55. And I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, signifies manifest perception of Divine truth about to be revealed from heaven. This is evident from the signification of "hearing," as being to perceive and obey (See Arcana Coelestia 2542, 3869, 4653, 5017, 7216, 8361, 8990, 9311, 9397); and from the signification of "behind me," as being manifestly (of which hereafter); and from the signification of "voice," when heard out of heaven, as being Divine truth (See Arcana Coelestia 219-220, 3563, 6971, 8813, 8914); and from the signification of a "trumpet," as being truth to be revealed out of heaven (of which hereafter). "Behind me" signifies manifestly, because the things that flow in from heaven into man's affection flow in into the occipital region, and come thus into his manifest perception; for whatever enters into affection is manifestly perceived, for the whole life of perception is from affection; but whatever flows out of heaven immediately into the thought flows into the region above the forehead. (Concerning this influx, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 251.) From this it is clear what is signified by John's having heard "behind him," and by his afterwards "having turned to see the voice which spoke with him." A "trumpet" or "horn" signifies Divine truth about to be revealed out of heaven, because sometimes Divine truth is heard in this way when it flows down from the Lord through the heavens with man; for it is increased in coming down; and it thus flows in. But it is thus heard only in the beginning with those through whom Divine truth is to be revealed in the ultimate sense, which is representative of interior things. But afterwards it is heard as a human voice. From this it is evident why "the voice of a trumpet" or "horn" signifies Divine truth about to be revealed out of heaven.

[2] He who is aware that "trumpet" or "horn," signifies Divine truth out of heaven can understand many passages in the Word where these are mentioned. As in Matthew:

He shall send forth His angel, with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the elect from the four winds (Matthew 24:31).

In Isaiah:

All ye inhabitants of the world, and ye dwellers on the earth, when the sign of the mountains shall be lifted up, see ye; and when the trumpet is blown, hear ye (Isaiah 18:3).

In Jeremiah:

Proclaim with the trumpet in the land. Set up a standard towards Zion. How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? For my people are foolish, they are sottish sons, and they have no understanding (Jeremiah 4:5-6, 21-22).

In the same:

I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations (Jeremiah 6:17-18).

In Ezekiel:

He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him; whereas if he had taken warning he should have delivered his soul (Ezekiel 33:5).

In Hosea:

[Set] the trumpet to thy mouth, because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law (Hosea 8:1).

In Zechariah:

The Lord Jehovih shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with the whirlwinds of the south (Zechariah 9:14).

In David:

God is gone up with a shout, and Jehovah with the sound of a trumpet (Psalms 47:5).

And also in Revelation (chap. Revelation 4:1; 8:2, 7-8, 13; 9:1, 13, 14; 10:7; 18:22). Because a "trumpet" signified Divine truth, therefore when Divine truth was first about to be revealed before the people of Israel:

Sounds of a trumpet were heard from Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16).

For this reason sounding the trumpet became representative with them:

When they were to assemble, and when they went forward, and also in their solemnities, at the beginnings of months, at burnt-offerings and eucharistic sacrifices (Numbers 10:1-10).

They also sounded trumpets when they went forth to battle against the Midianites (Numbers 31:6).

And when they took the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:4-20);

for wars and battles signified spiritual combats, which are combats of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth.

3721. 'And this is the gate of heavens means that which serves as the ultimate degree of order, through which there is, so to speak, a way in from the natural creation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the gate' as that through which exit or entrance is made. The reason why here that which serves as the ultimate degree of order is meant is that the subject is the natural, which 'Jacob' represents. What 'a gate' means is clear from what has been stated and shown in 2851, 3187, and the fact that the natural is the ultimate degree of order from what has been introduced in 775, 2181, 2987-3002, 3020, 3147, 3167, 3483, 3489, 3513, 3570, 3576, 3671. The reason why through that ultimate degree there is so to speak a way in from the natural creation is that man's natural mind is the place through which things of heaven, that is, which are the Lord's, flow in and come down into the natural creation; and through that same mind the things that belong to the natural creation go back up, see 3702. The fact that there is so to speak an entrance from the natural creation through the natural mind into interior parts may be seen from what has been stated and shown in various places before.

[2] It seems to man as though worldly objects enter in through his physical or external senses and affect interior things, and so that there is an entrance from the ultimate degree of order into things that are within. But this is an appearance and illusion, as is evident from the general rule that what is secondary cannot flow into what is primary, or what amounts to the same, what is lower cannot flow into what is higher, or what is also the same, what is exterior into what is interior, or what is still the same, things of the world and the natural creation into those of heaven and of the spirit. For the former are grosser, the latter purer, and the grosser things that belong to the external or natural man come into being and are kept in being from those belonging to the internal or rational man. Those grosser things are unable to have any effect on the purer things but are affected by them. The nature of this influx however, seeing that appearance and illusion itself convince people that the reverse is true, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed separately, where influx is the subject. This then is why it is said that through the ultimate degree of order there is, so to speak, a way in from the natural creation.