9673. With cherubs. That this signifies a guard lest spiritual good and celestial good, and thus the middle heaven and the inmost heaven, should be commingled, is evident from the signification of the “cherubs,” as being guard and providence lest the Lord be approached except through good, and lest the good which is from the Lord in heaven and with man be injured (see n. 9509). That it also denotes lest spiritual good and celestial good, thus those two heavens, should be commingled, is because, if they were commingled, both goods would be injured, insomuch that the heavens themselves would perish. This can be seen from the difference between the two goods, thus between the two heavens, as shown in the places above cited (n. 9670). For this reason there are intermediate angelic societies which are in celestial spiritual good, and in spiritual celestial good, through which the conjunction is effected (n. 9671). Neither are these goods conjoined in these angelic societies; but they are distinct from one another. From all this it is evident that these societies are guards lest the two goods should be commingled; and therefore also that by the “cherubs” is signified this guard and providence of the Lord.