238. [verse 6] 'And in full view of the throne a sea of glass like unto crystal' signifies the New Heaven [formed] out of Christians, who were in general truths out of the sense of the letter of the Word. In the spiritual world atmospheres and also waters appear just as in our world; atmospheres like ethers, where the angels of the highest heaven are, atmospheres like airs, where the angels of the middle heaven are, and atmospheres like waters, where the angels of the ultimate heaven are. The latter are the seas that appear in the boundaries of heaven, and those who are in general truths out of the sense of the letter of the Word are there. That waters signify truths may be seen above (n. so). Consequently a 'sea' in which waters cease [to flow] and are gathered together signifies Divine Truth in the boundaries. Since, therefore, by the 'One sitting upon the throne' is understood the Lord (n. 230), and by 'the seven lamps, which are the seven spirits of God before the throne' is understood a New Church which will be in Divine Truth from the Lord (n. 237), it is plain that by the 'sea of glass' that was 'in full view of the throne' is understood the Church with those who are in the boundaries. [2] It has indeed been given me to see the seas in the boundaries of the heavens, and to speak with those who were there, and so to become acquainted with the truth (veritas) of this matter by experience. They were seen by me as if in a sea, but they said that they were not in a sea but in an atmosphere. Consequently it was plain to me that a sea is the appearance of Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord in the boundaries. That there are seas in the spiritual world is clearly evident from the fact that they were often seen by John, as here, also chaps. v 13; vii 1-3; viii 8, 9; x 2, 8; xii 18*; xiii 1; xiv 7; xv 2; xvi 3; xviii 17, 19, 21; xx 13. It is said 'a sea of glass like unto crystal' on account of the transparency of the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord. [3] Since the Divine Truth in the boundaries in the spiritual world presents the appearance of a sea, therefore by 'sea' elsewhere in the Word the like is signified, as in these places:-
In that day living waters shall go forth out of Jerusalem, part of them toward the eastern sea, and part of them toward the hinder sea Zech. xiv 8.
'Living waters out of Jerusalem' are Divine Truths of the Church from the Lord. The 'sea 'therefrom is where they cease [to flow].
Jehovah, Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in many waters Ps. lxxvii 19 [H.B. 20].
Thus has Jehovah said, Who has put a way in the sea, and a path in many waters Isa. xliii 16.
Jehovah has founded the world upon the seas, and established it upon the floods Ps. xxiv 2.
Jehovah has founded the land upon its bases, so that to eternity it should not be moved away. With the deep or the sea as a garment hast Thou covered it Ps. civ 5, 6.
The land having been founded upon the sea is [equivalent to] the Church, which is understood by 'the land', having been founded upon general truths; for these are its bases and foundations.
[4] I will dry up the sea of Babel, and make her spring dry; the sea shall come up upon Babel, she shall be covered with the multitude of its waves Jer. li 36, 42.
By 'dry up the sea of Babel' and 'make her spring dry' is signified to extinguish every truth of the Church thereof from firsts to ultimates.
They shall go after Jehovah, and the sons shall approach with honour from the sea Hos. xi 9-11.
The 'sons from the sea' are they who are in general or ultimate truths.
Jehovah Who builds His steps in the heavens, and calls the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the faces of the land Amos ix 6.
By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap, putting the deeps in storehouses Ps. xxxiii 6, 7.
By My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness Isa. i 2;
besides in other places. [5] Since by 'sea' is signified the Divine Truth with those who are in the boundaries of heaven, therefore by 'Tyre and Sidon', because they were near the sea, is signified the Church as to cognitions of good and truth; and therefore also by 'islands of the sea' are signified those who are in a more remote Divine worship (n. 34). And therefore in the Hebrew language 'sea' is 'the west', that is, where the light of the sun declines to its evening or truth into obscurity. That 'sea 'also signifies the natural of man separated from what is spiritual, thus also hell, will be seen in the things following. * AV chap. xiii 1, but see text of chap. xii below.
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