657. Seven angels having the seven last plagues, signifies the evils and falsities in the church, such as are in its last state, universally disclosed by the Lord. By "seven angels" the entire heaven is signified; but as heaven is not heaven from anything proper to the angels, but from the Lord, therefore by "seven angels" the Lord is signified, nor can any other disclose the evils and falsities which are in the church. That by "angels" is signified heaven, and, in the highest sense, the Lord, may be seen above (n. 5, 258, 344, 465, 644, 647, 648). By "plagues" are signified evils and falsities, evils of love and falsities of faith. For they are those which are described in the next chapter, and are signified by "evil and noxious sores," by "the blood as it were of one dead, whereby every living soul died," and by "the blood into which the waters of the rivers and fountains were turned," by "the scorching of fire which afflicted men," by "the unclean spirits like frogs, which were demons," and by "great hail"; the evils and falsities which are signified by all these things, are here meant by "plagues"; by "the last plagues" are signified the same in the last state of the church; by "seven" are signified all (n. 10, 390); but because these evils, which are signified by "the plagues" in the next chapter, are not all in particular, but are all in general, by "seven" are here signified all universally, for the universal embraces all the particulars. From these things it appears, that by "I saw seven angels having the seven last plagues," is signified that the evils and falsities in the church, such as they are in its last state, were disclosed universally by the Lord. [2] That "plagues" signify spiritual plagues, which affect men as to their souls, and destroy them, which are evils and falsities, may appear from the following passages:
From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness, a fresh plague not pressed out, nor bound up, nor mollified (Isa. 1:6). Jehovah smiteth the people in anger with an incurable plague (Isa. 14:6). O Jehovah, remove Thy plague from me, I am consumed by the blow of Thy hand (Ps. 39:10). Thy breaking is without hope, with the plague of an enemy have I smitten thee for the multitude of thine iniquity, thy sins have become very many; but I will heal thee of thy plagues (Jer. 30:12, 14, 17). If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of the law, Jehovah will make thy plagues wonderful, plagues great and lasting, and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, even until thou art destroyed (Deut. 28:58, 59, 61). There shall no evil befall thee, and neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent (Ps. 91:10). Edom shall be a desolation, everyone that passeth by shall hiss at all her plagues (Jer. 49:17). It shall be a devastation; everyone that passeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all her plagues (Jer. 50:13). In one day shall plagues come upon Babylon (Rev. 18:8). The two witnesses shall smite the earth with every plague (Rev. 11:6). By "the plagues of Egypt," which were in part similar to the plagues described in the following chapter, nothing else was signified but evils and falsities; which plagues you may see enumerated above (n. 503) they are also called "plagues" (Exod. 9:14; 11:1). From this it is manifest, that by "plagues" nothing else is signified but spiritual plagues, which affect men as to their souls, and destroy them; as also Isa. 30:26; Zech. 14:12, 15; Ps. 38:5, 11; Rev. 9:20; 16:21; Exod. 12:13; 30:12; Num. 11:33; Luke 7:21; and elsewhere.
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