290. Verse 13. And every created thing which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, signifies confession and glorification of the Lord by the angels of the lowest heavens. That this is a confession and glorification of the Lord by the angels of the lowest heavens is evident from the series, because the confessions and glorifications of the Lord which precede were made by the angels of the higher and lower heavens (n. 275, and following numbers, n. 286, and following numbers); for there are three heavens, and innumerable societies in each, and each of them is called a heaven. That by "every created thing which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea," are meant angels, is evident, for it says, "heard I saying," and they said, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ages of ages." [2] Their being called "created thing" is according to the style of the Word, in which, by all created things, as well those which belong to the animal kingdom as those which belong to the vegetable kingdom, are signified various things with man, in general such things as belong to his will or affection, and such as pertain to his understanding or thought; for they signify such things, because they correspond to them. And since the Word is written by mere correspondences, similar things are said of the angels of heaven and the men of the church; in proof of which a few passages only shall be adduced, which are as follows:
Jesus said to His disciples, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the birds of heaven and they shall tell thee; or the shrub of the earth, and it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee; who knoweth not from all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this? (Job 12:7-9). Let the heaven and earth praise Jehovah, the seas, and all that creepeth therein, for God will save Zion (Ps. 69:34-35). Praise Jehovah from the earth, ye whales and all deeps (Ps. 148:7). I will utterly consume all things from upon the face of the earth, I will consume man and beast, I will consume the birds of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea (Zeph. 1:2-3; likewise in Isa. 50:2-3; Ezek. 38:19-20; Hos. 4:2-3; Rev. 8:7-9). The heavens shall be glad, and the earth shall rejoice; the sea shall be moved, and the fullness thereof; the field shall exult, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood sing before Jehovah, for He cometh; for He cometh to judge the earth (Ps. 96:11-13; and in many other places). [3] It is said "every created thing," by which is meant every reformed thing, or all the reformed, for "to create" signifies to reform and regenerate (n. 254). What is meant by "in heaven, upon the earth, and under the earth," may be seen above (n. 260); and what by the "sea" (n. 238); hence it is evident what is signified by "such things as are in the sea, and all that are in them"; these things are meant in the Word by "the fishes of the sea," which are the sensual affections, these being the lowest of the natural man, for in the spiritual world such affections appear at a distance like "fishes," and as if they were "in the sea," because the atmosphere in which they are, appears watery, and therefore to those who are in the heavens and on the earth there, it seems like "a sea," as may be seen above (n. 238), and concerning fishes (n. 405).
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