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).

8153. 'And the children of Israel went out with a lofty hand' means although they had been rescued by God's power from their attempt to bring them under their control. This is clear from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, that is, who are governed by faith bonded to charity, as immediately above in 8152; from the meaning of 'going out' as being delivered or rescued from the others' attempt to bring them under their control, which attempt is meant by 'pursuing', 8152; and from the meaning of 'a lofty hand' as God's power, for 'hand' means power, 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6292, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8069, and 'lofty' means God's. The reason why 'lofty' means God's is that the word is used to indicate heaven, where God is. This is why the Word says of Jehovah or the Lord that He dwells 'in the lofty place' and why He is called 'the Most High', as in Isaiah,

Jehovah is exalted, for He dwells in the lofty place. Isaiah 33:5.

In the same prophet,

Thus said the High and Lofty One inhabiting eternity, whose name is the Holy One, I inhabit the holy and high [place]. Isaiah 57:15.

In David,

Jehovah sent from on high and snatched me away Psalms 18:16.

So it is that Jehovah is called the Most High in Deuteronomy 32:8; Daniel 4:17, 24, 34; 7:18, 22, 25; Psalms 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 46:4; 50:14; 57:2; 82:6. Because 'high' meant heaven, and God in heaven, the worship of God performed by those who belonged to the representative Church was established on mountains and on high places. It was therefore also performed in lofty shrines which they built for themselves, referred to in various places in the historical sections and prophetical parts of the Word, as in Ezekiel,

You built for yourself a lofty shrine, and made a high place for yourself in every street; at every head of a road you built your lofty shrine. Ezekiel 16:24-25, 31.

The reason why God's was meant by 'high' is that the starry heaven was a sign of the angelic heaven, which was also thought to be located there. But the wiser ones among them knew that heaven was not located on high but where the good of love was, and that this resided within a person, wherever he might be. For the meaning of 'high places' as interiors, or forms of good residing in them, see 450, 1735, 2148, 4210, 4599.