314. [verse 6] 'And I heard a voice in the midst of the four animals saying' signifies the Divine protection of the Word by the Lord. That 'the four animals' or cherubs signify the Word from firsts in ultimates, and guards lest its interior truths and goods should be violated, may be seen above (n. 239); and because these guards are from the Lord, therefore the voice was heard in the midst of the four animals. By 'in the midst' of them is understood the Word as to its spiritual internal sense, which the Lord guards. That a 'guard' is signified is plain from the things that it said, 'a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and do not hurt the oil and the wine', by which is signified 'because the evaluation of good and truth is so very little as to be scarcely anything, it is provided that the holy goods and truths that lie hidden interiorly in the Word should not be violated and profaned'; and this is provided by the Lord by this means, that at length they do not know any good nor consequently any truth, but what is altogether evil and untrue; for they who know goods and truths can violate and even profane them, but not so those who do not know. That this is the Divine Providence for guarding the Word may be seen in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING DIVINE PROVIDENCE (n. 221-233, 257 end, 258 beginning).