of the Church on earth, as have been said of heaven, for they make one. Concerning these two kingdoms the work on HEAVEN AND HELL, published at London, may be seen (n. 20-28, and many other places). [2] Now because, as was said in the Preface and in H. 2, the Apocalypse treats solely of the state of the Church at its end, from now on for that reason it treats of those in the two kingdoms of heaven, and of those in the two kingdoms of hell, and of their quality. From this chap. viii to chap. xvi it treats of those who are in the spiritual kingdom, and in the satanic kingdom opposed to it; and in chaps. xvii and xviii of those who are in the celestial kingdom, and in the diabolical kingdom opposed to it; and afterwards of the last judgment, and finally of the New Church that is the New Jerusalem, this bringing all that goes before to a conclusion because it is the end for the sake of which [all the examining and judgment is undergone]. In various places in the Word there is mention of the Devil and Satan, and by both of them hell is understood. It is so named because all in the one hell are called devils, and all in the other are called satans.