845. [verse 4] 'And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them' signifies that the truths of the Word in accordance with which all are judged were opened, and that then those who had been hidden by the Lord were taken up out of the lower land lest they should be led astray by 'the dragon' and his 'beasts'. These things are signified by these words because by the 'thrones' upon which they sat are not signified thrones but judgment in accordance with the truths of the Word. That by the 'thrones' seen in heaven judgment was represented may be seen above (n. 229). That nothing else was represented by the 'thrones' upon which the twenty-four elders sat, and upon which the twelve apostles are going to sit, and that all are judged in accordance with the truths of the Word, may also be seen above (n. 233). From this it is plain that by 'judgment' being 'given unto them' is signified that judgment was given to the truths of the Word. [2] The reason why those are [meant] who, having meanwhile been hidden there, were taken up out of the lower land into heaven by the Lord lest they should be led astray by 'the dragon' and his 'beasts', is because it is said of 'the souls of those beheaded with the axe' and of 'the dead' (as it follows on); not that they had been dead to themselves but to others. The place where they were hidden is called the lower land, which is next above hell under the world of spirits, and there by means of a communication with heaven and conjunction with the Lord they are in safety. There are many such places where they live cheerfully on their own and worship the Lord, not knowing anything about hell. Those who are there, when their turn comes after the last judgment, are raised up into heaven by the Lord, and when they are being raised up those who are understood by 'the dragon' are removed. It has quite often been given [me] to see that they were taken up and brought into association with the angels in heaven. This is understood in the Word by [the statement] that 'the graves were opened' and 'the dead were raised up' [Matt. xxvii 52, 53].