335. Verse 11. And I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the animals, and the elders, signifies the acknowledgment and consequent glorification of the Lord by the angels of the lower heavens. This is evident from what has been said above (n. 322), namely, that they acknowledged and glorified the Lord in this order; first the angels of the higher heavens, then the angels of the lower heavens, and lastly those who are below the heavens; for "the four animals" and "the four and twenty elders" who first glorified signify the angels of the higher heavens (See above, n. 322), but these now mentioned, who were "round about the throne" and "round about the animals and the elders," mean the angels of the lower heavens; and by "every creature that is in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth and in the sea" (of which see just below, verse 13) those who are below the heavens are meant. That the angels of the lower heavens are here meant is clear also from this, that they are said to be "round about the throne, the animals, and the elders," and "round about" means in the Word what is in the remote borders, thus what is distant; but where heaven is treated of, it means what is distant in degree of intelligence and wisdom, thus what is below. For the heavens are higher and lower, differing from each other according to the reception of Divine truth and good, thus according to degrees of intelligence and wisdom. (But respecting the degrees according to which the heavens, and consequently the angels who are in them, are distant from each other, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 33, 34, 38, 39, 208, 209, 211, 425.) What is below in accordance with these degrees is what is signified by "round about;" in like manner also, elsewhere in the Word, "round about," "circuit," "afar," "distant," "uttermost parts," and the like, have a like signification.

9837. 'And the girdle of his ephod, which is on it' means the outward bond that gathers things together. This is clear from the meaning of 'the girdle' as a common bond by which everything within is held in connection, dealt with above in 9828, thus a bond that gathers things together. The reason why an outward bond is meant is that 'the ephod' means the outermost part of the spiritual kingdom, 9824.

39. Lastly, let me disclose a particular secret about the angels of the three heavens that people have not been aware of until now because they have not understood levels. It is this, that within every angel - and within every one of us here - there is a central or highest level, or a central and highest something, where the Lord's divine life flows in first and most intimately. It is from this center that the Lord arranges the other, relatively internal aspects within us that follow in sequence according to the levels of the overall design. This central or highest level can be called the Lord's gateway to the angels or to us, his essential dwelling within us.

It is this central or highest level that makes us human and distinguishes us from the lower animals, since they do not have it. This is why we, unlike animals, can be raised up by the Lord toward himself, as far as all the deeper levels of our mind and character are concerned. This is why we can believe in him, be moved by love for him, and therefore see him. It is why we can receive intelligence and wisdom, and talk rationally. It is also why we live forever.

However, what is arranged and provided by the Lord at this center does not flow into the open perception of any angel, because it is higher than angelic thought, and surpasses angelic wisdom.