363.启7:9.“这些事以后，我观看，见有一大群人，没有人能数过来”表其余所有不属那些没有列举出来，却仍在主的新天堂和新教会中的人，他们组成最底层的天堂和外在教会，其品质除了唯独主以外，没有人能知道。“一大群人”表示上面没有列举出来，但仍在主的天堂和教会中的其余者。这一点从接下来的经文（9，10，13-17节）明显看出来，在那里，经上说“他们披着白袍，手拿棕树枝，站在宝座和羔羊面前”，“他们在祂殿中事奉祂；坐宝座的要住在他们中间”等等。“数”在属灵意义上表示知道他们的品质或性质；这就是数的含义，这一点可见于下一节。至于他们具体是谁，那些被称为“一大群人”的人是指谁，这一点若先揭开一个奥秘，就无从得知。
这奥秘是：整个天堂，连同地上的教会，在主面前如同一个人；由于如同一个人，故那里就有人构成头，因而构成脸及其感官；有人构成躯体及其四肢。上面列举的那些人就构成脸及其感官；但现在所提及的人则构成躯体及其四肢。这是事实，这一点已向我揭示了；还有，构成各支派第一组的（5节），是那些对应于前额直到眼睛部位的人；构成第二组（6节）的，是那些对应于眼睛和鼻子的人；构成第三组（7节）的，是那些对应于耳朵和脸颊的人；构成第四组（8节）的，是那些对应于口和舌的人。
主的教会也有内在和外在；“以色列十二支派”所指的那些人构成主的内在教会，而现在所提到的这些人则构成外在教会，并与上面所列举的那些人合而为一，如同低级事物与高级事物，因而如同头和身子那样合而为一；因此，以色列的十二支派表示高层天堂，以及内在教会，而这些人则表示低层天堂和外在教会。这些人在其它地方也被称为“一大群人”（参看803，811节）。
363. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number. (7:9) This symbolizes all other people who are not among those enumerated and yet are in the New Heaven and the Lord's New Church, who form the lowest heaven and the external church, and whose character is known to the Lord alone.
That a great multitude symbolizes all other people who are not among those enumerated, and yet are in heaven and in the Lord's church, is apparent from verses 9, 10, 13-17, where we are told that they stood "before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands," and that they "serve Him... in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them," and so on.
To number in the spiritual sense means, symbolically, to discern the character of something or someone. That numbering has this symbolic meaning will be seen in the next number.
Who specifically these people are, however - those meant by the ones called a great multitude - cannot be known without an Arcanum that must first be disclosed.
[2] The arcanum is this: Heaven in its entirety, together with the church on earth, is in the Lord's sight as though a single person. And because it is as though a single person, there are people there who constitute the head and thus the face with all of its sensory organs, and there are people there who constitute the body with all of its members. The people enumerated before this are ones who constitute the face with all of its sensory organs. The people referred to now, however, are ones who constitute the body with all of its members. That this is the case has been revealed to me, and so, too, the fact that the people who make up the first group of tribes (verse 5) are ones who correspond to the forehead down to the eyes; that those who make up the second group (verse 6) are ones who correspond to the eyes, together with the nose; that those who make up the third group (verse 7) are ones who correspond to the ears and cheeks; and that those who make up the fourth group (verse 8) are ones who correspond to the mouth and tongue.
[3] The Lord's church, furthermore, is internal and external. The people meant by the twelve tribes of Israel are ones who make up the Lord's internal church, whereas the people referred to now are ones who make up His external church, and who cohere as one with those enumerated before, as lower things do with higher ones, thus as the body with the head. The twelve tribes of Israel therefore symbolize the higher heavens and also the internal church, while the latter symbolize the lower heavens and the external church. That these people are called a great multitude elsewhere, too, may be seen in nos. 803ff. below, and in no. 811.
363. [verse 9] 'After these things I saw, and behold a great crowd, which no one could number' signifies all the rest who are not of those enumerated and yet are in the New Heaven and the Lord's New Church, and who make the ultimate heaven and the external Church, of whose quality no one but the Only Lord has knowledge. That by the 'great crowd' are signified the rest who are not of those enumerated and yet are in heaven and the Lord's Church is plain from verses 9-10, 13-17, where it is said that they stood 'before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands' and that they 'are serving Him in His temple, and the One sitting upon the throne shall remain over them,' besides more. By 'to number' in the spiritual sense is signified to have a knowledge of what quality or qualities they are. That this is signified by 'to number' will be seen in the following paragraph. But who precisely they are who are understood by those who are called 'a great crowd' cannot be known without an arcanum first being uncovered.
[2] The arcanum is this: The entire heaven together with the Church on earth is as one Man before the Lord; and because it is as one Man, there are those there who constitute the head and thus the face with all its organs of the senses, and there are those there who constitute the body with all its members. So far, those have been enumerated who constitute the face with all its organs of the senses, but those who are now mentioned are they who constitute the body with all its members. That this is the case has been revealed to me, as also that those who make the first division of the tribes (verse 5) are they who correspond to the forehead as far as the eyes; that those who make the second division (verse 6) are they who correspond to the eyes together with the nostrils; the third division (verse 7) are they who correspond to the ears and cheeks; and the fourth (verse 8) are they who correspond to the mouth and tongue.
[3] The Lord's Church is both internal and external. Those who are understood by 'the twelve tribes of Israel' are they who make the Lord's internal Church; whereas those who are now mentioned are they who make the external Church, but cohering as one with those enumerated above, just as lower things with higher, thus as the body with the head. The 'twelve tribes of Israel' therefore signify the higher heavens and also the internal Church, but these signify the lower heavens and the external Church. That these are also termed 'a great crowd' elsewhere may be seen below (803 seq., and 811).
363. Verse 9. After this I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, signifies all the rest who are not of those enumerated, and yet are in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church, being those who make the ultimate heaven and the external church, whose quality no one knows but the Lord alone. That by "a great multitude" are signified the rest who are not enumerated above, and yet are in the Lord's Heaven and Church, is plain from verses 9-10, 13-17, where it is said, that "they stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands;" and that "they serve Him in His temple; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them;" besides many other things. By "numbering," in the spiritual sense, is signified to know what or of what quality they are; that such is the signification of numbering, will be seen in the next paragraph. But who they are in particular, who are meant by those who are called "a great multitude," cannot be known without first revealing an arcanum. The arcanum is this:
[2] The whole heaven, together with the church on the earth, before the Lord, is as one Man; and because it is as one Man, there are those there who make the head, and thus the face with all its organs of the senses; and there are those who make the body with all its members. Those who are enumerated above make the face with all its organs of the senses; but these now mentioned, are those who make the body with all its members. That this is the case has been revealed to me; as also, that they who make the first class of the tribes (verse 5), are those who correspond to the forehead down to the eyes; that they who are of the second class (verse 6) (Revelation 7:6) are those who correspond to the eyes, together with the nose; the third class (verse 7), those who correspond to the ears and cheeks; and the fourth class (verse 8), those who correspond to the mouth and tongue.
[3] The Lord's church is also internal and external; those who are meant by "the twelve tribes of Israel" are those who make the Lord's internal church, but they who are now mentioned are those who make the external church, and cohere as one with those enumerated above, as lower things with higher, thus as the body does with the head; therefore the twelve tribes of Israel signify the higher heavens and also the internal church, but these signify the lower heavens and the external church. That elsewhere these are also called "a great multitude," see below, (803, etc. , and 811).
363. (Vers. 9.) "Post haec vidi, et ecce Turba multa, quam numerare nemo poterat," significat omnes reliquos qui non ex recensitis sunt, et tamen in Novo Caelo et in Nova Ecclesia Domini, et sunt qui Caelum ultimum et Ecclesiam externam faciunt, quorum quale nemo cognoscit qua in Solus Dominus. - Quod per "Turbam multam" significentur reliqui qui non ex recensitis, et tamen in Caelo et in Ecclesia Domini, patet a vers. 9, 10, 13-17, ubi dicitur quod "steterint coram Throno, et coram Agno, induti stolis albis, et palmae in manibus illorum;" et quod "servient Ipsi in Templo Ipsius, et Sedens super Throno habitabit super illis," praeter plura. Per "numerare" in Sensu spirituali significatur cognoscere quale seu quales sunt; quod hoc per "numerare" significetur, in sequente paragrapho videbitur. Sed quinam in specie sunt, qui per hos qui vocantur "Turba multa," intelliguntur, non potest sciri absque Arcano, quod prius detegendum est.
Arcanum est hoc: Universum Caelum una cum Ecclesia in terris coram Domino est sicut Homo unus; et quia est sicut Homo unus, sunt ibi qui constituunt Caput, ac ita faciem cum omnibus organis sensuum ejus, et sunt ibi qui constituunt Corpus cum omnibus membris ejus: hactenus recensiti sunt qui constituunt Faciem cum omnibus organis sensuum ejus; hi autem qui nunc memorantur, sunt qui constituunt Corpus cum omnibus membris ejus; quod ita sit, mihi revelatum est; tum etiam, quod qui primam classem Tribuum faciunt (vers. 5), sint qui correspondent Fronti usque ad Oculos; quod qui secundam classem (vers. 6), sint qui correspondent Oculis una cum Naribus; qui tertiam (vers. 7), sint qui correspondent Auribus et Genis; et qui quartam (vers. 8), sint qui correspondent Ori et Linguae. Est quoque Ecclesia Domini interna et externa; illi qui per "duodecim Tribus Israelis" intellecti sunt, sunt qui Ecclesiam internam Domini faciunt; illi autem qui nunc memorantur, sunt qui Ecclesiam externam, ac cohaerent sicut unum cum supra recensitis, quemadmodum inferiora cum superioribus, ita sicut Corpus cum Capite; quare duodecim Tribus Israelis significant Caelos superiores et quoque Ecclesiam internam, hi autem Caelos inferiores et Ecclesiam externam; quod hi etiam alibi dicantur "Turba multa," videatur infra (803, 811).