574. And I heard the number of them, signifies their quality perceived. This is evident from the signification of "to hear," as being to perceive (See above, n. 14, 529); also from the signification of "number," as being the quality of the thing treated of (See above, n. 429); here the quality of the falsities of evil conspiring against the truths of good, from which falsities and in favor of which are the reasonings of the sensual man, which are signified by "the number of the armies of the horsemen" (of which just above). But the quality of these is further described in the next verse in these words, "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those that sat on them, having breast-plates fiery, and hyacinthine, and brimstone-like; and the heads of the horses as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimstone." These words describe the quality here signified by "number." Something of number may seem to be meant here by "number," but in the spiritual world there are no numbers, for spaces and times there are not measured and determined by numbers as in the natural world, therefore all numbers in the Word signify things, and the number itself signifies the quality of the thing (See above, n. 203, 336, 429, 430; and in the work on Heaven and Hell 263).

529. Verse 13. And I saw, and I heard one angel flying in midheaven, signifies the Lord enlightening all in the heavens respecting the state of the church at its end. This is evident from the signification of "to see and to hear," as being to open the understanding to perceive (of which presently); and from the signification of "angel," as being the Lord. That "angels" in the Word mean Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Lord Himself in relation to Divine truth, may be seen above (n. 130, 200, 302), here the Lord manifesting what the church is to be in the last times in respect to the reception of Divine truth. Also from the signification of "to fly," as being to enlighten and give understanding (of which presently); also from the signification of "in midheaven," as being in the whole heaven, or all who are in the heavens (that "in the midst" signifies in the whole and thus all, see above, n. 213). From this it can be seen that "I saw, and I heard one angel flying in mid-heaven," signifies the enlightenment of all who are in the heavens respecting the state of the church at its end. Enlightenment respecting the state of the church at its end is meant, because this is what is treated of in what follows. "To see and to hear" signifies to open the understanding to perceive, because "to see" signifies to understand, and "to hear" to perceive (that "to see" signifies to understand, see above, n. 260; and that "to hear" signifies to perceive, also above n. 14, 108).

[2] "To fly" signifies, in reference to the Lord, to enlighten, because "to fly" is said of the understanding, and of the extension of its vision round about, therefore in reference to the Lord, "to fly" signifies the enlightenment of the understanding. That in reference to the Lord, "to fly" signifies omnipresence, may be seen above (n. 282); consequently it signifies also enlightenment, for where the Lord is present there is enlightenment. "To fly" has the same signification in David:

God rode upon a cherub, He did fly, and was borne upon the wings of the wind (Psalms 18:10; 2 Samuel 22:11).

A "cherub" signifies the inmost heaven, "to ride" signifies to give understanding and to enlighten; "to fly" and "to be borne upon the wings of the wind" have a like meaning; but "to ride" here signifies to give understanding to and to enlighten here the inmost heaven, which is signified by a "cherub;" "to fly" also signifies to give understanding to and to enlighten the middle heaven; while "to be borne upon the wings of the wind" signifies to give understanding to and to enlighten the ultimate heaven. (That "to ride" signifies to give understanding, see above, n. 355, 364; and that a "cherub," signifies the inmost heaven, n. 313, 322, 362, 462.) "To fly" signifies to enlighten the middle heaven, because that heaven is the spiritual heaven, and spiritual things in the Word are signified by various birds, and by their wings and flights. "To be borne upon the wings of the wind" signifies to enlighten the ultimate heaven, because "wings" are for flight, and here signify enlightenment, and "wind" signifies the spiritual of that heaven; thus all this describes the omnipresence of the Lord in the heavens, thence also the enlightenment of the understanding; for as was said above, where the Lord is present there is enlightenment.