954. (Verse 7) And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the anger of God, who liveth unto ages of ages. That this signifies manifestation from the Lord by means of Divine truth, or the Word, of all the falsities of evil which have destroyed the spiritual life of the men of the church, is evident from the signification of the four animals, as denoting the inmost heaven (concerning which see n. 277, 322, 462), and as denoting the Word (n. 717); consequently, the Lord as to heaven and as to the Word; for heaven is heaven from the Lord, and in like manner the Word; and from the signification of the seven angels, as denoting manifestations by Divine truth, or the Word (see above, n. 949); and from the signification of the seven vials as denoting all falsities and evils. For by the seven vials similar things are signified as by the seven plagues (ver. 6), namely, evils and the falsities therefrom, and falsities and the evils therefrom (see above, n. 949). These are said to be full of the anger of God, who liveth unto ages of ages, because they lay waste the church, and destroy the spiritual life of the men of the church. These are the things signified by the anger of God. From these considerations it is evident, that by one of the four animals giving unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the anger of God, who liveth unto ages of ages, is signified, manifestation from the Lord by means of Divine truth, or the Word, of all the falsities of evil that have destroyed the spiritual life of the men of the church. The reason why vials are mentioned instead of plagues is, that vials are things containing, and plagues are things contained; and, in the Word, the things containing are frequently mentioned instead of the things contained, because the things containing are ultimates, in order that the sense of the letter of the Word may be in ultimates; similarly, where cups and chalices are mentioned instead of wine. But we shall speak further upon this subject in the following chapter, where the seven vials and the seven plagues therein are treated of.

Continuation concerning the First Precept:-

[2] So far as a man resists his own two loves, which are the love of ruling from the sole delight of it, and the love of possessing the goods of the world from the delight of mere possession, and thus, so far as he shuns as sins the evils mentioned in the Decalogue, so far there flows in through heaven from the Lord [that which causes him to acknowledge] that there is a God, who is the Creator and Preserver of the universe, and also indeed that God is one. The reason why this then flows in is that when evils are removed, heaven is opened; and when heaven is opened, a man no longer thinks from himself, but by heaven from the Lord. This is the universal [principle] in heaven, embracing all others, that there is a God, and also that God is one. That, man from influx alone knows and, as it were, sees that God is one, is evident from the common confession of all nations, and from repugnance to think that there are several. The interior thought of man, which is the thought of his spirit, is either from hell or from heaven; it is from hell before evils are removed, but from heaven when they are removed. When it is from hell, then a man recognises only nature as God, and considers that the inmost of nature is what is called Divine. Such a man after death, when he becomes a spirit, calls any one a god who prevails in power, and he also seeks for power himself, in order that he may be called a god; all the evil have such madness lurking inwardly in their spirit. But when man thinks from heaven, as is the case when evils are removed, then he sees from the light from heaven that there is a God, and that He is one. Seeing from light from heaven is what is meant by influx.

322. The four animals and the four-and-twenty elders fell down before the Lamb. That this signifies the acknowledgment and hence the glorification of the Lord by the angels of the higher heavens, is evident from the signification of the four animals and the four-and-twenty elders, as denoting, in general, the whole heaven, but specifically the inmost heavens, consequently, the angels of the higher heavens (concerning which see above, n. 313); here specifically the angels of those heavens, because in what follows glorification is made by the angels of the lower heavens; and from the signification of their falling down before the Lamb, as denoting acknowledgment from a humble heart. (That to fall down signifies humiliation, and then reception and acknowledgment of heart, may be seen above, n. 290.) That the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human is meant is evident, for this is signified by the Lamb (see above, n. [314] ¹ ). What the higher heavens are, and what the lower heavens are, shall here be explained in a few words. There are three heavens; the third or inmost heaven is where the angels are who are in celestial love; the second or middle heaven is where the angels are who are in spiritual love; the first or ultimate heaven is where the angels who are in spiritual-natural love. The third or inmost heaven is conjoined with the second or middle by intermediate angels, who are called celestial-spiritual and spiritual-celestial angels; these, together with the angels of the third or inmost heaven, constitute the higher heavens; but the rest in the second or middle heaven, together with those who are in the first or ultimate heaven, constitute the lower heavens. The four animals signify specifically the third or inmost heaven, and the four-and-twenty elders the second or middle heaven, which is conjoined to the third or inmost; thus together they signify the higher heavens. (Concerning the intermediate angels, who are called celestial-spiritual, and spiritual-celestial, and concerning the conjunction of the third heaven with the second by them, see the Arcana Coelestia 1577, 1824, 2184, 4047, 4286, 4585, 4592, 4594, 6435, 6526, 8787, 8801, 9671.)

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