Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 515

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515. [verse 13] 'And in that hour a great earthquake was brought about, and a tenth part of the city fell' signifies a noticeable change of state with those [in faith alone] effected then, and their being violently separated from heaven and sunk down into hell. 'In that hour' signifies at the time when they saw the two witnesses going up into heaven and nevertheless remained in their own untruths, as just above (n. 514), for the two witnesses 'prophesied', that is, taught them (verse 3), and afterwards were killed, and revived. They also saw them going up into heaven, and yet did not recede from their own untruths. Then the great earthquake was brought about. That a similar thing was brought about with the two DOCTRINES OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, THE ONE CONCERNING THE LORD, AND THE OTHER CONCERNING A LIFE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRECEPTS OF THE DECALOGUE, can be seen to some extent from the Memorable Occurrences after the separate chapters. THOSE TWO DOCTRINES ARE THE TWO WITNESSES HERE TREATED OF. By 'an earthquake' is signified a change of state (n. 331), here their destruction, because in it 'a tenth part of the city fell'. By 'a tenth part' all are signified, for 'ten' signify many and all (n. 101); in like manner 'a tenth part' or 'a tenth', as 'a fourth part' or 'a fourth' signifies the same as 'four' (n. 322), and 'a third part' or 'a third' the same as 'three' (n. 400). By 'to fall' is signified to sink down into hell, which is brought about when they have been violently separated from heaven; for the cities in the world of spirits that are in evils and untruths, after those who are there have been visited, informed and warned and still remain in their own evils and untruths, are shaken by an earthquake. By means of this a deep gulf is opened into which they sink down, and then the inhabitants appear to themselves to be in the bottom as in a wilderness, out of which they are sent away one by one into their own places in hell. That it was so done with this city will be seen below (n. 531).


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