277. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four animals, full of eyes before and behind, signifies the Lord's guard and providence that the interior heavens be not approached except by the good of love and charity, that lower things depending thereon may be in the order. This is evident from the signification of "out of the midst of the throne," as being from the Lord, for the "One sitting upon the throne" was the Lord (See above, n. 268); also from the signification of "around the throne," as being the interior or higher heavens, for these are most nearly around the Lord; also from the signification of "four animals," which were cherubim, as being the Divine guard and providence that the interior or higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and charity (of which in what follows); also from the signification of "eyes," of which they were full before and behind, as being the Lord's Divine Providence; for "eyes," in reference to man, signify the understanding, which is his internal sight; but when "eyes" are predicated of God, they signify the Divine Providence (See above, n. 68, 152). And since "eyes" here signify the Lord's Divine Providence that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and of charity, therefore these cherubim were seen "full of eyes before and behind."

On this providence of the Lord, lower things, which are the lower heavens and also the church on earth, depend, that they may be in order, because the influx of the Lord is both immediate from Himself, and also mediate through the higher heavens into the lower heavens and into the church; consequently unless the higher heavens were in order the lower could not be in order. (On this influx see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 277-278.)

[2] That by "the four animals" here cherubim are meant is evident in Ezekiel, by whom like things were seen at the river Chebar, which are described by him in chap. 1 and in chap. 10, and in the latter called "cherubim" (Ezekiel 10:1-2, 4-9, 14, 16, 18-19), and it is said of them:

The cherubim mounted up; these are the animals that I saw by the river Chebar. These are the animals that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15, 20).

These "four animals, that were cherubim," are thus described by that prophet:

Near the river Chebar appeared the likeness of four animals. This was their aspect: they had the likeness of a man, and each one had four faces, and each one of them had four wings. This was the likeness of their faces: the four of them had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle. Their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of lamps; the same went up and down among the animals, so that the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. Over the heads of the animals was an expanse of the appearance of a wonderful crystal. Above the expanse which was over their head was as it were the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it. From the appearance of his loins and downwards I saw as it were an appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about, as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud; so was the appearance of the brightness of Jehovah round about; this appearance was the likeness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezekiel 1:5-6, 10, 13, 22, 26-28).

By these representatives the Divine of the Lord in the higher heavens, and His Providence that they be not approached except from the good of love and charity, are described; and in this description are contained all the things that are mentioned in this chapter of Revelation respecting the arrangement of the heavens, and signified by "the throne on which was One sitting in aspect like a jasper stone and a sardius;" also by the "rainbow round about the throne," by the "lamps of fire burning before the throne," and the other things which it is not necessary therefore to explain here singly.

[3] It shall now be shown merely that "cherubim" in the Word signify the guard and providence of the Lord that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and charity, that lower things may be in order. This is plainly seen by the cherubim placed before the garden of Eden, when man was driven from it, which are thus described in Moses:

When Jehovah God had driven out the man, He made to dwell on the east of Eden the cherubim, and the flame of a sword turning hither and thither, to guard the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).

What is meant by the "man" and "his wife" in these chapters may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that "man" here means the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church; and the celestial is distinguished from the spiritual church in this, that the celestial church is in the good of love to the Lord, but the spiritual in the good of charity towards the neighbor (See in the work onHeaven and Hell 20-28). Of the men who constitute these two churches on the earth the two higher heavens are formed. When, therefore, the celestial church, which was the most ancient and primary church on this earth, declined and began to recede from the good of love, it is said that "cherubim were made to dwell on the east of Eden, and the flame of a sword turning hither and thither, to guard the way of the tree of life." The "east of Eden" signifies where the good of celestial love enters; "the flame of a sword turning hither and thither" signifies truth from that good, protecting; and "the tree of life" signifies the Divine that is from the Lord in the higher heavens, which is the good of love and charity and heavenly joy therefrom. From this it is clear that "cherubim" signify guards that these heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity; for this reason they are also said "to guard the way of the tree of life." (That the "east" signifies the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 1250, 3708; that "Eden" signifies wisdom therefrom, n. 99, 100; that "sword" signifies truth combating against falsity and dispersing it, thus truth protecting, above, n. 73, 131; that "flame" signifies truth from celestial good, Arcana Coelestia 3222, 6832, 9570; that "the tree of life" signifies the good of love from the Lord and the heavenly joy therefrom, see above, n. 109, 110.)

[4] Because of this signification of "cherubim," two cherubim of solid gold were placed upon the mercy-seat which was upon the ark, thus described in Moses:

Thou shalt make cherubim, of solid gold thou shalt make them, from the two ends of the mercy-seat; out of the mercy-seat thou shalt make the cherubim. And the cherubim shall spread out their wings upwards, covering the mercy-seat with their wings; towards the mercy-seat shall be the faces of the cherubim. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark. And there I will meet with thee, and I will speak with thee between the two cherubim (Exodus 25:18-22; 37:7-9).

The "ark" and the "tent" represented the higher heavens; the "ark," in which was the testimony or law, represented the inmost or third heaven; the "tabernacle," which was without the veil, the middle or second heaven; the "mercy-seat" the hearing and reception of all things of worship which are from the good of love and charity; the "cherubim" guards; and the "gold," of which they were made the good of love. From this it is also clear that the "two cherubim" represented guards that the higher heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity. (That the "tabernacle" in general represented heaven where the Lord is, see Arcana Coelestia 9457, 9481, 10545; the "ark" the inmost or third heaven, n. 3478, 9485; the "testimony or law in the ark," the Lord in respect to the Word, n. 3382, 6752, 7463; the "habitation," that was without the veil, the middle or second heaven, n. 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9594, 9596, 9632; the "mercy-seat," the hearing and reception of all things of worship that are from the good of love and charity from the Lord, n. 9506; and "gold" the good of love, n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881)

[5] Because "cherubim" signified those guards:

There were cherubim also upon the curtains of the tabernacle and upon the veil (Exodus 26:1, 31).

And for the same reason Solomon made in the oracle of the temple cherubim of olive wood, and set them in the midst of the interior house, and overlaid them with gold, and also carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim, and also the doors (1 Kings 6:23-29, 32-35).

The "temple" also signified heaven and the church, and its "oracle" the inmost of heaven and the church. The "olive wood," of which the cherubim were made, signifies the good of love; likewise the "gold" with which they were overlaid. The "walls" on which the cherubim were engraved, signify the ultimates of heaven and of the church, and the "cherubim" thereon signify guards. The "doors," on which also there were cherubim, signify entrance into heaven and the church. From this it is clear that "cherubim" signified guards that heaven be not approached except through the good of love and charity. And as "cherubim" signified such guards they also signify the Lord's Divine Providence, for these guards are from the Lord, and are His Divine Providence. (That the "temple" and the "house of God" signify heaven and the church, see above, n. 220; the "oracle" therefore signifies the inmost of these. That "olive wood" signifies the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 886[1-2], 3728, 4582, 9780, 9954, 10261; likewise "gold," see above, n. 242. That "doors" signify approach and admission, see also above, n. 248)

[6] The new temple is likewise described as ornamented with cherubim, of which in Ezekiel:

There were made cherubim and palm-trees, so that a palm-tree was between a cherub and a cherub; thus it was made for all the house round about, from the ground unto above the door were cherubim and palm-trees made; and the wall of the temple (Ezekiel 41:18-20).

"Palm tree" signifies spiritual good which is the good of charity (See Arcana Coelestia 8369).

[7] Since Divine truth from Divine good is what protects, therefore the king of Tyre is called a "cherub;" for "king" signifies Divine truth, and "Tyre" knowledges; and therefore the "king of Tyre" signifies intelligence, of whom it is thus written in Ezekiel:

Thou, King of Tyre, hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering. Thou cherub, the spreading out of one that protects, I have set thee, on God's mountain of holiness wast thou; thou hast walked in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways in ¹ the day that thou wast created (Ezekiel 28:12-16).

(That "king" signifies Divine truth, see above, n. 31; and "Tyre" knowledges, Arcana Coelestia 1201. That "precious stones" signify the truths and goods of heaven and the church, see n. 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905, which are called "stones of fire" because "fire" signifies the good of love, see n. 934, 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832.) Because the "king of Tyre" signifies intelligence from Divine truth, and this guards or protects, therefore the king of Tyre is called "a cherub, the spreading out of one that protects."

[8] Since the higher heavens cannot be approached except through the good of love and charity, that is, cannot be approached through worship and through prayers, except such as proceed from that good, therefore the Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron when they entered the habitation between the two cherubim that were upon the ark (Exodus 25:22). This also is made evident in Moses:

When Moses went into the tent of meeting, he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the mercy-seat that was upon the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim (Numbers 7:89).

Because it is the Divine proceeding from the Lord that provides and guards, therefore it is said of the Lord that:

He sitteth upon the cherubim (Isaiah 37:16; Psalms 18:9-10; 80:1; 99:1; 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2).

[9] Since the arrangement of all things for judgment is treated of in this chapter, the cherubim also are here treated of, that is, the Lord's guard and providence that the higher heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity; for unless this had been done before the judgment, the veriest heavens, in which the true angels are, would have been endangered, because those heavens that were about to perish (See Revelation 21:1) were not in the good of love and charity, but only in some truths. For there were there from the Christian world those who were in the doctrine of faith alone, which some had confirmed by a number of passages from the Word, and thus obtained some conjunction with the ultimate heaven; but this conjunction was broken when the heaven called the former heaven (Revelation 21:1) was dissipated; and it was then ordered by the Lord that hereafter no one shall be conjoined with the heavens unless he be in the good of love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbor. This is what is specifically meant by the things that now follow in this chapter. Whoever, therefore, believes that the heavens can hereafter be approached through the worship and prayers of those who are in faith alone, and not at the same time in the good of charity, is much mistaken. The worship of such is no longer received, nor are their prayers heard, but attention is directed only to their life's love. Those, therefore, in whom the love of self and the world rules, no matter in what external worship they may have been, are conjoined to the hells, and are also taken there after death, and not previously to any heaven that is to perish, as was the case hitherto.

Poznámky pod čarou:

4151. 'And Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them' means that they belonged to the affection for interior truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819, and from the meaning of 'stealing' as taking away that which is cherished and holy, dealt with in 4112, 4113, 4133. It was stated above that Rachel's stealing the teraphim or Laban's gods meant a change as regards truth of the state represented by 'Laban', see 4111. That change of state is described further still in this verse and in those immediately following; for the change came about when the good represented by 'Laban' had been separated from the good meant by 'Jacob' and so through that separation passed into a different state. For the truths that had appeared to him to be his own when the two kinds of good were joined together were regarded in such a way that it seemed as though they had been taken away. This is the reason why Laban complained bitterly about the teraphim, and why he searched the tents for them, though he did not find them. For the truths which in the good sense are meant by 'the teraphim', 4111, were not his but belonged to the affection for truth meant by 'Rachel'.

[2] These matters cannot be made plain except from things that take place in the next life. For things taking place in the next life near a person in this life seem to him to occur within him. And virtually the same is so with spirits in the next life. When communities of spirits which are governed by intermediate good are in association with angels it seems to them, altogether so, as though they possessed as their own the truths and goods which are the angels'; indeed those spirits are not aware of them being anything other than their own. But when they are separated they then realize that this is not true. They too therefore complain bitterly, believing that those goods and truths have been taken away from them by the angels with whom they have been in association. These are the considerations that are meant in the internal sense by 'teraphim' in this verse and those immediately following.

[3] In general the situation is that no one ever possesses good or truth that is his own but that all good and truth flow in from the Lord, doing so both immediately and through angelic communities serving as intermediaries. Nevertheless it seems as though that good or truth is his own, and the reason for this is that these may be made over to him as his own until the time when he enters that state in which he may know, then acknowledge, and at length believe that they are not his but the Lord's. It is also well known from the Word and thereby in the Christian world that all good and all truth are derived from the Lord and nothing good at all from man. Indeed the teachings of the Church which are drawn from the Word declare that of himself man cannot even strive after good and so cannot will it, and as a consequence cannot do it, since the doing of good springs from the willing of it. They also declare that the whole of faith is received from the Lord, so that man cannot have the smallest measure of belief unless it flows in from the Lord.

[4] These ideas are declared in the teachings of the Church and are taught in sermons. But few, indeed very few people, really believe them, as is proven by their presumption that life in its entirety exists inherently within themselves, and by the fact that scarcely any believe that life is something inflowing. Man's life in its entirety consists in being able to think and being able to will, for if that ability to think and to will is taken away no life remains at all. And the very essence of life consists in his thinking what is good and willing what is good, and also in his thinking what is true and willing that which he thinks is true. Since these abilities, according to teachings from the Word, are not man's but the Lord's and they flow in from the Lord by way of heaven, people who have any power of judgement and who are capable of reflecting could from this fact deduce that life in its entirety is something which inflows.

[5] The same applies to evil and falsity. According to teachings drawn from the Word the devil is constantly trying to lead man astray and constantly breathing evil into him. This also is why, when anyone has committed a serious crime, it is said that he has allowed the devil to lead him astray. This again is the truth and yet few if any believe it. For just as all good and truth come from the Lord, so all evil and falsity come from hell, that is, from the devil - hell being the devil. This also shows that just as all good and truth are things that flow in, so too are all evil and falsity, and as a consequence every thought of evil or willing of it flows in too. Since these too are things that flow in, those who have any power of judgement and reflection may deduce that life is something which flows in, though it seems to exist inherently in man.

[6] The truth of this has been demonstrated on many occasions to spirits who had recently arrived in the next life from the world. But some of them have said, If all evil or falsity too is something that flows in, then no evil or falsity at all can be attributed to them and they are free from blame since such evil or falsity comes from somewhere else. But they were told in reply that they had made that evil and falsity their own through their belief that when they had thought or willed anything they had acted independently, by themselves. Yet if that which is truly so had been believed by them they would not then have made that evil and falsity their own. For in that case they would have believed also that all good and truth come from the Lord; and if they had believed this, they would have allowed themselves to be led by the Lord and so their state would have been different. In that case also the evil which had entered their thought and will would have had no effect on them; that is to say, evil would not have come out of them but good, since, according to the Lord's words in Mark 7:15, it is not the things going in which affect a person but those coming out of him.

[7] Many are able to know this but few believe it. Even those who are evil can do so, but they still do not believe it since they prefer their own ideas, which they love to such an extent that when it is demonstrated to them that everything is such that it flows in they become worried and demand fiercely that they be allowed to live according to their own ideas, saying that if these are taken away from them they could not go on living. Such is the belief even of people who do know. These matters have been stated so that people might know what it is like with those communities of spirits which are governed by intermediate good, both when they are joined to others and when they are separated from them. That is to say, when joined to others they are not aware of the goods and truths being anything other than their own, when in fact they are not theirs.