Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 578as being the Lord’s Divine Providence; for “eyes,” in reference toman, signify the understanding, which is his internal sight; butwhen “eyes” are predicated of God, they signify the DivineProvidence (see above, n. 68, 152). And since “eyes” here signifythe Lord’s Divine Providence that the higher heavens be notapproached except from the good of love and of charity, thereforethese cherubim were seen “full of eyes before and behind.” On thisprovidence of the Lord, lower things, which are the lower heavensand also the church on earth, depend, that they may be in order,because the influx of the Lord is both immediate from Himself,and also mediate through the higher heavens into the lower heavensand into the church; consequently unless the higher heavens werein order the lower could not be in order. (On this influx see theDoctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 277, 278.)[2] That by “the four animals” here cherubim are meant isevident in Ezekiel, by whom like things were seen at the riverChebar, which are described by him in chap. 1 and in chap. 10,and in the latter called “cherubim” (1, 2, 4–9, 14, 16, 18, 19), andit is said of them:The cherubim mounted up; these are the animals that I saw by theriver Chebar. These are the animals that I saw under the God of Israelby the river Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubim (10:16,20).These “four animals, that were cherubim,” are thus described bythat prophet:Near the river Chebar appeared the likeness of four animals. Thiswas their aspect; they had the likeness of a man, and each one had fourfaces, and each one of them had four wings. This was the likeness oftheir faces; the four of them had the face of a man and the face of a lionon the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the leftside, and the four of them had the face of an eagle. Their appearancewas like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of lamps; the samewent up and down among the animals, so that the fire was bright, andout of the fire went forth lightning. Over the heads of the animals wasan expanse of the appearance of a wonderful crystal. Above the expansewhich was over their head was as it were the appearance of a sapphirestone, the likeness of a throne; and upon the likeness of the throne was