7689. And it devoured all the herb of the land. That this signifies that it consumed all the memory-knowledge of truth, is evident from the signification of "devouring," as being to consume; and from the signification of "the herb of the land," as being the memory-knowledge of truth; for by "the herb of the field" is signified the truth of the church (see n. 7571), because "field" denotes the church; but by "the herb of the land" is signified the memory-knowledge of truth, because "the land" here denotes the natural mind; and the truth of the natural mind is memory-knowledge; and moreover the evil have no truth by faith, but only the memory-knowledge of the truth which is of faith. Some evil men who are in the church persuade themselves that they are in truth by faith, but they are not; they are in falsity, and are against the truth of faith. That they are in falsity is hidden with them so long as they are in the world, but this hidden falsity comes forth and manifests itself in the other life when they are being devastated as to the truths of faith which they had known.