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462.And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the elders and the four animals.- That this signifies the conjunction of the Lord with the whole heaven, is plain from the signification of standing round about the throne, as denoting conjunction with the Lord, for by Him Who sitteth on the throne and the Lamb, is meant the Lord alone, as stated just above (n. 460:1). And by standing round about is signified conjunction; for in the spiritual world those with whom there is conjunction appear as present, and with whom there is not conjunction as absent: and from the signification of the angels, the elders, and the four animals, as denoting those who are in the three heavens, thus those who are in the whole heaven. By the angels are meant those who are in the first or ultimate heaven; by the elders, those who are in the second or middle heaven; and by the four animals, those who are in the third or inmost heaven. That the four-and-twenty elders, and the four animals, mean in a general sense the higher heavens, and that in a specific sense the elders mean those who are in the second or middle heaven, and the four animals those who are in the third or inmost heaven, may be seen above (n. 313, 322, 362). It therefore follows, that the angels here mean the lower heavens. Indeed all who are in the heavens are called angels, but because those who are in the higher heavens, possess intelligence and wisdom above the rest, they are here called elders, and are meant by the four animals, wherefore also they stood immediately round the throne, as seen by John. It is to be observed, that John saw a multitude of angels, and, at the same time, four-and-twenty elders, and the cherubim or four animals, and that he did not see all who are in the heavens, that is, the whole heaven. For it was a prophetic vision, which is of such a kind, that the things seen are significative. Thus the few here seen, signified the whole heaven, just as the four-and-twenty elders signified the second or middle heaven, and the four animals, the third or inmost heaven.
462. Verse 11. And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four animals, signifies the conjunction of the Lord with the universal heaven. This is evident from the signification of "standing around the throne," as being conjunction with the Lord; for "who sitteth upon the throne, and the Lamb," means the Lord alone (as was said just above, n. 460, and "to stand around" signifies conjunction; for in the spiritual world those with whom there is conjunction appear to be present, and those with whom there is no conjunction appear to be absent; also from the signification of "the angels, the elders, and the four animals," as being those who are in the three heavens, thus who are in the universal heaven, "the angels" meaning those who are in the first or lowest heaven, "the elders" those who are in the second or middle heaven, and "the four animals" those who are in the third or inmost heaven. That "the four and twenty elders" and "the four animals" mean in general the higher heavens, and in particular "the elders" mean those who are in the second or middle heaven, and "the four animals" those who are in the third or inmost heaven, may be seen above (n. 313, 322, 362); from which it follows, that "the angels" here mean the lower heavens. All indeed who are in the heavens are called angels, but those who are in the higher heavens, since they are in greater intelligence and wisdom than the rest, are here called "elders," and are meant by "the four animals," so also they stood nearest around the throne, as was seen by John above. It is to be known that John saw a large number of angels, together with "four and twenty elders" and "the cherubim (or four animals)," and not all that are in the heavens, that is, the universal heaven; for this was a prophetic vision, which is such that the things seen are significative; here the few that were seen signified the entire or universal heaven, as "the four and twenty elders" signified the second or middle heaven, and the "four animals," the third or inmost heaven.
462. [Vers. 11.] "Et omnes angeli stabant circum thronum, et seniores et quatuor animalia." - Quod significet conjunctionem Domini cum universo caelo, constat ex significatione "stare circum thronum", quod sit conjunctio cum Domino; nam per "Sedentem super throno et Agnum" intelligitur solus Dominus (ut mox supra, n. 460, dictum est), et per "Stare circum" significatur conjunctio; in mundo enim spirituali apparent illi praesentes cum quibus conjunctio est, et absentes cum quibus non conjunctio: et ex significatione "angelorum", "seniorum" et "quatuor animalium", quod sint qui in tribus caelis, ita qui in universo caelo; per "angelos" intelliguntur illi qui in primo seu ultimo caelo sunt, per "seniores" qui in secundo seu medio caelo, et per "quatuor animalia" qui in tertio seu intimo caelo; quod per "viginti et quatuor seniores" et per "quatuor animalia" intelligantur in genere caeli superiores, et in specie per" seniores "illi qui in caelo secundo seu medio sunt, et per "quatuor animalia" qui in caelo tertio seu intimo, videatur supra (n. 313 [a] , 322, 362); inde sequitur quod per "angelos" hic intelligantur caeli inferiores. Omnes quidem qui in caelis sunt, vocantur angeli; sed qui in superioribus caelis sunt, quia in intelligentia et sapientia sunt prae reliquis, hic vocantur "seniores", et intelliguntur per "quatuor animalia"; quare etiam proxime circum thronum steterunt, ut supra a Johanne visum est. Sciendum est quod Johanni visi sint angeli in copia, et simul viginti et quatuor seniores, ac cherubi seu quatuor animalia, et quod non omnes qui in caelis sunt, visi sint, hoc est, universum caelum; erat enim visio prophetica, quae talis est, ut illa quae videntur significent; hic pauci illi totum seu universum caelum, prout quod "viginti et quatuor seniores" caelum secundum seu medium, et "quatuor animalia" caelum tertium seu intimum.