27. The faithful witness. That this signifies from whom is all truth in heaven, is evident from the signification of a faithful witness, when said of the Lord, as denoting the acknowledgment of the Divine Human, from whom is all truth in heaven; of which more will be said in what follows. The reason why it is said, "all truth in heaven," is, because Divine truth, going forth from the Divine good of the Lord, constitutes heaven in general, and with each angel there in particular. (That such is the case may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 13, 126-140; and that it [viz., the Divine truth] is from His Divine Human, n. 7-12, 78-86.) The Lord, as to the Divine Human, is called the "faithful witness," because Divine truth going forth from Him in heaven bears witness of Him. This witness is universally present in Divine truth there; which is evident from the fact that the angels of the interior heaven cannot think of the Divine but as under a human form, and, consequently, of a Divine Human. The reason is, that the Divine Human of the Lord fills the whole heaven and forms it, and the thoughts of the angels proceed and flow according to the form of heaven (as may be seen in the work above mentioned, n. 59-102, 200-212, 265-275). Hence it is, that the witness of Jesus Christ signifies the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine in His Human (concerning which see above, n. 10).

[2] From these considerations it is evident what is meant, in the spiritual sense, by witnessing and by witness in the following passages:

"John" (here, John the Baptist) "came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but came to bear witness of the Light. That was the true Light which enlighteneth every man. And I saw and bare witness" (John 1:7, 8, 34).

Light signifies Divine truth; therefore the Lord is there called the true Light which enlighteneth every man; and to bear witness of the Light signifies the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, from which Divine truth goes forth. (That light signifies Divine truth going forth from the Lord, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell, in the article on the light of heaven, n. 126-140.)

[3] In the same:

"Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth: but I receive not witness from man" (5:33, 34).

In the same: "Jesus said, Verily I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and bear witness that we have seen. He that cometh from heaven is above all; and what he hath seen and heard, of that he witnesseth" (3:11, 31, 32).

In the same:

"Jesus said, Though I bear witness of myself, yet my witness is true: for I know whence I came and whither I go" (8:14);

which signifies, that He bare witness of Himself from Himself, because He was Divine truth.

In the same:

"When the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall bear witness of me" (15:26);

the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, is Divine truth going forth from the Lord (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 9818, 9820, 10330; and above, n. 25).

[4] In the same:

"Pilate said, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I might bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate said, What is truth?" (18:37, 38).

The reason why the Lord thus answered when he was asked whether he was a king, was, because the Lord as king, is Divine truth; for this is the regal characteristic of the Lord in heaven, but His Divine good is the priestly characteristic there. This is why the Lord said that He was a king, that to this end He was born, and for this cause He came into the world, that He might bear witness unto the truth, and that every one that is in the truth heareth His voice; and therefore Pilate asked, What is truth? thus whether it was a king. (That Divine truth is the regal characteristic of the Lord in the heavens, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3009, 5068; and that therefore kings, in the Word, signify those who are in Divine truths, and thus, abstractedly from persons, Divine truths themselves, n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044.) That kings signify those who are in Divine truths, will appear more clearly in the explanation of what follows in the Apocalypse, where kings are named; and presently below, where it is said, "he hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." From these considerations it is evident that by, "from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness," is signified the Lord as to the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, from which goes forth all truth in heaven.

25. That are in sight of his throne. That this signifies presence and providence, is evident from the signification of sight which is from the Divine, as being presence, and thence providence - concerning which more will be said in what follows - and from the signification of the throne of God, as denoting Divine truth going forth from the Lord, and thus heaven, because heaven is its receptacle (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 5313, 6397). The reason why sight denotes presence is, because by aspect and sight are signified the understanding and thought therefrom; and in the understanding everything appears present that is the object of thought. This is why, in the spiritual world, those appear present with whom another desires to speak, provided the person has some idea of them from having seen them in the world, especially if this has been the case with both. Consequently friends meet there, and also wives and husbands; the reason is, that the internal sight, which is the understanding, in a spirit, acts as one with his external sight or sight of the eye. And as spaces in the spiritual world are not like spaces in the natural world, what any one desires to see in the former is near, and what is not desired is far off. It is from this fact that aspect signifies presence. (That aspect and sight signify the understanding, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 10705; and that thence it signifies presence, n. 4723; and that spaces in heaven are not like spaces in the world, see the work, Heaven and Hell 191-199.) The reason why aspect, when used of the Lord, as in this place, signifies His Divine presence is, that the Lord knows all men, and those who are in love and faith towards the Lord know Him; this is why the Lord is present with them in the goods of love and in the truths of faith which they have from Him. Those things are the Lord in heaven and in the church; for the things which go forth from the Lord, are not only His, but are Himself. It is therefore plain, how the Lord is in man; thus, how those words are to be understood which He spoke in John:

"Abide in me, and I in you; he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit" (15:4, 5).

In the same:

"If a man love me, he will keep my word; and my Father and I will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (14:23).

And again, in the same:

Jesus said to His disciples, "Ye know the Comforter, the Spirit of truth; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (14:17).

The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, is the Divine truth going forth from the Lord; or, what is the same, is the Lord as to Divine truth; and the disciples are all those who are in goods and thence in truths; it is therefore said, "He shall be in you."

Again, in the same:

"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (1:14).

The Word also is Divine truth; and that the Word is the Lord is clear, for it is said that the Word was made flesh. (That the Word signifies Divine truth, and the Lord, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 4692, 5075, 9987.) The reason why sight here signifies providence also is because all presence of the Lord is providence (as may be evident from what is said in the little work, The New Jerusalem and its Doctrine, n. 267-279; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 9, 12, 145).