499. And an earthquake, signifies changes of state of the church. This is evident from the signification of "earthquakes," as meaning changes of state of the church (of which above, n. 400). In the same place it is shown that in the spiritual world the lands quake, and the hills and mountains are shaken, when the state of the church there is changed for the worse and evil and falsity begin to rule. Earthquakes occur in the spiritual world for the reason that all the lands there are from a spiritual origin, and are changed with the changing of the church with those there. Where the church is flourishing the country is beautiful, and full of paradises, flower gardens, and lawns; but where the church is perverted, it is unbeautiful, and full of deserts and rocks; and the change is in exact accord with the decline of the church from good and truth into evil and falsity; but this takes place only in the lower parts (on this see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 156, and elsewhere). Such being the origin of the lands there it can be seen that earthquakes occur there from changes in the state of the church.