9408. 'And it was like the substance of the sky for clearness' means the translucence of the angelic heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sky (or heaven)' as the angelic heaven, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'clearness' or purity of substance, when said of the sky, as translucence. What the translucence of the angelic heaven is when the Word is the subject must be stated briefly. The angelic heaven is said to be translucent when God's truth shines through; for the whole of heaven is nothing other than a receptacle of God's truth. Each angel is an individual recipient of it, so that all the angels or heaven as a whole is a general recipient. This explains why heaven is called 'God's dwelling-place' and also 'God's throne'. For 'dwelling-place' means God's truth emanating from the Lord and received in the inmost heaven, which in comparison is good, 8269, 8309; and 'throne' means God's truth emanating from the Lord and received in the middle heaven, 5313, 6397, 8625, 9039. Since that which shines through, out of the sense of the letter of the Word, is God's truth as it exists in the heavens, it is the angelic heaven that shines through. For the Word is Divine Truth adjusted to all the heavens, and as a consequence of this it joins the heavens to the world, that is, angels to men, 2143, 7153, 7381, 8920, 9094 (end), 9212 (end), 9216 (end), 9357, 9396. From all this it is evident what the words 'the translucence of the angelic heaven' are used to mean.

[2] The reasons why in the internal sense 'the sky (or heaven)' means the angelic heaven lie with correspondence and also with the appearance. So it is that where the words 'heavens' and 'heavens of heavens' occur in the Word the angelic heavens are meant in the internal sense. For the ancients had no other idea of the visible sky than this, that the inhabitants of heaven lived there and that the stars were their dwelling-places. At the present day too, simple people - especially young children - have the same idea. So it is also that people look upwards to the sky or heaven when they worship God. This action too arises from correspondence; for a sky with stars appears in the next life, but this is not the sky seen by people in the world. Instead it is a sky that takes on an appearance which accords with the spirits and angels' state of intelligence and wisdom. The stars in it are cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth, and the clouds which are sometimes seen in the sky vary in meaning according to their colours, translucence, and movements, the blue of the sky being truth transparent with good. All this goes to prove that by 'heavens' the angelic heavens are meant. But by the angelic heavens God's truths are meant, because angels are recipients of God's truth emanating from the Lord.

[3] Similar things are meant by 'heavens' in David,

Praise Jehovah, heavens of heavens, and waters that are above the heavens! Psalms 148:4.

In the same author,

Make melody to the Lord who rides above the heaven of the heaven of old. Psalms 68:33.

In the same author,

By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the spirit ¹ of His mouth. Psalms 33:6.

In the same prophet,

The heavens recount His glory, and the firmament declares the works of His hands. Psalms 19:1.

In the Book of Judges,

O Jehovah, when You went forth from Seir, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, the clouds indeed dropped water. Judges 5:4.

In Daniel,

The horn of the he-goat grew right on towards the host of the heavens, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. Daniel 8:10.

In Amos,

The Lord Jehovih, who builds His steps in the heavens ... Amos 9:6.

In Malachi,

If there is food in My house I will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing for you. Malachi 3:10.

In Isaiah,

Look out from the heavens, and see from the dwelling-place of Your holiness and of Your glory. Isaiah 63:15.

In Moses,

Blessed by Jehovah is the land of Joseph, in regard to the precious things of heaven, to the dew. Deuteronomy 33:13.

In Matthew,

Jesus said, You shall not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne. He who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by Him who sits on it. Matthew 5:32; 23:22.

[4] In these and very many other places 'heavens' means the angelic heavens. And since the Lord's heaven on earth is the Church, the Church too is meant by 'heaven', as in the following places: In John,

I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away. Revelation 21:1.

In Isaiah,

Behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth; therefore the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. ² Isaiah 65:17.

In the same prophet,

The heavens will vanish away like smoke, and the earth will grow old like a garment. Isaiah 51:6.

In the same prophet,

I clothe heaven with darkness, and I make sackcloth its covering. Isaiah 50:3.

In Ezekiel,

I will cover the heavens, and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. And all the bright lights in heaven I will make dark, and I will put darkness over the land. Ezekiel 32:7-8.

In Matthew,

After the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29.

What the meaning is of 'sun', 'moon', 'stars', and 'in the heavens', see 4056-4060.

In Isaiah,

O Jehovah God of Israel, You are God alone over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Isaiah 37:16.

In the same prophet,

[I am] Jehovah who makes all things, who spreads out the heavens Alone, who stretches out the earth by Myself. Isaiah 44:24.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah who created the heavens, who formed the earth, and made it, and prepared it, did not create it an emptiness. Isaiah 45:18.

[5] In the internal sense 'heaven and earth' in these and other places means the Church, the internal Church being meant by 'heaven' and the external Church by 'earth', see 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 3355 (end), 4535. From all this it is evident that by creation in the earliest chapters of Genesis, where it says, In the beginning God created heaven and earth, Genesis 1:1, And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them, Genesis 2:1, a new Church is meant. For creation there describes regeneration, which is also called the new creation, as has been shown and may be seen in the explanations of those chapters.

9. When it is known that all names in the Word signify things, and that the names of the twelve sons of Jacob, or the twelve tribes, signify all the goods and truths of the church in the aggregate; and similarly the names of the twelve disciples of the Lord; and that Peter, James, and John, signify faith, charity, and the good of charity, some arcana in the Word may then be seen; as for example, why the Lord gave the name of Peter to Simon, and to James and John the name Boanerges, which signifies sons of thunder (Mark 3:17). For Peter, like rock (petra), signifies the Lord as to truth from good, or faith from charity; and sons of thunder signify those who receive the truths of heaven from the affection which is of love. (That rock (petra) signifies the Lord as to truth from good, or faith from charity, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 8581, 10580; similarly "the stone of Israel," n. 6426; and that thunders signify Divine truths from heaven, n. 7573, 8914, and lightnings the brilliance thereof, n. 8813; hence also thunders are called voices, n. 7573, 8914.)

[2] I will here mention some of the arcana which may be seen, when it is known that Peter signifies faith, and John the good of charity. First, why the Lord said to Peter,

"I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens" (Matthew 16:18, 19).

It appears from the letter as if that power was given to Peter, when nevertheless none was given to him; but it was said thus to him, because Peter signified truth from the good which is from the Lord, and truth from good which is from the Lord has all power, thus the Lord has all power from good by means of truth. (That this is the case may be seen illustrated in the small work, The Last Judgment 57.) Another arcanum, which may be seen when it is known that Peter signifies faith, is, why the Lord said to him, that before the cock crew, he would deny Him thrice, which also happened (Matthew 26:34, and following verses). By this was signified, that in the last time of the church there would be no faith in the Lord, because there would be no charity; for cock-crowing, as well as twilight, signifies the last time of the church (Arcana Coelestia 10134); and three, or three times, signifies what is complete to the end (Arcana Coelestia 2788, 4495, 5159, 9198, 10127. That the end of the church comes when there is no faith, because no charity, may be seen in the small work, The Last Judgment 33-39, etc.).

[3] A third arcanum which may be seen, is, the signification of the following words concerning Peter and John:

Jesus said to Peter, Simon Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him the second time, Simon Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? and said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. And he saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and lead whither thou wouldest not. And when he had thus spoken, he saith unto him, Follow me. Peter, being turned, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following, and he saith, Lord, this man what? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me" (John 21:15-22).

What these things signify no one can know unless he knows the internal sense, and that Peter signifies faith, and John the good of charity, consequently that Peter signifies those in the church who are in faith, and John, those who are in the good of charity. By Jesus saying three times to Peter, "Lovest thou me?" and Peter saying three times, "I love thee," and Jesus then saying, "Feed my lambs," and "Feed my sheep," is signified, that they who are in faith from love ought to instruct those who are in the good of love to the Lord and in the good of charity towards the neighbour. For those who are in faith from love are also in truths, and those who are thence in truths, instruct concerning good, and lead to good; for all the spiritual good which a man has is procured and implanted by means of truths. (That lambs signify those who are in the good of innocence and of love to the Lord, may be seen,Arcana Coelestia 3994, 10132; that sheep signify those who are in the good of charity towards the neighbour, n. 4169, 4809; and that to feed is to instruct, n. 5201, 6078.)

[4] What would be the quality of faith in the first time of the church, and what its quality in the last time is next described by the Lord. The first time of the church is meant by "when thou wast young," and the last time by "when thou shalt be old." That when he was young he girded himself, and walked whither he would, signifies, that, in the first time of the church, they would drink in truths from the good of charity, and would act from freedom; for to act from freedom is to act from the affection of truth from good. "When thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and lead whither thou wouldest not," signifies, that in the last time of the church they would no longer drink in truths from the good of charity, that is, they would know them merely because stated by another, and would thus be in a servile state, that being a servile state in which good does not lead. (That garments signify truths, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1073, 2576, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536; and that therefore to gird oneself denotes to drink in and apprehend truths, n. 9952. That to walk is to act and live; that to act from freedom is to act from love or affection, since what a man loves that he does freely, n. 2870, 3158, 8987, 8990, 9585, 9591. That every church begins from charity, but that in process of time it declines to faith, and at length to faith alone, 1834, 1835, 2231, 4683, 8094.)

[5] Because, at the last time of the church, faith becomes of such a quality as to reject the good of charity, saying that faith alone constitutes the church and saves, and not the good of life, which is charity, therefore Jesus said to Peter, by whom such faith is there meant, "Follow me." "And, being turned, Peter seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following, and saith, Lord, what this man?" by which is signified, that faith, in the last time of the church, would turn away from the Lord; for it is said of Peter, by whom that faith is signified, that, "being turned," he saw; and he also said of the disciple whom Jesus loved or of John, by whom is signified the good of charity, "what this man?" that is, that he is nothing; but Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to thee; follow thou me"; by which is signified that the good of charity will follow the Lord, and acknowledge Him, even to the last time of the old church and the first of the New. (That the last time of the old church is called the consummation of the age, and the beginning of the New, the coming of the Lord, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 4535, 10622.) The fourth arcanum which may hence be seen is, why the Lord loved John more than the rest of the disciples, and why John therefore lay on the breast, or in the bosom, of the Lord (John 13:23; 21:20) viz., that it was because the good of love was in the Lord's mind when He saw John, who represented and signified that good, because it is that good which constitutes heaven and the church, (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 13-19).

[6] The fifth arcanum which becomes evident when it is known that John represented the good of love, is, what is signified by the words of the Lord from the cross to the mother Mary, and to John:

"When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy Son! And he saith to that disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home" (John 19:26, 27).

By mother and by woman is there meant the church, and by John the good of charity; and by the things said to them, that the church will be where there is the good of charity. (That by woman, in the Word, is meant the church, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 252, 253, 749, 770, 3160, 6014, 7337, 8994; that the same is signified by mother, n. 289, 2691, 2717, 3703, 4257, 5581, 8897, 10490. That to take her to his own home is to dwell together, is manifest.) From these considerations it is now evident how great are the arcana which lie concealed in the Word, which are laid open only to those who know its internal or spiritual sense; nor, without that sense, can it be known what is signified by its being said that the twelve apostles shall sit upon twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30). By the apostles, in this passage, are not meant the apostles, but all truths from good which are from the Lord; so that those words signify, that the Lord alone will judge all from the truths which are from good, thus, every one according to those truths.