June 15

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the land, holding the four winds of the land, that the wind should not blow on the land, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried out with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the land and the sea, saying, Hurt not the land, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. (Revelation 7:1-3)

Holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth… signifies a withholding and restraining by the Lord of a nearer and thence more powerful influx into the lower parts, where the good were conjoined with the evil. It is to be known that the Last Judgment takes place when the evil are multiplied below the heavens in the world of spirits, to such a degree that the angels in the heavens cannot subsist in their state of love and wisdom; for in this case they have no support and no foundation. And as this is caused by the multiplication of the evil below, therefore the Lord, in order to preserve their state, flows in with His Divine more and more strongly, and this continues until they can no longer be preserved by any influx, without a separation of the evil below from the good. This is effected by the letting down and drawing near of the heavens, and thence by a stronger influx, until at length the evil cannot endure it; and then the evil flee away, and cast themselves into hell. (Apocalypse Revealed 343)

Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, signifies the preventing and withholding by the Lord of a nearer and stronger influx into the lower parts... For the Lord, by various degrees of influx into the heavens, disposes, regulates, tempers, and moderates all things there and in the hells, and, through the heavens and the hells, all things in the world. (Apocalypse Revealed 346)

Till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads, signifies before those who are in truths from good from the Lord, thus who are interiorly good, are separated [from the evil] (Apocalypse Revealed 347)

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