277. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four animals, full of eyes before and behind, signifies the Lord's guard and providence that the interior heavens be not approached except by the good of love and charity, that lower things depending thereon may be in the order. This is evident from the signification of "out of the midst of the throne," as being from the Lord, for the "One sitting upon the throne" was the Lord (See above, n. 268); also from the signification of "around the throne," as being the interior or higher heavens, for these are most nearly around the Lord; also from the signification of "four animals," which were cherubim, as being the Divine guard and providence that the interior or higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and charity (of which in what follows); also from the signification of "eyes," of which they were full before and behind, as being the Lord's Divine Providence; for "eyes," in reference to man, signify the understanding, which is his internal sight; but when "eyes" are predicated of God, they signify the Divine Providence (See above, n. 68, 152). And since "eyes" here signify the Lord's Divine Providence that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and of charity, therefore these cherubim were seen "full of eyes before and behind."

On this providence of the Lord, lower things, which are the lower heavens and also the church on earth, depend, that they may be in order, because the influx of the Lord is both immediate from Himself, and also mediate through the higher heavens into the lower heavens and into the church; consequently unless the higher heavens were in order the lower could not be in order. (On this influx see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 277-278.)

[2] That by "the four animals" here cherubim are meant is evident in Ezekiel, by whom like things were seen at the river Chebar, which are described by him in chap. 1 and in chap. 10, and in the latter called "cherubim" (Ezekiel 10:1-2, 4-9, 14, 16, 18-19), and it is said of them:

The cherubim mounted up; these are the animals that I saw by the river Chebar. These are the animals that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15, 20).

These "four animals, that were cherubim," are thus described by that prophet:

Near the river Chebar appeared the likeness of four animals. This was their aspect: they had the likeness of a man, and each one had four faces, and each one of them had four wings. This was the likeness of their faces: the four of them had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle. Their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of lamps; the same went up and down among the animals, so that the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. Over the heads of the animals was an expanse of the appearance of a wonderful crystal. Above the expanse which was over their head was as it were the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it. From the appearance of his loins and downwards I saw as it were an appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about, as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud; so was the appearance of the brightness of Jehovah round about; this appearance was the likeness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezekiel 1:5-6, 10, 13, 22, 26-28).

By these representatives the Divine of the Lord in the higher heavens, and His Providence that they be not approached except from the good of love and charity, are described; and in this description are contained all the things that are mentioned in this chapter of Revelation respecting the arrangement of the heavens, and signified by "the throne on which was One sitting in aspect like a jasper stone and a sardius;" also by the "rainbow round about the throne," by the "lamps of fire burning before the throne," and the other things which it is not necessary therefore to explain here singly.

[3] It shall now be shown merely that "cherubim" in the Word signify the guard and providence of the Lord that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and charity, that lower things may be in order. This is plainly seen by the cherubim placed before the garden of Eden, when man was driven from it, which are thus described in Moses:

When Jehovah God had driven out the man, He made to dwell on the east of Eden the cherubim, and the flame of a sword turning hither and thither, to guard the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).

What is meant by the "man" and "his wife" in these chapters may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that "man" here means the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church; and the celestial is distinguished from the spiritual church in this, that the celestial church is in the good of love to the Lord, but the spiritual in the good of charity towards the neighbor (See in the work onHeaven and Hell 20-28). Of the men who constitute these two churches on the earth the two higher heavens are formed. When, therefore, the celestial church, which was the most ancient and primary church on this earth, declined and began to recede from the good of love, it is said that "cherubim were made to dwell on the east of Eden, and the flame of a sword turning hither and thither, to guard the way of the tree of life." The "east of Eden" signifies where the good of celestial love enters; "the flame of a sword turning hither and thither" signifies truth from that good, protecting; and "the tree of life" signifies the Divine that is from the Lord in the higher heavens, which is the good of love and charity and heavenly joy therefrom. From this it is clear that "cherubim" signify guards that these heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity; for this reason they are also said "to guard the way of the tree of life." (That the "east" signifies the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 1250, 3708; that "Eden" signifies wisdom therefrom, n. 99, 100; that "sword" signifies truth combating against falsity and dispersing it, thus truth protecting, above, n. 73, 131; that "flame" signifies truth from celestial good, Arcana Coelestia 3222, 6832, 9570; that "the tree of life" signifies the good of love from the Lord and the heavenly joy therefrom, see above, n. 109, 110.)

[4] Because of this signification of "cherubim," two cherubim of solid gold were placed upon the mercy-seat which was upon the ark, thus described in Moses:

Thou shalt make cherubim, of solid gold thou shalt make them, from the two ends of the mercy-seat; out of the mercy-seat thou shalt make the cherubim. And the cherubim shall spread out their wings upwards, covering the mercy-seat with their wings; towards the mercy-seat shall be the faces of the cherubim. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark. And there I will meet with thee, and I will speak with thee between the two cherubim (Exodus 25:18-22; 37:7-9).

The "ark" and the "tent" represented the higher heavens; the "ark," in which was the testimony or law, represented the inmost or third heaven; the "tabernacle," which was without the veil, the middle or second heaven; the "mercy-seat" the hearing and reception of all things of worship which are from the good of love and charity; the "cherubim" guards; and the "gold," of which they were made the good of love. From this it is also clear that the "two cherubim" represented guards that the higher heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity. (That the "tabernacle" in general represented heaven where the Lord is, see Arcana Coelestia 9457, 9481, 10545; the "ark" the inmost or third heaven, n. 3478, 9485; the "testimony or law in the ark," the Lord in respect to the Word, n. 3382, 6752, 7463; the "habitation," that was without the veil, the middle or second heaven, n. 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9594, 9596, 9632; the "mercy-seat," the hearing and reception of all things of worship that are from the good of love and charity from the Lord, n. 9506; and "gold" the good of love, n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881)

[5] Because "cherubim" signified those guards:

There were cherubim also upon the curtains of the tabernacle and upon the veil (Exodus 26:1, 31).

And for the same reason Solomon made in the oracle of the temple cherubim of olive wood, and set them in the midst of the interior house, and overlaid them with gold, and also carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim, and also the doors (1 Kings 6:23-29, 32-35).

The "temple" also signified heaven and the church, and its "oracle" the inmost of heaven and the church. The "olive wood," of which the cherubim were made, signifies the good of love; likewise the "gold" with which they were overlaid. The "walls" on which the cherubim were engraved, signify the ultimates of heaven and of the church, and the "cherubim" thereon signify guards. The "doors," on which also there were cherubim, signify entrance into heaven and the church. From this it is clear that "cherubim" signified guards that heaven be not approached except through the good of love and charity. And as "cherubim" signified such guards they also signify the Lord's Divine Providence, for these guards are from the Lord, and are His Divine Providence. (That the "temple" and the "house of God" signify heaven and the church, see above, n. 220; the "oracle" therefore signifies the inmost of these. That "olive wood" signifies the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 886[1-2], 3728, 4582, 9780, 9954, 10261; likewise "gold," see above, n. 242. That "doors" signify approach and admission, see also above, n. 248)

[6] The new temple is likewise described as ornamented with cherubim, of which in Ezekiel:

There were made cherubim and palm-trees, so that a palm-tree was between a cherub and a cherub; thus it was made for all the house round about, from the ground unto above the door were cherubim and palm-trees made; and the wall of the temple (Ezekiel 41:18-20).

"Palm tree" signifies spiritual good which is the good of charity (See Arcana Coelestia 8369).

[7] Since Divine truth from Divine good is what protects, therefore the king of Tyre is called a "cherub;" for "king" signifies Divine truth, and "Tyre" knowledges; and therefore the "king of Tyre" signifies intelligence, of whom it is thus written in Ezekiel:

Thou, King of Tyre, hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering. Thou cherub, the spreading out of one that protects, I have set thee, on God's mountain of holiness wast thou; thou hast walked in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways in ¹ the day that thou wast created (Ezekiel 28:12-16).

(That "king" signifies Divine truth, see above, n. 31; and "Tyre" knowledges, Arcana Coelestia 1201. That "precious stones" signify the truths and goods of heaven and the church, see n. 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905, which are called "stones of fire" because "fire" signifies the good of love, see n. 934, 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832.) Because the "king of Tyre" signifies intelligence from Divine truth, and this guards or protects, therefore the king of Tyre is called "a cherub, the spreading out of one that protects."

[8] Since the higher heavens cannot be approached except through the good of love and charity, that is, cannot be approached through worship and through prayers, except such as proceed from that good, therefore the Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron when they entered the habitation between the two cherubim that were upon the ark (Exodus 25:22). This also is made evident in Moses:

When Moses went into the tent of meeting, he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the mercy-seat that was upon the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim (Numbers 7:89).

Because it is the Divine proceeding from the Lord that provides and guards, therefore it is said of the Lord that:

He sitteth upon the cherubim (Isaiah 37:16; Psalms 18:9-10; 80:1; 99:1; 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2).

[9] Since the arrangement of all things for judgment is treated of in this chapter, the cherubim also are here treated of, that is, the Lord's guard and providence that the higher heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity; for unless this had been done before the judgment, the veriest heavens, in which the true angels are, would have been endangered, because those heavens that were about to perish (See Revelation 21:1) were not in the good of love and charity, but only in some truths. For there were there from the Christian world those who were in the doctrine of faith alone, which some had confirmed by a number of passages from the Word, and thus obtained some conjunction with the ultimate heaven; but this conjunction was broken when the heaven called the former heaven (Revelation 21:1) was dissipated; and it was then ordered by the Lord that hereafter no one shall be conjoined with the heavens unless he be in the good of love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbor. This is what is specifically meant by the things that now follow in this chapter. Whoever, therefore, believes that the heavens can hereafter be approached through the worship and prayers of those who are in faith alone, and not at the same time in the good of charity, is much mistaken. The worship of such is no longer received, nor are their prayers heard, but attention is directed only to their life's love. Those, therefore, in whom the love of self and the world rules, no matter in what external worship they may have been, are conjoined to the hells, and are also taken there after death, and not previously to any heaven that is to perish, as was the case hitherto.

Mga talababa:

9780. 'And let them bring to you olive oil' means the good of charity and faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'olive oil' as the good of celestial love, dealt with in 886, but in the present verse the good of spiritual love, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour and the good of faith. The reason why the good of charity and faith is meant here by 'olive oil' is that it was for the light or lampstand, and 'the lampstand' means the spiritual heaven, 9548, the spiritual heaven on earth being the spiritual Church. 'Oil' and 'the olive tree' mean in the Word both celestial good and spiritual good, celestial good when the celestial kingdom or Church is the subject, and spiritual good when the spiritual kingdom or Church is the subject. What makes these kingdoms or Churches different from each other is the types of good. The celestial kingdom or Church's types of good are the good of love to the Lord and the good of mutual love, and the spiritual kingdom or Church's types of good are the good of charity towards the neighbour and the good of faith, 9741. These types of good and the types of truth that spring from them are the subject throughout the Word; for the Word consists wholly of teachings about good. It does so because it consists wholly of teachings about love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, Matthew 22:35-40, and all good is an attribute of love, including the good of faith since this comes into being from the good of love and does not exist without it.

[2] Since the Word consists of teachings about good, people need to know what good is if they are to have any understanding of the Word. But no one can know what good is unless he tries to lead a good life in accordance with the Word. For when someone tries to lead a good life in accordance with the Word the Lord instills good into that person's life. The person then comes to perceive that good and has a feeling for it, and as a result recognizes the essential nature of it. In no other circumstances does it appear, because it does not come to be perceived. All this makes clear what the condition is of those who merely know the things contained in the Word, convince themselves that they are true, yet fail to act on them. They are people with no real awareness of good, nor consequently of truth, for truth is known from good, and never exists without good except as some piece of lifeless knowledge which passes away in the next life.

[3] The fact that 'oil' and 'olive' mean good is clear from places in the Word where they are mentioned, as in Zechariah,

I saw a lampstand of gold, two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl and one to the left of it. These are the two sons of oil, standing beside the Lord of the whole earth. Zechariah 4:2-3, 14.

'Two olive trees' and 'the two sons of oil' are the good of love to the Lord, which is on His right, and the good of charity towards the neighbour, which is to His left. Something similar occurs in John,

The two witnesses prophesied one thousand two hundred and sixty days. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. Revelation 11:3-4.

'The two olive trees and the two lampstands' are the same two types of good, which, since they come from the Lord, are called 'the two witnesses'.

[4] In the same book,

I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, Do no harm to oil and wine. Revelation 6:6.

'Oil' stands for the good of love and charity, 'wine' for the good and truth of faith. In Isaiah,

I will plant ¹ in the wilderness the cedar of shittah, and the myrtle, and the oil tree. ² Isaiah 41:19.

In Jeremiah,

They will come and sing on the height of Zion, and converge towards the goodness of Jehovah, towards wheat, and towards new wine, and towards oil. Jeremiah 31:12.

In Joel,

The field has been devastated, the land has been mourning because the grain has been laid waste, the new wine has failed, the oil languishes. Joel 1:10.

In the same prophet,

The threshing-floors are full of clean grain, and the presses overflow with new wine and oil. Joel 2:24.

In Moses,

I will give the rain for your land in its season, that you may gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil. Deuteronomy 11:14.

[5] This verse speaks of grain, new wine, and oil, but it becomes clear to anyone who stops to consider the matter that it is not these actual products that are meant. For being Divine the Word is spiritual, not worldly, so that what it says does not have to do with grain, new wine, or oil of the land, inasmuch as they serve the body as forms of food, only inasmuch as they serve the soul. For all forms of food in the world mean, when mentioned in the Word, heavenly kinds of food, as also the bread and wine in the Holy Supper do. What it is that 'grain' and 'new wine' mean in the places quoted above, see 3580, 5295, 5410, 5959, from which it is evident what 'oil' means.

[6] The same applies to all those things spoken by the Lord when He was in the world, such as those regarding the Samaritan - that he went near the one wounded by the robbers, bound his wounds, and poured in oil and wine, Luke 10:33-34. In this instance oil and wine are not what is meant but the good of love and charity, the good of love by 'oil' and the good of charity and faith by 'wine'. For the subject is the neighbour, thus charity towards him. As regards this meaning of 'wine', see 6377.

[7] The same applies to the things spoken by the Lord regarding the ten virgins, five of whom took their lamps without at the same time any oil, and five who took theirs with oil as well - that the latter five were admitted into heaven, whereas the former five were turned away, Matthew 25:3-4ff. 'Oil in the lamps' is the good of love and charity within the truths of faith; 'the virgins who took lamps but no oil' are those who hear the Word, read it, and say that they are believers, yet do not on that account perform any good deed at all, or who if they do, are not moved by a love of good or of truth but by selfish and worldly love.

[8] Since oil was a sign of the good of charity the sick were also anointed with oil and healed, as it says about the Lord's disciples, that when they went out they cast out demons, and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them, Mark 6:13. In David,

You will make my head fat with oil, my cup will overflow. Psalms 23:5.

'Making the head fat with oil' stands for endowing with heavenly good. In Moses,

Jehovah fed [the people] with the produce of the fields; He caused them to suck honey out of the crag and oil out of the stony rock. Deuteronomy 32:13.

This refers to the Ancient Church. 'Sucking oil out of the stony rock' stands for being imbued with good through the truths of faith.

[9] In Habakkuk,

The fig tree will not blossom, neither will there be any produce on the vines; the olive crop will fail, ³ and the fields will not yield food. Habakkuk 3:17.

Neither the fig tree, vines, olives, nor fields should be understood here but the heavenly sources of food to which they correspond. This is also something which all who acknowledge that the Word has to do with such things as belong to heaven and the Church, and so to the soul, can recognize for themselves. But people who have no thought of anything other than worldly, earthly, and bodily things do not see it, indeed have no wish to see it. They say to themselves, What are spiritual things? What are heavenly realities? and so say, What are heavenly sources of food? They indeed know, when they are told, that these are the kinds of things which contribute to intelligence and wisdom, but they have no wish to know that they are what contribute to faith and love. They have no wish to know because they do not let such things enter into their life and as a result do not go far enough to attain intelligence and wisdom in heavenly truths and forms of goodness.

[10] In Ezekiel,

I washed you with water, and washed away the blood ⁴ from upon you, and anointed you with oil. I clothed you with embroidered cloth. Your garments were fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, and honey, and oil. But you took your embroidered garments and covered the images, and you set My oil and My incense before them. Ezekiel 16:9-10, 13, 18.

Is there anyone who cannot see that garments made of embroidered cloth, fine linen, or silk are not meant here, nor oil, honey, or fine flour, but Divine things belonging to heaven and the Church? For these words refer to Jerusalem, by which the Church is meant, and therefore the matters that are mentioned mean such things as have to do with the Church. Each detail clearly means something specific about the Church, for in the Word, which is Divine, not a single word is devoid of meaning. For the meaning of Jerusalem as the Church, see 3654; and as regards what anything further means, for 'embroidered cloth', 9688; 'fine linen', 5319, 9469; 'fine flour', 2177; 'honey', 5620, 6857; 'washing with water', 3147, 5954 (end), 9088; and 'washing away the blood', 4735, 9127.

[11] In Hosea,

Ephraim feeds the wind; they make a covenant with the Assyrian, and oil is carried down into Egypt. Hosea 12:1.

These words are altogether unintelligible unless one knows what is meant by 'Ephraim', 'the Assyrian', and 'Egypt'. They describe the understanding part in the mind of a member of the Church when that part is perverted by means of mere reasonings based on factual knowledge. For 'Ephraim' is that understanding part, 3969, 5354, 6222, 6238, 6267; 'the Assyrian' reasoning, 1186; and 'Egypt' factual knowledge, 9391. Consequently 'carrying oil down into Egypt' means defiling the Church's good in that manner.

[12] The reason why the Lord went so often up to the Mount of Olives, Luke 21:37; 22:39, was that 'oil' and 'olive' were signs of the good of love, as also was 'a mountain', 6435, 8758. This was so because while the Lord was in the world all things in Him were representative of heaven; through them the whole of heaven was linked to Him. Therefore whatever He did and whatever He spoke was Divine and heavenly, and the last and lowest things were representative. The Mount of Olives represented heaven in respect of the good of love and charity, as also becomes clear in Zechariah,

Jehovah will go out and fight against the nations; His feet will stand on that day upon the Mount of Olives, which faces ⁵ Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will be split, that part of it [may lean] towards the east and towards the sea, ⁶ with a large valley; and part of the mountain will move away towards the north, and part of it towards the south. Zechariah 14:3-4.

[13] This refers to the Lord and His Coming. 'The Mount of Olives' means the good of love and charity, and so means the Church, for those forms of good make the Church. The fact that the Church would depart from the Jewish nation and be established among gentile nations is meant by the description that this mountain would be split towards the east, towards the sea, and towards the north and south. Something similar is meant by the Lord's words in Luke,

You yourselves will be thrown out of doors. On the other hand people will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. Luke 13:28-29.

The overall meaning of the statement that Jehovah will go out and fight against the nations, and His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem, is that the Lord would fight from Divine Love against the hells; for evils springing from the hells are meant by 'the nations', 1868, 6306, and Divine Love by 'the Mount of Olives' on which His feet will stand.

Mga talababa: