273. (Verse 5) And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices. That this signifies enlightenment, understanding, and perception of the Divine truth in the heavens from the Lord is evident from the signification of lightnings, thunderings and voices, as being said of the Divine truth; lightnings of its enlightenment, thunderings of its understanding, and voices of its perception; that these things are signified will be evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned. But something shall first be said concerning the ground of those significations. All the things seen in the visible heaven by the eyes of men are correspondences; as the sun, the moon, the stars, the air, the ether, light, heat, clouds, mists, showers, and many others; they are correspondences because all the things in the natural world correspond to those that are in the spiritual world. Those things are also correspondences in heaven, where the angels are, since similar things are seen by them; but there they are not natural but spiritual, as is evident from what is shown respecting them in Heaven and Hell. For example, concerning the sun and the moon in heaven (n. 116-125); concerning light and heat in heaven (n. 126-140); and in general concerning the correspondence of heaven with all things on earth (n. 103-115); and concerning appearances in heaven (n. 170-176). Hence also lightnings and thunderings are correspondences; and because they are correspondences, they signify those things to which they correspond; in general they signify the Divine truth received and uttered by the higher angels, which, when it descends to the lower angels, is sometimes seen as lightning, and heard as thunder with voices. This is why lightning signifies the Divine truth as to enlightenment; thunder, the Divine truth as to understanding; and voices, the Divine truth as to perception.

It is said as to understanding and as to perception, because what enters by hearing into the mind is both seen and perceived; it is seen in the understanding, and it is perceived by communication with the will. (What is properly perception, such as the angels in heaven enjoy, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 140.)

[2] This, now, is why lightnings and thunders in the Word signify Divine truth as to enlightenment and as to understanding, as is evident from the following passages. In David:

"Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people. The clouds dropped waters; the skies uttered a voice; thine arrows also went abroad; the voice of thy thunder into the world; the lightnings lightened the world" (Psalms 77:15, 17, 18).

The subject treated of in this Psalm is the establishment of the church anew; by the clouds dropping waters are signified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word; by the skies, or higher clouds, uttering a voice, are signified truths from the spiritual sense of the Word; by the arrows which went abroad are meant thunderbolts, from which there appear as it were arrows from a bow, these being present when there are thunders and lightnings, and by them are signified Divine truths; by the voice of thunder into the world is signified Divine truth as to perception and understanding in the church; and by the lightning lightening the world is signified enlightenment: the world signifies the church.

[3] Again:

"A fire shall go before" Jehovah, "and burn up his enemies round about. His lightnings shall enlighten the world" (Psalms 97:3, 4).

From these words also it is evident that lightnings signify Divine truth as to enlightenment: for it is said his lightnings shall enlighten the world.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"The maker of the world by his power, he prepareth the world by his wisdom, and by his intelligence stretcheth out the heavens; at the voice which he giveth there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he maketh the vapours to ascend from the end of the earth, he maketh the lightnings of the rain" (10:12, 13; 51:16; Psalms 135:7).

Here also the establishment of the church is treated of. That by the voice of thunder is signified the Divine truth as to perception and understanding, and by lightnings the same as to enlightenment is evident from its being said that the maker of the earth prepareth the world by His wisdom, and stretcheth out the heavens by His intelligence; and immediately after, that when He uttereth His voice there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and that He maketh lightnings of the rain. The earth and the world signify the church; waters in the heavens signify spiritual truths; rain signifies the same when they descend and become natural; their enlightenment is signified by lightnings.

[5] In the second book of Samuel:

"Jehovah thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice, and sent arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and confounded them" (22:14, 15).

Thunders are here expressed by thundering from heaven, and by uttering a voice; flying thunderbolts by arrows; and by both are signified Divine truths, and by lightning, their light. And as these quicken and enlighten the good, so they affright and blind the wicked; which is meant by His sending arrows and scattering them, lightning, and confounding them for the evil cannot sustain Divine truths, nor any light at all from heaven, therefore they flee away from their presence.

[6] Similarly in David:

"Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest uttered his voice, and sent his arrows, and scattered them and many thunderbolts, and discomfited them" (Psalms 18:13, 14).

And elsewhere:

"Hurl thy lightning, and scatter them; send forth thine arrows, and destroy them" (Psalms 144:6).

That thunders and lightnings signify the Divine truth as to understanding and as to enlightenment is still further evident from the following passages. In David:

"Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place, in thunder" (Psalms 81:7).

In the Apocalypse:

"And I heard as it were the voice of thunder, and one of the four animals saying, Come and see" (6:1).

Again:

"The angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth; and there were thunderings, voices, and lightnings" (8:5).

Again:

The angel "cried with a loud voice, as a lion; and when he cried seven thunders uttered their voices" (10:3, 4).

Again:

"The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in the temple the ark of the covenant; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings" (11:19).

Again:

"I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder" (14:2).

And again:

"I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord our God omnipotent reigneth" (19:6).

Because thunders and lightnings signify Divine truths, therefore also when Jehovah descended upon Mount Sinai to promulgate them,

"There were voices, and lightnings, and also the voice of a trumpet" (Exodus 19:16).

That the voice of a trumpet signifies Divine truth as to revelation, may be seen above (n. 55, 262.) The voice which came from heaven to the Lord was also heard as thunder, as may be seen in John (12:28, 29); and James and John were called Boanerges, or sons of thunder (Mark 3:14, 17).

205. He that hath the key of David. That this signifies who has power by means of Divine truth is evident from the signification of key, as being the power of opening and shutting, in this case heaven and hell; for it follows, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth. Hence by key is here meant the power of saving (as may be seen above, n. 86), because to open heaven, and to shut hell, is to save; also from the representation of David, as being the Lord as to Divine truth. The reason why by David in the Word is meant the Lord, is, that in the Word the Lord is represented as to Divine truth by kings, and by priests as to Divine good, and especially by king David, because he had much care respecting the things of the church, and also wrote the Psalms. (That by kings in the Word is signified Divine truth, and by priests Divine good, may be seen above, n. 31. And, moreover, that by all names of persons and places in the Word spiritual things are signified, which are things pertaining to the church and to heaven, see above, n. 19, 50, 102.) The reason why it is said, he that hath the key of David is, because by David, as just said, is represented the Lord as to Divine truth; and the Lord has all power in the heavens and on earth from Divine good by means of Divine truth; for, in general, good has no power without truth, neither has truth any power without good, for good acts by means of truth. This is why Divine good and Divine truth proceed unitedly from the Lord, and in proportion as they are thus received by the angels, in the same proportion have the angels power: this, therefore, is the reason why the key of David is mentioned. (That all power pertains to truth from good may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 228-233, where the power of the angels of heaven is treated of; and also n. 539, in the same work.)

[2] That by David in the Word is meant the Lord is clearly evident from several passages where he is named in the prophets; as in Ezekiel:

"They shall be to me for a people, and I will be to them for a God, and my servant David king over them, that they may all have one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the earth, they and their sons, and the sons of their sons even to eternity; and David my servant shall be a prince to them to eternity" (37:23-25).

Again, in Hosea:

"The sons of Israel shall return and shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king; and with fear shall they come to Jehovah and to his goodness in the end of days" (3:5).

It is said, "they shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king," because by Jehovah in the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine good, which is the Divine as Being (esse), and by David a king, the Lord as to Divine truth, which is the Divine Manifestation (existere). (That by Jehovah in the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine good, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 732, 2586, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4253, 4402, 7010, 9167, 9315.)

[3] In Zechariah:

"Jehovah shall preserve the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitant of Jerusalem may not extol itself above Judah. In that day shall Jehovah protect the inhabitant of Jerusalem; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace. In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (12:7, 8, 10; 13:1).

The coming of the Lord is here treated of, and the salvation of those who belong to His spiritual kingdom. By the tents of Judah is meant the celestial kingdom; and by the house of David and the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spiritual kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is formed of those in heaven and on earth who are in Divine truth, and the celestial kingdom of those who are in Divine good (as may be seen just above).

From these considerations it is plain that these words mean that those two kingdoms should act as one, nor should one exalt itself above the other (concerning these two kingdoms, see what is said in the work, Heaven and Hell 20-28). That by Judah is signified the Lord as to celestial love, and the celestial kingdom of the Lord, may be seen above (n. 119). And that by Jerusalem is signified the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 402, 3654, 9166). The same is therefore signified by the house of David; therefore it is there said, "the house of David shall be as God, and as the angel of Jehovah;" by God also is meant the Lord as to Divine truth (see n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167); similarly by the angel of Jehovah (see above, n. 130, 200). David and his house have also a similar signification in the following passages.

[4] In Isaiah:

"Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a prince and a legislator to the nations" (55:3, 4).

These things are said concerning the Lord, who is here signified by David. In David:

"In the heavens thou shalt confirm thy truth: I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn to David my servant, Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and I will build up thy throne to generation and generation; and the heavens shall confess thy wonder, O Jehovah, and thy truth in the congregation of the holy ones" (Psalms 89:2-5).

These things also are spoken of the Lord, and not of David; for it is said, "I have sworn to David my servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and build up thy throne to generation and generation"; which is not applicable to David, whose seed and throne are not established to eternity, and yet Jehovah sware; and an oath from Jehovah is irrevocable confirmation by the Divine (see Arcana Coelestia 2842). By the seed of David, in the spiritual sense, are meant those who are in truths from good from the Lord, and, in an abstract sense, truths themselves which are from good (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia, 3373, 3380, 10249, 10445), and by throne is meant the spiritual kingdom of the Lord (n. 5313, 6397, 8625). The reason why David is here called a servant, as also above in Ezekiel is, that the term servant is used in the Word of all persons and things that serve and minister (see Arcana Coelestia 3441, 7143, 8241), and the Divine truth proceeding serves and ministers to the Divine good from which it proceeds. That it is the Lord as to Divine truth, or that it is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, which is meant by David, is clear; for it is said, "in the heavens thou shalt confirm thy truth, and the heavens shall confess thy wonder, thy truth in the congregation of the holy ones." That they are also called holy who are in Divine truths, may be seen just above.

[5] Again:

"I will not profane my covenant; and what is pronounced by my lips will I not change. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before me, as the moon to eternity, as a faithful witness in the clouds" (Psalms 89:34-37).

That these things are said of the Lord, is evident from the whole of the psalm; for His coming is there treated of, and afterwards the rejection of Him by the Jewish nation. That the Lord is there treated of, and that He is meant by David, is evident from these words in the same Psalm:

"I have found David my servant; with the oil of my holiness have I anointed him. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall call me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. I also will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. I will set his throne as the days of the heavens" (vers. 20, 25-27, 29).

By David, by anointed, and by king, as in other passages of the Psalms, the Lord is meant. This may be seen clearly by those who understand the Word spiritually, but obscurely by those who understand it only naturally. The same is clear in the same:

"Thy priests shall be clothed with justice, and thy saints shall sing for joy; for thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed; there will I make the horn of David to bud: I will ordain a lamp for mine anointed, upon himself shall his crown flourish" (Psalm 132:9, 10, 17, 18).

Here also the Lord is meant by David and by anointed; for He is treated of in this Psalm; as is plain from what goes before, where it is said:

"He sware unto Jehovah, I will not give sleep to mine eyes until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the mighty One of Jacob; lo, we have heard of it at Ephratah" (Bethlehem). "We will go into his habitations, we will worship at his footstool" (ver. 2, 4-7).

[6] In order that David might represent the Lord as to Divine truth, the Lord willed to be born of the house of David, and also to be called the son of Jesse; but when He put off the Human from the mother, and put on that from the Father, which is the Divine Human, He was then no longer David's son. This is meant by the words of the Lord to the Pharisees: Jesus said to the Pharisees,

"What think ye of the Christ? whose Son is he? They said unto him, David's. He saith unto them, How then doth David by the spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footsool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" (Matthew 22:42-45; Luke 20:41-44).

That the Lord glorified His Human, that is, put off the human from the mother, and put on the Human from the Father, which is the Divine Human, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-295, 298-310.) Hence it is that He was not the son of David, just as He was not the son of Mary, whom therefore He did not call His mother, but "woman" as may be seen, Matthew 12:46-49; Mark 3:31 to the end; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:4, 19:25, 26. That the same is meant by the keys given to Peter as by the key of David - that the Lord has all power, and that He has this power by means of His Divine truth, will be seen in the article which now follows.