286. [verse is] 'And I saw and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and the animals, and the elders' signifies a confession and glorification of the Lord by the angels of the lower heavens. That a confession and glorification of the Lord was made by the angels of the three heavens may be seen above (n. 275); and that [one was made] by the angels of the higher heavens (from vers. 8 to 10); and consequently now by the angels of the lower heavens (vers. 11, 12). Therefore by 'the voice of angels around the throne' is understood a confession and glorification of the Lord by the angels of the lower heavens. He then also saw 'the animals and the elders' together with those [angels], because by 'the animals and the elders' the angels of the higher heavens are signified (n. 275), and the lower heavens never act separately from the higher heavens, but conjointly with them. For the Lord inflows out of Himself, without mediation, into all the heavens, thus also into the lower ones, and at the same time He inflows mediately through the higher heavens into the lower ones. This therefore is the reason why he 'saw and heard the animals and the elders' first by themselves, and then together with those [lower angels]. * Hebrew has 'I shall not'.