255. About the very inward Realm, and about Cherubs

When I was brought into thoughts about how the very inward and innermost angels influence human minds, and was reflecting that they do so in an imperceptible manner, being in the realm of the very beginning points of human thought, consequently in a like realm of mental imagery or depiction, which is imperceptible (such an imperceptibility must be the plane proper to thoughts) - while I was pondering on these matters, then I was given from the mercy of God the Messiah to sense a gentle kind of turning motion overhead, into which I later even seemed to be raised up, or which enfolded my thoughts. At the first sensation, when I was not yet in it, it was like the turning motion of a soft cloud settling down, and it was said that this can be called "the Cherubs," to whom "wheels" are ascribed [Ezekiel 1:9, 10] on account of that turning motion. After this, that field encompassed me, and I experienced a great calmness. The last heaven, in which I had been previously, was below me, and in fact, at my feet and below the feet. There I heard someone speaking, but as if out of the lowest place, complaining that I had been raised up away from them, and that therefore he did not want to live.

When I was later thinking about the very inward realm, which must as yet be called strictly "cherubic" and in which realm I am while writing these things, I am able to understand not only why wheels, but also why four faces, were ascribed to them [Ezekiel 1:10], i.e. "of a lion, of a man, of an eagle" - namely: "that of a lion," because of its strength [extending] into the lower realm, or last heaven, for it holds that in proper order, otherwise it would fall to pieces; "the face of a human," because the very inward person, to which this realm properly relates, is "human" - the kind of thought we have pertains merely to the inward person, which in turn is governed by the very inward realm [see 241:4]); "the face of an eagle," because it rises up high above the realm in which our perception or sense-based understanding lies. "The face of an ox" is omitted, and afterwards by Ezekiel "the face of a cherub" is named in the first place [10:14], because then he understood that it was the cherub to whom three faces were being ascribed. 1747, the 20th day of November (old calendar).

496. Verse 5. And the angel took the censer and filled it from the fire of the altar, signifies the conjunction of celestial love and spiritual love. This is evident from the signification of a "censer," as being spiritual good (of which above, n. 491, and therefore also spiritual love, since all good is of love; also from the signification of "the fire of the altar," as being celestial love, for "fire" signifies in the Word love in both senses, namely, celestial love and infernal love. "The fire of the altar" signifies celestial love, because the altar of burnt-offering, upon which was the fire, was the chief representative of the worship of the Lord from that love (See above, n. 490); and because this love of the Lord is perpetual, therefore it was appointed that a fire should burn continually upon the altar, and that they should take of that fire in the censers for burning incense, which was done to represent the conjunction of celestial love with spiritual love.

[2] That a fire should burn continually upon the altar is evident from Moses:

And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning, and shall not be put out; and the priest shall kindle wood on it every morning, and shall arrange on it the burnt-offering and he shall burn on it the fats of the peace-offerings. The fire shall be kept burning continually upon the altar, it shall not be quenched (Leviticus 6:12, 13).

This represented that the Lord's Divine love is unceasing and eternal.

[3] That they should take from the fire of the altar in the censers for burning incense see also in Moses:

Aaron shall take burning coals of fire from off the altar before Jehovah in a censer; and he shall put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah (Leviticus 16:12, 13).

And that Aaron took fire from off the altar, and put incense on it, by which expiation was made for the people (Numbers 16:46, 47).

This represented that all propitiation and expiation were from the Lord's Divine love, as also that everything that has that love in it is heard and received by the Lord; and the rising of the smoke of the incense represented also hearing and reception.

[4] And because Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their company, took fire from the altar and burned incense, and thence their censers were sanctified:

It was commanded that after they had been swallowed up by the earth, their censers, which were of brass, should be gathered up, and the fire be scattered yonder, and the censers be beaten into plates for covering the altar (Numbers 16:36-39).

This also represented the holiness of the Lord's Divine love. And as incense-offerings were holy from the fire of the altar, so incense-offerings with strange fire were profane, therefore:

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, were consumed by fire from heaven, because they offered incense with strange fire (Leviticus 10:1, 2).

Incense offering from strange fire represented worship from love other than Divine, and worship from any other love is profane.

[5] These passages have been cited to make known that "the fire of the altar" signifies the Lord's Divine love, which love in heaven is called Divine celestial love and Divine spiritual love; Divine celestial love is in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and Divine spiritual love is in the Lord's spiritual kingdom. For there are two kingdoms, into which all the heavens are divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; Divine celestial love constitutes the celestial kingdom, and Divine spiritual love the spiritual kingdom. (That all the heavens are divided into these two kingdoms, see in the work on Heaven and Hell n.20-28; and that these two loves constitute these two kingdoms, or all the heavens, n. 13-19.) But it must be noted that the Lord's Divine love in the heavens is called celestial and spiritual from its reception by the angels, and not from its being divided in itself; also that spiritual love springs from celestial love as an effect from its effecting cause, and as truth from good; for the good of spiritual love is in its essence the truth of the good of celestial love. For this reason these two kingdoms are conjoined with each other and are one in the Lord's sight. But this has been said for those who love to search into interior things. That "fire" signifies love in both senses will be seen confirmed from the Word in what follows.