567. And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, signifies revelation from the Lord out of the spiritual heaven. This is evident from the signification of "to hear a voice," as being revelation, because what was revealed by this voice follows; also from the signification of "the golden altar which is before God," as being the Divine spiritual (of which presently); also from the signification of "its four horns," as being the Divine spiritual in its ultimates; for the horns were in the ultimates of both altars, both the altar of burnt-offering and the altar of incense which is the golden altar; and as the horns were the ultimates of these altars they signified the Divine in respect to power, for all power is in ultimates; from this it is that "the horns of the altars" signified the Divine in relation to omnipotence (respecting which signification see above, n. 316. That "the altar of burnt-offering" signifies the Divine celestial, which is Divine good, may be seen above (n. 391, 496); while the "altar of incense" (or the golden altar) represented and thence signified the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, as is evident from its description, which will be found below.

[2] It shall first be told here why the voice was heard "from the four horns of the altar." The "horns" that projected and stood out at the ultimate parts of the above-named altars signified all things belonging to them in respect to power, as can be seen from what has been shown above (n. 346, 417), and also from what has been said and shown respecting ultimates in the Arcana Coelestia, as that interiors flow in successively into externals, even into things extreme or ultimate, and that there they exist and subsist (n. 634, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216); that they not only flow in successively, but also form in the ultimate what is simultaneous, in what order (n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099); that thus strength and power are in ultimates (n. 9836); and that thence responses and revelations were given in ultimates (n. 9905, 10548). Since responses and revelations were made from ultimates, it is evident why "the voice was heard from the four horns of the golden altar," namely, because the "golden altar" signifies the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth which reveals, and because the "horns" signify its ultimates, through which revelation is made. The "golden altar" upon which incense was offered signifies the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, because the "incense" that was offered upon the altar signified worship from spiritual good, and the hearing and acceptance of it by the Lord (See above, n. 324, 491, 492, 494).

[3] That "the altar of incense" signified the Divine spiritual, and that "offering incense" upon it signified worship from spiritual good, and the grateful hearing and acceptance of such worship by the Lord, is evident from the construction of that altar, every particular in which represented and signified these things. Its construction is thus described in Moses:

Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; of shittim wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height of it; its horns shall be from it. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, its roof, and its walls round about, and its horns; and thou shall make for it a rim of gold round about. And two rings shalt thou make for it from under its rim, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make them; and they shall be for places for the staves with which to bear it. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the veil that is over the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of spices in the morning; in the morning, when dressing the lamps he shall burn it; and when Aaron maketh the lamps to ascend between the evenings he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Jehovah in your generations. Ye shall make no strange incense to ascend upon it, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meal-offering; nor shall ye pour drink-offering upon it. And Aaron shall make expiation upon the horns of it once in the year of the blood of the expiations of sin; once in the year shall he make expiation upon it in your generations: this is the holy of holies unto Jehovah (Exodus 30:1-10).

That these particulars respecting that altar signify in the internal sense worship from spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor, as also the grateful hearing and acceptance by the Lord, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia (n. Arcana Coelestia 10176), where they are explained in series.

497. And cast it unto the earth, signifies influx into the lower parts where those were who were to be separated and removed. This is evident from the signification of "casting down the censer filled with the fire of the altar," as being the influx of Divine love out of the heavens (of which presently); also from the signification of "the earth," as being the lower parts, where those were who were to be separated and removed from each other. For in the spiritual world there are lands, hills, and mountains, and these lands, hills, and mountains are inhabited: on the hills and mountains the angels dwell, and these are the heavens; and upon the lands which are below the hills and mountains those who were to be separated from each other dwell; so "lands" (earths) here signify the lower parts. (That the face of things in the spiritual world is similar in this respect as upon our globe is shown in many passages in the work on Heaven and Hell; also in the small work on The Last Judgment; as well as frequently in the above explanations.) From this it can be seen that "he cast the censer filled with the fire of the altar unto the earth" signifies the influx of the Divine love out of the heavens into the lower parts, where those were who were to be separated and removed. For there were societies below upon the lands there, in which the good and the evil were together, and these had to be separated from each other before the Last Judgment could take place; for from the time of the Lord until the time of the Last Judgment, all who could live an external moral life, and thus imitate a spiritual life in appearance were tolerated. (That these were tolerated even until the judgment, and why, see in the small work on The Last Judgment 59, 69, 70; and that "the former heaven" which was destroyed was formed out of these, n. 65-72.) And in the same societies, or "in the former heaven," there were also the simple good, some associated with the others there, and some elsewhere, but conjoined with the others by a holy and pious external; and yet it was necessary that the good should be separated from the evil before the judgment, in order that the good might be elevated into heaven and the evil be cast into hell; and as this separation was effected by the influx of Divine good and truth out of the heavens into those lower parts where they all were, thence it can be seen that "He cast down the censer filled with the fire of the altar" signifies this influx into the lower parts. (Respecting the operation of this influx with the good and its operation with the evil see above, n. 413, 418-419, 426, 489, 493.)