The reason why a sign signifies revelation is, that by a sign are meant those things that were seen by John, and are afterwards related; and those things seen by him involve arcana concerning the state of the church immediately before the Last Judgment. For, in general, whatever appears in heaven is wholly similar to what exists in our material world in its three kingdoms. And those things appear before the eyes of the angels just like those of the three kingdoms seen by men in the world. Gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, stones precious and not precious, ground, earths, mountains, hills, valleys, waters, fountains, and other things pertaining to the mineral kingdom appear there. Parks, gardens, forests, fruit-trees of every kind, lawns, corn-fields, plains full of flowers, herbs, and grasses of every kind appear there; also things derived from them, as oils, wines, all kinds of juices, and other things belonging to the vegetable kingdom. Animals of the earth, fowls of the heaven, fishes of the sea, reptiles, and these of every kind, appear there; and they are so much like those on our earth, that they cannot be distinguished. I have seen them, and could not perceive any difference.

[2] But still there is this difference, that the things that appear in heaven are from a spiritual origin; while those in our world are from a material origin. And the things that are from a spiritual origin affect the senses of the angels, because they are spiritual, as those that are from a material origin affect the sense of men, because they are material. For spiritual things are in harmony with those who are spiritual; and material things are in harmony with those who are material. It is said, that they are from a spiritual origin, because they exist from the Divine which proceeds from the Lord as a Sun; and the Divine proceeding from the Lord as a Sun is spiritual. For the Sun there is not fire, but it is Divine love, appearing before the eyes of the angels, as the sun of the world before the eyes of men. And whatever proceeds from the Divine love is Divine, and is spiritual. What proceeds in general appears as light, and is felt as heat; but still that light is spiritual, and also the heat. For that light is Divine wisdom, and is called Divine truth; and that heat is Divine love, and is called Divine Good. Therefore that light inwardly enlightens the understanding of the angels; and that heat inwardly fills the will of the angels with the good of love. From this origin are all the things that exist in the heavens; and they appear in forms like those in our world in its three kingdoms, as said above. That they appear in such forms is the result of the order of creation, that is to say, those things which belong to wisdom and love in the angels, when they descend into a lower sphere - in which the angels are as to their bodies, and as to the sensations thereof - are presented in such forms and types; these are correspondences.

[3] These things are said in order that it may be known what is meant by the sign which John says he himself saw; also what is meant by the sign mentioned in chapter xii. (vers. 1 and 3), namely, that it denotes revelation by such things as exist in heaven from a Divine spiritual origin, and thence contain in them Divine arcana; in the present case, arcana concerning the state of the church immediately before the Last Judgment. For there were seen seven angels with seven golden vials, clothed in linen pure and glistening white, and girt about the breasts with golden girdles. There was also seen a glassy sea mingled with fire; and there were seen those who had victory over the beast, having harps; the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony was also seen; and there were heard songs, in which they glorified the Lord. All these things are called a sign which he saw, because they are significative. But the things signified by them can be seen only from correspondences; and because Divine arcana are therein, they cannot be seen unless the Lord reveals them.

[4] It is said, a sign from heaven, by which is meant revelation from the Lord. The reason why it denotes from the Lord is, because heaven is the Lord. There are indeed angels of whom heaven consists, but still the angels are not heaven, but the Lord; for it is the Divine proceeding from the Lord, which is called Divine Good and Divine truth, from which the angels have all love and all wisdom. The angels are angels from love and from wisdom; and they have love and wisdom from the Lord; and because these are from the Lord, they are the Lord's, consequently are the Lord with them, as is evident from the Lord's words to His disciples.

That they are in the Lord and he in them (John xiv. 20) and that he hath his abode in the Word from himself with them (vers. 22-24).

Since therefore heaven is from the angels, and the angels are angels from the Lord, it follows that heaven is the Lord.