God hath sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength" (lxii. 8). In the Apocalypse: The Son of man, "having in His right hand seven stars" (i. 16). In David: "The right hand of Jehovah doeth valiantly; the right hand of Jehovah has been exalted" (cxviii. 15, 16). [c.] [13.] As "right hand," in reference to angels and men, means the wisdom and intelligence that they have from Divine good through Divine truth going forth from the Lord, So there appeared to Zechariah “an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense" (Luke i. 11). And an angel was seen in the tomb where the the Lord had been, sitting on the right side (Mark xvi. 5, 6); And for the same reason the sheep are said to have been set on the right hand, and the goats on the left (Matt. xxv. 33, 34, seq.); "sheep" here meaning those who are in truths from good, or in a faith of truth from good of charity; and "goats" meaning those who are in faith without charity, which faith is called faith alone, and regarded in itself is no faith. [14.] Because of this signification of “right hand,” when Aaron and his sons were inaugurated into the priesthood Blood was sprinkled upon their right car and upon their right hand, and upon the great toe of the right foot (Exod. xxix. 20); "blood" here signifying Divine truth from Divine good; "right ear," the ability to perceive truth from good; "right hand" and "right foot" understanding and power of truth from good in the internal or spiritual man and in the external or natural man; and "great toe" fulness. [15.] As most expressions in the Word have also a contrary sense, so has right hand," which in that sense signifies falsity from evil, and its reasoning and combat against truth from good. As in David : “Thou hast exalted the right hand of his adversaries” (Psalm lxxxix. 42). In the same, "Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood" (Psalm cxliv. 8, 11). In Isaiah: "That he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?" (xliv. 20.) In the Apocalypse: They were to receive the mark of the beast "on the right hand or on the forehead" (xiii. 16; xiv. 9). The "right hand" in reference to things evil signifies falsity, and consequent reasoning and combat against truth, because with those who are in evil and with those who are in good the quarters are opposite; therefore to the right hand of those in evil truths are in dense darkness, but falsities in the greatest light, as it were. (That in the spiritual world with those who are in evil and with those who are in good the quarters are opposite, see Heaven and Hell, n. 151, 152; and why, n. 122, 123.) 299. “A book written within and on the back" signifies the state of life of all in heaven and on the earth, in general and in particular.-This is evident from the signification of "book," here "book of life," as meaning what the Lord writes on or implants in the spirit of man, that is, in the heart and soul, or what is the same, in his love and faith (of which see above, n. 199); therefore the "book" here signifies the state of life of all in heaven and on the earth, and "written" signifies what is implanted by the Lord (that to "write" signifies to implant, see also above, n. 222). Also from the signification of "within and on the back," as meaning what is in the heart and soul, or in love and faith; for with man and spirit love is within, because it makes his life; but faith, unless it is in his love, is not within him, but behind or "on the back;" for faith that is faith makes one absolutely with the love, since what a man loves is of his faith, but what he does not love is not of his faith. That which one thinks from memory and teaches from doctrine, appears, indeed, to be faith; but if this be loved only from a natural not from a spiritual love, it is merely the thought-sight of the external man, which sight is a counterfeit of faith; and such faith, since it is destitute of life, until it is implanted in the internal man and its love, is not in man but behind him, or at his back. Faith implanted in the internal man and its love is believing and loving truth because it is truth, and not loving it chiefly for the sake of a reputation for learning, and honor or gain therefrom. From all this it can be seen what is signified by "written within and on the back." [2.] The truth treated of in this chapter is, that the Lord only, and no one but the Lord, knows the states of life of all in general and of each one in particular. This is representatively depicted by "a book written which no one was able to open and read, neither to look thereon, except the Lamb," that is, the Lord. The Lord alone knows this because He is the only God, and because He formed the angelic heaven after His own image, and man after the image of heaven; for this reason He knows all things of heaven in general, and He who knows all things of heaven in general knows also every one in particular; for a man who is in truths from good, as well as an angel, is an image of heaven, since he is a form of heaven. From this it follows that only he who knows the general state of all knows the state of any one in particular, for the one is inseparably connected with the other. But as these things cannot be described in a few words, see what is shown in Heaven and Hell, where they are more distinctly and clearly described, in the following articles: The Divine of the Lord makes Heaven, n. 7-12; Every Angel is a Heaven in the least form, n. 51-58; The whole Heaven in the complex has reference to one Man, n. 59-67; likewise each Society there, n. 68-72; Every Angel, therefore, is in a complete Human' Form, n. 73-77; Heaven, which is from the Divine Human of the Lord, in the whole and in part has reference to Man, n. 78-86; There is a Correspondence of all things of Heaven with all things of Man, n. 87-102; On the Conjunction of Heaven with Mankind, n. 291-302.) [3.] It is to be observed that here and elsewhere in the Word a "book" is mentioned, meaning thereby a roll (volumen); for in ancient times they wrote upon parchments, which were rolled up, and the parchment was called a "book" and a "roll of a book," as can be seen in the Word. Ezekiel: Thus in "I looked, when behold, a hand was put forth unto me; and lo, a roll of a book was therein,.... written within and without" (ii. 9, 10). And in David: "Then said I, Lo, I am come; in the roll of the book it is written of Me" (Psalm xl. 7). For this reason it is said in Isaiah: "All the host of the heavens shall waste away, and the heavens shall be rolled up as a scroll" (xxxiv. 4). Likewise in the Apocalypse: "The heaven was removed, as a book rolled up" (vi. 14). From all this it can be known how the book that John saw was "written within and on the back." 300. "Sealed up with seven seals" signifies altogether hidden, namely, the state of life of all in heaven and on the earth. -This is evident from the signification of "sealed with seals," as meaning to be hidden, for what is contained in a book sealed with seals no one knows until it is opened and read; also from the signification of "seven," as meaning all persons and all things, also fulness and wholeness (see above, n. 257); thus as meaning altogether, because this means fully and wholly. VERSES 2, 3. 301. "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no one was able, in heaven nor upon the earth nor under the earth, to open the book, neither to look thereon." 2. "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice" signifies exploration by the influx of the Lord into heaven [n. 302]; “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" signifies Is there anyone there capable of knowing and perceiving the states of life of all? [n. 303.] 3. "And no one was able, in heaven nor upon the earth nor under the earth, to open the book, neither to look thereon," signifies manifestation that no one knows and perceives of himself anything whatever of the state of life of all in general, and of each in particular [n. 304]. 302. [Verse 2] "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice" signifies exploration by the influx of the Lord into heaven. This is evident from the signification of a "strong angel," as meaning heaven (of which presently); also from the signification of "proclaiming with a great voice," as meaning exploration by the influx of the Lord, namely, exploration whether any one is able to know the states of life of all in heaven and on the earth in general and in particular, for this is what is here treated of. This is signified by "proclaiming," and the influx of the Lord is signified by "a great voice;" for "voice," in reference to the Lord, signifies every truth of the Word, of doctrine, and of faith from Him; and in reference to heaven and the church, signifies every thought and affection from that truth; and since everything true and good that angels in heaven and men in whom the church is, think and are affected by, is from the influx of the Lord, this is what is here signified by "a great voice." It is well known, that no one from love of good can be affected by good, or from love of truth can think truth, of himself, but that this flows in from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and because this is so, "a great voice" signifies the influx of the Lord. (That "voice" in the Word signifies the truth of the Word, of doctrine, and of faith, also everything affirmed in the Word, see above, n. 261, and A.C., n. 3563, 6971, 8813, 9926; and that it signifies interior affection for truth and good, and thought therefrom, n. 10454.) A "strong angel" signifies heaven because the whole angelic heaven before the Lord is as one man, or as one angel, likewise each society of heaven; therefore by "angel" in the Word an angel is not meant, but an entire angelic society, as by "Michael," "Gabriel," "Raphael." Here, therefore, "a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice" signifies the influx of the Lord into the whole heaven. That it is into the whole heaven is clear from what follows, for it is said, "And no one was able, in heaven nor upon the earth neither under the earth, to open the book and to look thereon." (That "angels" in the Word mean entire societies of heaven, and in the highest sense the Lord in respect to Divine truth going forth, see above, n. 90, 130, 200; and that The Whole Heaven before the Lord is as one Man, or as one Angel, also every Society of Heaven, see Heaven and Hell, n. 59–87.) 303. "Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?" signifies, Is there anyone there capable of knowing and perceiving the states of life of all?—This is evident from the signification of "Who is worthy?" as meaning, Is there anyone who has merit and righteousness, and who has omniscience, and is therefore able? That "worthy," in reference to the Lord, signifies merit and righteousness, which belong to Him alone, see above (n. 293). And that omniscience is signified is clear from what follows, where it is said, "the Lamb took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne, and opened it;" for "right hand" signifies omniscience and omnipotence (see above, n. 297); it is evident also from the signification of the "book," as meaning the states of life of all in general and in particular (of which see just above, n. 299); also from the signification of "to open the book and to loose the seals thereof," as meaning to know and perceive; for when a "book" signifies the states of life of all, "to open and to loose the seals" signifies to know and perceive those states; for knowing and perceiving are predicated of the state of life, but opening and loosening seals relate to a book; thus the words in the internal sense conform to the things signified by the words in the sense of the letter, for they correspond; therefore, "to open" signifies to know, and "to loose the seals" signifies to perceive what is altogether hidden from others (as above, n. 300). 304[a]. [Verse 3.] "And no one was able, in heaven nor upon the earth nor under the earth, to open the book, neither to look thereon," signifies manifestation that no one knows and perceives of himself anything whatever of the state of life of all in general, and of each one in particular.—This is evident from the signification of "And no one was able... to open the book, neither to look thereon," as meaning that no one of himself knows and percevies the states of the life of all in general and of each one in particular (of which see just above, n. 303); also from the signification of "in heaven nor upon the earth nor under the earth," as meaning that no one anywhere has such knowledge, not even in the slightest degree; for "in heaven, upon the earth, and under the earth," means the three heavens; and by all who are there heaven in its entire complex is meant. Moreover, as heaven is heaven from |