“Moreover, When I entered the sixth heaven,[141] I saw an angel sitting upon a throne of light, occupied with counting his prayers by beads, and with uttering benedictions; he had wings, and curls set with jewels, pearls, and rubies. I bowed before him, to which he returned blessings and congratulations, and wishes of joy and prosperity, and said: ‘I give thee perpetual blessing.’” That is, “the sixth heaven,” and “its angel,” signifies “Jupiter;” and he relates to persons of rectitude, abstinence and knowledge; his “wings and curls” signify his light and rays; and his “blessings,” his auspicious influence; for he bestows great felicity, and all sorts of good prooceed from him.”
“To proceed: When I attained the seventh heaven,[142] I saw an angel seated upon a throne of red rubies; not every one had access to him, but he who approached him found a kind treatment. I made my reverence, and he returned an answer by blessing me.” This is understood to be “the seventh heaven,” and “that angel” was Saturn. He is averse to greatness; but, whatever impression he makes is perfect and entire; and when he shows favor it is greater than any other; “every one cannot approach him:” that is, it happens seldom that one falls in with a fortunate situation, but, if it occurs, the happy result is such as to surpass all others.
“In sequel: When I proceeded,[143] I arrived at the heavenly mansion of the angel Jabrííl; I saw a world full of light and splendor, and such was the effulgency that my eyes were dazzled. To the right or left, to whatever side I turned my looks, they met with angelic spirits, engaged in devotion. I said: ‘O Jabrííl, who are this class of beings?’ He answered: ‘these know of no other fixed business but praying, counting their beads, and visiting churches.’”
“There is for him, on the other side, but one place known.”
“By the ‘eighth heaven’ is understood the heaven of the fixed stars, and there are the constellations; “the churches” mean the twelve signs of the zodiac; each community of them inhabits a determined side; they do not combat each other, as the southern have no business with the northern, and each has his fixed situation: some of the constellations are in the zodiac, some to the south, and others to the north.
“Besides, the prophet said: I saw five mansions greater than any thing else, which spread their shade over earth and heaven.” He denotes here the great heaven, which in its interior incloses all the other heavens, and is the greatest of all spaces.
Again, saying: “When I proceeded, I saw four seas, the waters of each being of a different color,” he implies an account of essentiality, corporeity, materiality, and exteriority; inasmuch as this account is generally perplexing, the idea of every one being conceived in a different way, and each way interpreted by every one.
And what the prophet said: “I saw angels much occupied with beads and prayers and all taken up with the precious sentence, There is no God but one God:” this refers to pure spirits who are free from matters of desire, and spotless; and every man who is remote from the world, wise, pure, and disengaged from all ties, when he separates from the body, is transported by God Almighty to the place and mansion of angels, and invested with everlasting beatitude. And the prophet assimilated him with angels, because they are seats of purity and devotion; that is, remote from corruption and perdition, and from the disturbance of sensuality, intent upon avoiding anger, and raised to the dignity of angels, perpetually engaged in the exploration of secret knowledge; they likewise never look upon the nether world, because, the body being in conjunction with mean and noble spirits, when a person fixes his sight upon low stations, he becomes liable to feel the attaint of necessity, and to search for expediency among circumstances; but when he effects his separation from them, he attains the noble perfection of himself, he becomes beatified, and immersed in delight and tranquillity, in such a manner that he never throws a look upon the inferior world, because, this bodily form being taken off from him, he then, by increase of knowledge and comprehension, acquires dignity and nobleness.
“Some are upon their knees, and some prostrate themselves.”
Some are spiritual, some praisers of God, some bent before him, some holy, and some purified cherubim, conforming in customs, lords, and princes.