616. 'And I heard the voice of harpers playing on their harps' signifies a confession of the Lord out of gladness of heart by the spiritual angels in the lower heavens. That 'to play on the harp' signifies to confess the Lord out of spiritual truths may be seen above (n. 276); that this is out of gladness of heart follows; consequently by 'harpers' are signified spiritual angels. The reason why these are angels of the lower heavens is because the voice of the Lord through the higher heavens had been heard 'as the voice of many waters' and 'as the voice of loud thunder' (n. 614, 615). 'The voice of harpers playing on their harps' was heard because sound or speech flowing down out of the lower heavens is sometimes heard as the sound of harps, not that they are playing on harps, but because the voice of a confession of the Lord out of gladness of heart is so heard below.