662、“地上的一切都要灭亡”表示那些属于该教会，具有这种性质的人。这从以下事实清楚可知：“地”不是指全世界的每一块陆地，仅仅是指那些属于教会的人，如前所示（566-567，620节）。故此处不是说什么大洪水，更不是说全世界的大洪水，而是说那里的人脱离了余剩，由此脱离了与对真理的理解和对良善的意愿有关的事物，因而脱离了诸天堂之时的死亡或窒息而死。“地”表示教会所在的区域，因而表示生活在那里的人，除了前面从圣言引用的经文外，以下经文也能证实这一点。耶利米书：
耶和华如此说，全地必然荒凉，我却不毁灭净尽。因此，地要悲哀，在上的诸天也必黑暗。（耶利米书4:27-28）
此处“地”表示那些住在已荒废的教会所在之地的人。以赛亚书：
我必使天震动，地必摇撼，离其本位。（以赛亚书13:13）
“地”表示在教会所在之地将要遭受毁灭性经历的人。耶利米书：
到那日，耶和华所杀戮的从地的这一头直到地的那一头。（耶利米书25:33）
此处“地的一头”不是指全世界的每一块陆地，仅仅是指教会所在的区域，因而是指教会成员所在之地。同一先知书：
我要召剑临到地上一切的居民。必有喧哗达到地极，因为耶和华与列族相争。（耶利米书25:29，31）
此处同样不是指整个世界，仅仅是指教会所在之地，因而是指居民或教会成员所在之地；“列族”在此表示虚假。以赛亚书：
看哪，耶和华从祂的地方出来，要察罚地上居民的罪孽。（以赛亚书26:21）
此处意思是一样的。同一先知书：
你们岂不曾听见吗？从起初岂没有人告诉你们吗？你们岂不明白大地的根基吗？（以赛亚书40:21）
又：
创造诸天的耶和华，形成大地、作成它的神，祂坚立大地。（以赛亚书45:18）
“地”表示教会成员。撒迦利亚书：
铺张诸天，建立地基，在人中间形成人的灵的耶和华说。（撒迦利亚书12:1）
“地”显然表示教会成员。地（earth）不同于土地（ground），正如教会成员不同于教会本身，或爱与信不同。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]662. All that is on the earth will pass away symbolizes the people who were part of that church and who adopted its nature. As demonstrated earlier [566-567, 620], the earth does not mean the whole inhabited world, only the part that constituted the church. So the verse is not referring to any kind of flood, let alone a worldwide one. It is talking about the death, the "drowning," of those in the church who were cut off from the remnant within them and consequently from any comprehension of truth or will to do good; which is to say that they were cut off from the heavens.
Scriptural passages quoted earlier attest to the symbolism of the earth or land as the area where the church existed, and so as the inhabitants of that area.{*1} The following verses also confirm the symbolism. In Jeremiah:
This is what Jehovah has said: "The whole earth will be stripped bare, yet I will not make a full end. Because of this the earth will mourn and the heavens above will be draped in black." (Jeremiah 4:27-28)
The earth stands for residents in the area where the church, which had been devastated, existed. In Isaiah:
I will shake heaven, and the earth will quake out of its place. (Isaiah 13:13)
The earth here stands for an individual in the church's territory who is to suffer devastating experiences. In Jeremiah:
The people stabbed by Jehovah will on that day reach from the ends of the earth to the ends of the earth. (Jeremiah 25:33)
The ends of the earth here do not mean the entire globe but only the tract of land where the church was. So they symbolize the people who belonged to the church. In the same author:
I am calling for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the land. Upheaval has come all the way to the ends of the earth, because Jehovah has a quarrel against the nations. (Jeremiah 25:29, 31)
Again it is not the whole globe that is meant but only the territory of the church and so the inhabitant there, that is, a person who belongs to the church. In this passage the nations stand for falsities. In Isaiah:
Watch: Jehovah is leaving his place to exact punishment for wickedness in the inhabitant of the land. (Isaiah 26:21)
The meaning here is similar. In the same author:
Are you not listening? Has it not been pointed out to you from the beginning? Do you not understand the foundations of the earth? (Isaiah 40:21)
In the same author:
Jehovah is creating the heavens; he is God, forming the earth and making it; he is also establishing it. (Isaiah 45:18)
The earth stands for a member of the church. In Zechariah:
This is the saying of Jehovah as he stretches out the heavens and founds the earth and forms the human spirit in the middle of it. (Zechariah 12:1)
Plainly the earth stands for a person in the church.
The earth (or land) is distinguished from the ground, just as a person in the church is distinguished from the church itself, or as love is distinguished from faith.
Footnotes:
{*1} Sections 620, 636 do suggest that "earth" (or "land") symbolizes the people who live in a given area, but the most detailed treatment, in 566, uses Scripture to demonstrate that "earth" or "land" often symbolizes areas where the church does not exist, and that a third term, "ground," symbolizes the church's territory. See also note 2 in 566. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 662
662. Everything that is in the earth shall expire. This signifies those who were of that church and had become of this quality. It has been shown before that the "earth" does not mean the whole world, but only those who were of the church. Thus no deluge was meant here, still less a universal deluge, but the expiring or suffocation of those who existed there, when they were separated from remains, and thereby from the things of the understanding that are of truth and the things of the will that are of good, and therefore from the heavens. That the "earth" signifies the region where the church is, and therefore those who live there, may be confirmed by the following passages from the Word, in addition to those already cited. In Jeremiah:
Thus hath said Jehovah, The whole earth shall be desolate; yet will I not make a consummation. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above shall be black (Jer. 4:27-28). Here the "earth" denotes those who dwell where the church is that is vastated. In Isaiah:
I will move the heavens, and the earth shall be shaken out of her place (Isa. 13:13). The "earth" denotes the man who is to be vastated, where the church is. In Jeremiah:
The slain of Jehovah shall be at that day from the end of the earth even unto the end of the earth (Jer. 25:33).Here the "end of the earth" does not signify the whole world, but only the region where the church was, and consequently the men who were of the church. Again:
I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth; a tumult shall come even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations (Jer. 25:29, 31). In this passage, in like manner, the whole world is not meant, but only the region where the church is, and therefore the inhabitant or man of the church; the "nations" here denote falsities. In Isaiah:
Behold, Jehovah cometh forth out of His place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth (Isa. 26:21). Here the meaning is the same. Again:
Have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood the foundations of the earth (Isa. 40:21)? Again:
Jehovah, that createth the heavens, God Himself that formeth the earth and maketh it, He establisheth it (Isa. 45:18). The "earth" denotes the man of the church. In Zechariah:
The saying of Jehovah, who stretcheth out the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in the midst of him (Zech. 12:1), where the "earth" manifestly denotes the man of the church. The "earth" is distinguished from the "ground" as are the man of the church and the church itself, or as are love and faith.
Elliott(1983-1999) 662
662. 'Everything that is on the earth will breathe its last' means those belonging to that Church who became such. This becomes clear from the fact that 'the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world but only those people who belonged to the Church, as shown already. No flood of any kind is meant here therefore, let alone a flooding of the whole world, but instead the decease or choking to death of those people there who when cut off from remnants, and so from things connected with the understanding of truth and with the will for good, were consequently cut off from the heavens. In addition to places already quoted from the Word, let the following also serve to confirm the fact that 'earth' means that area where the Church is, and therefore those who are there. In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, The whole earth will be desolate, yet I will not bring it to a close. For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black. Jer 4:27, 28.
Here 'the earth' stands for people living where the Church is that has been vastated. In Isaiah, I will jolt heaven, and the earth will be shaken out of its place. Isa 13:13.
'Earth' stands for mankind which is to be vastated where the Church is. In Jeremiah,
The slaina of Jehovah on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. Jer 25:33.
Here 'the end of the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world, only that area where the Church was, and consequently where members of the Church were. In the same prophet, I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. A clamour is coming even to the end of the earth, for Jehovah's controversy is against the nations. Jer 25:29, 31. Nor is the whole world meant here, only the area where the Church is, and consequently where the inhabitant or member of the Church is. 'The nations' here stands for falsities. In Isaiah, Behold, Jehovah is coming out of His place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth. Isa 26:21.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,
Do you not hear? Has it not been pointed out to you from the beginning? Do you not understand the foundations of the earth? Isa 40:21.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah who creates the heavens, the God who forms the earth and makes it, the Same establishes it. Isa 45:18.
'Earth' stands for the member of the Church. In Zechariah,
The Word of Jehovah who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Zech 12:1.
'The earth' obviously stands for the member of the Church. The earth is different from the ground in the way that the member of the Church is different from the Church itself, or as love and faith are different.
Latin(1748-1756) 662
662. 'Omne quod in terra, exspirabit': quod significet eos qui ab Ecclesia illa et tales facti sunt, [constare potest ex his;] quod 'terra' non significet universum terrarum orbem, sed modo illos qui ab Ecclesia fuerunt, prius ostensum est; ita nusquam intelligitur hic aliquod diluvium, minus diluvium universale, sed exspiratio seu suffocatio eorum qui ibi, cum separati a reliquiis, ita ab intellectualibus veri et voluntariis boni, proinde a caelis. Quod 'terra' significet tractum ubi Ecclesia, proinde eos qui ibi, praeter loca prius ex Verbo allata, etiam haec confirmationi sint; apud Jeremiam, Sic dixit Jehovah, Desolata erit tota terra, et {x}consummationem non factam, propter hoc lugebit terra, et atrati erunt caeli desuper, iv 27, 28;ibi 'terra' pro habitatoribus ubi Ecclesia, quae vastata: apud Esaiam, Commovebo caelum, et concutietur terra e loco suo, xiii 13;
'terra' pro homine vastando ubi Ecclesia: apud Jeremiam, Erunt confossi Jehovae in die illo a fine terrae usque ad finem terra', xxv 33;
ubi 'finis terrae' non significat universum orbem terrarum, sed modo tractum ubi Ecclesia, proinde homines qui fuerunt Ecclesiae: apud eundem, Gladium Ego vocans super omnes habitatores terrae;... venit tumultus usque ad finem terrae, quia lis Jehovae contra gentes, xxv 29, 31;
ubi nec intelligitur universus orbis, sed modo tractus ubi Ecclesia, proinde habitator, seu homo Ecclesiae; 'gentes' ibi pro falsis: apud Esaiam, Ecce Jehovah exiens e loco Suo ad visitandum iniquitatem habitatoris terrae, xxvi 21;
similiter: apud eundem, Annon auditis? annon indicatum est ab initio vobis? annon intelligitis fundamenta terrae? xl 21:
apud eundem, Jehovah creans caelos, Ille Deus formans terram, et faciens eam, Idem stabiliens eam, xlv 18;
'terra' pro homine Ecclesiae: apud Zachariam, Dictum Jehovae extendentis caelos, et fundantis terram, et formantis spiritum hominis in medio ejus, xii 1;
'terra' manifeste pro homine Ecclesiae. Terra distinguitur ab humo, ut homo Ecclesiae et ipsa Ecclesia, aut sicut amor et fides.