72. Verse 16. And having in His right hand seven stars, signifies all knowledges of good and truth from Him. This is evident from the signification of "having in His right hand," as being from Him; for "hand" signifies power, thus it signifies whatever pertains to one, and so also whatever is from him. It is said "right hand," because "right hand" signifies the power of good through truth. (That "hand" signifies power, see Arcana Coelestia, n. Arcana Coelestia 878, 3091, 4931-4937, 6947, 10019; and consequently that it signifies whatever pertains to one, and so also whatever is from him, 9133, 10019, 10405; that the "right hand" signifies the power of good through truth, see n. 9604, 9736, 10061; and that "the right hand of Jehovah" signifies the Lord's Divine power, thus omnipotence, see n. 3387, 4592, 4933, 7518, 7673, 8281, 9133, 10019.) This is evident also from the signification of "stars," as being the knowledges of good and truth, of which more in what follows; and from the signification of "seven," as being all (See above, n. 20, 24).

[2] That "stars" signify the knowledges of good and truth, thus goods and truths, is from the appearance in the spiritual world; for there the Lord appears as a sun, and angels from afar off as stars. Angels appear thus from their reception of light from the Lord as a sun, thus from their reception of Divine truth, which is from the Lord, for this is the light of heaven. From this it is that it is said in Daniel:

The intelligent shall shine as the brightness of the expanse; and they that justify many, as the stars for ever and ever (Daniel 12:3).

The "intelligent" are they that are in truths, and "they that justify" are those that are in good (See the work on Heaven and Hell 346-348).

[3] When it is known to any that the "sun" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine love, thus also Divine love from the Lord, and that "stars" signify the truths of the church and knowledges thereof, these can also know what is signified in the Word where it is said that "the sun shall be darkened," and that "the stars shall not give light," also that they "shall fall from heaven;" and also what "stars" signify when mentioned elsewhere in the Word, as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

I will make the land a waste, and destroy the sinners thereof out of it; the stars of the heaven and the constellations thereof shall not shine forth with their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not make bright her light (Isaiah 13:9-10).

The vastation of the church is here treated of, which is when there is no good of love any more, nor any truths of faith. The "land" that shall be laid waste is the church; the "land" is the church (as may be seen above, n. 29.

[4] In Ezekiel:

When I shall extinguish thee I will cover the heavens, and will make the stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine; all the luminaries of light will I make dark over thee, and I will set darkness upon the land (Ezekiel 32:7-8

"Darkness upon the land" means falsities in the church. In Joel:

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars withdraw their brightness (Joel 2:10-11; 3:15).

In Matthew:

In the consummation of the age, after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24).

In Daniel:

From one of the horns of the he-goat went forth a horn, a little one, and it waxed exceeding great towards the south, and towards the east, and towards splendor; and it waxed great towards the host of the heavens; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down and trampled upon them. Yea, it magnified itself even to the Prince of the host (Daniel 8:9-11).

By the "host of the heavens" the goods and truths of the church in the complex are meant (See Arcana Coelestia 3448, 7236, 7988, 8019); in particular, such as combat against falsities (See n. 7277). From this Jehovah is called "Jehovah Zebaoth," that is, Jehovah of Hosts (See n. 3448, 7988).

[5] In Revelation:

The dragon with his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven to the earth (Revelation 12:4).

The "stars" here also are the goods and truths of the church, and the knowledges thereof; the "third part" is the greater part; but what is signified by the "dragon" will be told in what follows. In the same:

The stars of heaven fell unto the earth (Revelation 6:13).

In the same:

A star from heaven is fallen unto the earth (Revelation 9:1).

In the same:

There fell from heaven a great star burning as a torch; it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters (Revelation 8:10).

As "stars" signify the goods and truths of the church and the knowledges thereof, by their "falling from heaven" is signified that these perish. In David:

Jehovah telleth the number of the stars, He calleth them all by names (Psalms 147:4).

In the same:

Praise ye Jehovah, sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars of light (Psalms 148:3).

In the book of Judges:

The kings came, they fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought (Judges 5:19-20).

Since the angels in the spiritual heaven shine as stars, and since all the truths and goods that are with the angels are from the Lord, therefore the Lord, as He is called an "Angel," is likewise called a "Star," as in Moses:

There shall arise a star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall arise out of Israel (Numbers 24:17).

In Revelation:

Jesus, the bright and morning Star (Revelation 22:16).

From this it can be seen:

Why the wise men from the east saw a star, and followed it, and why it stood where Jesus had been born (Matthew 2:1-2, 9).

From this it can now be known what is signified by the "seven stars" that were in the right hand of the Son of man, who there is the Lord in respect to the Divine Human (See above, n. 63).

10185. 'Its walls' means inner levels. This is clear from the meaning of 'the walls' or the sides as inner levels; for when 'the roof' means that which is inmost, 'the walls', which are below it, mean the inner levels. By inner levels those which are below the inmost ones and above the lowest, thus those in the middle, should be understood. Inner levels are meant by 'the walls' because the sides and breast of the human body mean inner things; for all representatives on the natural level resemble the human form and carry the same meaning as the parts of it they resemble, 9496. The uppermost part of a house for example, called the roof, is similar in meaning to the head; the inward parts below the uppermost are similar in meaning to the breast and sides; and the foundations of the house are similar in meaning to the feet and soles of the feet. The reason why this should be so is that heaven as a whole resembles one human being, and there is an influx from there into the whole natural order. For the natural world comes into being from the spiritual world and is held in being by it. When the words 'spiritual world' are used, that which is Divine and the Lord's there should be understood.

[2] The resemblance of all things on the natural level to the human form is also clear from each member of the vegetable kingdom. Everything there is clothed with leaves and comes into blossom before bearing fruit; and the fruit is the final end, for the sake of which the previous stages of growth take place and towards which they all look. The leaves there resemble the lungs and serve so to speak in place of the breathing-system; for they are the means by which juices are drawn up the plant, which explains why a tree stripped of its leaves bears no fruit. So it is also that in the Word leaves mean truths constituting faith, 885; for by means of those truths the vital element from which good is formed is in a similar way made to rise up. The blossoming before the fruit comes corresponds to that state and time in people's lives when thoughts of marriage enter their minds and make them glad, thus when truth is joined to good. But the fruit corresponds to actual good, which, to the extent that it matures like fruit, manifests itself in deeds. So it is that in the Word fruit means the deeds of charity, and that the blossoming before the fruit is compared to the voice and the joy of a bride and bridegroom; and so on with all the rest. Anyone therefore who is able to stop and reflect sensibly will recognize most clearly that the heavenly paradise is represented in the earthly paradise, and consequently that all things within the natural order resemble such realities as exist in the spiritual world. And one who is able to draw further conclusions may see that the natural order is not self-existent but is held in being by influx from heaven, that is, from what is Divine there, so completely that if that contact were taken away everything composing the planet would collapse into nothingness. The simple can grasp the truth of this, but not so those in the world who are said to be wise. This is because the simple attribute all things to the Divine, but those in the world who are said to be wise attribute them to natural forces.