661.“都站在玻璃海上，拿着神的竖琴”表边界的基督天堂，和那里的人当中的仁之信。由于“玻璃海”表示那些虽有某种宗教信仰和敬拜，却没有生活良善之人的聚集（659节），故所看到那些“站在玻璃海上”的人就表示边界的基督天堂，由那些拥有宗教信仰和敬拜，也拥有生活的良善之人构成，因为他们已“胜了兽、兽像”。前一章论述了高层基督天堂；与“羔羊站在锡安山”上的“十四万四千人”就表示那些构成高层天堂的人（612-625节）。“竖琴”表示出于属灵真理而对主的称谢（276，616节）。
属灵真理属于源自仁的信。他们被看到拿着竖琴，接下来又提及被听到唱歌，这是一种源于仁之信的称谢的代表。在灵界，天使的思维情感，和由此而来的谈话声在下面听来各种各样，要么如同水声，要么如同雷声，如前所述（启14:2），要么如同号声，如前所述（启4:1），要么如此处一样，如同竖琴声，也如前所述（启5:8；14:2）；然而，它们并非发出声音的众水，也不是打雷的雷声，也不是号筒和所弹的竖琴，事实上也不是歌；而是众天使照其情感和由此而来的思维的谈话声和称谢声以这种方式被听到，其爱与智慧的性质由此被觉察到。听到这类声音是出于情感与声音，并思维与言语的对应关系。
661. Standing beside the sea of glass, having harps of God. This symbolizes the Christian heaven at the boundaries [of the spiritual world], and the faith accompanying charity in the people there.
Since the sea of glass symbolizes a gathering of people who have religion and worship indeed, but lack any goodness of life (no. 659), therefore those whom John saw standing beside that sea symbolize the Christian heaven at its boundaries, consisting of people who have religion and worship and possess goodness of life, because they had the victory over the beast and over its image.
A higher Christian heaven was the subject of the preceding chapter. Those of whom that heaven was formed are meant by the one hundred and forty-four thousand whom John saw standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, as explained in nos. 612-625. Their harps symbolize a confession of the Lord in consequence of spiritual truths (nos. 276, 616). Spiritual truths are those of a faith springing from charity.
[2] John's seeing the people with harps and hearing them sing a song, as we are told next, was a representational depiction of a confession stemming from a faith accompanying charity. The affections in the thoughts of angels in heaven and the consequent intonations in their speech are heard in various ways in the spiritual world below, either as the sound of water, or as the sound of thunder, as in chapter 14:2 above. Or it may be heard as the sound of trumpets, as in chapter 4:1 above. Or, as in the present case, as the sound of harps, as also in chapter 5:8; 14:2. But still, it is not the sound of water, nor the rumbling of thunder, nor the sounding of a trumpet or harp; indeed, it is not the sound of singing. Rather it is the speech of angels and their confessions in accordance with their affections and consequent thoughts that are thus heard below, from which one may perceive the character of their love and wisdom.
The ways angels' speech is heard is due to the correspondence of affection with sound and of thought with speech.
661. 'Standing beside the sea of glass having harps of God' signifies the Christian heaven at its boundaries, and the faith of charity with those who are there. Since by 'the sea of glass' is signified a gathering of those who indeed have religion and worship, but no good of life (659), therefore by those who were seen to stand beside that sea is signified the Christian heaven at its boundaries, [consisting of] those who had religion, worship, and good of life, because they had victory over the beast and over his image. The higher Christian heaven was treated of in the preceding chapter. Those out of whom that heaven [is formed] are understood by 'the hundred and forty-four thousand' who were seen to stand with the Lamb upon Mount Zion, of whom 612-625 treat. By 'harps' is signified a confession of the Lord out of spiritual truths (276, 616).
[2] Spiritual truths are of faith derived from charity. Their being seen to have harps and heard to sing the song, as it follows on, was a representative of a confession out of the faith of charity. The affections of the thoughts and the resulting sounds of the words of the angels of heaven are heard variously below in the spiritual world, either like the sound of waters or the sound of thunderings, as above (chapter 14:2); or like the sound of trumpets, as above (chapter 4:1); or as here, like the sound of harps, as also above (chapter 5:8; 14:2). But yet there are not waters that sound, nor thunders that thunder, nor trumpets and harps that sound, nor indeed are there songs; but the conversations of the angels and their confessions in accordance with their affections and consequent thoughts are so heard below, and out of them it is perceived what their love and wisdom are like. That such things are heard, results from the correspondence of affection with sound, and of thought in speech.
661. Standing by the sea of glass, having the harps of God, signifies the Christian heaven in its boundaries, and the faith of charity with those who are there. Since "by the sea of glass" is signified a collection of those who have indeed some religion and worship, but not the good of life, (659). Therefore, by those who were seen "standing by that sea," is signified the Christian heaven in its boundaries, with whom there were religion, worship, and the good of life, because "they had the victory over the beast and over his image." The higher Christian heaven is treated of in the foregoing chapter; they who composed that heaven are meant by "the hundred forty-four thousand," who were seen standing with the Lamb on mount Zion, (612-625). By "harps" is signified the confession of the Lord from spiritual truths, (276, 616).
[2] Spiritual truths are of faith from charity. Their being seen to have harps, and heard to sing the song afterwards mentioned, was a representative of confession springing from the faith of charity. The affections of the thoughts and thence the sound of the discourse of the angels of heaven, are variously heard below in the spiritual world, either as the sound of waters, or of thunder, as above, chapter 14:2, or as the sound of trumpets, as above, chapter 4:1, or, as here, like the sound of harps, as also above, chapter 5:8; 14:2; but yet they are not waters which make the sound, nor thunders which thunder, nor trumpets and harps which sound, nor, indeed, are they songs; but the discourses of the angels and their confessions according to their affections and thence their thoughts, are thus heard below, from which the quality of their love and wisdom is perceived. That such things are heard is from the correspondence of affection with sound, and of thought with speech.
661. "Stantes juxta Mare vitreum, habentes citharas Dei," significat Caelum Christianum in terminis, et fidem charitatis apud illos qui ibi. - Quoniam per "mare vitreum" significatur collectio ex illis quibus quidem religio et cultus est, sed non bonum vitae (659), ideo per hos qui visi sunt "stare juxta illud mare" significatur Caelum Christianum in terminis ejus, quibus fuit religio, cultus et bonum vitae, quia "victoriam habuerunt de Bestia et de imagine ejus." De Caelo Christiano superiori actum est in capite praecedente; illi ex quibus id Caelum intelliguntur per "centum quadraginta quatuor millia, qui visi sunt stare cum Agno super Monte Zionis" (de quibus, 612-625); per "citharas" significatur confessio Domini ex veris spiritualibus (276, 616); vera spiritualia sunt fidei ex charitate. Quod visi sint habere citharas, et quod auditi sint canere canticum, ut sequitur, erat repraesentativum confessionis ex fide charitatis; affectiones cogitationum et inde soni sermonum angelorum Caeli, infra audiuntur varie in mundo spirituali, vel sicut soni aquarum, vel sicut soni tonitruum, ut supra, 14:2; vel sicut soni tubarum, ut supra, 4:1; vel sicut hic, ut soni cithararum, ut quoque supra, 5:8; 14:2; sed usque non sunt aquae quae sonant, nec tonitrua quae tonant, nec tubae et citharae quae clangunt, imo nec sunt cantus; sed sermones angelorum et confessiones illorum secundum affectiones et inde cogitatione eorum, ita audiuntur infra, ex quibus percipitur quale amoris et sapientiae illorum: quod talia audiantur est ex correspondentia affectionis cum sono, et cogitationis cum 1loquela.
Footnotes:
1. cum pro "in"