AR 402, 403 - The Second Angel Sounded; AR 407, 408 - The Third Angel Sounded; AR 411 - Bitterness

AR 402

Then the second angel sounded.
(Revelation 8:8)

This symbolizes an examination and disclosure
of the state of the church and its character
in people caught up externally in that faith.

. . . These people in the spiritual world
are seemingly at sea.

AR 403

And something like a great mountain burning with fire
was cast into the sea.
(Revelation 8:8)

This symbolizes the appearance
of a hellish love in people concerned
with the external elements of the church
and caught up in faith alone.

. . . where there is no charity,
that is, no love for the neighbor,
which is a spiritual love,
a hellish love exists.

AR  407

Then the third angel sounded.
(Revelation 8:10)

This symbolizes an examination
and disclosure of the state of the church
in people for whom religion is faith alone
such as they are as regards
their affection for truths from the Word
and reception of them.

AR 408

And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch.
(Revelation 8:10)

This symbolizes the appearance
of their personal intelligence
owing to a conceit arising from a hellish love.

AR 411 [1-2]

Bitterness symbolizes falsification
because the bitterness of wormwood is meant,
and wormwood symbolizes hellish falsity.

Spiritual life, for a Christian,
comes only from the Word's truths,
for in them is life.
But when the Word's truths have been falsified,
and a person interprets them
and views them
in accordance with falsities connected with his religion,
then the spiritual life in him is extinguished.
That is because the Word communicates with heaven.
Consequently, when a person reads it,
the truths in it ascend into heaven,
while the falsities
to which truths have been attached or joined
lead to hell.
As a result the person is torn apart,
which extinguishes the Word's life.
This occurs, however,
only in the case of people
who use the Word to defend falsities,
but not in the case of people who do not defend them.