Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 4:8
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AR 245. Verse 8. And the four animals each by himself had six wings about him, signifies the Word as to its powers and as to its guards. That by "the four animals" the Word is signified, was shown above; that by wings are signified powers, and also guards, will be seen below. By "six" is signified all as to truth and good, for six is composed of " three" and "two" multiplied together, and by "three" is signified all as to truth (n. 505), and by "two" all as to good (n. 762). By "wings" are signified powers, because by them birds lift themselves up, and wings with birds are in the place of arms with men, and by "arms" are signified powers. Since by "wings" are signified powers, and each animal had six wings, it is evident, from what has been said above, what kind of power is signified by the wings of each, namely, that by "the wings of the lion" is signified the power of fighting against evils and falsities from hell; which power is of the Divine truth of the Word from the Lord. That by "the wings of the calf" is signified the power of affecting minds, for the Divine truth of the Word affects those who read it as holy. That by "the six wings of the man" is signified the power of being wise as to what God is, and what is of God, for this is properly man‘s in reading the Word: and that by "the wings of the eagle" is signified the power of knowing truth and good, and thereby acquiring intelligence for oneself. Concerning the wings of the cherubim we read in Ezekiel that:--

By "kissing each other," is signified to act in conjunction and unanimously; by "covering their bodies," is signified to guard lest the interior truths which belong to the spiritual sense of the Word be violated; and by "the hands under the wings" are signified powers. Concerning "the seraphim," it is also said, that:--

By "seraphim" in like manner is signified the Word, properly doctrine from the Word, and by "the wings with which they covered the faces and feet," in like manner are signified guards, and by "the wings with which they flew," powers, as above. That by "flying" is signified to perceive and instruct, and in the highest sense to look out for and provide, is also evident from these passages:--

That by wings are signified guards, is plain from the following passages:--

AR 246. And they were full of eyes within, signifies the Divine wisdom in the Word, in its natural sense from its spiritual and celestial senses. That by "the animals were full of eyes before and behind" is signified the Divine wisdom in the Word, may be seen in (n. 240); in like manner here, by "their wings were full of eyes." And because the Divine wisdom of the Word in its natural sense is from its spiritual and celestial senses, which are concealed within, it is therefore said, that "within they were full of eyes." Concerning the spiritual and celestial senses, which are contained in every particular of the Word, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture (Sacred n. 5-26).

AR 247. And they had no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, signifies that the Word continually teaches of the Lord, and that He alone is God, and thence that He alone is to be worshiped. "The animals had no rest day and night," signifies that the Word continually, and without intermission, teaches; and that it teaches what the animals say, namely, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty," that is, that the Lord alone is God, and thence that He alone is to be worshiped. This is what is signified by holy three times repeated, for the triplication involves all holiness in Him alone. That the Divine Trinity is in the Lord, is fully shown in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord; as also that the Word treats of the Lord alone, and that thence is its sanctity. That the Lord alone is holy, may be seen in (n. 173).

AR 248. Who was, and who is, and who is to come, signifies the Lord. That it is the Lord is plain from (Apoc. 1:4, 8, 11, 17), where it treats of the Son of man who is the Lord as to the Word, and there it is expressly said, that:--He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. But what is signified by these words, is explained (n. 13, 29, 30, 31, 38, 57); here that the Lord is meant by "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come."

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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