336. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places, signifies that all the good of love and truth of faith receded. That this is the signification of these words no one can see without the spiritual sense. They have this signification, however, because by "mountains" are meant those who are in the good of love, because the angels dwell upon mountains; such as are in love to the Lord dwelling on high mountains, and such as are in love towards their neighbor dwelling on lower ones; wherefore by "every mountain" is signified every good of love. By "islands" are meant those who are more remote from the worship of God, see above (n. 34); here those who are in faith, and not so much in the good of love, therefore in the abstract sense "every island" signifies every truth of faith; by "being moved out of their places" is signified to recede. It is because the habitations of the angels are upon mountains and hills, that "mountains" and "hills" in the Word signify heaven and the church, where there exists love to the Lord and love to the neighbor, and in the opposite sense, hell, where there exists self-love and the love of the world. [2] That by "mountains" and "hills" are signified heaven and the church, where there exists love to the Lord and love to the neighbor, and thus where the Lord is, is evident from the following passages:
Lift up the eyes to the mountains, from whence cometh help (Ps. 121:1). Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that publisheth peace (Nahum 1:15; Isa. 52:7). Praise Jehovah, mountains and hills (Ps. 148:9). The mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan, a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan. Why leap ye, O mountains, ye hills of the mountain? Jehovah desireth to dwell therein, yea, Jehovah will dwell in it forever (Ps. 68:15-16). The mountains leaped like rams; the hills like the sons of the flock; before the Lord, thou art in travail, O earth (Ps. 114:4-7). And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains, and My elect may possess them, and My servants shall dwell there (Isa. 65:9). In the consummation of the age; then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains (Matt. 24:16). Thy justice, O Jehovah, is like the mountains of God (Ps. 36:6). Jehovah will go forth and fight, His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, before Jerusalem on the east (Zech. 14:3-4). [3] Because "the Mount of Olives" signifies Divine love, therefore:
The Lord in the daytime preached in the temple, but at night He went out and passed the night in the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39; John 8:1). And the Lord discoursed with His disciples on that mountain concerning his coming and the consummation of the age (Matt. 24:3; Mark 13:3, and following verses). And also He went from thence to Jerusalem and suffered (Matt. 21:1; 26:30; Mark 11:1; 14:26; Luke 19:29, 37; 21:37; 22:39). Because a mountain signified heaven and love:
Jehovah descended upon the top of Mount Sinai, and promulgated the Law (Exod. 19:20; 24:17). And for the same reason the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, upon a high mountain (Matthew 17:1). And on this account Zion was upon a mountain, and also Jerusalem, and they are called "the mountain of Jehovah," and "the mountain of holiness," in many parts of the Word. "Mountains" and "hills" have a similar signification in other places (as in Isaiah 7:25; 30:25; 40:9; 44:23; 49:11, 13; 55:12; Jeremiah 16:15, 16; Ezekiel 36:8; Joel 3:17, 18; Amos 4:1, 13; 9:13, 14; Psalms 65:6; 80:8, 10; 104:5-10, 13). [4] That those loves are signified by "mountains" and "hills," may appear still more evidently from their opposite sense, in which they signify infernal loves, which are self-love and the love of the world, as is manifest from the following passages:
The day of Jehovah shall come upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up (Isa. 2:12, 14). Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (Isa. 40:3-4). The mountains shall be overthrown and the steep places shall fall (Ezek. 38:20-21). Behold, I am against thee, O mountain, destroying the whole earth, I will make thee a mountain of burning (Jer. 51:25). I saw the mountains, and behold they were shaken, and all the hills were overturned (Jer. 4:23-25). A fire is kindled in mine anger, and it shall set on fire the foundations of the mountains (Deut. 32:22). I will lay waste mountains and hills (Isa. 42:15). Behold, O Jacob, I have made thee like a threshing instrument, that thou mayest thresh and beat in pieces the mountains, and make the hills as chaff, that the wind may carry them away (Isa. 41:15-16). Give glory to Jehovah God, before your feet stumble on the mountains of twilight (Jer. 13:16). Nor is anything else meant by "the seven mountains, upon which the woman sat, which was Babylon" (Revelation 17:9; besides other places; as Isaiah 14:13; Jeremiah 50:6; 9:10; Ezekiel 6:3, 13; 34:6; Micah 6:1, 2; Nahum 1:5, 6; Psalms 46:2, 3). From the above it is evident what is meant by "every mountain and island were moved out of their places." Also in what follows, by:
Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found (Rev. 16:20; n. 714).
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