Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 4:6
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AR 238. Verse 6.And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal, signifies the New Heaven from Christians who are in general truths from the literal sense of the Word. In the spiritual world there appear atmospheres, and also waters, like as in our world; the atmospheres, in which the angels of the highest heaven dwell, are as it were ethereal; the atmospheres, in which the angels of the middle heaven dwell, are as it were aerial; and the atmospheres, in which the angels of the lowest heaven dwell, are as it were aqueous; and these last appear as seas at the boundaries of heaven, where they dwell who are in general truths from the literal sense of the Word. That "waters" signify truths, may be seen in (n. 50); hence "the sea," in which waters terminate and are collected, signifies the Divine truth in its boundaries. Since, therefore, by "One sitting on the throne" is meant the Lord (n. 230), and by "the seven lamps," which are "the seven spirits of God before the throne," is meant the New Church, which will be in Divine truth from the Lord (n. 237), it is evident that, by "the sea of glass which was before the throne, is meant the church among those who are at the boundaries. It has also been granted me to see the seas which are at the boundaries of the heavens, and to converse with those who were therein, and thus to know the truth of this matter from experience. They seemed to me to be in the sea, but they said that they are not in the sea, but in an atmosphere; from which it was manifest to me, that the sea is an appearance of the Divine proceeding from the Lord in its boundaries. That there are seas in the spiritual world, is fully evident from their having been seen by John frequently (Apoc. 5:13; 7:1-3; 8:8, 9; 10:2, 8; 12:12; 13:1; 14:7; 15:2; 16:3; 18:17, 19, 21; 20:13). It is called "a sea of glass like unto crystal," from the pellucidity of the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. Because Divine truth at its boundaries causes the appearance of a sea in the spiritual world, therefore "sea," in other parts of the Word, has a similar signification, as in these passages:--

"Living waters from Jerusalem," are the Divine truths of the church from the Lord, therefore "the sea" is where they terminate:--

"The earth is founded upon the sea," is the church, which is meant by "the earth," is founded upon general truths; for these are its bases and foundations.

"Drying up the sea of Babylon and making her springs dry," signifies to extinguish every truth of its church from first to lasts.

"Sons from the sea" are they who are in general or ultimate truths.

As by "sea" is signified the Divine truth with those who are in the borders of heaven, therefore by "Tyre and Zidon," from their being near the sea, is signified the church as to the knowledges of good and truth; and also by the "islands of the sea" are signified those who are in more remote Divine worship (n. 34): and therefore "the sea," in the Hebrew language, is called "the west," that is, where the light of the sun declines towards its evening, or truth into obscurity. That "sea" also signifies the natural of man separated from the spiritual, thus also hell, will be seen in what follows.

AR 239. And in the midst of the throne and round about the throne, there were four animals, signifies the Word of the Lord from first to ultimates, and its guards. I know they will wonder that it should be said, "the four animals" signify the Word; that this is their signification, will however be seen in what follows. These "animals" are the same as "the cherubim" in Ezekiel, where they are also called "animals" in chapter 1, but "cherubim" in chapter 10, and were, in like manner as here, a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. In the Hebrew language they are there called "chajoth," a word which indeed signifies animals, but is derived from "chaja," which is life, whence also the wife of Adam was called "Chaja" (Genesis 3:20). "Animal" in the singular number is also called "chaja" in Ezekiel, therefore those animals may also be called living things. Neither is it anything extraordinary that the Word is described by animals, since the Lord Himself in many parts of the Word is called "a lion," and often "Lamb," and they who are in charity from the Lord are called "sheep"; and the understanding also of the Word, in what follows, is called "a horse." That the Word is signified by these "animals" or "cherubim," is evident from this, that they were seen "in the midst of the throne and round about the throne," and in the midst of the throne was the Lord, and, as the Lord is the Word, they could not be seen anywhere else. That they were round about the throne also, was, because they were in the angelic heaven, where also the Word is. That by "cherubim" is signified the Word, and its guards, is shown in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture (Sacred n. 97), where are the following words:--The sense of the letter of the Word serves as a guard for the genuine truths which lie within; and the guard consists in this, that the literal sense can be turned hither and thither, that is, can be explained according to everyone‘s apprehension, without its internal being hurt or violated; for no harm ensues from the literal sense being understood differently by different people; but it does harm when the Divine truths which are within are perverted, for it is by this that the Word suffers violence. To prevent this, the literal sense guards, and it guards with those who are in falsities from religion, but yet do not confirm them, for from these the Word suffers no violence. This guard is signified by "cherubim," and is also described by them in the Word. This guard is signified by "the cherubim," which after the expulsion of Adam and his wife from the garden of Eden, were placed at its entrance; concerning which we read:--

By "Tyre" is signified the church as to the knowledges of truth and good, and thence, by its "king," the Word where and whence those knowledges are. That the Word in its ultimate, which is the sense of the letter, is here signified by him, and a guard, by "the cherub," is evident, for it is said, "Thou sealest up the measure, every precious stone was thy covering," and, "thou O spreading cherub that covereth;" by "the precious stones" which are also mentioned there, are signified the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word (n. 231). Because by "cherubim" is signified the Divine truth in ultimates as a guard, therefore it is said in David:--

"To ride upon cherubim," "to sit" and" to be seated upon them," means upon the ultimate sense of the Word. The Divine truth in the Word, and its quality, is described by the cherubim in Ezekiel, in chapters 1, 9, 10, but because no one can know what the particulars by which they are described signify, unless the spiritual sense has been opened to him, therefore, as it has been disclosed to me, I will explain, in a summary way, the signification of those things which are related concerning the four animals or cherubim in the first chapter of Ezekiel, which is as follows:--The Divine external sphere of the Word is described (Ezekiel 1:4). It is represented as a man (Ezekiel 1:5). Its conjunction with things spiritual and celestial (Ezekiel 1:6). The natural of the Word, its quality (Ezekiel 1:7). The conjunction of the spiritual and celestial senses of the Word with the natural, its quality (Ezekiel 1:8, 9). The Divine love of celestial, spiritual, and natural good and truth therein, jointly and severally (Ezekiel 1:10, 11). That they regard one end (Ezekiel 1:12). The sphere of the Word from the Lord’s Divine good and Divine truth, from which the Word lives (Ezekiel 1:13, 14). The doctrine of good and truth in the Word and from the Word (Ezekiel 1:15-21). The Divine of the Lord above it and in it (Ezekiel 1:22, 23). And out of it (Ezekiel 1:24, 25). That the Lord is above the heavens (Ezekiel 1:26). That the Divine love and the Divine wisdom are His (Ezekiel 1:27, 28). These are summaries.

AR 240. Full of eyes before and behind, signifies the Divine wisdom, therein. By "eyes," when spoken of man, is signified the understanding, and when of the Lord, the Divine wisdom (n. 48, 125); the same when said of the Word, as here, because the Word is from the Lord, and concerning the Lord, and thus is the Lord. The like is said of the cherubim in Ezekiel, that "they were full of eyes" (Ezekiel 10:12). "Before and behind," when it relates to the Word from the Lord, signifies the Divine wisdom and Divine love therein.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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