567. And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, signifies revelation from the Lord out of the spiritual heaven. This is evident from the signification of "to hear a voice," as being revelation, because what was revealed by this voice follows; also from the signification of "the golden altar which is before God," as being the Divine spiritual (of which presently); also from the signification of "its four horns," as being the Divine spiritual in its ultimates; for the horns were in the ultimates of both altars, both the altar of burnt-offering and the altar of incense which is the golden altar; and as the horns were the ultimates of these altars they signified the Divine in respect to power, for all power is in ultimates; from this it is that "the horns of the altars" signified the Divine in relation to omnipotence (respecting which signification see above, n. 316. That "the altar of burnt-offering" signifies the Divine celestial, which is Divine good, may be seen above (n. 391, 496); while the "altar of incense" (or the golden altar) represented and thence signified the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, as is evident from its description, which will be found below.

[2] It shall first be told here why the voice was heard "from the four horns of the altar." The "horns" that projected and stood out at the ultimate parts of the above-named altars signified all things belonging to them in respect to power, as can be seen from what has been shown above (n. 346, 417), and also from what has been said and shown respecting ultimates in the Arcana Coelestia, as that interiors flow in successively into externals, even into things extreme or ultimate, and that there they exist and subsist (n. 634, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216); that they not only flow in successively, but also form in the ultimate what is simultaneous, in what order (n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099); that thus strength and power are in ultimates (n. 9836); and that thence responses and revelations were given in ultimates (n. 9905, 10548). Since responses and revelations were made from ultimates, it is evident why "the voice was heard from the four horns of the golden altar," namely, because the "golden altar" signifies the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth which reveals, and because the "horns" signify its ultimates, through which revelation is made. The "golden altar" upon which incense was offered signifies the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, because the "incense" that was offered upon the altar signified worship from spiritual good, and the hearing and acceptance of it by the Lord (See above, n. 324, 491, 492, 494).

[3] That "the altar of incense" signified the Divine spiritual, and that "offering incense" upon it signified worship from spiritual good, and the grateful hearing and acceptance of such worship by the Lord, is evident from the construction of that altar, every particular in which represented and signified these things. Its construction is thus described in Moses:

Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; of shittim wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height of it; its horns shall be from it. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, its roof, and its walls round about, and its horns; and thou shall make for it a rim of gold round about. And two rings shalt thou make for it from under its rim, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make them; and they shall be for places for the staves with which to bear it. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the veil that is over the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of spices in the morning; in the morning, when dressing the lamps he shall burn it; and when Aaron maketh the lamps to ascend between the evenings he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Jehovah in your generations. Ye shall make no strange incense to ascend upon it, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meal-offering; nor shall ye pour drink-offering upon it. And Aaron shall make expiation upon the horns of it once in the year of the blood of the expiations of sin; once in the year shall he make expiation upon it in your generations: this is the holy of holies unto Jehovah (Exodus 30:1-10).

That these particulars respecting that altar signify in the internal sense worship from spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor, as also the grateful hearing and acceptance by the Lord, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia (n. Arcana Coelestia 10176), where they are explained in series.

9216. 'In which he may sleep' means resting on them. This is clear from the meaning of 'sleeping' as resting, in this instance on the external and sensory level, meant by 'clothing', 9212; for it says that it is clothing 'in which he may sleep'. How the explanation that more internal things find rest on the sensory level should be understood must be stated. The sensory level is the last and lowest of a person's life, as has been shown above. What is lowest contains all the more internal levels and is general to them all; for they terminate in it and accordingly rest on it. It is like the skin, for example, which is the outermost covering of the body. The body and all things in it terminate in the skin, because it contains them and they accordingly rest on the skin. In a similar way it is like the peritoneum within the body. Because it contains the abdominal organs, these rest on it and are also linked to it all round. Or equally it is like the pleura's relationship to the organs in the chest.

[2] A similar situation exists with all the things that compose a person's actual life, with those for instance that are connected with his understanding and those that are connected with his will. These too follow one another in order from more internal things to relatively external ones. The relatively external ones are factual knowledge together with its delights, while the outermost things are those of the senses, which are in contact with the world through sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. The more internal things rest on them since they terminate in them. These are the matters that are meant in the spiritual sense by 'the covering' or 'the clothing in which he may sleep'. The reason why things on the level of the senses are meant by 'the clothing' or 'the covering' lies in correspondences; for as stated above in 9212, spirits and angels appear dressed in garments in keeping with their truths of faith. Those governed by truths springing from good appear in shining ones, as for instance those at the Lord's tomb did, Luke 24:4; Matthew 28:3, and also in ones of fine, white linen, as for instance those referred to in Revelation 19:14 did; and others appear in garments of various colours.

[3] Furthermore it should be realized that all things without exception proceed in successive stages from their first or inmost level to their terminations on the last and lowest and rest on them. Each thing at a prior or more internal stage in order has its own connection with terminations on the lowest level. Therefore if things on the lowest level are dispelled those on interior levels are also scattered. This also explains why there are three heavens. The inmost or third heaven flows into the middle or second heaven; the middle or second heaven flows into the first or lowest heaven, which in turn flows into and resides with mankind. Consequently the human race constitutes the lowest level of order; in it heaven terminates and on it heaven rests. This being so, the Lord in His Divine [Love and Care] always provides for the presence among the human race of a Church in which truth revealed by God exists; such truth on our planet is the Word. By means of this a continuous link exists between the human race and the heavens. This is why every detail of the Word has within it an internal sense which exists for heaven's benefit and whose nature is such that it joins angels' minds to those of people on earth in so firm a bond that they act as one. All this goes to show yet again the nature of a situation in which interior things rest on those at the lowest level.