858. Verse 8. And shall go forth to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to war, signifies that they who are here meant by the dragon, would draw to their party all those who were from the earths, in the whole world of spirits, and lived there in external natural worship alone, and in no internal spiritual worship, and would arouse them against those who worshiped the Lord, and lived according to His commandments in the Word. By "going out to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth," is signified that they who are meant by "the dragon," of whom above (n. 856, 857), would draw to their party all who were in the whole world of spirits; by "seducing" is here signified to draw to their party; by "nations" are signified both the good and the evil (n. 483); by "the four corners of the earth" is signified the whole spiritual world (n. 342), here those who were in the whole world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and where all after their departure from the earth first assemble (concerning which n. 784, 791); for those who were in hell could not come into the sight of the dragon, nor they who were in the heavens. By "Gog and Magog" are signified they who are in external natural worship separate from internal spiritual worship, as will be shown in the next article; by "gathering them together to war" is signified to arouse those who are meant by "the nations" against those who worship the Lord and live according to His commandments in the Word, because all who do not worship the Lord and do not live according to His commandments, are evil, and the evil act together with the dragon or the dragonists; that by "war" is meant spiritual war, which is that of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity, may be seen above (n. 500, 586).