858、启20:8.“出来要迷惑地上四角的列族，就是歌革和玛各，叫他们聚集争战”表示此处“龙”所指的那些人会把所有来自整个灵人界的各个领土，在那里只生活在外在的属世敬拜中，没有生活在内在的属灵敬拜中的人拉到他们那一边，并叫他们起来攻击那些敬拜主，照祂在圣言中的诫命生活的人。“出来要迷惑地上四角的列族”表示刚才(AR 856, 857节)所描述的“龙”所指的那些人，会把整个灵人界中的所有人都拉到他们那一边；“迷惑”在此表示拉到他们那一边；“列族”既表示善人，也表示恶人(AR 483节)；“地上的四角”表示整个灵界(AR 342节)，在此表示整个灵人界中的人，灵人界在天堂与地狱的中间，是所有人离世后首先聚集的地方(对此，参看AR 784, 791节)；因为龙看不见地狱里的人，也看不见天堂里的人。“歌革和玛各”表示那些处于与内在的属灵敬拜分离的外在属世敬拜的人，如下文所示；“叫他们聚集争战”表示叫“列族”所指的人起来攻击那些敬拜主，照祂在圣言中的诫命生活的人，因为所有不敬拜主，不照祂的诫命生活的人都是邪恶的，而恶人与那龙，或龙的追随者一起行动；“争战”表示属灵的战争，即虚假与真理，并真理与虚假的战争(可参看AR 500, 586节)。
858. 20:8 And he will go out to lead astray the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for battle. This symbolically means that those meant by the dragon here drew to their side from any land throughout the world of spirits all who lived the life of an external, natural worship only and no internal, spiritual worship, and roused them up against those who worshiped the Lord and lived according to His commandments in the Word.
His going out to lead astray the nations which are at the four corners of the earth means, symbolically, that the people meant by the dragon, described just above in nos. 856 and 857, drew to their side all throughout the world of spirits. To lead astray here means, symbolically, to draw to their side. The nations symbolize both good people and evil (no. 483). The four corners of the earth symbolize the entire spiritual world (no. 342), here people throughout the entire world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and where all first gather after their departure from the earth (see nos. 784, 791). For people who were in hell could not be seen by the dragon, nor those who were in heaven.
Gog and Magog symbolize people who engage in external, natural worship divorced from any internal, spiritual worship, as discussed in the following number. To gather the nations together for battle means, symbolically, to rouse up those meant by the nations against those who worship the Lord and live according to His commandments in the Word, since all who do not worship the Lord and live according to His commandments are evil, and evil people act in concert with the dragon and its followers. The battle means a spiritual battle, which is one of falsity against truth, and of truth against falsity, as may be seen in nos. 500 and 586 above.
858. [verse 8] 'And shall go forth to lead astray the nations that are at the four corners of the land, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for war' signifies that those who are here understood by 'the dragon' would draw to their side all who were of the territories in the entire world of spirits and lived there in a worship only external natural and in no internal spiritual worship, and would rouse them up against those who worshipped the Lord and lived in accordance with His precepts in the Word. By 'he shall go forth to lead astray the nations that are at the four corners of the land' is signified that those who are understood by 'the dragon' (treated of just above, 856-857) would draw to their side all who were in the entire world of spirits. By 'to lead astray' here is signified to draw to their side. By 'the nations' are signified both the good and the evil (483). By 'the four corners of the land' is signified the entire spiritual world (342), here those who were in the entire world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell and where all first come together after their departure from on earth (treated of 784, 791); for those who were in hell could not come into the dragon's field of vision, nor those who were in the heavens. By 'Gog and Magog' are signified those who are in external natural worship separate from internal spiritual worship, treated of in the following paragraph. By 'to gather them together for war' is signified to rouse up those who are understood by 'the nations' against those who worship the Lord and live in accordance with His precepts in the Word, because all who do not worship the Lord and do not live in accordance with His precepts are evil, and the evil act together with the dragon or the dragonists. That by 'war' is understood the spiritual war that is of untruth against truth and of truth against untruth may be seen above (500, 586).
858. Verse 8. And shall go forth to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to war, signifies that they who are here meant by the dragon, would draw to their party all those who were from the earths, in the whole world of spirits, and lived there in external natural worship alone, and in no internal spiritual worship, and would arouse them against those who worshiped the Lord, and lived according to His commandments in the Word. By "going out to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth," is signified that they who are meant by "the dragon," of whom above, (856, 857), would draw to their party all who were in the whole world of spirits; by "seducing" is here signified to draw to their party; by "nations" are signified both the good and the evil, (483); by "the four corners of the earth" is signified the whole spiritual world, (342, here those who were in the whole world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and where all after their departure from the earth first assemble (concerning which 784, 791); for those who were in hell could not come into the sight of the dragon, nor they who were in the heavens. By "Gog and Magog" are signified they who are in external natural worship separate from internal spiritual worship, as will be shown in the next article; by "gathering them together to war" is signified to arouse those who are meant by "the nations" against those who worship the Lord and live according to His commandments in the Word, because all who do not worship the Lord and do not live according to His commandments, are evil, and the evil act together with the dragon or the dragonists; that by "war" is meant spiritual war, which is that of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity, may be seen above, (500, 586).
858. (Vers. 8.) "Et exibit seducere gentes, quae in quatuor anguis terrae, Gogum et Magogum, congregare illos in bellum," significat quod illi qui per "Draconem" hic intelliguntur, omnes qui e terris in universo Mundo spirituum erant, et ibi in solo Cultu externo naturali et in nullo Cultu interno spirituali vixerunt, in suas partes traherent, et excitarent contra illos qui coluerunt Dominum et vixerunt secundum praecepta Ipsius in Verbo. - Per "exibit seducere gentes quae in quatuor angulis terrae" significatur quod illi qui per "Draconem" intelliguntur, de quibus mox supra (856, 857), omnes qui in universo Mundo spirituum erant, in suas partes traherent; per "seducere" hic significatur in suas partes trahere; per "gentes" significantur tam boni quam mali (483) per "quatuor angulos terrae" significatur universus mundus spiritualis (342), hic qui in universo Mundo spirituum, qui est medius inter Caelum et Infernum, et quo omnes post excessum e terris primum conveniunt (de quo, 784, 791); nam qui in Inferno erant, non in conspectum Draconis venire potuerunt, nec qui in Caelis: per "Gogum et Magogum" significantur qui in cultu externo naturali separato a cultu interno spirituali sunt, de quibus in articulo sequente: per "congregare illos in bellum" significatur excitare illos qui per "gentes" intelliguntur, contra illos qui colunt Dominum et vivunt secundum praecepta Ipsius in Verbo; quoniam omnes qui non colunt Dominum et non vivunt secundum praecepta Ipsius, mali sunt, et mali unum agunt cum Dracone seu Draconicis; quod per "bellum" intelligatur bellum spirituale, quod est falsi contra verum, ac veri contra falsum, videatur supra (500, 586).