269. And a rainbow was round about the throne in aspect like an emerald, signifies the appearance of Divine truth in the heavens about the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "a rainbow in aspect like an emerald," as denoting the appearance of Divine truth in its circumference; for "a rainbow round about the throne" signifies Divine truth round about; "in aspect like" signifies appearance. The appearance was like an emerald, because it had reference to the Last Judgment; for the color of this stone is green, and "green" signifies truth obscured. Divine truth in its brightness appears either of the color of heaven, or in various colors in beautiful order like a rainbow; but when obscured it appears of the color of an emerald. The heaven that was obscured was the heaven called "the former heaven," on which judgment was to be executed, and which was about to perish (See Revelation 21:1). On this account "a rainbow round about like an emerald" is mentioned. "Rainbow" signifies Divine truth in the heavens in its order and consequently in its beauty, because there are infinite varieties of truth from good in the heavens, and when these are represented by colors, they present the aspect of a most beautiful rainbow. For this reason "a rainbow" was made the sign of the covenant after the flood (Genesis 9:12-17). (That there are infinite varieties in the heavens see in the work on Heaven and Hell 56, 405, 418, 486; and in the small work onThe Last Judgment 13; and in Arcana Coelestia 684, 690, 3744, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836, 9002; that colors in heaven appear from the light there, and that they are modifications and variegations of the light, n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4742, 4922; and that the colors appear various according to the varieties of the states of truth from good, and thence of intelligence and wisdom, n. 4530, 4677, 4922, 9466; that rainbows are seen in heaven, and whence and what they are, n. 1042, 1043, 1623-1625)

684. THE COMMUNITIES THAT CONSTITUTE HEAVEN

There are three heavens, the first where good spirits are, the second where angelic spirits are, and the third where angels are. One heaven is interior to and purer than the next, which means that they are entirely distinct and separate from one another. The first heaven divides into countless communities, as do the second and the third, and each community consists of many individuals who, because of the harmony and unanimity that exist among them, in effect constitute one person. At the same time, all the communities in effect constitute one human being. Communities differ in nature from one another according to the way their mutual love and faith in the Lord varies. These differences are so countless that it is not possible to count up even the most general kinds of them. Even the smallest of differences fits into the perfectly ordered arrangement of the whole, and so contributes in perfect unanimity to a general unity, as does the general unity to the unanimity among individuals. Each individual therefore contributes to the happiness of all, and all to that of each individual. Consequently every angel and every community is an image of the whole of heaven and is so to speak heaven in miniature.