668. And they heard a great voice out of heaven, saying unto them.- That this signifies the Lord's Divine Providence is evident from the signification of a great voice out of heaven, as denoting the Lord's Divine Providence. A voice out of heaven signifies everything that proceeds from the Lord, which in general is called Divine Truth, and with us in the world, the Word, thus in particular every precept and command in the Word. This is called a voice out of heaven, because it descended and is continually descending from the Lord through heaven, with those who read the Word from a spiritual affection for truth. It is the Lord's Divine Providence which is signified here by the voice out of heaven, because the state of heaven and of the church at its end is the subject treated of, when the Lord provides lest a sudden change should do harm to those who are to be separated, of whom many will come into heaven, and many are to be cast into hell. This is the reason why it is afterwards said, that the two witnesses, by command, "ascended into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them;" and this in order that they might be separated, lest the gradual progress of things according to order should be disturbed by their presence and consequent communication with the evil (concerning which see above). But this interior truth cannot be explained in a few words, but it will be made clear as far as possible in what now follows.