56. De hemel is daar waar men de Heer erkent, in Hem gelooft en Hem liefheeft. De variatie in de verering van de Heer, vanwege het goede dat varieert van de ene gezelschap met de andere, vormt geen nadeel maar is nuttig, want daaruit ontstaat de volmaaktheid van de hemel. Het is bijna onmogelijk om zonder gebruikmaking van wetenschappelijke uitdrukkingen duidelijk te maken dat de volmaaktheid van de hemel ontstaat door variatie en door middel van deze te laten zien hoe éénheid die perfect is, gevormd wordt door verschillende onderdelen. Iedere éénheid bestaat door verscheidenheid, want een éénheid die niet het resultaat is van verscheidenheid, is niets, het heeft geen vorm en daarom geen eigenschap. Wanneer echter een éénheid ontstaat uit verschillende onderdelen en deze verschillende onderdelen zijn in een perfecte vorm, waarin elk zich op de juiste volgorde rangschikt, alsof het ene goede bevriend is met het andere, dan is de kwaliteit perfect. Zo is de hemel een éénheid die ontstaan is uit verschillende bestanddelen die in de meest perfecte vorm gerangschikt zijn, want de hemelse vorm is de meest volmaakte van alle vormen. Dat dit de oorsprong van alle perfectie is, blijkt uit alle schoonheid, genoeglijkheid en vreugde die de zintuigen en het verstand beïnvloeden. Want deze ontstaan en komen uit niets anders voort dan uit het samenspel en de harmonie van vele overeenstemmende en harmoniserende delen die óf gelijktijdig in orde bestaan, óf elkaar in orde opvolgen en niet uit een éénheid zonder meervoudigheid. Hier komt het gezegde vandaan: variatie schept vreugde en het is bekend dat de aard van de verscheidenheid de vreugde bepaalt. Uit dit alles kan men zien, als in een spiegel, hoe zelfs in de hemel perfectie ontstaat door verscheidenheid. Want de dingen die in de geestelijke wereld bestaan, kunnen als in een spiegel gezien worden in die welke in de natuurlijke wereld ontstaan.

490. Verse 3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, signifies the conjunction of heaven with the Lord through celestial good. This is evident from the signification of an "angel," as being heaven (of which presently); also from the signification of "altar," as being the good of love to the Lord (of which also presently). An "angel" signifies the angelic heaven because the things seen by John were representative; and as heaven could not be presented to his view, therefore instead of the heavens angels were seen; as also above, "seven angels who stood before God" (n. 488); so also "four and twenty elders and four animals" which represented the heavens above, n. 313, 332, 362, 462); so here, "the angel who stood at the altar." The angels seen by John represented heaven, because the whole heaven before the Lord is as one angel-man, likewise each society of heaven; also because the angel derives his angelic form, which is the human form, from the universal heaven. (Respecting this see in the work on Heaven and Hell 51-58, 59-67, 68-72, 73-77, 78-86, where this arcanum is fully unfolded.) For this reason when an angel appears representatively, he represents either the society of heaven from which he is, or many societies together, or the universal heaven in respect to that in heaven and the church that is treated of. That "angels" in the Word signify entire societies in heaven, and also the whole heaven, may be seen above (n. 90, 302, 307). This angel "who stood at the altar" signifies the inmost or third heaven, because the "altar" signifies the good of love to the Lord, and all who are in the inmost or third heaven are in that good.

[2] An altar was seen in heaven not because any altar exists there such as the Israelitish nation had; but as that altar is frequently mentioned in the Word, and it signifies the good of love to the Lord and worship from that good, so an altar was seen by John, by whom the Word was also written, in order that the Word may be everywhere consistent with itself. For a similar reason he saw a golden altar, which was for the offering of incense, also a censer and incense, which are also presently mentioned; as also the ark of the Covenant (chap. Revelation 11:19). For many representatives appear in heaven to those who stand below, which nevertheless do not actually exist there, but are only representative forms of such things as the angels there are thinking from the influx of the Lord; consequently they are all significative of Divine things; as for instance, animals appeared which were cherubim, also a book sealed with seven seals, and at the opening of the first four seals there went forth horses, besides other like things mentioned elsewhere. So here also an altar, a censer, and incense appeared, which were exhibited before John's sight because these are mentioned in the Word and there signify things Divine, and because the Word in Revelation was to be written by means of similar things. There were two altars in use with the Israelitish nation, one called "the altar of burnt-offering," the other "the altar of incense," and because this one was overlaid with gold it was called "the golden altar." The altar of burnt-offering was a representative of the Lord and of the worship of Him from celestial good; and the altar of incense was a representative of the Lord and of the worship of Him from spiritual good. Celestial good is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good is the good of charity towards the neighbor. But what altars represented and signified in general and in particular, may be seen above n. 391.