97. He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. That this signifies from whom is life to all in the New Heaven and the New Church, is evident from the signification of walking, as being to live; and when said of the Lord, as being life itself (concerning which more will be said in what follows); and from the signification of seven golden lampstands, as being all in the New Heaven and in the New Church (concerning which see above, n. 62). Hence it is clear that the reason why the Lord was seen in the midst of the lampstands, was, that the midst signifies the inmost; the lampstands signify heaven and the church, and walking signifies life, and to be in the midst, when said of the Lord, signifies to be in all things that are round about; therefore it was hereby represented that all the life of faith and of love in heaven and in the church is from Him (as may be seen above, n. 84. That the midst denotes the inmost and the centre from which is all influx, see Arcana Coelestia 1074, 2940, 2973, 7777. That the Lord is the common centre from whom is all direction and determination in heaven, see the work, Heaven and Hell 123, 124. That the propagation of the light of heaven, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, from which the angels have intelligence and wisdom, takes place also from the midst into those who are round about, may be seen in the same, n. 43, 50, 189). That to walk signifies to live, and, when said of the Lord, life itself, is from appearances in the spiritual world, where all walk according to their life, the evil in those ways that lead to hell, but the good in those ways only that lead to heaven; therefore all spirits are known there from the ways wherein they walk. Ways are really seen, but by the evil only the ways that lead to hell, and by the good only the ways that lead to heaven; by this means every one is brought to his own society; it is from this circumstance that to walk signifies to live. (Concerning these ways, and concerning walking therein in the spiritual world, see what is said in the work, Heaven and Hell 195, 479, 534, 590; and in the small work, The Last Judgment 48.)

[2] That in the Word ways signify truths or falsities, and that to walk signifies to live, is evident from several passages therein: a few only shall here be adduced by way of confirmation. Thus in Isaiah:

We have sinned against Jehovah "nor would they walk in his ways, neither have they heard his law" (42:24).

And in Moses:

"If ye shall keep all these commandments, by loving Jehovah your God, by walking in all his ways" (Deuteronomy 11:22).

And again:

"Thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, by loving Jehovah thy God, and walking in his ways all the days" (Deuteronomy 19:9; 26:17).

Again:

"I will set my dwelling place in the midst of you, and I will walk in the midst of you, and I will be to you for a God" (Leviticus 26:11, 12).

Again:

"Jehovah thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, and therefore shall thy camp be holy" (Deuteronomy 23:14).

And in Isaiah:

"Remember now, Jehovah, that I have walked before thee in truth" (38:3).

Again:

"Entering into peace, walking in uprightness" (57:2).

And in Malachi:

"In peace and in uprightness hath he walked with me (2:6).

And in David:

"Thou hast delivered my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living" (Psalm 56:13).

And in John:

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (8:12).

In the same:

"Yet a little while the light is with you; walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light" (12:35, 36).

And in Mark:

"The Pharisees and Scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders?" (7:5.)

And in Moses:

"If ye walk contrary to me, and will not hearken unto me, I will also walk contrary to you" (Leviticus 26:21, 23, 24, 27).

And in Isaiah:

"The people that walk in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow [of death], upon them hath the light shined" (9:2).

And in Micah:

"All people walk in the name of their god, and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God" (4:5).

And in Isaiah:

"Who among you feareth Jehovah? who walketh in darkness, and hath no light?" (50:10);

besides many other passages, as in Jeremiah 26:4; Ezekiel 5:6; 20:13, 16; Micah 4:5; Zechariah 10:12; Luke 1:6. From these passages it is evident that by walking, in the spiritual sense, is signified to live; and because it signifies to live, therefore, when said of the Lord, as in this passage, life itself is signified; for the Lord is life itself, and all others are recipients of life from Him (as may be seen above, n. 82, 84).

25. That are in sight of his throne. That this signifies presence and providence, is evident from the signification of sight which is from the Divine, as being presence, and thence providence - concerning which more will be said in what follows - and from the signification of the throne of God, as denoting Divine truth going forth from the Lord, and thus heaven, because heaven is its receptacle (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 5313, 6397). The reason why sight denotes presence is, because by aspect and sight are signified the understanding and thought therefrom; and in the understanding everything appears present that is the object of thought. This is why, in the spiritual world, those appear present with whom another desires to speak, provided the person has some idea of them from having seen them in the world, especially if this has been the case with both. Consequently friends meet there, and also wives and husbands; the reason is, that the internal sight, which is the understanding, in a spirit, acts as one with his external sight or sight of the eye. And as spaces in the spiritual world are not like spaces in the natural world, what any one desires to see in the former is near, and what is not desired is far off. It is from this fact that aspect signifies presence. (That aspect and sight signify the understanding, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 10705; and that thence it signifies presence, n. 4723; and that spaces in heaven are not like spaces in the world, see the work, Heaven and Hell 191-199.) The reason why aspect, when used of the Lord, as in this place, signifies His Divine presence is, that the Lord knows all men, and those who are in love and faith towards the Lord know Him; this is why the Lord is present with them in the goods of love and in the truths of faith which they have from Him. Those things are the Lord in heaven and in the church; for the things which go forth from the Lord, are not only His, but are Himself. It is therefore plain, how the Lord is in man; thus, how those words are to be understood which He spoke in John:

"Abide in me, and I in you; he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit" (15:4, 5).

In the same:

"If a man love me, he will keep my word; and my Father and I will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (14:23).

And again, in the same:

Jesus said to His disciples, "Ye know the Comforter, the Spirit of truth; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (14:17).

The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, is the Divine truth going forth from the Lord; or, what is the same, is the Lord as to Divine truth; and the disciples are all those who are in goods and thence in truths; it is therefore said, "He shall be in you."

Again, in the same:

"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (1:14).

The Word also is Divine truth; and that the Word is the Lord is clear, for it is said that the Word was made flesh. (That the Word signifies Divine truth, and the Lord, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 4692, 5075, 9987.) The reason why sight here signifies providence also is because all presence of the Lord is providence (as may be evident from what is said in the little work, The New Jerusalem and its Doctrine, n. 267-279; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 9, 12, 145).