Apocalypse Explained #276
276. Verses 6b, 7, 8. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four animals, full of eyes before and behind. 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. And the four animals, each by itself had 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. "And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four animals, full of eyes before and behind," signifies the Lord's guard and providence that the interior heavens be not approached except by the good of love and charity, that lower things depending thereon may be in order n. 277.
7. "And the first animal was like a lion," signifies the appearance, in ultimates of Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in respect to power and efficiency (n. 278; "and the second animal like a calf," signifies the appearance, in ultimates, of Divine good in respect to protection n. 279; "and the third animal had a face like a man," signifies the appearance, in ultimates, of the Divine guard and providence in respect to wisdom n. 280; "and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle," signifies the appearance, in ultimates, of the Divine guard and providence in respect to intelligence and as to circumspection on every side (n. 281-282.)
8. "And the four animals, each by itself, had six wings round about," signifies the appearance of the spiritual Divine on all sides about the celestial Divine n. 283; "and full of eyes within," signifies the Divine Providence and guard (n. 284); "and they had no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy," signifies that which is most holy proceeding from the Lord. n. 285); "Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come," signifies the infinite and eternal (n. 286).
The Last Judgement #14
14. 1 III. HEAVEN AND HELL ARE FROM THE HUMAN RACE.
No one in the Christian world is aware that heaven and hell are from the human race. It is believed that angels were created from the beginning, and so heaven was formed; and that the Devil or Satan was an angel of light, but becoming a rebel was cast down together with his crew, and so hell was formed. The angels are exceedingly surprised that such is the belief of the Christian world; and even more so by the fact that people know nothing at all about heaven, when this is a leading point in what the church teaches. Because such ignorance abounds the angels were delighted that it has now pleased the Lord to make further revelations to Christians about heaven, and also about hell; and so as far as possible to dispel the darkness that deepens day by day, because the church has reached its end. The angels therefore wish me to assert as their own statement that the whole of heaven does not contain one angel who was created from the beginning, nor does hell contain any devil who was created an angel of light and then cast down; but that all the inhabitants of both heaven and hell are from the human race. Heaven contains those who lived in the world in a state of heavenly love and faith, hell those who lived in a state of hellish love and faith. They said that it is the whole of hell taken together which is called the Devil and Satan; the rear hell, the home of those called wicked genii, is called Devil, the front hell, the home of those called wicked spirits, is called Satan. 2 On the nature of the two hells see the final part of my book HEAVEN AND HELL. The angels explained the reason for the Christian world's belief about the inhabitants of heaven and of hell as the result of a failure to understand certain passages in the Word as anything but literal accounts, instead of interpreting them and illustrating them in the light of the correct teaching from the Word. Yet the literal sense of the Word, unless previously illuminated by the church's correct teaching, causes people's minds to go astray in various directions; and this is the source of ignorance, heresy and error. 3
V:
1. [14-16, 18, 20, 21 are repeated with minor changes from 311-316.]
2. The hells taken together, or their inhabitants taken together, are called the Devil and Satan (694) Those who were devils in the world become devils after death (968).
3. The church's teaching is to be drawn from the Word (3464, 5402, 6832, 10763, 10765). The Word cannot be understood without teaching (9025, 9409, 9424, 9430, 10324, 10431, 10582). True teaching is a lamp to readers of the Word (10400). Correct teaching must come from those who are enlightened by the Lord (2510, 2516, 2519, 9424, 10105). Those who without the benefit of teaching follow the literal sense of the Word cannot achieve any understanding of Divine truths (9409, 9410, 10582). They fall into many errors (10431). The nature of the difference between those whose teaching and learning is based on the church's teaching derived from the Word, and those who rely only on the literal sense of the Word (9025).
