269. And there was a rainbow round about the throne in aspect like unto an emerald. That this signifies the appearance of Divine truth in the heavens surrounding the Lord is evident from the signification of a rainbow in aspect like unto an emerald, as denoting the appearance of Divine truth in its circumference; for a rainbow round about the throne signifies Divine truth around it, and in aspect signifies appearance. The reason why the appearance of the rainbow was like that of an emerald, is that it indicated the Last Judgment, for the colour of this stone is green, and green signifies truth obscured. Divine truth in its splendour appears either of a sky-colour, or of various colours disposed in beautiful order, as those of the rainbow; but when it is obscured it appears of the colour of an emerald. The heaven which is called the former heaven was that on which judgment was to be executed, and which was about to perish (see Apoc. 21:1) which caused the obscurity. This is why mention is made of a rainbow, and its aspect like that of an emerald. The reason why the rainbow signifies Divine truth in the heavens in its order, and thence in its beauty, is that there are infinite varieties of truth from good in the heavens; and when they are represented by colours, they present the appearance of a beautiful rainbow. This is why the rainbow was made a sign of the covenant after the flood (Genesis 9:12-17). (That there are infinite varieties in the heavens may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 56, 405, 418, 486, and in the small work, The Last Judgment 13; and in Arcana Coelestia 684, 690, 3744, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836, 9002. That colours in heaven appear from the light there, and that they are its modifications and variegations, n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4742, 4922; and that the colours appear various according to the varieties of the states of truth from good, and thence of intelligence and wisdom, n. 4530, 4677, 4922, 9466. That rainbows appear in heaven, and whence and what they are, n. 1042, 1043, 1623, 1624, 1625.)

13. Every work of God reflects infinity and eternity. There are many proofs of this among things to be seen both in heaven and on earth. In either place there is never anything exactly like or identical with another. There is not a face exactly like or identical with another, nor will there ever be. Equally one person's character is not exactly like another's. Consequently there are as many faces and as many characters as there are human beings and angels. In one person, who contains countless parts making up the body and countless affections making up the character, there is never one thing which is exactly like and identical with another's. That is why every individual lives a life different from anyone else's. The situation is similar in every detail of Nature.

Such an infinite variety in details is caused by the fact that all things owe their origin to the Divine, who is infinite. There is thus a certain image of the infinite everywhere, so that all things may be looked upon by the Divine as His work, and at the same time that all things may reflect the Divine as being His work.

A rather trivial example may serve to illustrate how everything in Nature reflects infinity and eternity. Every seed, whether the fruit of a tree, a cereal or a flower, is so created that it is capable of infinite multiplication and eternal duration. For a single seed may produce many more, perhaps five or ten or twenty or a hundred, and each of these may produce as many more. If the fruitfulness of a single seed continued without a break, it might in only a hundred years cover the surface of not merely one planet, but of tens of thousands of planets. The seeds too are so created that they can continue in existence for ever. So it is plain how these contain the idea of infinity and eternity; and likewise other things.

The heaven of angels is the reason why everything in the universe has been created. For the heaven of angels is the purpose for which the human race was created, and the human race is the purpose for which the visible heavens and the planets it contains were created. Consequently that work of God, the heaven of angels, primarily has regard to infinity and eternity, and thence to its unlimited reproduction, for it is there the Divine Himself resides. From this it may be established that the human race will never come to an end; for if it did, the work of God would be restricted to a fixed number, and thus would cease to reflect infinity.