9514. And the cherubs shall spread out their wings upward. That this signifies the elevation effected by the truth of faith, is evident from the signification of “wings,” as being the truths of faith (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “spreading out the wings upward,” as being to be elevated; for in the spreading out of the wings upward there is the endeavor to elevate one’s self, the act of which is elevation. From this it is plain that by “the wings of the cherubs being spread out upward” is signified the elevation of good to the Lord by means of the truths of faith; for by “the cherubs” is signified approach to Him through good. It shall here be briefly stated how the case is with the elevation of good by means of the truths of faith. There are two things to which all things in heaven, and also all things in the world, bear relation, namely, good and truth. Good without truth is not good, and truth without good is not truth; for good without truth has no quality, and truth without good has no being; for truth is the very form of good, and there must be form in order that there may be quality; and good is that very being the manifestation [existere] of which is truth.

[2] Good is to truth exactly as the will is to the understanding, for the will has been allotted to the reception of good, and the understanding to the reception of truth. The will receives its quality from the understanding, and the understanding its being from the will; for the will is formed in the understanding, and thus puts on quality. Good also is to truth as the body is to the arms and feet, and in the case of flying creatures, as the body is to the wings. A body without arms and feet, or without wings, cannot move itself, but with their aid it moves itself. Moreover, in the Word the body corresponds to good, and the arms and wings to truths, and also to the powers of good through truths. From these comparisons, which are also correspondences, it may be known how the case is with the elevation of good by means of the truths of faith, which in general are called “spiritual” things. (That “wings” denote the truths of faith has been shown in n. 8764)