869. [verse 13] 'And the sea gave up those who were dead in it' signifies the external and natural men of the Church called together to judgment. By 'the sea' is signified the external of the Church, which is natural; consequently by those whom the sea gave up are signified the external and natural men of the Church. That 'the sea' signifies the external of the Church, which is natural, may be seen above (n. 238, 398 at the end, 402-404, 470, 565 1/2, 659, 661). By 'the dead' are understood those who had died from on earth, as above (n. 866, 868). The reason why by 'the dead' whom 'the sea gave up' are understood the men of the external Church is because no others were judged but those who had been in some worship, for all those who spurned the holy things of the Church and denied the Lord, the Word and the life after death were judged immediately after death and conjoined with those who were in hell, whither they were subsequently cast down. But those who had been external and natural men, and professed by mouth that there is a God, that there are a heaven and a hell, and in a certain way acknowledged the Word, they are the ones who were called together to judgment. From these, who were out of 'the sea', many were saved, for we do not read that all of them 'were cast into the lake of fire', as 'death and hell' were, but that 'if any one of them was not found written in the book of life' he was cast therein (verse 15). Those of them who were saved are also understood by 'the rest of the dead' who 'did not live again until the thousand years were finished' (verse 5). From these considerations it can now be established that by 'the sea gave up those who were dead in it' are signified the external and natural men of the Church called together to judgment.