343. Holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree, signifies a withholding and restraining by the Lord of a nearer and thence more powerful influx into the lower parts, where the good were conjoined with the evil. It is to be known that the Last Judgment takes place when the evil are multiplied below the heavens in the world of spirits, to such a degree that the angels in the heavens cannot subsist in their state of love and wisdom; for in this case they have no support and no foundation. And as this is caused by the multiplication of the evil below, therefore the Lord, in order to preserve their state, flows in with His Divine more and more strongly, and this continues until they can no longer be preserved by any influx, without a separation of the evil below from the good. This is effected by the letting down and drawing near of the heavens, and thence by a stronger influx, until at length the evil cannot endure it; and then the evil flee away, and cast themselves into hell. This is also what is signified in the foregoing chapter by these words:
They said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the anger of the Lamb; for the great day of His anger is come; and who shall be able to stand (Rev. 6:16-17). [2] But to proceed to the explanation. By "the four winds" is signified the influx of the heavens; by "the earth, the sea, and every tree" are signified all lower things and the things that are there; by "the earth and sea," all lower things; and by "every tree," all things there. That "wind" signifies influx, properly the influx of truth into the understanding, may appear from the following passages:
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe into these slain, that they may live (Ezek. 37:9-10). There were seen four chariots, to which there were four horses, these are the four winds of the heavens (Zech. 6:1, 5). Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it willeth, and thou knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth (John 3:7-8). The Maker of the earth prepareth the world by His wisdom, He bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures (Jer. 10:12-13; 51:15-16; Ps.135:7). Jehovah causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow. He announceth His word, His statutes and judgments (Ps. 147:17-19). Jehovah praiseth the stormy wind doing His Word (Ps. 148:8). Jehovah maketh His angels winds (Ps. 104:3-4). Jehovah was carried upon the wings of the wind (Ps. 18:10; 104:3). The wings of the wind are Divine truths which flow in; therefore the Lord is called:
The breath of the nostrils (Lam. 4:20). And it is written:
He breathed into the nostrils of Adam the soul of lives (Gen. 2:7). Also that:
He breathed on His disciples, and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-22). [3] "The Holy Spirit" is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, the influx of which into the disciples was represented, and thus signified by "He breathed upon them." That "wind" and respiration signify the influx of Divine truth into the understanding, is from the correspondence of the lungs with the understanding, on which subject see The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom (n. 371-429). As, therefore, a nearer and stronger Divine influx through the heavens disperses the truths with the evil, therefore "wind" signifies the dispersion of the truth with them; and thence their conjunction with hell, and destruction; as may be seen from these passages:
And upon Elam I will bring the four winds from the four ends of the heavens, and will disperse them (Jer. 49:36). Thou shalt disperse them, that the wind may carry them away, and the storm dissipate them (Isa. 41:16). The breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle them (Isa. 30:33). The contrivers of iniquity perish by the blast of God, and by the breath of His nostrils are they consumed (Job 4:8-9). The foundations of the world were revealed by the rebuke of Jehovah, by the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils (Ps. 18:15). I saw in vision, and behold, the four winds of the heavens strove upon the great sea. And four beasts came up (Dan. 7:2-3 seq.). From the storm of Jehovah, anger is gone forth, it shall rush upon the head of the wicked (Jer. 23:19; 30:23). O my God, pursue them by Thy storm, terrify them by Thy tempest (Ps. 83:15). The way of Jehovah is in the storm and tempest (Nahum 1:3; besides other places; as Jer. 25:32; Ezek. 13:13; Hos. 8:7; Amos 1:14; Zech. 9:14; Ps. 11:6; 50:3; 55:8). He saith that the wind of the storm shall blow. God maketh the storm to be calm, that its waves might be still (Ps. 107:25, 29). [4] Hence it may appear what is the signification of these words in their spiritual sense:
Jesus in the ship rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Be still, and it was quiet (Mark 4:39-40; Luke 8:23-24). By "the sea" is here signified hell, and by "the wind" influx thence. Nor is anything but strong influx signified by "the east wind" (Ezek. 17:10; Jer. 18:17; Ezek. 19:12; Hosea 13:15; Psalm 48:7). Nor by the same "wind which dried up the Red Sea" (Exod. 14:21); concerning which it is thus written by Moses:
And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were heaped up, thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them (Exod. 15:8, 10). From what has been said, it may now be seen, that by "holding the four winds that the wind should not blow on the earth" is signified to withhold and prevent a nearer and stronger influx into the lower parts.
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