Apocalypse Revealed # 468
468. And his feet like pillars of fire. This symbolizes the Lord's Divinity on the natural plane in respect to His Divine love, which sustains all things.
This, too, is apparent, from the explanation in no. 49 above, where it is said of the Son of Man that "His feet were like fine brass, as though fired in a furnace."
The angel's feet looked like pillars of fire because the Lord's Divinity on the natural plane - which fundamentally is the Divine humanity that He took on in the world - supports His Divinity from eternity, as the body does the soul, and likewise as the Word's natural meaning supports its spiritual and celestial meanings, on which subject see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 27-49. To be shown that feet symbolize something natural, see no. 49, and a pillar something that supports, no. 191.
Fire symbolizes love because spiritual fire is nothing else. Therefore it is customary in worship to pray that heavenly fire, that is to say, heavenly love, may kindle the worshipers' hearts. People know that there is a correspondence between fire and love from the fact that a person grows warm with love, and cold with its loss. Nothing else produces vital warmth but love, in both senses. The origin of these correspondences is owing to the existence of two suns, one in the heavens, which is pure love, and the other in the world, which is nothing but fire. This, too, is the reason for the correspondence between all spiritual and natural things.
[2] Since fire symbolizes Divine love, therefore on Mount Horeb Jehovah appeared to Moses in a bush on fire (Exodus 3:1-3). Moreover He descended upon Mount Sinai in fire (Deuteronomy 4:36). For this reason, too, the seven lamps of the lampstand in the Tabernacle were lit every evening, so as to burn before Jehovah (Leviticus 24:2-4). For the same reason fire burned continually on the altar and was not extinguished (Leviticus 6:13), and the priests took fire from the altar in their censers and burned incense (Leviticus 16:12-13).
Therefore Jehovah went before the children of Israel by night in a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21-22). Fire from heaven consumed the burnt offerings on the altar, as a sign of His being well pleased (Leviticus 9:24, 1 Kings 18:38). The burnt offerings were called offerings by fire to Jehovah, and offerings by fire for a restful aroma to Jehovah (Exodus 29:18; Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9-11; 3:5, 16; 4:35; 5:12; 7:30; 21:6; Numbers 28:2; Deuteronomy 18:1).
Therefore in the book of Revelation the Lord's eyes looked like a flame of fire (Revelation 1:14; 2:18; 19:12, cf. Daniel 10:5-6). And seven lamps of fire burned before the throne (Revelation 4:5).
It is apparent from this what lamps containing oil and lamps without oil symbolize (Matthew 25:1-11). The oil means fire, and thus love.
And so on in many other places.
In an opposite sense fire symbolizes hellish love, and this is plain from so many passages in the Word that it would be impossible to cite them all because of their number. See something on the subject in the book Heaven and Hell, published in London, nos. 566-575.
Psalms 105
1
O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2
Sing unto him, Sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
4
Seek the LORD, and his strength: Seek his face evermore.
5
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
6
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
7
He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
8
He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
9
Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
10
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
11
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
12
When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
13
When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
14
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
15
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
16
Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.
17
He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
18
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
19
Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
20
The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21
He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
22
To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
23
Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24
And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.
25
He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.
26
He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27
They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
28
He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
29
He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
30
Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
31
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.
32
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
33
He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
34
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
35
And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
36
He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
37
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
38
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
39
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.
40
The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41
He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
42
For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
43
And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
44
And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
45
That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.
