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674. There was a great earthquake.- That this signifies a remarkable change of the state of the interiors in those who are of the church, is evident from the signification of a great earthquake (terroe motus), as denoting a remarkable change of the state of the church; for the earth (terra) signifies the church, motion, change of state, and great, what is remarkable. That an earthquake, in the Word, signifies a change of the state of the church, may be seen above (n. 400:2, 499).
[2] That a change of state as to the truths and goods of the church, sprang from causes involved in the preceding verse, is evident; that is, because the two witnesses that had been slain and restored to life ascended by command into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them. It is therefore clear that the cause was the separation of the good from the evil, as shown in preceding articles, where the ascent of the two witnesses has been explained. But these things cannot be made plain to the understanding, until the state of the case in the spiritual world be made known. For the things described in this verse namely, that there was a great earthquake, that the tenth part of the city fell, and that there were killed in the earthquake names of men seven thousand, also, that the rest became afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven - do take place, and also did take place at the time of the Last Judgment, but in the spiritual world, not in the natural world. For when it is necessary for the good there to be separated from the evil, and the good to be protected from being injured by the evil, then the good are removed from the societies, and the evil left, according to the words of the Lord in Matthew:
"Two shall be in the field, one shall be taken, the other shall be left; two [women] grinding, one shall be taken, the other shall be left" (Arcana Coelestia 4334, 4335). When the good are taken away, then in the societies in which the good and evil were intermingled, a remarkable change takes place as to those things which pertain to the church.
[3] But the cause of that change shall be further explained. In the spiritual world there is a communication of all affections, and sometimes of thoughts; and within every society there is a general communication, extending itself from the midst in every direction, even to the boundaries, almost as light spreads from the centre to the circumference. The variations and changes of the affections arising from communication and its extension, spring from an influx of affections from other societies, which are either above or at the sides, also from the new comers who enter the society, and also from the fact of few or many being removed from the society.
[4] The societies upon which the Last Judgment took place, consisted of both the good and the evil, the evil being those who were interiorly, but not outwardly, opposed to the goods of love and the truths of doctrine, for outwardly they could act according to what was right and just, and speak what was pious and true not for the sake of rectitude, justice, piety, and truth, but from habit acquired in the world, for the sake of fame, glory, honour, gain, and various delights of the natural loves; also on account of the laws and their penalties. Such persons therefore, although interiorly evil, were still able to associate with those who were not only outwardly but also interiorly good. When therefore the good were being separated from those who appeared good only in external form, then the external good [of the latter] vanished, and their interior evil became apparent; for they were kept in such external good by communication with those within the same society, who, as said above, were not only outwardly but also interiorly, good. When external good then was removed from the evil, their interiors, which were full of mere evil and filthy things were opened, and consequently their real quality was made manifest. These are the things, therefore, that are specifically meant by the two witnesses ascending by command into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies seeing them; and here, that in that hour there was a great earthquake, that is, that when that state came, a remarkable change took place as to those things which pertain to the church.
674. There was a great earthquake, signifies a notable change of state of the interiors with those who are of the church. This is evident from the signification of "a great earthquake," as being a notable change of the state of the church; for the "earth" signifies the church, "quaking" change of state, and "great" what is notable. (That an "earthquake" signifies in the Word a change of state of the church, see above, n. 400, 499.)
[2] The change of state in respect to the truths and goods of the church evidently sprang from causes that are described in the preceding verse, that is, because the two witnesses that had been killed and restored to life went up by command into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them. Thence it may be seen that the cause of this was the separation of the good from the evil, as has been shown in the preceding articles, where the going up of the two witnesses is explained. But this cannot be presented to the understanding unless it first be told how things are in the spiritual world; for the things described in this verse, namely, that "there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and there were killed in the earthquake names of men seven thousand, and the rest became afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven," are things that take place, and in fact have already taken place at the time when the Last Judgement was at hand, but in the spiritual world, and not in the natural world; for when the good there are to be separated from the evil, and the good are to be protected from being harmed by the evil, then the good are taken away from the societies and the evil are left, according to the Lord's words in Matthew:
Two [men] shall be in the field, one shall be taken, the other shall be left; two [women] shall be grinding, one shall be taken, the other shall be left (Arcana Coelestia 4334, 4335). When the good are taken away there occurs in the societies in which the good and evil had been together, a notable change in respect to the things that pertain to the church.
[3] But the cause of this change shall be further disclosed. In the spiritual world there is a communication of all affections, and sometimes of thoughts; and within each society there is a general communication, extending itself from the middle of the society in every direction even to the boundaries, much as light spreads forth from a center to the circumferences. The variations and changes of the affections that arise from this communication and its extension spring from an influx of the affections from other societies, either above or at the sides, also from the newcomers that enter the society, and also from a few or many being taken away from the society.
[4] The societies upon which the Last Judgment came consisted both of the good and of the evil, but of such evil as were interiorly but not exteriorly opposed to the goods of love and the truths of doctrine; for exteriorly these were able to act rightly and justly and to speak piously and truly, not however for the sake of the right, of justice, of piety, and of truth, but from habit acquired in the world, for the sake of fame, glory, honor, gain, and the various delights of the natural loves, also on account of the laws and their penalties. For this reason, although they were interiorly evil, yet they could be together with those who were both exteriorly and interiorly good. When, therefore, the good were to be separated from those who merely appeared good in external form, their external good vanished, and their internal evil appeared; for they were held in that external good by communication with those within the same society who were not only exteriorly but also interiorly good, as has been said above. So when external good was taken away from the evil their interiors were opened; and these were full of mere evil and filthy things, which made evident of what quality they were in themselves. Such, then, is what is meant in particular by "the two witnesses going up by command into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beholding them;" and here that "in that hour there was a great earthquake," namely, that when that state came a notable change took place in respect to those things that pertain to the church.
674. "Factus est terrae motus magnus." - Quod significet mutationem status interiorum insignem apud illos qui ab ecclesia, constat ex significatione "terrae motus magni", quod sit mutatio status ecclesiae insignis; per "terram" enim significatur ecclesia, per "motum" mutatio status, et per " magnum" insigne.
(Quod "terrae motus" in Verbo significet mutationem status ecclesiae, videatur supra, n. 400, 499.)
[2] Quod mutatio status quoad vera et bona ecclesiae exstiterit ex causis quae continentur in versu praecedente, patet; ita ex causa quod "bini testes occisi et redivivi ex mandato ascenderint in caelum in nube, et viderint illos inimici illorum"; inde constare potest quod causa fuerit separatio bonorum a malis, ut in articulis superioribus, ubi "ascensus binorum testium" explicatus est, ostensum est. Sed haec ad intellectum non sisti possunt, nisi prius dicatur quomodo se res in mundo spirituali habet; nam quae in hoc versu dicuntur, nempe, quod "terrae motus magnus factus sit", quod "decima pars urbis deciderit", et quod "nomina hominum millia septem in terrae motu occisa sint", tum quod "reliqui territi facti sint, et dederint gloriam Deo caeli", fiunt et quoque facta sunt cum ultimum judicium instabat, sed in mundo spirituali, non autem in mundo naturali: cum enim ibi separandi sunt boni a malis, ac boni tutandi ne a malis laedantur, tunc e societatibus ibi auferuntur boni et relinquuntur mali, secundum Domini verba apud Matthaeum,
"Duo erunt in agro, unus assumetur, alter derelinquetur: duae molentes..., una assumetur, altera derelinquetur" (24:40, 41);
(quae videantur explicata in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 4334, 4335); et cum boni ablati sunt, tunc in societatibus in quibus boni et mali simul fuerunt, fit insignis mutatio quoad illa quae ecclesiae sunt.
[3] Sed causa illius mutationis ulterius detegetur. In mundo spirituali est communicatio omnium affectionum, et quandoque cogitationum; et intra quamcunque societatem est communicatio communis, se extendens e medio ejus quaquaversum usque ad fines, paene sicut lux e medio ad peripherias: variationes et mutationes affectionum oriundarum ex communicatione et ejus extensione, existunt ex influxu affectionum ex aliis societatibus, quae vel supra sunt, vel ad latera, tum ex novis advenis qui intrant societatem, et quoque ex eo quod pauci aut multi eximantur e societate.
[4] Societates super quas ultimum judicium exstitit, constiterunt tam ex bonis quam ex malis, sed ex talibus malis qui interius contra bona amoris et vera doctrinae fuerunt, non autem exterius; exterius enim potuerunt rectum et justum agere, ac pium et verum loqui, non propter ipsum rectum, justum, pium et verum, sed ex habitu in mundo, propter famam, gloriam, honorem, lucrum, varia jucunda amorum naturalium, tum propter leges et earum poenas; inde hi, tametsi interius mali, usque potuerunt simul esse cum illis qui non modo exterius sed etiam interius boni fuerunt. Quando itaque boni separararentur ab illis qui in externa forma solum boni apparuerunt, tunc bonum externum evanuit, et malum internum apparuit; nam in externo illo bono tenebantur per communicationem cum illis intra eandem societatem qui non modo exterius sed etiam interius boni erant, ut supra dictum est; quare cum bonum externum malis ablatum est, aperta sunt interiora eorum, quae mere malis et 1
foedis scatuerunt; inde patuit quales in se essent. Haec itaque sunt quae in specie intelliguntur per quod "bini testes ex mandato ascenderint in caelum in nube, et quod viderint illos inimici eorum"; et nunc quod "in illa hora factus sit terrae motus magnus", hoc est, quod cum ille status esset, facta sit insignis mutatio quoad illa quae ecclesiae sunt.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.