Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 601[15] But in the highest sense, by “man” is meant the LordHimself, since from Him are heaven and the church, and thespiritual affection of truth and wisdom with each one of those whoconstitute heaven and the church; therefore in the highest sense theLord alone is man; and men in both worlds, spiritual and natural,are men so far as they receive from the Lord truth and good, thusso far as they love truth and live according to it. And from this alsoit is that the whole angelic heaven appears as one man, and alsoeach society there; and moreover, that the angels appear in a perfecthuman form. (See further on this in the work on Heaven and Hell,n. 59–67, 68–72, 73–77, 87–102.)[16] It was on this account that the four cherubim, which signifythe guard and providence of the Lord that the higher heavens henot approached except through the good of love, were seen as men,although they each had four faces; and that the Lord was seenabove them as a Man. That the four cherubim were seen as men isevident in Ezekiel:This was the appearance of the four animals; they had the likenessof a man, but each one had four faces (1:5, 6).Likewise the two cherubim upon the mercy seat were in face likemen. That the Lord was seen above the four cherubim as a man isalso stated in the same prophet:Above the expanse which was over the head of the cherubim was asit were the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne, andupon the likeness of the throne a likeness as the appearance of a manupon it above (1:26).281a. And the fourth animal was like a flying eagle, signifies theappearance in ultimates of the Divine guard and providence inrespect to intelligence and as to circumspection on every side. Thisis evident from the signification of “eagle,” as being intelligence;here Divine intelligence which is that of the Lord’s guard andprovidence. “Eagle” means intelligence because intelligence is in thelight of heaven, and the eagle flies high that he may be there andmay look about on every side; this is why this face of the cherub