1. And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven as of half an hour. 2. And I saw the seven angels, who stood before God; and there were given to them seven trumpets. 3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4. And the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints out of the hand of the angel before God. 5. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it unto the earth: and there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6. And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7. And the first angel sounded, and there became hail and fire, mingled with blood; and they were cast upon the earth; and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. 8. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood. 9. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea that had souls died; and the third part of the ships perished. 10. And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. 11. And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the 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 the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so that the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. 13. And I saw, and I heard an angel flying in the midst of heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, to them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels that are about to sound.

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE

The contents of the whole chapter

The church of the Reformed is here treated of, as to the quality of those therein who are in faith alone: the preparation of the spiritual heaven for communication with them (verses 1-6). The exploration and manifestation of those therein, who are in the interiors of that faith (verse 7). Of those who are in its exteriors (verses 8-9). What they are as to the understanding of the Word (verses 10-11). That they are in falsities and thence in evils (verses 12-13). The contents of each verse

Verse 1. "And when He had opened the seventh seal," signifies exploration by the Lord of the state of the church, and thence of the life of those who are in His spiritual kingdom, being those who are in charity and its faith, in this case who are in faith alone (n. 388). "There was silence in heaven as of half an hour," signifies that the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom were greatly amazed when they saw those who said they were in the faith in such a state (n. 389). Verse 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 what He commands (n. 390). "And there were given to them seven trumpets," signifies the exploration and disclosure of the state of the church, and thence of the life of those who are in faith alone (n. 391). Verse 3. "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer," signifies spiritual worship, which is from the good of charity by the truths of faith (n. 392). "And there was given him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne," signifies propitiation lest the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom should be hurt by the spirits of the satanic kingdom that were below (n. 393). Verse 4. "And the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints out of the hand of the angel before God," signifies the protection of them by the Lord (n. 394). Verse 5. "And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it unto the earth," signifies spiritual love, in which is celestial love, and its influx into lower things, where they were who were in faith separated from charity (n. 395). "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake," signifies that after communication was opened with them, there were heard reasonings concerning faith alone, and confirmations in favor of it (n. 396). Verse 6. "And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound," signifies that they were prepared and girded to explore the state of the church and thence the state of life with those whose religion is faith alone (n. 397). Verse 7. "The first angel sounded," signifies the exploration and manifestation of the quality of the state of the church with those who are interiorly in that faith (n. 398). "And there became hail and fire mingled with blood," signifies falsity from infernal love destroying good and truth, and falsifying the Word (n. 399). "And they were cast upon the earth, and the third part of the trees was burnt up," signifies that with them, every affection and perception of truth, which constitute the man of the church, had perished (n. 400). "And all green grass was burnt up," signifies thus every living thing of faith (n. 401). Verse 8. "And the second angel sounded," signifies the exploration and manifestation of what the state of the church is with those who are exteriorly in that faith (n. 402). "And as it were a mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea," signifies the appearance of infernal love with them (n. 403). "And the third part of the sea became blood," signifies that all general truths with them were falsified (n. 404). Verse 9. "And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea that had souls, died," signifies that they who have lived and do live this faith cannot be reformed and receive life (n. 405). "And the third part of the ships perished," signifies that all the knowledges of good and truth from the Word, serving for the use of life, were destroyed with them (n. 406). Verse 10. "And the third angel sounded," signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, as to the affection and reception of truths from the Word (n. 407). "And there fell from heaven a great star, burning as it were a lamp," signifies the appearance of their own intelligence from pride arising from infernal love (n. 408). "And it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters," signifies that thence all the truths of the Word were altogether falsified (n. 409). Verse 11. "And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood," signifies the infernal falsity from which their own intelligence is derived, by which all the truths of the Word are falsified (n. 410). "And many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter," signifies the extinction of spiritual life from the falsified truths of the Word (n. 411). Verse 12. "And the fourth angel sounded," signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, as being in the evils of falsity, and in the falsities of evil (n. 412). "And the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, and the third part of them was darkened," signifies that by reason of evils from falsities and of falsities from evils, they did not know what love is, or what faith is, or any truth (n. 413). "And the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise," signifies that there is no longer any spiritual truth nor natural truth serviceable for doctrine and life from the Word with them (n. 414). Verse 13. "And I saw, and I heard an angel flying in the midst of heaven," signifies instruction and prediction from the Lord (n. 415). "Saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, to them that dwell on the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are about to sound," signifies the deepest lamentation over the damned state of those in the church, who in doctrine and life have confirmed themselves in faith separate from charity (n. 416).

THE EXPLANATION

There are two kingdoms into which the entire heaven is divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The celestial kingdom consists of those who are in love to the Lord and thence in wisdom; and the spiritual kingdom consists of those who are in love towards the neighbor, and thence in intelligence; and as love towards the neighbor is at this day called "charity" and intelligence, "faith," the latter kingdom consists of those who are in charity, and thence in faith. Now, because heaven is distinguished into two kingdoms, hell also is distinguished into two kingdoms that are opposite to them; into the diabolical kingdom and into the satanic kingdom. The diabolical kingdom consists of those who are in the love of dominion from love of self and thence in foolishness; for this love is opposite to celestial love, and its foolishness is opposite to celestial wisdom; but the satanic kingdom consists of those who are in the love of dominion from the pride of their own intelligence, and thence in insanity; for this love is opposite to spiritual love, and its insanity is opposite to spiritual intelligence. By foolishness and insanity are meant foolishness and insanity in things celestial and spiritual. Similar things are to be understood of the church on earth as are said of heaven, for they make one. Concerning these two kingdoms, see the work on Heaven and Hell, published at London (n. 20-28), and see also many other places. [2] Now, as Revelation treats only of the state of the church at its end (as was observed in the preface, and at n. 2), therefore what now follows treats of those who are in the two kingdoms of heaven, and of those who are in the two kingdoms of hell, and of their quality. From this chapter (Rev. 8:8-16), of those who are in the spiritual kingdom, and in the satanic kingdom opposite to it; in chapters 17-18, of those who are in the celestial kingdom, and in the diabolical kingdom opposite to it; and afterwards of the Last Judgment; and at length of the New Church which is the New Jerusalem; this bringing all that goes before to a conclusion, because it is the end on account of which they are. In many parts of the Word "the Devil" and "Satan" are mentioned, and by both is meant hell; it is so named, because all in one hell are called devils, and all in the other are called satans.