cherubim from the east to dwell," is to provide against his entering into any secret thing of faith; for the "east toward the garden of Eden," is the celestial, from which is intelligence; and by "cherubim" is signified the providence of the Lord in preventing such a man from entering into the things of faith. By the "flame of a sword turning itself," is signified self-love (amor proprius) with its insane desires and consequent persuasions, which are such that he indeed wishes to enter, but is carried away to corporeal and earthly things, and this for the purpose of "keeping the way of the tree of lives," that is, of preventing the profanation of holy things.
307. It here treats of the sixth and seventh posterities, which perished by the flood, and were altogether "cast out of the garden of Eden," that is, from all understanding of truth, and became as it were not men, being left to their insane cupidities and persuasions.
308. As the signification of the "east" and of the "garden of Eden" were given above, it is needless to dwell longer on them; but that "cherubim" denote the providence of the Lord lest, man should insanely enter into the mysteries of faith from his Own, and from what is of the senses and of memory-knowledge (sensuali et scientifico), and should thus profane them, and destroy himself, is evident from all the passages in the Word where mention is made of "cherubim." As the Jews were of such a quality that if they had possessed any clear knowledge concerning the Lord's coming, concerning the representatives or types of the church as being significative of Him, concerning the life after death, concerning the interior man and the internal sense of the Word, they would have profaned it, and would have perished eternally; therefore this was represented by the "cherubim" on the mercy-seat over the ark, upon the curtains of the tabernacle, upon the vail, and also in the temple; and it was signified that the Lord had them in keeping (Exod. xxv. 18-21; xxvi. 1, 31; 1 Kings vi. 23-29, 32). For the ark, in which was the testimony, signified the same as the tree of lives in this passage, namely, the Lord and the celestial things which belong solely to Him. Hence also the Lord is so often called the "God of Israel sitting on the cherubim," and hence He spake with Moses and Aaron
