289. To him that sitteth on the throne, who liveth unto the ages of the ages. That this signifies from whom are all things of heaven and of the church, and life eternal, is evident from the signification of throne when said of the Lord, as being in general the whole heaven, specifically the spiritual heaven, and, in the abstract, proceeding Divine truth. And because it is by means of Divine truth that the heavens exist, therefore by the throne here mentioned are signified all things of heaven and of the church (concerning which signification see what has been said above, n. 253); that He who sat upon the throne is the Lord, may be seen also above (n. 267, 268). The same is also evident from the signification of living unto the ages of the ages, as denoting that eternal life is from Him (concerning which see above, n.84); for by Him who liveth is signified that He alone is life, and consequently that the all of life with angels and men is from Him; and unto the ages of the ages signifies what is eternal. The reason of this signification is that the ages of the ages in the world signify times as to all the duration thereof, but in heaven, where times are not such as in the world, they signify what is eternal. For the sense of the letter of the Word consists of such things as are in the world, whereas the spiritual sense consists of such things as are in heaven, and this because the Divine terminates in the natural things of the world as in its ultimates, and rests in them and subsists upon them; hence it is that it is said, unto the ages of the ages, and not to eternity.