444. Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates, signifies that external bonds should be removed from them, that the interiors of their minds might appear. That this is the signification of these words, no one can know, and scarcely can suspect, unless he knows what is meant by "the great river Euphrates," and what by "the four angels bound there." By "Euphrates," in the Word, are signified the interiors of man's mind, which are called things rational, which, with those who are in truths from good, are full of wisdom, but in those who are in falsities from evil, are full of insanity. The reason why these are signified in the Word by "the river Euphrates," is, because that river divided the land of Canaan from Assyria; and by "the land of Canaan" was signified the church; and by "Assyria," its rational; and thence by the river which bounded it, are signified the interiors of the mind which are called rational, in both senses. For there are three things which constitute the man of the church, the spiritual, the rational or intellectual, and the natural, which is also the scientific. The spiritual of the church was signified by "the land of Canaan" and its rivers; the rational or intellectual of the church, by "Ashur" or "Assyria" and its "river Euphrates;" and the natural, which is also the scientific of the church, by "Egypt" and its "river" the Nile; but concerning these more may be seen below (n. 503). By "the four angels bound at the river Euphrates," are signified those interiors with the men of the church which are said "to be bound," because they are not openly avowed; for they are infernal spirits, who are meant by these four angels, since it is said of them, in what follows (n. 446), that "they were prepared to kill the third part of men," and the interiors of men make one with spirits, either infernal or celestial, because they cohabit: by "loosing them" is signified to remove external bonds, that the interiors of their minds may appear. Such is the signification of these words. [2] By "Euphrates" are signified the interiors of man's mind bordering upon the spiritual things of his church, may appear from those passages in the Word where "Ashur" or "Assyria" is mentioned; but "Euphrates" occurs in the opposite sense, in which it signifies the interiors full of falsities and thence of insanities, in these passages:
Behold, God bringeth up over them the waters of the river (Euphrates) strong and many; the King of Assyria, he shall go through Judah; he shall overflow and go over (Isa. 8:7-8). What hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, that thou drinkest the waters of Sihor? and what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria, that thou drinkest the waters of the river? (Jer. 2:18). Jehovah shall curse the tongue of the sea of Egypt, and shall shake His hand over the river Euphrates (Isa. 11:15-16). The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the river Euphrates, whose water was dried up (Rev. 16:12). It was commanded the prophet that he should put a girdle upon his loins, and should afterwards hide it in a hole of a rock by the Euphrates, and when after a short time he took it again, behold, it was rotten, nor was it good for anything (Jer. 13:1-7, 11). And it was also commanded him that after he should finish reading the book, he should throw it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise again (Jer. 51:63-64). By these things the interiors of the state of the church with the sons of Israel were represented. That the "river of Egypt," the Nile, and "the river of Assyria," the Euphrates, were the boundaries of the land of Canaan, is manifest from this:
Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham, Unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river Euphrates (Gen. 15:18). That the Euphrates was a boundary, see Exodus 23:31; Deuteronomy 1:7, 8; 11:24; Joshua 1:4; Micah 7:12.
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