258. CHAPTER 4.

1. AFTER this I saw, and, behold, a door opened in heaven; and the first voice which I heard, as it were of a trumpet, speaking with me, said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must come to pass hereafter.

2. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and upon the throne one sitting.

3. And he that sat was in aspect like a jasper and a sardius and there was a rainbow round about the throne in aspect like unto an emerald.

4. And round about the throne were four-and-twenty thrones; and upon the thrones I saw four-and-twenty elders sitting, clothed in white garments; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

6. And before the throne there was a glassy sea like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four animals full of eyes before and behind.

7. And the first animal was like a lion, and the second animal like a calf, and the third animal had a face like a man, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle.

8. And the four animals had each by itself six wings round about; and they were full of eyes within; and they had no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.

9. And when the animals gave glory and honour and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, who liveth unto the ages of the ages)

10. The four-and-twenty elders fell down before him that sitteth on the throne, and worshipped him that liveth unto the ages of the ages, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and by thy will they are, and were created.

THE EXPLANATION.

IT was stated above (n. 5), that the subject treated of in this prophetical book is not the successive states of the Christian church from its beginning to its end, as has been hitherto believed, but the state of the church and of heaven in the last times, when there would be a new heaven and a new earth, that is, when there would be a new church formed in the heavens and on earth, thus when judgment takes place. It is said a new church in the heavens, because there is a church there just as on earth (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 221-227). Because these are the subjects treated of in this book, therefore the first chapter treats of the Lord, who is the Judge; and the second and third of those who belong to the church, and of those who do not belong to the church, thus it treats of those who are in the former heaven, which is to be abolished, and of those who are in the new heaven, which is to be formed. (That by the seven churches which are treated of in the second and third chapters, are meant all those who are in the church, and also everything pertaining to the church, may be seen above, n. 256, 257.) The subject now treated of in this fourth chapter is the arrangement of all things, especially in the heavens, before judgment; therefore a throne was now seen in heaven, and round about it twenty-four thrones, upon which were twenty-four elders; also, near the throne, four animals, which are cherubim. That by those things is described the arrangement of all things before the judgment, and for judgment, will be seen in the explanation of this chapter. It should be known that before any change takes place everything is pre-arranged and prepared for the future event; for all things are foreseen by the Lord, and according to this foresight are disposed and provided for. By the throne, therefore, in the midst of heaven is meant judgment, and by Him who sat upon it, the Lord; by the four-and-twenty thrones upon which were four-and-twenty elders, are meant all truths in their whole extent, from which and according to which judgment is. By the four animals, which are cherubim, is meant the Lord's Divine Providence, lest the former heavens should suffer harm by the remarkable change about to take place, and that afterwards everything might be done according to order; that is to say, that those who are interiorly evil might be separated from those who are interiorly good, and the latter be elevated into heaven, but the former cast down to hell.

95. (Verse 1) Unto the angel of the Ephesian church write. That this signifies for remembrance to those within the church who are in the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good from the Word, is evident from the signification of writing, as being for remembrance (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 8620). The reason why it is for those within the church who are in the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good from the Word, is that these are they who are meant by the angel of the Ephesian Church. That these are meant is evident from those things that are written to the angel of that Church. What is meant by the angel of each church, can be known only from the internal sense of the subsequent things that are written. It is said from the internal sense, because all things in the Apocalypse are prophetic, and things prophetic cannot be explained except by means of the internal sense. Who is there, when he reads the prophets, that does not see that there are arcana therein, more deeply hidden than in the plain sense of the letter? And because those arcana cannot be seen by the natural man alone, therefore, those who regard the Word as holy, pass by those things they do not understand, acknowledging that there is an arcanum therein which they do not understand, and which some call mystical. That this is the spiritual of the Word, is known to some, because they think that the Word in its bosom is spiritual, since it is Divine. Still, however, it has been hitherto unknown that this is its spiritual sense, and that the Word is understood in this sense by the angels, and that by this sense there is conjunction of heaven with the man of the church (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 303-310). The reason why those who are in the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth from the Word, are meant by the angel of the Ephesian church is, because by the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good are meant the doctrinals, of the church, and these can be obtained from no other source than from the Word. The reason why it is said, Write to the angel of the church, and not to the church, may be seen above (n. 92).