931. Verse 2 (Revelation 15:2). And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with fire, signifies the generals of truth in the Word, transparent from spiritual truths, which are from the good of love. This is evident from the signification of "a glassy sea," as being generals of truth transparent from spiritual truths (See above, n. 275); also from the signification of "fire," as being the good of love (See n. 68, 496, 504, 916). It shall be told here briefly why "a glassy sea" signifies the generals of truth in the Word transparent from spiritual truths. The "sea" signifies truths in general, because "waters, fountains, and rivers," signify truths from which intelligence is derived, and the sea is their general receptacle. Truths in general, or the generals of truth, are such truths as are in the sense of the letter of the Word, and the sense of the letter of the Word is natural, and everything natural is a general receptacle of spiritual things. For nothing in the nature of the world, or nothing natural, is possible that does not exist from the spiritual; for the natural is formed from the spiritual, as an effect out of its effecting cause. And as thousands of things that are spiritual effect and form one natural thing, so this one, as it is the containant of the thousands, is a general thing.

[2] Such also is the Word in the sense of the letter in its relation to the Word in the spiritual sense; and as the spiritual sense of the Word is in the natural sense, and in it shines through before the angels, so the Word as to the generals of truth transparent from spiritual truths is signified by "the glassy sea." "Glassy sea" has the same signification elsewhere in Revelation:

And in sight of the throne a glassy sea like crystal (Revelation 4:6).

Also:

The city New Jerusalem, as well as the street of the city, appeared like pure gold, similar to transparent glass (Revelation 21:18, 21).

For that "city" signifies the doctrine of the church, and "street" the truth of that doctrine; and the truths of that doctrine, because they are genuine truths, derive their light and their transparency from spiritual truths. It is this transparency that is signified by "glass" and by "crystal":

Also over the heads of the cherubim a firmament was seen like the appearance of a wonderful crystal (Ezekiel 1:22).

This signifies the spiritual Divine in heaven. That "the glassy sea" signifies the Word in the sense of the letter transparent from its spiritual sense can be seen also from the fact that near it were seen "them that had the victory over the beast;" and these signify those who have not falsified the Word, and have not extinguished thereby the light of the spiritual sense.

916. Having authority over the fire, signifies thus as to celestial and spiritual love. This is evident from the signification of "fire," as being love in both senses, namely, love to the Lord, which exists with those in heaven who are called celestial angels, and love towards the neighbor, which exists with those in heaven who are called spiritual angels; and in the contrary sense love of self, which exists with those in hell who are called devils, and love of the world, which exists with those in hell who are called satans. (That these loves are signified in the Word by "fire" may be seen above in 68, 496, 504, 539.) It is said of this angel that "he had authority over the fire," because the devastation of the church as to the good of love is treated of, and the devastation as to that is attributed to this angel, as the devastation as to the truth of doctrine is attributed to the former angel, who was therefore said to have "a sharp sickle in his hand." This makes clear what is meant by its being said that this angel "had authority over the fire;" namely, that he will lay waste celestial and spiritual love, and all things of it in the church.

[2] The devastation of the church is attributed to an angel, as elsewhere in the Word it is attributed to the Lord. But this is said of the Lord merely in the sense of the letter, but is not so understood in the spiritual sense. For truth in the sense of the letter is like a face seen through a veil, while truth in the spiritual sense is like a face uncovered; or truth in the sense of the letter is like a cloud, while the truth in the spiritual sense is like light and its splendor; or again, truth in the sense of the letter is what appears to be truth to the sensual man, while truth in the spiritual sense is truth to the spiritual-rational man. For example, it is said in the Word that the sun rises, moves forward, and sets, making days and years, which is wholly according to the way it appears to the sensual man. Nevertheless, the rational man thinks of the sun as not moving, and of the earth as moving; which shows that man's understanding thinks in a reverse way of the things that appear before the senses in order that they may be presented before it in the light of truth. It is similar with the things here said in Revelation of "Him who sat on the white cloud" and of the angels, namely, that "they send the sickle into the harvest and reap it," and that "they gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth, and cast them into the wine press of the anger of God." All this, too, is said according to the way it appears to the sensual man; and yet it must be reversed, and understood according to its spiritual sense.

[3] All this makes clear that a sensual man, such as one is in the ages of infancy and early childhood, also the simple-minded, can think about and believe these and like things according to the sense of the letter, as that God takes away good and truth from men on account of their wickedness; while the adult man who wishes to be wise will not explain these things in the sense that this is done by God, that is, that He takes away from man all good and truth and infuses in the place of them evil and falsity, or that He devastates the church, or even that He is angry and wrathful. For if a wise adult should explain such expressions according to the sense of the letter and confirm them by reasonings, he would destroy the genuine truth itself such as it is in heaven, and consequently would close up heaven to himself. For how could anyone enter heaven with a belief that God is angry and revengeful, that He punishes, and the like, when the angels of heaven are in the perception that God is never angry, and never works vengeance, or punishes? Would they not turn themselves away from such a one and bid him depart, and immediately close the door after him? So is heaven closed to those who, while they live in the world, explain the sense of the letter of the Word even so as to destroy Divine truth in the heavens; which truth is also the same as the truth of the spiritual sense, which is in all the particular truths of the natural sense which constitute the sense of the letter of the Word.