363. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number. (7:9) This symbolizes all other people who are not among those enumerated and yet are in the New Heaven and the Lord's New Church, who form the lowest heaven and the external church, and whose character is known to the Lord alone.

That a great multitude symbolizes all other people who are not among those enumerated, and yet are in heaven and in the Lord's church, is apparent from verses 9, 10, 13-17, where we are told that they stood "before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands," and that they "serve Him... in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them," and so on.

To number in the spiritual sense means, symbolically, to discern the character of something or someone. That numbering has this symbolic meaning will be seen in the next number.

Who specifically these people are, however - those meant by the ones called a great multitude - cannot be known without an Arcanum that must first be disclosed.

[2] The arcanum is this: Heaven in its entirety, together with the church on earth, is in the Lord's sight as though a single person. And because it is as though a single person, there are people there who constitute the head and thus the face with all of its sensory organs, and there are people there who constitute the body with all of its members. The people enumerated before this are ones who constitute the face with all of its sensory organs. The people referred to now, however, are ones who constitute the body with all of its members. That this is the case has been revealed to me, and so, too, the fact that the people who make up the first group of tribes (verse 5) are ones who correspond to the forehead down to the eyes; that those who make up the second group (verse 6) are ones who correspond to the eyes, together with the nose; that those who make up the third group (verse 7) are ones who correspond to the ears and cheeks; and that those who make up the fourth group (verse 8) are ones who correspond to the mouth and tongue.

[3] The Lord's church, furthermore, is internal and external. The people meant by the twelve tribes of Israel are ones who make up the Lord's internal church, whereas the people referred to now are ones who make up His external church, and who cohere as one with those enumerated before, as lower things do with higher ones, thus as the body with the head. The twelve tribes of Israel therefore symbolize the higher heavens and also the internal church, while the latter symbolize the lower heavens and the external church. That these people are called a great multitude elsewhere, too, may be seen in nos. 803ff. below, and in no. 811.

811. 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as it were the sound of many waters and as it were the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" This symbolizes the joy of angels of the lowest, intermediate and highest heavens that the Lord alone will reign in the church that is now to come.

The voice and sounds symbolize the joy of a worship, confession and celebration of the Lord, because it is followed by their saying "Alleluia!" and next, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory."

The voice of a great multitude symbolizes the joy of angels of the lowest heaven, as in no. 803 above.

The sound of many waters symbolizes the joy of angels of the intermediate heaven, as in no. 614 above. Their joy was heard as such because many waters symbolize truths in abundance (nos. 50, 614, 685), and angels of the intermediate heaven are prompted by truths, because they possess intelligence.

The sound of mighty thunderings symbolizes the joy of angels of the highest heaven. That their voice or speech sounds like thunder may be seen in no. 615 above.

Saying "Alleluia!" symbolizes the joy of a worship, confession and celebration of the Lord, as in no. 803 above. "For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" means, symbolically, that the Lord alone reigns, for the Lord is called Almighty (see Revelation 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:15; 21:22, and the explanations at those points).

That what is said here has to do with a new church to be established by the Lord is clear from the following three verses, in which we are told that the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready, and that blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! This is the reason for the joy of all the heavens that is described in this and the following verse.