650# “那从无底坑或深渊里上来的兽要跟他们交战”表示出于地狱之爱的攻击。这从“兽”、“无底坑或深渊”和“交战”的含义清楚可知：“兽”是指在两种意义上的属世人的情感(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“无底坑或深渊”是指地狱(对此，参看AE 538节)；“交战”是指攻击，因为在圣言中，“战争”不是指像我们世界上的那种战争，而是指灵界的那种战争，这些战争都是来自邪恶的虚假与来自良善的真理的争战；这就是圣言中“战争”的含义，这一点明显可见于下文，那里再次提到了战争。由此可见，“那从无底坑或深渊里上来的兽要跟他们，就是见证人交战”表示出于邪恶之虚假的地狱之爱要攻击良善之真理。
前面说明，“兽”表示属世人的一种爱或情感；现在要说一说攻击。地狱之爱主要是对自己的爱，因为对自己的爱就是对人的自我之爱，或说对人自己的东西之爱，而人的自我无非是邪恶；因此，人越处于这爱，就越反对主，因而越反对爱与仁之良善，以及教义与信仰之真理，从而反对这“两个见证人”。因此，自我之爱掌权所在的地狱比其它地狱都更可怕、更恶毒，直接反对主，由此不断攻击爱与信之良善，因为这些只来自主，就是与世人和天使同在的主。这些地狱比其它地狱都更可怕，这一点可从以下事实清楚看出来：他们不断呼出对那些宣认主的神性之人，因而对那些处于来自主的爱之良善和对主之信的良善之人的毁灭。
这些地狱比其余的地狱都更恶毒，因为人越处于自我之爱，同时处于对自我聪明的爱，他的属世之光就越处于一种光亮之中；自我之爱就像点燃这光的火。由此可知，这些人能巧妙地思考和推理反对神性，以及天堂和教会的一切事物。有时，当我听这样的人说话时，会感到惊讶，因为我以为他们比其他所有人都能被引导接受信仰；但我发现，这是不可能的，因为他们越在肉体、世俗和属世的事物上被光照，就越在属天和属灵的事物上处于幽暗。我见过这种幽暗，它看上去极其昏暗，还夹杂着某种像火一样的东西。如果这是我重述自己经历的地方，我就能通过大量经历确认这一点。自我之爱就是此处“从无底坑或深渊里上来的兽”尤其所表示的，它与两个见证人交战，并杀了他们。
“兽”表示两种意义上的属世人的爱和情感，这一点可从圣言中的许多经文清楚看出来；由于迄今为止，这一点不为人知；并且“兽”表示属世人的爱或情感，这看起来似乎很奇怪，所以有必要从圣言确认这一点。“兽”之所以表示属世情感，是因为这些情感完全类似于兽的情感，因此一个没有通过天堂的良善和真理充满属灵情感的人与兽区别甚微。人之所以超越动物，是因为他额外拥有属灵思考并由此意愿的官能，该官能赋予他看见并感知抽象事物的卓越能力。但如果这属灵的官能没有被真理和良善的知识，后来被信和信之生活赋予生气，那么他和动物没什么两样，区别仅在于：他能凭这更高的官能去思考和说话。
由于“兽”表示属世人的情感，所以当这些情感在灵界以与动物相似的形式呈为可见时，它们看上去完全就像各种动物的形式；例如羔羊，绵羊，母山羊，小山羊，小母牛，公牛和母牛，以及骆驼，马，骡子，驴，又如熊，老虎，豹子，狮子，同样如各种狗和蛇。但这些事物只是灵人情感的表象；当它们显现时，那里的人不仅知道，这些表象来自这些情感，还知道它们来自谁；不过，一旦这些灵人的情感停止，这些表象也就停止了。由此可见，为何圣言如此频繁地提到“兽或牲畜”。
让我们继续从圣言进行确认。诗篇：
你让祂管理你手所造的，使万物，就是羊群和牛群，以及田野的兽，空中的鸟，海里的鱼，都服在祂的脚下。(诗篇8:6–8)
这一整个诗篇都在论述主，以及祂对天堂和教会的一切事物的掌管；在圣言的此处和其它经文中，“耶和华手所造的”都表示天堂和教会的事物；由于主掌管这些事物，并且在圣言中，属灵事物是由属世事物来表达的，因圣言内在是属灵的，所以“羊群”、“牛群”、“田野的兽”、“空中的鸟”和“海里的鱼”不是指这些事物，而是指天堂和教会的属灵事物。“羊群和牛群”表示来自一个属灵源头的属灵事物和属世事物；“羊群”，即羔羊，小山羊，母山羊，母绵羊和公绵羊，表示属灵事物；“牛群或牧群”，即小公牛，公牛，母牛和骆驼，表示来自属灵事物的属世事物；“田野的兽”表示属世人的情感，“空中的鸟”表示由此而来的思维，“海里的鱼”表示感官-属世人的知识。若不是为了这种意义，经上为何要描述主掌管它们呢？
又：
神啊，你使善意的大雨降落；你的产业疲乏的时候，你使它坚固；你的野兽(或会众)必住在其中。(诗篇68:9, 10)
此处很明显，“野兽”表示接受来自主的神性真理流注的人，因为论到表示教会之神的“产业”，经上说“你的野兽(或会众)必住在其中”；“善意的雨”表示来自神性怜悯的神性真理的流注。
又：
耶和华发出泉源涌入溪河；它们流在山间，它们将喝的给予田野一切的野兽；野驴得解其渴，天上的飞鸟在水旁住宿，在枝条间出声啼叫；祂使草为牲畜生长，使菜蔬生长，供给人用，使人从地里能得食物。你安排黑暗，便有了夜，森林中一切的野兽就都爬出来。海又大又广，其中有无数的爬行物，野兽，大小都有。(诗篇104:10–12, 14, 20, 25)
这些话也论及主，描述了教会在列族中间的建立；因此，“野兽”、“牲畜”、“鸟”表示诸如属于教会之人的那类事物。
650b.要知道，在许多经文中，经上有时提到“兽或牲畜”，有时提到“野兽”，“野兽”这个词不可根据对野兽的普通观念来理解，因为在希伯来语，“野兽”源于一个表示生命的词；因此，一些经文应该使用动物一词，而不是野兽。这一点也可从以下事实明显可知：在以西结书(1, 10章)被视为基路伯，表示圣治和保护的四活物(即四个动物)被称为“活物”(即野兽)；同样，约翰在启示录中所描述的“宝座周围的四活物”是指基路伯。尽管如此，圣言仍仔细区分了“兽或牲畜”和“野兽”，“兽或牲畜”表示属于人之意愿的属世人的情感，“野兽”表示属于人之理解力的属世人的情感。由于在希伯来语，“野兽”源于一个表示生命的词，所以亚当的妻子夏娃也从这个词得其名。说这些事是为了让人们知道，“野兽”和“兽或牲畜”在本来意义上表示什么。
前面(AE 483a节)解释了“耶和华发出泉源涌入溪河；它们流在山间，它们将喝的给予田野一切的野兽；野驴得解其渴，天上的飞鸟在水旁住宿”表示什么。“耶和华使草为牲畜生长，使菜蔬生长，供给人用，使人从地里能得食物”表示属世和属灵人通过来自圣言的真理所得的教导和滋养，好叫他由此可以拥有爱与仁之良善；“草”表示属世人的真理，也就是真知识或科学真理(参看AE 507节)；“兽或牲畜”表示，对它的情感，这情感愿意被教导，被属灵地滋养；“菜蔬”表示属灵人的真理；“人”表示由此而来的聪明，“食物”表示爱与仁之良善，这良善被真理滋养。由于“黑暗”和“夜”表示属世人的光，这光与属灵人的光相比，就像黑夜，“森林中的野兽”表示对知识或科学的情感，“又大又广的海”表示属世人本身，“无数的爬行物”表示其中的知识或科学，“大小都有的野兽”表示各种情感，所以“你安排黑暗，便有了夜，森林中一切的野兽就都爬出来。海又大又广，其中有无数的爬行物，野兽，大小都有”表示什么，就显而易见了。
又：
他们必种田地，栽葡萄园，使果实增长，祂必赐福给他们，使他们生养众多；祂必不减少他们的牲畜；但他们又因强烈的邪恶和悲伤，就减少且卑下。(诗篇107:37–39)
这一整个诗篇都在论述主的降临和来自祂的救赎；“他们必种田地，栽葡萄园”表示那时他们将拥有真理，教会将通过真理被植入他们；“使果实增长”、“耶和华必赐福给他们，使他们生养众多”表示因此，他们将拥有教会的良善，真理将由此增长；“祂必不减少他们的牲畜”表示那时属世人的一切良善情感将留在他们身上；“他们又因强烈的邪恶和悲伤，就减少且卑下”表示否则，这些情感将因邪恶而灭亡。
又：
鲸鱼和一切深洋，野兽和一切牲畜，爬行物和一切有翅膀的鸟儿，你们要赞美耶和华。(诗篇148:7, 10)
这篇诗篇列举了众多在世上没有生命，但要赞美耶和华的事物，如“火”、“冰雹”、“雪”、“雾气”、“风暴或狂风”、“大山和小山”、“树木”、“果实”、“香柏树”，以及此处“野兽”、“兽或牲畜”、“爬行物”、“鸟”；然而，它们都不能赞美耶和华。因此，谁不能看出，在神的圣言中，列举这些事物毫无意义，是多余的，除非它们表示人里面那些能赞美，也就是敬拜耶和华的事物？从对应的知识可以看出，“鲸鱼或海怪”表示总体上属世人的知识或科学，“深洋”和“海”表示这些知识或科学所在的属世人本身，“野兽”和“牲畜或兽”表示属世人的情感，就是它的理解力和意愿的情感；“爬行物”表示感官层，也就是属世人的终端，“有翅膀的鸟儿”表示由此而来的思考官能。
又：
耶和华为地预备雨，使草生长在山上，赐食物给走兽和呼叫的乌鸦之子。(诗篇147:8, 9)
这些细节也表示天堂和教会的属灵事物。不然，为什么圣言(圣言只通过教导人信之真理和爱之良善而教导他通往天堂的道路)，论到耶和华说，祂“为地预备雨，使草生长在山上，赐食物给走兽和呼叫祂的乌鸦之子”呢？然而，当“雨”表示神性真理的流注，“大山”表示爱之良善，“使草生长”表示属世人通过来自圣言的知识所获得的教导，“走兽”表示属世人的情感，这情感渴望由此被滋养时，这些事物就配得上神的圣言了。“赐食物”表示滋养；由于“乌鸦之子”表示处于由关于神性真理的谬误产生的模糊之光的属世人，许多民族就是如此，所以经上说“祂赐给呼叫的乌鸦之子”，因为呼求耶和华的，是这些人，而不是乌鸦之子。
又：
森林中一切的野兽都是我的，千山上的牲畜也是我的。山中一切的飞鸟，我都知道；我田野的一切野兽都与我同在。(诗篇50:10, 11)
事实上，这些话论及祭物；主并不以它们为乐，而是以内心的宣认和对祂的呼求为乐；然而，“森林中的野兽”、“山上的牲畜”、“山中的飞鸟”和“田野的野兽”与前面的具有相同的含义，即表示属于教会之人的事物。
又：
你的公义好像神的大山，你的判断如同大深渊；耶和华啊，人和牲畜你都救护。(诗篇36:6)
“人和牲畜”表示属灵的内在情感，聪明和属世的外在情感由此而来，对应于聪明的知识也由此而来。
在以下经文中，“人和牲畜或兽”具有相同的含义。耶利米书：
以色列的神说，我用我的大能创造了大地，以及地面上的人和牲畜。(耶利米书27:5; 36:29)
同一先知书：
看哪，日子将到，我要把人的种和牲畜的种，播种在以色列家和犹大家。(耶利米书31:27)
又：
然而，又是在这个地方听见，你们论这地方说，它荒废，没有人，也没有牲畜，在这荒凉无人、无居民、无牲畜的犹大城邑和耶路撒冷的街上，必听见有欢喜的声音和快乐的声音。(耶利米书33:10–12)
又：
全地必荒凉，没有人，也没有牲畜。(耶利米书32:43)
又：
我要击打这城的居民，连人带牲畜；他们都要死于大瘟疫。(耶利米书21:6)
又：
有一民族从北方上来攻击巴比伦；这使她的地荒凉，无人居住，连人带牲畜都四散逃走了。(耶利米书50:3)
又：
我必将我的怒气和愤怒倾倒在这地方，倒在人和牲畜身上。(耶利米书7:20)
以西结书：
当地犯罪得罪我时，我必折断它的粮杖，打发饥荒到它那里，把人与牲畜从那地剪除。(以西结书14:13, 17, 19)
同一先知书：
我必伸手攻击以东，从它那里剪除人与牲畜。(以西结书25:13)
又：
我必从多水旁除灭埃及一切的走兽，人的脚必不再搅浑这水，兽的蹄也不搅浑这水。(以西结书32:13)
又：
我必使人和牲畜在你上面加增，叫他们增多繁殖。(以西结书36:11)
西番雅书：
我必从地面上彻底除灭万物；我必除灭人和牲畜，除灭空中的鸟、海里的鱼，以及绊脚石和恶人；我必将人从地面上剪除。(西番雅书1:2, 3)
撒迦利亚书：
来量耶路撒冷的天使说，你跑去告诉说，耶路撒冷必住在郊区，因为它中间的人和牲畜甚多。(撒迦利亚书2:3, 4)
同一先知书：
要让你的手强壮，因殿必被建造；那些日子以前，人得不到工价，牲畜也没得不到任何工价，因敌人的缘故，出入的人不得平安。(撒迦利亚书8:9, 10)
在这些经文中，“人和牲畜或兽”表示内层或属灵之物(备注：牲畜或兽在此似乎是多余的)，“牲畜或兽”表示外层或属世之物；因此，“人”表示对真理的属灵情感，一切聪明皆来自这属灵情感，“牲畜或兽”表示对应于属灵情感的属世情感。“牲畜或兽”之所以表示外在或属世之物，是因为就其外在人或属世人而言，人无非是兽；他享有类似的渴望、乐趣、欲望和感觉，以至于在这些方面，人完全就像走兽；因此，属世人可被称为“动物人”。但“人”表示内在或属灵之物，是因为人正是在他的内在人或属灵人方面而为人；这内在人或属灵人享有对良善和真理的情感，就是诸如属于天堂天使的那种情感，还因为人藉着自己里面的内在人或属灵人掌管他的属世人或动物，也就是走兽。
650c.由于在创世的历史(创世记1章)中，“人和走兽”表示属灵人和属世人，所以经上讲述说，在某一天，即第六天，牲畜(或走兽)和人被创造；后来，管理牲畜(或走兽)的权柄被赐给人。关于在某一天对牲畜(或走兽)和人的创造，以及人管理牲畜(或走兽)的权柄，《创世记》如此记着说：
神说，地要生出活灵魂来，各从其类；自己能动的、地上的野兽，各从其类；事就这样成了。于是神造出地上的野兽，各从其类；牲畜，各从其类；地面上的一切爬行物，各从其类。神说，我们要照着我们的形像，按着我们的样式造人；他们要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、牲畜和全地，并爬在地上的一切爬行物。有晚上，有早晨，是第六日。(创世记1:24–31)
就这一章的灵义而言，“天地的创造”描述了上古教会之人的新造或重生；因此，“牲畜”在此表示外在人或属世人，“人”表示内在-属灵人，“管理牲畜”在此表示属灵人对属世人的统治权。
创世记中的这些话表示上古教会之人被恩准知道属世人的一切情感，好叫他可以掌管它们：
耶和华神从土地中形成田野的各样走兽和空中的各样飞鸟，带到那人面前，看他叫什么；那人怎样叫它，就是活灵魂，那就是它的名字；那人便给一切牲畜和空中飞鸟、田野的一切野兽都起了名。(创世记2:19, 20)
“起名”在灵义上表示知道一个事物的品质或性质，在此表示知道属世人的一切情感、渴望、乐趣、欲望，也知道思维和倾向的品质，以及它们如何与属灵人的情感和感知一致和对应。自创造时起，属灵人就被赋予看见属世人的一切事物，同时感知它们与属灵人一致或不一致的能力，以掌管属世人，接受诸如一致的那些事物，弃绝那些不一致的事物，从而甚至在通过属世人所发生的结果方面也变得属灵。不过，《属天的奥秘》(可参看142–146节)更充分地解释了这些事。
由于在圣言中，“人”严格来说表示内在人或属灵人，“牲畜或兽”表示外在人或属世人，所以按着神的吩咐，一切牲畜或走兽和飞鸟与挪亚一起被带进方舟；对此，《创世记》如此记着说：
耶和华对挪亚说，凡洁净的牲畜，你要带七对，一公一母。他就取了洁净的牲畜和不洁净的牲畜，飞鸟并爬在土地上的一切；两个两个地到挪亚那里进入方舟，一公一母。(创世记7:1–9)
“挪亚的洪水”在灵义上描述了上古教会的毁灭，以及对该教会之人的最后审判；“挪亚和他儿子”在灵义上则表示并描述了随后出现的教会，该教会被称为古教会。由此可知，挪亚带进方舟的“牲畜”表示对应于属灵情感的属世人的情感，这些情感属于古教会之人。不过，可参看《属天的奥秘》一书对这些事物的解释。
由于“人”表示内在-属灵人，“牲畜或兽”表示外在人或属世人，“埃及”表示与属灵人分离的属世人，那时属世人完全灭亡，不再是一个人，而是一个兽，所以在论述埃及毁灭的地方，经上讲述说，耶和华使冰雹如下雨，有火掺杂，击打了田间所有的，从人到牲畜(出埃及记9:22–25)；对此，也可参看《属天的奥秘》。为了代表、因而表示同样的事物，经上还写着，耶和华击杀了埃及地一切头生的，从人到牲畜(出埃及记12:12, 29)。但另一方面，代表教会的以色列人被吩咐：连人带牲畜，凡头生的都要祭献给耶和华(民数记18:15)。由于“人和牲畜”代表、因而表示这些事物，所以因古教会所接受的一个神圣仪式，尼尼微王宣布禁食，吩咐人和牲畜不可尝什么，喝什么，人与牲畜都当披上麻布(约拿书3:7, 8)。
650d.由于“走兽或牲畜”表示两种意义上的情感，所以经上禁止制造任何走兽的形像；对此，摩西五经如此记着说：
你们不可为自己制造地上任何走兽的形像，飞在天空之下的任何有翅膀的鸟的形像，爬在地上的任何事物的形像，在地底下水中的任何鱼的形像。(申命记4:17, 18)
原因在于，雅各的后代因教会的代表在他们中间而被称为“以色列人”，他们处于没有内在的外在，也就是说，大部分是纯属世的；因此，他们若为自己制造了表示情感的任何走兽或飞鸟的形像等等，就会为自己制造偶像，并敬拜它们。这也是为何比其它任何人民都拥有更多代表知识的埃及人为自己制造了走兽的形像，如牛犊、蛇和其它许多种动物的形像；然而，他们最初这样做不是为了敬拜，而是因为它们的意义。但他们的后代从内在变得外在，因而变成纯属世的，故不是把这些事物看成代表和意义，而是看成教会的神圣事物，因此向它们献上偶像崇拜。正是由于这个原因，雅各的后代因完全是外在人，因而心里是崇拜偶像的，所以被禁止为自己制造这些事物的任何形像。
例如，他们在埃及，后来在旷野拜牛犊，因为“牛犊”表示属世人的最初情感，连同与它在一起的纯真之良善。各个地方的外邦人或民族也拜蛇，因为蛇表示感官层，也就是属世人的终端，及其谨慎；在其它情况下也是如此。
由于“兽或牲畜”表示属世人的各种事物，所以当城市或地区被交于诅咒时，经上有时也吩咐要宰杀牲畜，因为“牲畜”代表被交于诅咒的人所行的邪恶和亵渎的事。由于各种走兽表示属于教会之人的各种事物，所以经上颁布了关于走兽的律法，哪些走兽可以吃，哪些不可以吃(利未记11章)。可以吃的走兽表示良善，不可以吃的表示邪恶；因为那时教会是一个代表性教会，因此为它们规定的一切细节都具有代表性和意义，尤其走兽；对此，我们在摩西五经中读到：
你们要分别洁净的和不洁净的兽，不洁净的和洁净的鸟，不可因兽或鸟使自己的灵魂成为可憎恶的；你们要归我为圣。(利未记20:25, 26)
由此可见，为何各种牲畜或走兽被允许作祭物，如羔羊，绵羊，小山羊，山羊，小母牛和公牛，以及鸽子和斑鸠；即因为它们表示属灵事物和来自一个属灵源头的属世事物；如“羔羊”表示纯真，“绵羊”表示仁爱，“小母牛和公牛”表示对应于属灵人的情感的属世人的情感。因此，献祭的牲畜或走兽照着献上它们的理由而各不相同；这种事是不会做的，除非每一个祭牲都表示属于教会的某种事物。
由于如今教会之人几乎无法被引导相信，在圣言中，“牲畜或走兽”和“野兽”表示属于教会之人的对良善与真理的情感，因属于兽或牲畜的任何事物都表示属于人的任何事物，这似乎显得很奇怪，所以我在此要以确认的方式从圣言引用更多经文。以西结书：
你要向埃及王和他的众人说，在威望上谁能与你相比呢？看哪，亚述，黎巴嫩的香柏树，枝条美丽，成荫之林；他身高高过田野所有的树木，他的枝子因多水繁多；天上的一切飞鸟都在他枝子上搭窝，田野的一切野兽都在他树枝下生产；所有大民族都住在他的荫下；他以其伟大而美丽。但因你以高大而被高举，所以他必被剪除；天上的飞鸟都要住在他的废墟上，田野的一切野兽都要在他的枝条上。(以西结书31:2, 3, 5–7, 10, 12, 13)
“埃及王和他的众人”表示属世人与其中的知识或科学；“亚述，黎巴嫩的香柏树”表示由一方的知识或科学和另一方的属灵真理的流注形成的理性层；“枝条美丽，成荫之林”表示通过理性真理藉着知识或科学获得的聪明。
“他身高高过田野所有的树木”表示甚至向来自属灵层的内层理性层提升；“枝子因多水繁多”表示通过来自圣言的真理知识或认知的属灵真理而丰富；“天上的飞鸟都在他枝子上搭窝”表示理性事物中的属灵思维，因为理性层是内在-属灵人和外在-属世人之间的媒介；“田野的一切野兽都在他树枝下生产”表示理性感知到的对知识或科学的情感。
住在他荫下的“大民族”表示属世人中的情感的良善；“以伟大而美丽”表示聪明；而要住在他的废墟和枝条上的“天上的飞鸟和田野的野兽”表示一个人所拥有的思维之虚假和欲望之邪恶，因为他“以高大而被高举”，也就是出于对自我聪明的爱而变得骄傲。“天上的飞鸟和田野的野兽”明显表示真理的思维和对真理的情感，因为经上说：“大民族都住在他的荫下。”
但以理书：
看哪，地中间有一棵树，极其高大；那树甚至直达于天，从地极都能看见它；其叶子华美，其花朵甚多，众生的食物就在其中；田野的走兽得到它下面的荫影，空中的飞鸟住在它的枝子上；凡有血肉的都从这树得滋养。有一位守望的圣者从天而降，呼喊伐倒这树，砍下枝子，摇掉叶子，抛散花朵；叫走兽从他下面逃离，飞鸟从他的树枝逃离；但他根上的树墩子却要留在地里，用铁圈和铜圈箍住，留在田野的青草中；让他被天上的露水滴湿，让他的分儿就在地上的青草，跟走兽一样；他的心必改变，不再是人的心，而给他一个兽心。(但以理书4:10–16)
这是巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒作的梦，它描述了属天教会的建立，它增长甚至直到顶点，后来它因甚至统治教会的圣物、篡夺掌管天堂的权利而毁灭。
地中间的“树”表示这教会；它的“高大”表示感知、因而智慧的延伸；“从地极都能看见它”表示它甚至延伸到教会的终端；“其叶子华美，其花朵甚多”表示真理和良善的知识，以及对真理和良善的情感，并由此而来的聪明；“众生的食物就在其中”表示天上的滋养，这滋养来自良善，并由此来自真理；“田野的走兽得到它下面的荫影，空中的飞鸟住在它的枝子上”表示对良善的情感，以及随之而来的真理的思维和对真理的感知；由于这些就是属灵的食物，所以经上说：“凡有血肉的都从这树得滋养。”
但由于它出于自我之爱统治天堂和教会的圣物，巴比伦人最终声称控制了这些圣物，所以后来的这些话描述了它的毁灭：“有一位守望的圣者从天而降，呼喊伐倒这树，砍下枝子，摇掉叶子，抛散花朵；叫走兽从他下面逃离，飞鸟从他的树枝逃离。”因为对他们来说，自我之爱和心智的傲慢增长，甚至直到他们声称享有掌管教会圣物、事实上掌管天堂本身的权利；当这种情况发生时，教会的一切，甚至对良善和真理的一切感知和认知或知识，就都灭亡了；因为属灵人所居的心智的内在关闭了，属世人所居的外在掌权了；人由此变得感官化，直到他与兽区别甚微。
要留在地里的“根上的树墩子”表示仅在字面上所理解的圣言，这样理解的圣言只是居于记忆，并由此发出进入言语的知识。“铁圈和铜圈”表示内层真理和良善被关闭，并被束缚在终端，“铁”表示终端中的真理，“铜”表示终端中的良善，当这些与内层分离时，它们就是虚假和邪恶。由于那时教会之人在理解力和意愿方面完全就像一个兽，因情感的邪恶和思维的虚假掌权了，所以经上说：“他的分儿就在地上的青草，跟走兽一样；他的心必改变，不再是人的心，而给他一个兽心。”这种改变和颠倒由于他们声称享有统治教会圣物，最终统治天堂的权利而发生，这一点从但以理书4:30–32明显看出来，那里有这些话：
王说，这不是我以大能大力为王国之家，为我威严的荣耀所建的大巴比伦吗？这话尚在王的口中，有声音从天降下，说，这国要离开你了，他们必赶逐你离开世人，你的住处必与田野的走兽在一起；他们必使你吃草如牛，等你知道至高者在人的国中掌权，祂愿意将国赐给谁就赐给谁。(但以理书4:30–32)
作巴比伦王的“尼布甲尼撒”表示开始时的属天教会，它甚至发展到智慧的顶峰，这一点从但以理书明显看出来，那里论述了尼布甲尼撒梦见的雕像。在那里，经上说：
诸天之神已将人子，田野的走兽，并天空的飞鸟交付你手，使你掌管这一切；你就是那金像的头。(但以理书2:37, 38)
“金像的头”表示属天教会，该教会是众教会之首。属天教会最初由“巴比伦王”来表示，因为最终沦落为巴别或巴比伦的这个教会始于对主的敬拜和对祂的爱，然后有一种对通过天堂的神圣良善和真理延伸和完善教会的热情在它中间盛行，但这是出于一个还隐藏着的动机，即对统治的爱；然而，这爱只是逐渐爆发出来。不过，等到论述巴比伦时，这个主题会得到详述。
650e.何西阿书：
当那日，我必与田野的走兽、天空的飞鸟和地上的爬行物立约；又要从地上折断弓和剑；使他们安然躺卧；我必聘你永远归我。(何西阿书2:18, 19)
这些话论及主对一个新教会的建立，这就是此处论述的主题。显然，那时耶和华，也就是主，不会与田野的走兽、天空的飞鸟和地上的爬行物立约，而是与里面将有教会建立的人立约。因此，这些事物表示诸如人里面的那类事物，即“田野的野兽”表示对真理知识的情感，“天空的飞鸟”表示出于属灵之物的理性思维，“地上的爬行物”表示属世人的知识，尤表感官知识。然后祂“又要从地上折断弓和剑”表示祂将摧毁与教义真理争战的虚假；“我必聘你永远归我”表示真理与虚假，并良善与邪恶之间不会再有任何争论。
以赛亚书：
田野的野兽必尊重我，龙和猫头鹰的女儿也是如此；因我在旷野赐下水，在沙漠赐下河，好赐给我的百姓、我的选民喝。(以赛亚书43:20)
显然，“田野的野兽”、“龙”和“猫头鹰的女儿”在此不是指田野的野兽，龙和猫头鹰，因为这些不能尊重耶和华。所指的是教会之人，这一点从下文清楚看出来，因为经上说：“好赐给我的百姓、我的选民喝。”因此，“田野的野兽”表示对真理知识的情感，“龙”表示属世观念，“猫头鹰的女儿”表示感官情感；因为感官层受真理影响，在黑暗中看它们，就像猫头鹰在夜间看物体一样。
由于所表示的是这些事物，所以很明显，它们是指外邦人或列族，一个新教会将在他们中间建立，因为在改造之前，他们处于这种模糊的情感和属世思维。“在旷野赐下水，在沙漠赐下河”表示将真理，由此将聪明赋予那些以前处于无知的人，“水”表示真理，“河”表示聪明，“旷野和沙漠”表示无知；“赐给耶和华的百姓、祂的选民喝”表示教导那些处于信之真理和仁之良善的人；那些处于信之真理的人被称为“百姓”，那些处于仁之良善的人被称为“选民”。
约珥书：
食物不是在我们眼前从我们神的家中断绝了吗？欢喜快乐也是如此。牲畜哀鸣，牛群迷惑，因为它们没有草场；羊群变得荒凉。田野的走兽向你发喘，因为有水的河干涸了，火也吞灭了旷野的住所。(约珥书1:16, 18, 20)
这些话描述了当教会不再有任何教义真理和生活良善时，它的状态。“从神的家中断绝的食物”表示属灵的滋养，它来自源于良善的真理，“神的家”表示教会；“牲畜哀鸣，牛群迷惑”表示缺乏对真理，由此对属世人中的知识的情感，以及因此导致的悲伤，“牛群”表示整个范围内的属世人的事物。
“没有草场”表示没有教导；“羊群变得荒凉”表示属于信和仁的属灵真理和良善的缺乏；“田野的走兽向你发喘”表示那些处于属世情感，由此处于对真理和良善的知识的渴望之人的悲伤；“有水的河干涸了”表示教义真理因属世之爱消散了；“火也吞灭了旷野的住所”表示这爱和由此而来的真理知识的毁灭，“旷野的住所”表示那些属于这样一个人的理解力和意愿的事物，否则它们会接受教会的真理和良善。
同一先知书：
大地啊，不要惧怕，要欢喜快乐，因为耶和华行了大事；我田野的走兽啊，你们不要惧怕，因为旷野的居所都长满了青草，树木结果，无花果树、葡萄树也都效力。锡安之子哪，你们要以耶和华为欢喜快乐。(约珥书2:21–23)
这些话论及主对教会的建立，“不要惧怕，要欢喜快乐的大地”表示教会及其快乐；“耶和华行了大事”表示主对它的建立；因此，“祂田野的走兽”表示那些处于对良善的情感，渴望来自圣言的教导之人，“走兽”表示那些处于属于属世人的对良善的情感之人，“田野”表示来自圣言的教义。
“旷野的居所都长满了青草”表示真理和良善的知识将在那些以前没有它们的人中间；“树木结果”表示生活的良善通过这些知识产生，因为“树木”表示教会之人，尤表充满知识的心智，“果”表示生活的良善；“无花果树、葡萄树也都效力”表示来自属世良善，同时来自属灵良善的结果的产生。由于“田野的走兽”、“树木”、“无花果树”和“葡萄树”表示诸如与教会之人同在的那类事物，所以经上说“锡安之子哪，你们要以耶和华为欢喜快乐”，“锡安之子”表示那些属于属天教会的人，而“欢喜”论及良善的快乐，“快乐”论及真理的愉悦。
以西结书：
在歌革来到以色列地的日子，那时在以色列地必有大地震；海中的鱼、天上的鸟、田野的野兽，并爬在地上的一切爬行物和地面上的众人，在我面前都必震动。(以西结书38:18–20)
“歌革”表示没有内在神圣的外在神圣，因而表示那些处于这种神圣的人；“地震”表示教会状态的改变；“海中的鱼、天上的鸟、田野的野兽，并地上的一切爬行物和众人都必震动”表示在属于与人同在的教会之物方面，他的一切事物都将改变；“海中的鱼”表示知识或科学，“天上的鸟”表示由此而来的思维，“田野的野兽”表示由此而来的情感，“地上的爬行物”表示肉体-感官层中的思维和情感，“人”表示它们从初至末集合起来的全部。否则，经上为何说这些事物必在耶和华面前震动呢？
撒迦利亚书：
那日必有大扰乱，犹大也必与耶路撒冷争战，那临到马匹、骡子、骆驼、驴和营中一切牲畜的灾殃必是这样；后来剩下的各人必上耶路撒冷。(撒迦利亚书14:13–15)
这段经文描述了旧教会的最后状态和新教会的开始。旧教会的最后状态由当犹大与耶路撒冷争战时的“大扰乱”来描述，这表示那时的变化，以及对邪恶的爱与教会教义真理的争战；“马匹、骡子、骆驼、驴和一切牲畜的灾殃”表示诸如伤害并摧毁教会和教会之人的属灵生命的那类事物，“马匹、骡子、骆驼、驴”表示他们的理解力和意愿的事物，因而表示他们的知识和情感的事物。别处会告知“马、骡子、骆驼、驴”具体表示什么；此处只说明，“牲畜(或兽)”表示属世人的情感，“牲畜(或兽)的灾殃”表示对这情感的伤害和摧毁。
耶利米书：
这地悲哀，一切田野的青草枯干要到几时呢？由于住在其中者的邪恶，牲畜和飞鸟都灭绝了。(耶利米书12:4)
“地”表示教会；“田野的青草”表示已经涌现和正在涌现的教会真理；“悲哀和枯干”表示因欲望而灭亡和消散；都灭绝的“牲畜和飞鸟”表示对良善的情感和由此而来的真理的思维。结果就是，这些将因教会中的邪恶而灭亡；故经上说：“由于住在其中者的邪恶。”
以赛亚书：
山上的鸟和地上的兽必一律舍弃；但飞鸟必厌恶它，地上的一切走兽必藐视它。(以赛亚书18:6)
这些话论及被翅膀遮荫的地，这地表示教会，该教会因它所处的模糊而将幻想的事物当作属灵真理来抓住，因而出于无知陷入对这些真理的否认。“飞鸟和走兽”在此表示真理的思维和对良善的情感，无论理性的还是属世的，经上说它们“厌恶和藐视”。显然，不是飞鸟和走兽，而是对良善的情感和真理的思维，也就是那些处于这些的人厌恶和藐视。
何西阿书：
他们抢劫，血接着血；凡住在其中的，就是田野的野兽、天空的飞鸟都衰微，海中的鱼也必聚集起来。(何西阿书4:2, 3)
此处“田野的野兽”、“天空的飞鸟”和“海中的鱼”与前面的具有相同的含义。
以西结书：
人子啊，你要对各翅膀的一切鸟和田野的一切野兽说，你们聚集来吧；要从四围聚集来赴我为你们祭献的祭筵，就是摆在以色列众山上的大祭筵，好叫你们吃肉喝血；你们要吃勇士的肉，喝地上首领的血，公绵羊、羊羔、小山羊、小公牛，都是巴珊的肥畜；从我为你们祭献的祭筵，你们必吃脂肪直到饱足，喝血直到醉；你们必在我桌子上因马匹、战车、勇士和所有的战士而饱足；我要在列族中赐予我的荣耀。(以西结书39:17–21)
这些话论及将外邦人或列族召集到教会，他们以爱之良善，也就是生活的良善接受教义真理，随之而来的是他们在属灵事物上的聪明。因此，要从四围聚集来赴以色列众山上的大祭筵的“各翅膀的鸟和田野的一切野兽”表示所有人，无论他们在对真理的感知和对良善的情感方面可能处于什么状态，“各翅膀的鸟”表示所有处于对真理的某种感知的人，“田野的一切野兽”表示所有处于对良善的某种情感的人；“从四围聚集”表示那些从四面八方而来的教会之外的人。
“大祭筵”表示出于信和爱对主的敬拜，因为这就是那“祭祀”总体上所代表的；“以色列的山”表示属灵之爱的良善。“吃肉喝血”表示将为自己采用爱之良善和这良善的真理；“吃勇士的肉，喝地上首领的血”表示这种采用，“勇士”(或公牛)表示属世人的情感，“地上首领”表示教会的主要真理；“公绵羊、羊羔、小山羊、小公牛，巴珊的肥畜”表示纯真、爱、仁、良善的一切事物，“巴珊的肥畜”表示来自一个属灵源头的属世人的良善。
由此清楚可知，“吃肉直到饱足，喝血直到醉”表示什么，即表示充满一切爱之良善和信之真理；“在主的桌子上因马匹、战车、勇士和所有的战士而饱足”表示从圣言被充分教导，“马”表示对真理的理解，“战车”表示真理的教义，“勇士和战士”表示与邪恶之虚假争战，并摧毁它的良善之真理。由于这些话论及将外邦人或列族召集到主的教会，所以经上补充说“我要在列族中赐予我的荣耀”，“荣耀”表示在光中的神性真理。
这就是“各翅膀的鸟和田野的走兽”的含义，这一点可从前面所解释的经文，以及以赛亚书中的这些话明显看出来：
主耶和华，就是招聚以色列被赶散的，说，我还要招聚他们归并已被招聚的人；我田野的一切野兽，你们都来吞吃吧，森林中的一切野兽也要如此。(以赛亚书56:8, 9)
主将要招聚的“以色列被赶散的”表示在教会里，与教会中那些处于来自邪恶的虚假之人分离的所有处于来自良善的真理之人；“主耶和华的田野的野兽”也表示这些人，“田野”表示在教义真理植入方面的教会；而“森林中的野兽”表示在教会之外的外邦人或列族，“森林”表示属世和感官人，“野兽”表示它的知识(或科学)和由此而来的模糊的聪明。显然，这就是“田野的野兽”和“森林中的野兽”的含义，因为经上说“我田野的一切野兽和森林中的一切野兽，你们都来吞吃吧”，“吞吃”表示教导和采用。
650f.由于圣言中的大多数事物也有一个反面意义，所以“兽或牲畜”和“野兽”也是如此；在反面意义上，“兽或牲畜”表示邪恶的情感，也就是玷污和摧毁教会良善的欲望，“野兽”表示歪曲、从而摧毁教会真理的欲望。
以下经文就提到了反面意义上的“兽或牲畜”和“野兽”。以西结书：
我要为他们兴起一个牧人，牧养他们，就是我的仆人大卫；他必给他们作牧人；我必与他们立平安的约，使邪恶的野兽从地上灭绝，他们就必在旷野中安居，在森林中安眠；他们必不再作列族的猎物，地上的野兽也不再吞吃他们；他们却要安然居住，也无人惊吓他们。(以西结书34:23, 25, 28)
这些话论及主的降临，以及天堂和那些将进入新天堂的教会之人的蒙福状态。“仆人大卫，就是耶和华要兴起的牧人”表示主，主因服侍和事奉，也就是履行功用而被称为“仆人”(参看AE 409b节)；“与他们立平安的约”表示通过从主发出的神性事物，也就是爱之良善和来自圣言的教义真理，因而通过圣言与主结合；“使邪恶的野兽从地上灭绝”表示邪恶的贪欲和欲望将不再攻击并摧毁他们。
“在旷野中安居，在森林中安眠”表示他们将免受贪欲和欲望的侵扰，尽管他们处于它们，就在它们当中，“旷野”和“森林”表示这些东西和这些人所在之处(此处的意思与以赛亚书11:7–9中的类似)。由于对邪恶和虚假的欲望摧毁教会之人，所以经上说“他们必不再作列族的猎物，邪恶的野兽也不再吞吃他们”，“列族”表示对邪恶的欲望，“地上的野兽”表示对虚假的欲望。
耶利米书：
我的产业变得如森林中的狮子，她发声攻击我，因此我恨恶她；带斑点的鸷鸟(bird Zabuah)是我的产业，它四围是鸟；你们去聚集田野的一切野兽，来吞吃吧；许多牧人毁坏我的葡萄园。(耶利米书12:8–10)
这些话论及教会因邪恶之虚假而荒废。“产业”表示教会；发声攻击神的森林中的“狮子”表示整个范围内的邪恶之虚假；“带斑点的鸷鸟(bird Zabuah)”表示基于虚假的推理；要聚集来吞吃的“田野的野兽”表示寻求通过虚假摧毁教会真理的欲望；由于所表示的是如此被摧毁的教会，所以经上说“许多牧人毁坏我的葡萄园”，“葡萄园”表示属灵教会，或在对真理的情感方面的教会；由于“葡萄园”表示教会，所以可知，“田野的野兽”表示对歪曲、从而摧毁教会真理的欲望。
以赛亚书：
在那里必没有狮子，饥肠辘辘的野兽也不上到那里来，在那里都遇不见它。(以赛亚书35:9)
此处论述的是主的降临，以及祂在天上和地上的国度；“狮子”和“饥肠辘辘的野兽”与前面的具有相同的含义。谁都能清楚看出，“野兽”在此不是指一个野兽。
何西阿书：
我遇见他们必像丢崽子的熊，我必撕裂他们的心膜，像猛狮吞吃他们；田野的野兽必撕裂他们。(何西阿书13:8)
此处“狮子”和“田野的野兽”与前面的具有相同的含义。
西番雅书：
耶和华必伸手攻击北方，毁灭亚述，使尼尼微化为荒地，像旷野一样的干地；群畜，就是这个民族一切的野兽，必卧在她中间；鹈鹕和麻鳽夜夜都要宿在她的柱顶上；在窗户内必有声音歌唱，门槛上必有干旱，因为香柏木已经露出；这是素来安然居住的欢乐城，心里说，惟有我，除我以外再没有别的；她怎会成为荒场，成为野兽躺卧之处；凡从她旁边经过的人都必嗤笑摇手。(西番雅书2:13–15)
这段经文描述了教会因出于自我聪明的教义虚假而荒废。耶和华必伸手攻击的“北方”表示处于虚假的教会；耶和华必毁灭的“亚述”表示基于虚假的推理；祂使之化为荒地，像旷野一样的干地的“尼尼微”表示教义的虚假；“群畜”、“这个民族的野兽”、“鹈鹕和麻鳽”表示对虚假的情感，以及内层和外层的虚假本身。
它们要宿在的“柱顶”表示被歪曲的来自圣言的真理知识；在窗户内的“声音”表示虚假的宣讲；门槛上的“干旱”表示真理的彻底荒凉；已经露出的“香柏木”表示被摧毁的理性层；“安然居住的欢乐城”表示虚假的教义，他们以虚假的教义为乐，并安歇于其中；“心里说，惟有我，除我以外再没有别的”表示自我聪明的骄傲；“野兽躺卧之处”表示在真理方面荒废的教会状态；“凡从她旁边经过的人都必嗤笑摇手”表示那些处于教义的真理和良善之人对它们的蔑视和弃绝。
摩西五经：
我要赐平安在地上，好叫你们可以安然躺卧，无人惊吓，我要使邪恶的野兽从地上绝迹，剑必不穿越你们的地。(利未记26:6)
好叫他们可以安然躺卧，无人惊吓的地上的“平安”表示来自对主的信靠的保护，防止虚假侵入教会；“使邪恶的野兽从地上绝迹”表示摆脱对虚假的情感和欲望的自由；“剑必不穿越地”表示虚假将不再摧毁真理。
出埃及记：
我要打发黄蜂飞在你前面，把希未人、迦南人、赫人从你面前撵出去；我不在一年之内将他从你面前撵出去，恐怕地成为荒凉，田间的野兽多起来害你；我要渐渐地将他从你面前撵出去，直到你多结果实，承受那地为业。(出埃及记23:28–30)
“我要打发黄蜂飞在你前面”表示那些处于来自邪恶的虚假之人的恐惧；“把希未人、迦南人、赫人撵出去”表示来自邪恶的虚假的逃跑；“我不在一年之内将他从你面前撵出去”表示它们必不迅速逃跑，或被移除；“恐怕地成为荒凉”表示以免在这种情况下，属灵生命缺乏，或只有一点点；“田间的野兽多起来害你”表示从对自我和世界的爱之快乐中流入的虚假；“我要渐渐地将他从你面前撵出去”表示按次序逐渐移除；“直到你多结果实”表示照着良善的增长；“承受那地为业”表示当一个人处于良善并重生时。不过，《属天的奥秘》(可参看9331–9338节)进一步解释了这些事物。
摩西五经中的这些话具有类似含义：
耶和华神要渐渐地把这些民族从你面前撵出去；你不能迅速地把他们灭尽，恐怕田野的野兽多起来害你。(申命记7:22)
已经被以色列人撵出去和将要被撵出去的“民族”表示各种邪恶和虚假，“迦南地”表示教会，“以色列人”表示教会之人；因此，要多起来害他们的“田野的野兽”表示对来自邪恶的虚假的欲望；因为一个被改造和重生，以至于教会可以在他里面的人是一点一点地被改造和重生的；他重新被孕育、出生并接受教育，这一切会发生到通过遗传自出生起就在他里面的邪恶及其虚假被移除的程度；这个过程不是一瞬间完成的，而是要历经生命的重要旅程。这清楚表明，“这些民族不是在一年之内，而是渐渐被撵出去，恐怕田间的野兽多起来害你”表示什么；事实上，如果邪恶和由此而来的虚假一下子被移除，那么人将几乎没有任何生命，因为他与生俱来的生命是出于欲望的邪恶和由此而来的虚假的生命；只有良善和真理进入，这些邪恶和虚假才能被移除，因为后者通过前者被移除。
650g.由于“野兽”在灵义上表示对来自邪恶的虚假的欲望，“鸟”表示出于它们的思维和理解，还由于教会之人因这些而灭亡，所以在圣言论述教会荒废的各个地方，经上都说，他们被交给野兽和飞鸟吞吃，如以下经文。诗篇：
林中的野猪将葡萄树践踏在脚下，田间的野兽去吃它。(诗篇80:13)
何西阿书：
我必使她的葡萄树和无花果树荒废；使它们成为森林，田野的野兽必吃它们。(何西阿书2:12)
以西结书：
我必打发饥荒和邪恶的野兽临到你，叫你丧子。(以西结书5:17)
这话论及耶路撒冷，耶路撒冷表示教会。同一先知书：
我必把他交给野兽吞吃。(以西结书33:27)
又：
因无牧人，羊就分散，成为田野一切野兽的食物。(以西结书34:5, 8)
又：
我已将你给地上野兽、天上飞鸟作食物。(以西结书29:5)
又：
我要把你抛在田间地面上，使空中的一切飞鸟都住在你身上，使全地的野兽因你得以饱足。(以西结书32:4)
耶利米书：
他们的尸首必给天上的飞鸟和地上的走兽作食物。(耶利米书16:4; 19:7; 34:20)
以西结书：
我已经把你交给各翅膀的飞鸟和田野的野兽作食物。(以西结书39:4)
诗篇：
他们把你仆人的尸首，交与天上的飞鸟，把你圣民的肉，交与地上的野兽。(诗篇79:2)
耶利米书：
我必用四样察罚他们，就是杀戮的剑，拖拉的狗，吞吃毁灭的空中飞鸟和地上走兽。(耶利米书15:3)
在这些经文中，“野兽和飞鸟”表示由对邪恶的欲望和推理产生的虚假。由于迦南地的“列族”表示宗教和敬拜的邪恶和虚假，所以雅各的子孙并未埋葬他们在战争中所杀的各个民族或人民的尸体，而是任由它们被鸟兽吞食；但这不是出于神性命令，而是出于这个人民与生俱来的残忍，因而出于许可，好代表这些事物。
诗篇：
仇敌辱骂耶和华，愚顽民藐视你的名。不要将你斑鸠的灵魂交给野兽，不要永远忘记你困苦人的性命。(诗篇74:18, 19)
辱骂耶和华的“仇敌”表示地狱和由此而来的邪恶；藐视祂名的“愚顽民”表示反对教义真理的虚假；那些处于真理的人被称为“民”，“(人)民”(或译为百姓，国民等)在反面意义上表示那些处于虚假的人，这些人是“愚顽民”；“耶和华的名”表示教义和教会的一切真理；“不要将你斑鸠的灵魂交给野兽”表示不要将属灵良善交给那些处于对邪恶的欲望之人；“你困苦人的性命”表示受邪恶和虚假压迫的属灵生命。
哈巴谷书：
黎巴嫩的强暴遮盖你，走兽的毁灭使他们惊吓，都因人们的血，并这地、城和所有住在其中之人的强暴。(哈巴谷书2:17)
“黎巴嫩的强暴”表示向理性人从圣言感知到的真理所施的暴行，因为“黎巴嫩”表示在来自理性人的对真理的感知方面的教会；使他们惊吓的“走兽的毁灭”表示真理因对邪恶的欲望而毁灭；“血”表示通过邪恶向圣言真理所施的暴行；“地、城和所有住在其中之人的强暴”表示通过虚假向教会的真理和良善，以及教会教义所施的暴行。
摩西五经：
我必打发走兽的牙齿和地上爬行物的毒液临到他们。(申命记32:24)
“走兽的牙齿”表示在对邪恶的欲望方面的感官层，因为“牙齿”对应于人生命的终端，也就是感官层；“地上爬行物的毒液”表示由此而来的虚假，这些虚假利用感官人的谬误狡猾地扭曲真理。
以西结书：
我进去一看，只见四围墙上画着可憎的各样爬物、走兽的形状，以及以色列家所有的偶像。(以西结书8:10)
先知所看到的这些和其它许多事物表示以色列人所处的可怕欲望和虚假，因为他们完全处于外在，根本不处于内在；那些具有这种性质的人将一切代表都变成偶像崇拜的东西；这是他们的偶像崇拜和其他许多民族的偶像崇拜的源头；“走兽和爬物”，就是他们为自己所造的形像，因它们表示对良善和谨慎的情感，却成为对邪恶和虚假的可怕欲望的代表。当与属灵人分离的属世人看待圣物时，情况就是这样；这就是为何它们被称为“以色列家的偶像”。它们被看到画在其上的“四围墙”表示在属世人中无处不在的内层，因为“屋顶”表示最内层或至内层，“地板”或“地面”表示最外层或终端，“墙”表示内层，“家或房屋”表示在其心智事物方面的人自己。属世人是内层和外层的，内层属世人就是人的污秽之物所居之处；外层不泄露这些东西，而是披上良善、公义和诚实之物的假象。
由于“野兽”和“走兽或牲畜”表示属于情感的理解力的良善和意愿的良善；还由于知道对应关系的古人将这些制作成具有代表性和有意义的形像，起初他们并不敬拜这些形像，但他们的后代从内在变成纯粹的外在，就将它们当作自己里面的神性来敬拜，所以野兽和走兽或牲畜变成偶像。这一点明显可见于以赛亚书：
彼勒屈身，尼波弯腰，他们的偶像是给野兽和牲畜的。(以赛亚书46:1)
在以赛亚的预言中，我们读到“南方牲畜”(以赛亚书30:6等)；“南方牲畜”表示对良善的玷污和对真理的歪曲，由此产生只处于外在的教会之人中间的各种邪恶和虚假；它们被称为“南方牲畜”，是因为它们在那些拥有圣言的人中间，他们能从圣言处于来自圣言的真理之光，这就是“南方”。
但以理书：
他在夜间的异象中观看，有四个兽从海中上来；第一只像狮子，有鹰的翅膀，第二只像熊，第三只像豹，有四个翅膀，第四只可怕可惧。(但以理书7:2–7)
此处从海中上来的“兽”表示对统治的爱，圣言和教会的圣物则充当这爱的手段；“四个兽”表示对统治之爱的逐渐增长；因此，最后一只兽被称为“可怕可惧”。前面部分解释了这些事物(可参看AE 316c, 556a节)。
启示录中从海中上来的兽(启示录13:1–10)；从地中上来的兽(启示录13:11–18)；朱红色兽(启示录17:3)；从无底坑或深渊里上来的兽(启示录17:8)表示几乎一样的事物。关于这些兽，启示录19:19, 20; 20:10说的更详细。但在下文论述这些兽的地方，我们会看到，每只兽具体表示什么样的对邪恶和虚假的欲望。
由此明显可知，马可福音中的这些话是什么意思：
灵催促耶稣，叫祂到旷野去，祂在旷野四十天，并与走兽在一起，有天使事奉祂。(马可福音1:12, 13)
主在旷野四十天代表祂在全世界其他所有人之上所经历和承受的一切试探，包括最可怕、最残忍的试探的持续时间；因为“四十天”表示试探的整个时期和持续时间，也就是说，祂不只是那时受试探，而是从童年时期甚至直到祂在世生命的结束都在受试探；祂最后的试探是在客西马尼园。因为祂通过试探征服了所有地狱，也荣耀了祂的人身(关于主所受的试探，可参看《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》，302节)。由于试探通过来自地狱的恶灵和魔鬼，因而通过地狱产生，邪恶和虚假，以及对它们的贪欲和欲望都从地狱产生，所以此处与主在一起的“走兽”不是指走兽，而是指地狱和由地狱产生的邪恶；事奉祂的“天使”不是指天使，而是指神性真理，祂通过神性真理凭自己的能力战胜并征服地狱。在圣言中，“天使”表示神性真理(参看AE 130, 200, 302, 593节)。
650. The beast coming up out of the abyss shall make war with them.- That this signifies assault from infernal love, is plain from the signification of beast, as denoting the affection of the natural man in both senses, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the abyss, as denoting hell (concerning this see above, n. 538); and from the signification of making war, as denoting to assault, for by wars, in the Word, are not signified wars, like those in our world, but such as are in the spiritual world, all of which are combats by means of falsities from evil against truths from good. That such things are signified by wars in the Word, will be evident in the following pages, where wars are again mentioned. From these things it is clear that by the beast coming up out of the abyss shall make war with the witnesses, is signified infernal love from the falsities of evil about to assault the truths of good.
[2] Before it is shown that by beast is signified the love or affection of the natural man, something shall be said concerning assault. Infernal love is principally the love of self, for the love of self is the love of man's proprium, and man's proprium is nothing but evil; therefore, as far as man is in that love, so far he is against the Lord, and consequently against the good of love and of charity, and against the truth of doctrine and of faith, thus against those two witnesses. For this reason the hells where the love of self reigns are the most dreadful and malignant, and are diametrically opposed to the Lord, whence they continually attack the goods of love and of faith, because these are from the Lord alone, and are the Lord with men and angels.
[3] That those hells are more dreadful than the rest, is evident from this, that they continually breathe forth the destruction of those who confess the Divine of the Lord, consequently the destruction of those who are in the good of love and in the good of faith to the Lord from the Lord. The reason why those hells are more malignant than the rest, is, that as far as man is in the love of self, and at the same time in the love of his own intelligence, so far his natural light (lumen) is in a kind of brightness, for the love of self is like fire which kindles that light, hence it is that such are able to think and reason ingeniously against the Divine and against all things of heaven and of the church. I have sometimes been amazed when I have heard people of such a character, because I imagined that they might also be induced to receive faith even more than others, but I found that this was impossible, for as far as they were in light as to things corporeal, worldly, and natural, so far they were in thick darkness as to things celestial and spiritual; and this thick darkness was seen by me and appeared altogether dusky, mingled with something fiery. I could confirm this by much experience, if this were the place for relating my experiences. The love of self is what is here specifically meant by the beast coming up out of the abyss, which made war with the two witnesses, and killed them.
[4] That a beast signifies the love or affection of the natural man in both senses, is clear from very many passages in the Word; and because this has been hitherto unknown, and it appears strange, as it were, that beasts signify the love or affection of the natural man, it is necessary to confirm this from the Word. The reason why natural affections are signified by beasts, is, because those affections are entirely similar to the affections of beasts, and therefore the man who is not imbued with spiritual affections by means of the goods and truths of heaven, differs but little from the beasts. For man is distinguished above the beasts by the possession of the faculty of thinking spiritually, and thence of willing, in consequence of which he is eminently able to see and perceive abstract things. But if that spiritual faculty is not vivified by the knowledges of truth and good, and afterwards by faith and the life of faith, he is no better than the beasts, except in this only, that he is able to think and speak from that higher faculty.
[5] Because the affections of the natural man are signified by beasts, therefore, when those affections are presented visibly in the spiritual world under the similitude of animals, they appear altogether like forms of various beasts; thus as lambs, sheep, she-goats, kids, he-goats, heifers, oxen, and cows; also as camels, horses, mules, asses; and also as bears, tigers, leopards, lions; likewise as dogs and serpents of various kinds. But such things are only appearances of the affections of spirits, and when they appear, it is also known there not only that they exist thence, but also with whom they originate; but as soon as the affections cease with them, those appearances cease also.
[6] From these considerations also it is evident why beasts are so often mentioned in the Word. But we proceed to confirmations from that source.
In David:
"Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under his feet, the flock and the herd, and also the beasts of the fields, the bird of heaven, and the fishes of the sea" (Psalm 8:6-8).
The subject treated of in the whole of that Psalm is the Lord, and His dominion over all things of heaven and of the church. The things of heaven and of the church are meant here and in other passages of the Word by the works of the hands of Jehovah; and because His dominion is over those things, and spiritual things, in the Word, are expressed by natural things, the Word in its bosom being spiritual, therefore by flock, herd, beasts of the fields, birds of heaven, and fishes of the sea, are not meant those things, but spiritual things pertaining to heaven and the church. By flock and by herd are signified spiritual things, and natural things that are from a spiritual origin; by flock, that is, by lambs, kids, she-goats, sheep, and rams, spiritual things, and by herds, which are heifers, oxen, cows, and camels, natural things from spiritual things. Beasts of the fields signify the affections of the natural man, birds of the heavens, thoughts thence, and the fish of the sea, the scientifics of the natural-sensual man. What other purpose could there be in describing the Lord's dominion over them?
[7] In the same:
"Thou, O God, causest the rain of benevolences to come down; thou didst confirm thy labouring heritage, thy wild beast," thy congregation, "shall dwell therein" (Psalm 68:9, 10).
Here beast is evidently put for the people who receive the influx of Divine Truth from the Lord, for of the heritage of God, by which the church is signified, it is said thy wild beast, thy congregation shall dwell therein. By the rain of benevolences is signified the influx of Divine Truth from the
Divine mercy.
[8] In the same:
Jehovah "who sendeth out the springs into the rivers; let them go between the mountains, they give drink to every wild beast; the wild asses quench their thirst, near them the bird of the heavens dwelleth, from among the boughs they utter their voice; who maketh the grass to bud forth for the beast, and the herb for the service of man, to bring forth bread out of the earth. Thou disposest the darkness that there maybe night, in which every wild beast of the forest cometh forth; the sea great and broad in its spaces; there are the creeping thing without number, wild beasts small and great" (Psalm 104:10, 11,
[12], 14, 20, 25).
These things also are concerning the Lord; and by these words the establishment of the church with the nations is described; therefore by wild beasts, beasts, and birds, are signified such things as appertain to the man of the church.
[9] It must be understood that in many passages mention is made sometimes of beast (bestia) and sometimes of wild beast (fera), and that by wild beast is not meant wild beast according to the common idea concerning wild beasts; for wild beast, in the Hebrew tongue, is derived from a word that signifies life, and therefore in certain passages instead of wild beast the word animal ought rather to be used. This also is evident from the fact that the four animals in Ezekiel (i., x.), in which the cherubim - which signify the Divine Providence and protection - were seen, are called wild beasts; and, similarly, in John in the Apocalypse, where the four animals about the throne are treated of, by which cherubim are also meant. But still a distinction is carefully made in the Word between beasts and wild beasts; and by beasts are signified the affections of the natural man pertaining to his will, and by wild beasts, the affections of the natural man pertaining to his understanding. Because "wild beast," in the Hebrew tongue, is derived from a word which signifies life, therefore Eve, the wife of Adam, was named from that word. This is premised in order that the signification of wild beast and beast in the proper sense may be known.
[10] What is signified by the words "Jehovah will send out springs into the rivers, that they may go between the mountains; they give drink to every wild beast of the fields; the wild asses quench their thirst, near them the bird of the heavens dwelleth," was explained above (n. 483:7). That Jehovah causeth the grass to bud forth for the beast, and herb for the service of man, to bring forth bread out of the earth, signifies the instruction and nourishment of the natural and spiritual man by truths from the Word, for thence is the good of love and of charity. Grass signifies the truth of the natural man, which is scientific truth (scientificum verum), as may be seen above (n. 507); beast signifies the affection thereof, which desires to be instructed and spiritually nourished; herb signifies the truth of the spiritual man, man, intelligence thence, and bread the good of love and of charity, which is nourished by truths. Because by darkness and night is signified the light (lumen) of the natural man, which compared with the light of the spiritual man is like night, by the wild beast of the forest, the affection for scientifics, by the sea great and broad in its spaces, the Natural itself, by the creeping thing without number, the scientifics therein, and as by wild beasts great and small, various affections are signified, the meaning of "Thou disposest the darkness that there may be night, in which every wild beast of the forest cometh forth; the sea great and broad in its spaces; there are the creeping thing without number, wild beasts small and great," is evident.
[11] Again:
"They shall sow fields and plant vineyards, and shall make the fruit of produce, and he shall bless them so that they shall be multiplied exceedingly; and he shall not diminish their beast; but they are diminished and bowed down, through the vehemence of wickedness and sorrow" (Psalm 107:37-39).
The whole of that Psalm treats concerning the coming of the Lord and concerning redemption from Him. That they shall then possess truths, by which the church shall be implanted in them, is signified by the words "they shall sow fields and plant vineyards and that thence they shall possess the goods of the church, from which truths shall increase, is signified by, their yielding the fruit of produce, and by Jehovah blessing them, that they multiply exceedingly. He shall not diminish their beast, signifies that then every good affection of the natural man shall remain with them; by, they are diminished and bowed down through the vehemence of wickedness and sorrow, signifies that those affections would otherwise perish by evils.
[12] Again:
"Praise Jehovah, ye sea monsters and all abysses, wild beast and every beast, creeping thing and every bird of wing" (148:7, 10).
In that Psalm, very many things are enumerated that shall praise Jehovah, which, in the world, are without life, as fire, hail, snow, vapour, wind of storm, mountains, hills, trees, fruits, cedars, also, as in this case, wild beasts, beasts, reptiles, and birds, which things cannot praise Jehovah. Who cannot see, therefore, that the recounting of such things in the Divine Word would be vain and superfluous, unless they were significative of such things in man as can praise, that is, worship, Jehovah. From the knowledge of correspondences it is seen that sea monsters signify the scientifics of the natural man in general; abysses and seas, the Natural itself, where scientifics are; wild beasts and beasts, the affections of the natural man, both of its understanding and will; creeping things, the Sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man; and birds of wing, the capability of thought (cogitativum) thence.
[13] Again:
Jehovah "who prepareth rain for the earth, who causeth grass to grow upon the mountains, who giveth to the beast his food, to the sons of the raven that call [upon Him]" (Psalm 147:8, 9).
These details also signify spiritual things of heaven and the church. To what purpose would it be for the Word, which solely teaches man the way to heaven by the truths of faith and the goods of love, to say that Jehovah prepareth rain for the earth, causeth grass to grow upon the mountains, giveth to the beasts their food, and to the sons of the raven that call upon Him? These things, however, are worthy of the Divine Word, when by rain is understood the influx of Divine Truth, by mountains, the good of love, by causing grass togrow, the instruction of the natural man by means of knowledges from the Word, by beasts, the affections of the natural man, that desire to be thence nourished - this nourishment being signified by the giving of food to them, and since by the sons of the raven are signified natural men who are in an obscure light (lumen) arising from fallacies concerning Divine truths, as were many of the nations, therefore it is said that He giveth [food] to the sons of the raven that call upon Him, for these can call upon Jehovah, but not the sons of the raven.
[14] Again:
"Every wild beast of the forest is mine, the beasts in the mountains of thousands; I know every bird of the mountains, and the wild beast of my fields with me" (Psalm 50:10, 11).
These things are indeed, said of sacrifices, in which the Lord does not delight, but in confession of heart and invocation; but still by the wild beast of the forest, the beast in the mountains, and by the bird of the mountains and the wild beast of the fields, similar things to those above are signified, namely, such as pertain to the man of the church.
[15] Again:
"Thy justice is as the mountains of God, thy judgments are a great deep; O Jehovah, thou preservest man and beast" (Psalm 36:6).
Man and beast signify the interior affection, which is spiritual, from which there is intelligence, and the exterior affection, which is natural, from which there is knowledge corresponding to intelligence.
[16] Similar things are also signified by man and beast in the following passages.
In Jeremiah:
The God of Israel said, "I have made the earth, man and beast, which are upon the faces of the earth, by my great power " (27:5; 36:29).
Again:
"Behold the days come, in which I will sow the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast" (31:27).
Again:
"As yet there shall be heard in this place, concerning which ye say, It is devastated, and there is no man or beast, and in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are devastated, so that there is no man, no inhabitant and no beast, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness" (33:10-12).
Again:
The whole land "shall be desolation that there shall not be man or beast" (32:43).
Again:
"I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence" (21:6).
Again:
"A nation from the north shall come up against" Babel, "and shall bring her land into desolation, so that there shall be no inhabitant therein; from man even unto beast, they have moved themselves off, they have gone away" (50:3).
Again:
"My anger and my wrath is poured out upon this place, upon man and upon beast" (7:20).
In Ezekiel:
"When the land shall sin against me, I will break its staff of bread, and I will send into it famine, and I will cut off from it man and beast" (14:13, 17, 19).
Again:
"I will stretch out my hand over Edom, and will cut off from it man and beast" (25:13).
Again:
"I will destroy every beast" of Egypt "from beside many waters, and the foot of man shall no more trouble them, neither shall the hoof of beast trouble them" (32:13).
Again:
"I will multiply upon you man and beast, that they may increase and be fruitful" (36:11).
In Zephaniah:
"In consuming I will consume all things from upon the faces of the earth; I will consume man and beast, I will consume the bird of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the impious, and I will cut off man from the faces of the earth" (1:2, 3).
In Zechariah:
The angel who came to measure Jerusalem said, "Run, speak, saying, Jerusalem shall inhabit the suburbs, by reason of the multitude of man and of beast in the midst of her" (2:3, 4).
Again:
"Let your hands be strong, for the temple shall be built; for before those days there was no hire for man nor hire for beast; for to him that went out and to him that came in, there was no peace from the enemy" (8:9, 10).
[17] In these passages, by man is signified the Interior or Spiritual, and by beast the Exterior or Natural; therefore, man signifies the spiritual affection for truth, from which is all intelligence, and beast, the natural affection corresponding to the spiritual. The reason why the Exterior or Natural is signified by beast, is, that man, as to his external or natural man, is nothing but a beast; for he has similar desires, pleasures, appetites, and senses, so that a man as to such things is altogether like a beast, wherefore the natural man may be called the "animal man." But the reason why the Internal or Spiritual is signified by man, is, because man is man as to his Interior or Spiritual which rejoices in the affections for good and truth such as pertain to the angels of heaven; and because man, by that Internal or Spiritual in himself, rules his natural or animal man, which is a beast.
[18] Since man and beast signify the spiritual and the natural man, therefore in the history of creation (Gen. i.), it is related that on the same day, that is, the sixth, the beasts were created, and also man; and afterwards, that to man was given dominion over the beasts. Concerning the creation of beasts and of man on the same day, and concerning the dominion of man over the beasts, it is thus written:
"God said, Let the earth bring forth the living soul according to its kind, and what moveth itself, and the wild beast of the earth according to its kind, and it was so. And God made the wild beast of the earth according to its kind, and the beast according to its kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground according to its kind. And God said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and they shall rule over the fishes of the sea, and over the bird of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day" (1:24-31).
By the creation of heaven and earth, in the spiritual sense of that chapter, is described the new creation or regeneration of the man of the Most Ancient Church, therefore beast signifies there the external or natural, and man, the internal-spiritual man, and by his dominion over the beasts is there meant the dominion of the spiritual man over the natural.
[19] That it was granted to the man of that church to know all the affections of the natural man, in order that he might have dominion over them, is signified by these words in Genesis:
"Jehovah formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens, and brought unto the man, to see what he would call it; and whatsoever man called it, the living soul, that was its name; and the man gave names to every beast, and to the bird of the heavens, and to every wild beast of the field" (Arcana Coelestia 142-146).
[20] Because man, in the Word, signifies properly the internal or spiritual man, and beast, the external or natural man, therefore God commanded that all the beasts and birds should be brought with Noah into the ark. Concerning this it is written as follows in Genesis:
"Jehovah said to Noah, Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee sevens, male and female; and of the beast which is not clean by two, male and female;" and he took "of the clean beast, and of the beast not clean, and of the bird, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth; two and two, entered they unto Noah into the ark, male and female" (7:1-9).
By Noah's flood, in the spiritual sense, is described the destruction of the Most Ancient Church, and also the last judgment upon the men of that church; and by Noah and his sons, in the same sense, is meant and described the succeeding church, which must be called the Ancient Church. It therefore follows that by the beasts brought into the ark with Noah are meant those affections of the natural man corresponding to spiritual affection, which pertained to the men of that church. But these things also may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia.
[21] Because by man is signified the internal-spiritual, and by beast the external or natural man, and by Egypt the natural man separated from the spiritual, which is then utterly destroyed, and no longer a man but a beast, therefore where the destruction of Egypt is treated of, it is related that "Jehovah caused it to rain hail, mingled with fire, and smote every thing which was in the fields, from man even to beast" (Exodus 9:22-25); concerning this see also the Arcana Coelestia. On account of the representation and consequent signification of the same thing, Jehovah also smote "all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from man even to beast" (Exodus 12:12, 29). But, on the other hand, with the sons of Israel, by whom the church was represented, it was commanded that all the first-born of man and of beast should be sacrificed to Jehovah (Numbers 18:15). Because such things were represented and thence signified by man and beast, therefore, from a holy rite received in the Ancient Church, the king of Nineveh proclaimed a fast, and commanded that neither man nor beast should taste or drink any thing, and that both man and beast should be covered with sackcloth (Jonah 3:7, 8).
[22] Because beasts signify the affections in both senses, therefore the likeness of any beast was not allowed to be made; concerning this it is written as follows in Moses:
Ye shall not make to you "the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flieth under heaven, the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the earth, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters under the earth" (Deuteronomy 4:17, 18).
The reason was, that the posterity of Jacob, who, because the representation of the church was with them, were called the sons of Israel, were in externals without an internal, that is, they were for the most part merely natural; therefore if they had made to themselves the likeness of any beast or bird - which signified affections and similar things - they would have made to themselves idols, and worshipped them. This also was the reason why the Egyptians, who knew more of representatives than any other people, made to themselves images of beasts, as of calves, serpents, and many other kinds; yet originally they did this not for purposes of worship, but on account of their signification. Their posterity, however, who from internal became external, consequently merely natural, looked upon those things not as representatives and significatives, but as holy things of the church, and therefore they offered them idolatrous worship. This was the reason why the posterity of Jacob, being altogether external men and consequently idolatrous in heart, were prohibited from making to themselves the likeness of such things.
[23] Thus, for example, the reason why they worshipped calves in Egypt, and afterwards in the wilderness, was, because a calf signified the first affection of the natural man, together with its good of innocence. The nations also everywhere worshipped serpents, because the serpent signified the Sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man, and its prudence; and so in other cases.
[24] Because beasts signified the various things of the natural man, therefore it was sometimes commanded also, when cities, or regions, were given to the curse, that the beasts also should be slaughtered; and this because they represented the evils and the profanities practised by the men who were given to the curse.
Since all kinds of beasts signified the various things which are in men of the church, therefore laws were made concerning beasts as to those kinds that were to be eaten and those that were not to be eaten (Leviticus xi.). Those that were to be eaten signified goods, and those that were not to be eaten evils; for the church of that time was representative, and therefore every thing prescribed for them was representative and significative, especially beasts; concerning which it is thus written in Moses:
"Ye shall distinguish between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean, that ye may not make your souls abominable by beast and bird; and ye shall be holy unto me" (Leviticus 20:25, 26).
[25] From these things it may now be seen why sacrifices of beasts of various kinds were permitted, as of lambs, sheep, kids, goats, heifers, oxen, and pigeons and turtle doves, namely, because they signified spiritual things and natural things from a spiritual origin; as lambs innocence, sheep charity, heifers and oxen the affections of the natural man corresponding to those of the spiritual man. For this reason the beasts for the sacrifices were varied according to the reasons for which they were offered; this would not have been done unless each of the sacrifices of beasts had signified such things as pertain to the church.
Since the man of the church at this day can scarcely be induced to believe that beasts and wild beasts, in the Word, signify the affections for good and truth pertaining to the man of the church, and for the reason that it appears strange that anything pertaining to a beast should signify anything pertaining to man, therefore I will adduce additional passages from the Word, by way of confirmation.
[26] In Ezekiel:
"Say unto the king of Egypt, and unto his multitude, Whom art thou like in thy stature? Behold Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, fair in branch and a shadowy forest; his stature became higher than all the trees of the field, and his branches were multiplied because of many waters; all the birds of the heavens made their nests in his branches; and under his branches every wild beast of the field brought forth, and in his shade dwelt all great nations; he was fair in his greatness. But because thou art lifted up in stature," he shall be cut down; "upon his ruin shall dwell every bird of the heavens, and upon his branches shall be every wild beast of the field" (31:2, 3, 5, 6,[7], 10, [12], 13).
The king of Egypt, and his multitude, signify the natural man with the scientifics therein; Asshur, the cedar in Lebanon, signifies the Rational, which is formed from scientifics on the one part, and from the influx of spiritual truth on the other. By fair in branch and a shadowy forest is signified intelligence through rational truths by means of scientifics;
[27] by stature higher than all the trees of the field is signified elevation even to the interior Rational, which is from the Spiritual; by branches multiplied because of many waters is signified the abundance thereof by means of spiritual truths, which are from the knowledges of truth from the Word. The birds of the heavens, which built their nests in his branches, signify spiritual thoughts in rational things, for the Rational is the medium between the internal-spiritual and the external-natural man; the wild beast of the field which brought forth under his branches signify the affections for scientifics rationally perceived.
[28] The great nations which dwelt in his shade signify the goods of the affections in the natural man; by fair in his greatness is signified intelligence; but by the bird of the heavens, and the wild beast of the field, which shall dwell upon his ruins, in his branches, are signified the falsities of the thoughts, and the evils of the desires, which he had because he was lifted up in stature, that is because he was proud from the love of his own intelligence. That thoughts of truth and the affections thereof are signified by the birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the field, is evident, for it is also said that great nations dwelt in his shade.
[29] So in Daniel:
"Behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great; it reached even to heaven, and the sight thereof unto the end of the earth; the leaf thereof was fair, and the flower thereof much, and in it was food for all; the beast of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of heaven dwelt in its branches; and all flesh was nourished from it. A watcher and holy one came down from heaven, crying aloud, Hew down the tree and cut off its branches; shake off the leaf; scatter the flower; let the beast flee away from under it, and the birds from its branches, but leave the stump of the roots in the earth, and in a band of iron and brass, in the herb of the field; and with the dew of the heavens let it be wet, and let its portion be with the beast in the grass of the earth; they shall change his heart from man's, and the heart of a beast shall be given to him" (4:10-16).
This was the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, and by it is described the establishment of the celestial church, and its increase even to its culmination, and afterwards its destruction on account of its domination even over the holy things of the church, and because it arrogated to itself a right over heaven.
[30] The tree in the midst of the earth signifies that church; the height thereof signifies the extension of perception and thence of wisdom; and its sight unto the end of the earth signifies its extension, even to the ultimates of the church. By the leaf thereof was fair, and the flower thereof much, are signified knowledges of and affections for truth and good, and intelligence thence; by food in it for all is signified celestial nourishment, which is from good, and thence from truths; by the beast of the field which had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens which dwelt in its branches, are signified affections for good, and thence the thoughts and perceptions of truth; and because these are spiritual food, it is said that all flesh was nourished from it.
[31] But because of domination from the love of self over the holy things of heaven and of the church, over which the Babylonians at length arrogated to themselves a right, the destruction thereof is afterwards described by these words, "A watcher and holy one came down from heaven, crying aloud, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches; shake off the leaf; scatter the flower; let the beast flee away from under it and the birds from its branches." For with them the love of self, and haughtiness of mind, increase even until they claim a right over the holy things of the church, and indeed over heaven; and, when this takes place, then every thing pertaining to the church perishes, as well as all perception and cognition of truth and good; for the internal of the mind, where the Spiritual resides, is closed, and the external, where the Natural is, has the dominion, and thus man becomes sensual, until he differs but little from beasts.
[32] The stump of the roots which they should leave in the earth signifies the Word understood as to the letter only, which is only knowledge residing in the memory going forth thence into the speech. The bands of iron and brass signify that the interior truths and goods are closed up and kept bound in ultimates, iron denoting truth in ultimates, and brass good in ultimates, and these, when separated from interior things, are falsities and evils. And since the man of the church is then almost like a beast in understanding and will, for evils of the affections and falsities of the thoughts are dominant, it is said that his portion shall be with the beast in the grass of the earth, and that his heart shall be changed from man's, and the heart of a beast shall be given to him. That this change and inversion took place because he claimed to himself a right over the holy things of the church, and at length over heaven, is clear from verses 30-32 of the chapter, where the following words occur,
"The king said, Is not this great Babel, which I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power and for the glory of mine honour? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from the heavens, saying, The kingdom shall pass away from thee, and they shall drive thee from man, and thy dwelling shall be with the beast of the field, they shall make thee to eat the herb as oxen, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of man, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."
[33] That Nebuchadnezzar, as king of Babel, in the beginning signifies the celestial church, and its advancement even to the summit of wisdom, is evident also in Daniel, where the statue seen by him in a dream is treated of. It is said there,
"The God of the heavens hath given into thine hand the sons of man, the beast of the field, and the bird of the heavens, and hath made thee ruler over all; thou art the head" of the statue "which is of gold" (2:37, 38).
The head of the statue, which was of gold, signifies the celestial church, which is the chief of all. That church is signified by the king of Babel at first, because the church, which afterwards became Babel or Babylonia, commenced from the worship of the Lord, and from love towards Him, and then zeal to extend and perfect the church by means of the holy goods and truths of heaven prevailed, but this was from a cause as yet hidden, that is, the love of ruling, which, however, only broke out by degrees; but more will be said upon this subject when Babylonia is treated of.
[34] In Hosea:
"I will make for them a covenant in that day with the wild beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and the bow, and the sword, and the war, will I break from the earth, and will make them to lie down securely; and I will betroth thee to me for ever" (2:18, 19).
These things are said concerning the establishment of a new church by the Lord, which is the subject there treated of. That Jehovah, that is, the Lord, will not then make a covenant with the wild beast of the field, the bird of the heavens, and the creeping thing of the earth, but with men in whom the church will be established, is evident. Those things therefore signify such things as are in man, namely, by the wild beast of the field is signified the affection for the knowledges of truth, by the bird of the heavens, rational thought from what is spiritual, by the creeping thing of the earth, the scientific of the natural man, specifically the scientific of the Sensual. That then he will break the bow and the sword from the earth signifies that he will destroy the falsities that fight against the truths of doctrine; and that there shall be no longer any contention (discidium) between truths and falsities, and between goods and evils, is signified by, "I will betroth thee to me for ever."
[35] In Isaiah:
"The wild beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the daughters of the owl; because I will give waters in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, mine elect" (43:20).
That the wild beast of the field, dragons, and daughters of the owl, are not here meant is evident, for these cannot honour Jehovah. That the men of the church are meant is clear from what follows, for it is said, "to give drink to my people, mine elect"; wherefore, by the wild beast of the field are signified the affections for the knowledges of truth, by dragons, natural ideas, and by the daughters of the owl, sensual affections; for the Sensual is affected with truths, and sees them in darkness, as the owl see objects at night.
[36] And because these things are signified, it is evident that the nations are meant by them, with whom a new church was to be established, for before reformation they were in such obscure affection and natural thought. Giving waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, signifies to impart truths, and thence intelligence, to those who were previously in ignorance, waters denoting truths, rivers, intelligence, and wilderness and desert denoting ignorance; to give drink to the people of Jehovah, and to His elect, signifies to instruct those who are in the truths of faith and in the good of charity; people is said of those who are in the truths of faith, and elect of those who are in the good of charity.
[37] So in Joel:
"Is not the food cut off before our eyes from the house of our God, the gladness and the joy? The beast groaneth, the herds of oxen are perplexed, because there is no pasture for them; also the flocks of sheep are desolate; the beast of the field crieth unto thee, because the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the dwellings of the wilderness" (1:16, 18, 20).
These things are said concerning the state of the church, when there are no longer any truths of doctrine and good of life therein. By the food which is cut off from the house of God is signified spiritual nourishment, which is from truths that are from good, the house of God signifying the church. The beast groaneth, the herds of oxen are perplexed, signifies a defect of affections for truth, and thence for knowledges in the natural man, and grief on that account, herds of oxen signifying those things that pertain to the natural man in their whole extent; there being no pasture signifies no instruction.
[38] The flocks of sheep are desolate signifies a defect of the spiritual truth and good which are of faith and charity; the beast of the field crieth unto thee signifies the grief of those who are in natural affection, and thence in the desire for the knowledges of truth and good. The rivers of waters are dried up signifies the truths of doctrine dissipated by natural love. The fire hath devoured the dwellings of the wilderness signifies this love, and thence the destruction of the knowledges of truth; the dwellings of the wilderness denote those things that pertain to the understanding and will of such a man, which otherwise would receive the truths and goods of the church.
[39] In the same:
"Fear [not], O earth, rejoice and be glad, for Jehovah hath done great things; be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields, for the dwelling-places of the wilderness are full of grass, for the tree shall bear its fruit, the fig tree and the vine shall yield their strength; sons of Zion, rejoice and be glad in Jehovah" (2:21-23).
These things are said concerning the establishment of the church by the Lord; and by the earth which shall [not] fear, [but] rejoice, and be glad, is signified the church and its delight; its establishment by the Lord is signified by Jehovah's doing great things; hence by the beasts of His fields are meant those who are in the affections for good and who desire instruction from the Word, beasts denoting those who are in the affections for the good of the natural man, and fields doctrinals from the Word.
[40] By the dwelling-places of the wilderness being full of grass is signified that the knowledges of truth and good shall be with those who did not possess them before; the tree shall yield its fruit signifies the bringing forth of the good of life by means of those knowledges; for a tree signifies the man of the church, specifically a mind imbued with knowledges, and fruit the good of life. The fig tree and the vine shall yield their strength signifies the bringing forth of the effect from natural good and at the same time from spiritual. Because the beasts of the fields, the tree, the fig tree, and the vine, signify such things as are with the man of the church, therefore it is said, "Sons of Zion, rejoice and be glad in Jehovah"; the sons of Zion mean those who are of the celestial church, and to rejoice is said of the delight of good; and to be glad of the pleasantness of truth.
[41] In Ezekiel:
"In that day Gog shall come upon the land of Israel; and then there shall be a great earthquake upon the land of Israel; and before me shall tremble the fishes of the sea, and the bird of the heavens, and the wild beast of the field, and every creeping thing creeping upon the earth, and every man upon the faces of the earth" (38:18-20).
Gog signifies external sanctity without internal sanctity, thus those who are in such external sanctity; the earthquake signifies a change of the state of the church. By the fishes of the sea trembling, and the bird of the heavens, the wild beast of the field, the creeping thing of the earth, and every man, is signified that all those things belonging to man, which pertain to the church with him, shall be changed; the fishes of the sea denote scientifics, the birds of the heavens thoughts thence, the wild beasts of the field the affections thence, the creeping thing of the earth the thoughts and affections in the corporeal Sensual, and man denotes all of them collectively from first to last. What purpose would be served by saying that those things shall tremble before Jehovah?
[42] In Zechariah:
"There shall be in that day a great tumult, Judah shall fight against Jerusalem, and so there shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of every beast which shall be in their camps; afterwards every one that is left shall go up to Jerusalem" (14:13-15).
This is a description of the last state of an old church, and the beginning of a new. The last state of the old church is described by the great tumult, when Judah shall fight against Jerusalem, by which is meant the change which then takes place, and the fighting of the love of evil against the truths of the doctrine of the church. By the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, of the ass, and of every beast, are signified such things as hurt and destroy the church, and the spiritual life of the men of the church; and by the horses, the mules, the camels, and the asses, are signified those things which pertain to their understanding and will, consequently which pertain to their knowledges and affections. But what is signified in detail by a horse, a mule, a camel, and an ass, has been stated elsewhere; it is here merely shown that beast signifies the affection of the natural man, and the plague of beast the injury and destruction of that affection.
[43] In Jeremiah:
"How long shall the earth (terra) mourn, and the herb of every field wither? On account of the wickedness of them that dwell therein the beasts and the bird are consumed" (12:4).
By the earth is meant the church; by the herb of the field is signified the new-born and growing truth of the church; by mourning and withering is signified to perish and be dissipated by lusts (cupiditates); by the beasts and birds which are consumed are signified the affections for good and thence the thoughts of truth; it follows that these will perish on account of the evils in the church, therefore it is also said, On account of the wickedness of them that dwell in the earth.
[44] In Isaiah:
"They shall be left together the bird of the mountains and the beast of the earth; but the bird shall loathe it, and every beast of the earth shall despise it" (18:6).
These things are said of the land shadowed with wings, which means the church, which, from the obscurity in which it is, lays hold of imaginary things as spiritual truths, and therefore comes into the denial of these from ignorance. By bird and beast are also there signified thoughts of truth and affections for good, as well rational as natural, which are said to loathe and despise it; that birds and every beast will not loathe and despise is evident, but affections for good and thoughts of truth, that is, those that are in these.
[45] In Hosea:
"They rob, bloods touch bloods, and every one that dwelleth therein shall pine away, with the wild beast of the field and the bird of the heavens, and even the fishes of the sea shall be gathered up" (4:2, 3).
Here also by the wild beast of the field, and the bird of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea, similar things to those above are signified.
[46] In Ezekiel:
"Thou son of man, say to every bird of every wing, and to every wild beast of the field, Assemble and come, gather yourselves from round about to my sacrifice which I sacrifice for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood; ye shall eat the flesh of the strong, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth; rams, lambs, and kids, and heifers, all fatlings of Bashan; ye shall eat fat to satisfaction, and ye shall drink blood even to drunkenness, of my sacrifice which I sacrifice for you; and ye shall be satisfied at my table with horse, and chariot, with the strong, and every man of war; so will I give my glory among the nations" (39:17-21).
These things are said concerning the calling of the nations to the church, and concerning the reception by them of the truth of doctrine in the good of love, which is the good of life, and hence concerning their intelligence in spiritual things. Therefore by the bird of every wing, and by every wild beast of the field which shall be gathered together from around to the great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, are meant all in whatever state they may be as to the perception of truth and as to the affection for good. By the bird of every wing are meant all those who are in any kind of perception of truth, and by every wild beast of the field, all those who are in any kind of affection for good.
[47] By gathering together from round about signifies those from every side who are without the church; by the great sacrifice is signified the worship of the Lord from faith and love, for the sacrifices in general represented this; and by the mountains of Israel are signified the goods of spiritual love. By eating flesh and drinking blood is signified to appropriate to themselves the good of love, and the truth of that good; by eating the flesh of the strong and drinking the blood of the princes of the earth is signified that appropriation, the strong (or oxen) denoting the affections of the natural man, and the princes of the earth denoting the principal truths of the church.
Rams, lambs, kids, heifers, fatlings of Bashan, signify all things that pertain to innocence, love, charity, and good, fatlings of Bashan denoting the goods of the natural man from a spiritual origin.
[48] It is therefore evident that by eating flesh to satisfaction, and drinking blood to drunkenness, is signified that they shall be filled with every good of love and truth of faith. By being satisfied at the table of the Lord with horse, and with chariot, with the strong, and every man of war, is signified to be instructed to the full from the Word; by the horse is signified the understanding of truth, by chariot the doctrine of truth, by the strong and the man of war the truth of good fighting against the falsity of evil, and destroying it. Because these things are said concerning the calling together of the nations to the church of the Lord, it is therefore said, "So will I give my glory among the nations," glory signifying Divine Truth in light.
[49] That these things are signified by the bird of every wing and by the beast of the field, is evident from the passages hitherto explained, and also from this one in Isaiah:
"The saying of the Lord Jehovih, who gathereth the outcasts of Israel; yet will I gather these to his gathered ones; every wild beast of my fields, come ye to eat, every wild beast in the forest" (56:8, 9).
The outcasts of Israel, whom the Lord will gather, signify all those in the church who are in truths from good and separated from those therein who are in falsities from evil. These are also meant by the wild beasts of the fields of the Lord Jehovih, for fields signify the church as to the implantation of the truth of doctrine; but the nations who are without the church are signified by the wild beast in the forest, the forest signifies the natural and sensual man, and the wild beast his knowledge (scientia), and thence obscure intelligence. That the wild beast of the field and the wild beast in the forest signify such things is evident, for it is said, "Come ye every wild beast of my fields, and every wild beast in the forest, to eat"; to eat signifies instruction and appropriation.
[50] Since most things in the Word have an opposite sense also, so likewise have "beast" and "wild beast," in which sense beasts signify evil affections, which are the desires of adulterating and destroying the goods of the church, and wild beasts signify the desires of falsifying, and so of destroying the truths of the church; in this sense beasts and wild beasts are named in the following places.
[51] In Ezekiel:
"I will raise up over them one shepherd, who shall feed them, my servant David, he shall be to them for a shepherd. Then I will make with them a covenant of peace, and I will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, in order that they may dwell confidently in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests. They shall be no more a prey to the nations, and the wild beast of the earth shall not devour them, but they shall dwell confidently, none making them afraid" (409:6). By making with them a covenant of peace is signified conjunction with the Lord by means of Divine things proceeding from Him, which are the goods of love and the truths of doctrine from the Word, thus by means of the Word. By causing the evil wild beast to cease out of the land is signified that evil desires and lusts (concupiscentiae) shall no more assail and destroy them.
[52] By dwelling confidently in the wilderness, and sleeping in the forests, is signified that they shall be safe from the infestation of those things, although they are in them and among them, the wilderness and the forest denoting where such things and such persons are. The meaning here is similar to that in Isaiah 11:7-9. Since the desires for evil and falsity destroy the man of the church, therefore it is said, they shall no more be a prey to the nations, and the evil wild beast shall not devour them; for by the nations are signified desires for evil, and by the wild beasts of the earth desires for falsity.
[53] In Jeremiah:
"Mine heritage is become as a lion in the forest, she uttered her voice against me, therefore I have hated her; the bird Zabuah is mine heritage, around it the bird; gather together every wild beast of the field, come ye to devour, many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard" (12:8-10).
These things are said concerning the vastation of the church by the falsities of evil. By heritage is signified the church; by the lion out of the forest which uttered his voice against God is signified the falsity of evil in its whole extent. The bird Zabuah signifies reasonings from falsities; the wild beast of the field which shall be gathered together to eat signifies the desires which seek to destroy the truths of the church by falsities; and because the church which is so destroyed is meant, therefore it is said, "Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard," a vineyard denoting the spiritual church, or the church as to the affection for truth; and because the vineyard signifies the church, it follows that the wild beast of the field signifies the desire of falsifying and so of destroying the truths of the church.
[54] In Isaiah:
"No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous wild beast go up thereon, it shall not be found there" (35:9).
Here the coming of the Lord, and His kingdom in the heavens and on the earth are treated of; and the lion and ravenous wild beast signify things similar to those above. That a wild beast is not here meant by wild beast, every one can see.
[55] In Hosea:
"I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved, and I will rend the caul of their heart, and I will consume them as a fierce lion; the wild beast of the field shall tear them" (13:8);
here also by the lion and the wild beast of the field things similar to those above are signified.
[56] In Zephaniah:
Jehovah "will stretch out his hand over the north, and will destroy Asshur, and will make Nineveh a waste, a dry place, like a wilderness; and the flocks shall rest in the midst thereof, every wild beast of the nation; the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge nightly in the pomegranates thereof; a voice shall sing in the window; a drought in the threshold, because the cedar thereof shall be stripped bare. Such is the rejoicing city that dwelleth securely, saying in her heart, I and none beside me; how is she become a waste, a place for the wild beasts to lie down in, every one that passeth over her hisseth, and moveth his hand" (2:13, 14, [15]).
Thus is described the vastation of the church by falsities of doctrine that are from [man's] own intelligence. By the north over which Jehovah will stretch out His hand is signified the church which is in falsities; by Asshur which Jehovah will destroy are signified reasonings from falsities; by Nineveh which He shall make a waste, a dry place like a wilderness, are signified falsities of doctrine. The flocks, the wild beast of the nation, the cormorant, and the bittern, signify affections for falsity, and falsities themselves interior and exterior.
[57] The pomegranates in which they shall rest signify falsified knowledges of truth from the Word. The voice in the window signifies the preaching of falsity, a drought in the threshold signifies the total desolation of truth; the cedar which is stripped bare signifies the Rational destroyed. The rejoicing city that dwelleth securely signifies the doctrine of falsity, with which they are delighted, and in which they rest; saying in her heart, I and none beside me, signifies the pride of [man's] own intelligence. By a place for the wild beast to lie down in is signified the state of the church vastated as to truths; by every one that passeth over it shall hiss and move his hand is signified the contempt and rejection thereof by those who are in the truths and goods of doctrine.
[58] In Moses:
"I will give peace in the land, so that ye shall lie down securely, and none shall make you afraid, and I will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, and the sword shall not pass through your land" (Leviticus 26:6).
By peace in the land so that they shall lie down securely and none make them afraid is signified protection from trust in the Lord against the invasion of falsity into the church. To cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land signifies to be free from the affection and desire for falsity; and by the sword which shall not pass through the land is signified that falsity shall no longer destroy the truth.
[59] Again:
"I will send the hornet before thee, and it shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, the Hittite before thee; I will not drive him out from before thee in one year, lest perchance the land become a desert, and the wild beast of the field multiply upon thee; by little and little will I drive him out from before thee, until thou be fruitful, and inherit the land" (Arcana Coelestia 9331-9338).
[60] Similar things are signified by these words in Moses:
"Jehovah God will drive the nations before thee by little and little, thou mayest not [destroy] them at once, lest the wild beast of the field be multiplied against thee" (Deuteronomy 7:22).
The nations driven out and to be driven out of the land of Canaan by the sons of Israel signify evils and falsities of every kind; the land of Canaan signifies the church, and the sons of Israel, the men of the church; therefore by the wild beast of the field, which would be multiplied against them, are signified the desires for falsity from evil. For the man who is reformed and regenerated, is reformed and regenerated by little and little until the church is established in him; he is conceived anew, born and educated, and this takes place in the measure that the evils and the falsities thence which are in him by heredity and from birth are removed, which is not effected in a moment, but throughout the important journey of life. It is evident from these things what is signified in the spiritual sense by the nations not being driven out in one year, but by little and little, "lest the wild beast of the field be multiplied against thee." For if evils and falsities thence were removed all at once, man would then have scarcely any life, because his life, into which he is born, is a life of evil, and of falsity thence from lusts, which so far as goods and truths enter are removed, for the former are removed by means of the latter.
[61] Since wild beasts, in the [opposite] spiritual sense, signify desires for falsity from evil, and birds thoughts and reasonings from these, and since the man of the church spiritually perishes through these, therefore everywhere in the Word, where the vastation of the church is treated of, it is said that they shall be given to the wild beasts and the birds to be eaten, as in the following places.
In David:
"The boar in the wood treadeth under foot" the vine, "and the wild, beast of the fields feeds upon it" (Psalm 80:13).
In Hosea:
"I will lay waste her vine and her fig tree, and I will make them a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour them" (2:12).
In Ezekiel:
"I will send upon you famine, and the evil wild beast, and they shall bereave thee" (5:17).
These things are said of Jerusalem, by which is meant the church.
In the same:
"I will give him to the wild beast to be devoured" (33:27).
Again:
"The sheep are scattered without a shepherd, and are for food to every wild beast of the field" (34:5, 8).
Again:
"To the wild beast of the earth, and to the bird of the heavens, have I given thee for food" (29:5).
Again:
"I will cast thee forth upon the faces of the field, and I will cause every bird of the heavens to dwell upon thee, and I will satisfy the wild beast of all the earth with thee" (32:4).
In Jeremiah:
"Their carcase shall be for food to the bird of the heavens, and to the beast of the earth" (16:4; 19:7; 34:20).
In Ezekiel:
"To the swift bird of every wing, and to the wild beast of the field, have I given thee for food" (39:4).
In David:
"They have given the dead body of thy servants to the bird of the heavens, the flesh of thy saints to the wild beast of the earth" (Psalm 79:2).
In Jeremiah:
"I will visit upon them in four kinds; with the sword to kill, and with dogs to drag about, and with the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy" (15:3).
[62] In these passages wild beasts and birds signify falsities arising from the desire for evil, and from reasonings; and because the nations in the land of Canaan signified the evils and falsities of religion and of worship, therefore the sons of Jacob used not to bury the dead bodies of the peoples whom they slew in war, but left them to be devoured by the birds and wild beasts. This was not from the Divine command, but from the inborn cruelty of that people, thus it was from permission, in order that such things might be represented.
[63] In David:
"The enemy hath reproached Jehovah, and the foolish people hath despised thy name; give not the soul of thy turtle dove to the beast; forget not the life of thy poor for ever" (Psalm 74:18, 19).
By the enemy who reproached Jehovah is signified hell and thence evil; by the foolish people who despised His name are signified falsities, which are opposed to the truths of doctrine, people denoting those who are in truths, and, in the opposite sense, those who are in falsities, these being the foolish people, and the name of Jehovah signifying every truth of doctrine and of the church. Give not the soul of thy turtle dove to the beast signifies not to give spiritual good to those who are in desires for evil; the life of the poor signifies spiritual life oppressed by evils and falsities.
[64] So in Habakkuk:
"The violence of Lebanon hath covered thee, and the spoil of the beasts will dismay them, by reason of the bloods of men, and the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein" (2:17).
The violence of Lebanon signifies opposition to the truths perceived by the rational man from the Word, for Lebanon signifies the church as to the perception of truth from the rational man; by the spoil of the beasts which will dismay them is signified the destruction of truths by desires for evil. By bloods is signified the violence done to the truths of the Word by evils; and by the violence of the earth, of the city, and of all that dwell therein, is signified opposition to the truths and goods of the church and to its doctrine from the Word by falsities.
[65] In Moses:
"I will send into them the tooth of beasts, with the poison of the creeping things of the earth" (Deuteronomy 32:24).
The tooth of beasts signifies the Sensual as to the desires for evil, for tooth corresponds to the ultimate of the life of man, which is the Sensual. The poison of the creeping things of the earth signifies the falsities thence, which cunningly pervert truths by means of the fallacies of the sensual man.
[66] In Ezekiel:
"When I entered and saw, behold every effigy of creeping thing and beast, an abomination, and all the idols of the house of Israel, depicted upon the wall round about" (Ezekiel 8:10).
These and many other things shown to the prophet signify the dreadful desires and falsities in which the Israelites were, because they were altogether in externals and not at all in internals; and those who were such turned all representatives into idolatries; hence their idolatries and also those of many other nations. And then beasts and creeping things whose images they made for themselves because they signified affections for good and for prudence, became representatives of the desires for evil and falsity. For so does it come to pass when the natural man separated from the spiritual looks upon holy things; therefore they are called the idols of the house of Israel. The wall round about upon which they were seen depicted signifies the interiors everywhere in the natural man, for by the roof is signified the inmost, by the floor or pavement the ultimate, by the walls the interiors, and by the house the man himself, as to the things pertaining to his mind. The natural man is interior and exterior. And the interior-Natural is where the filthy things of man reside; the exterior does not make them known, but makes a pretence of what is good, just, and sincere.
[67] As wild beasts and beasts signified the goods of the understanding and the goods of the will, which belong to the affections and as the ancients who knew correspondences made representative and significative figures of these which were not worshipped at first, but which their posterity, who from internal became merely external, worshipped as in themselves divine things, therefore wild beasts and beasts were made idols, as is plain in Isaiah:
"Bel bowed down, Nebo stooped, their idols are to the wild beast and to the beast" (46:1).
In the prophecy of Isaiah we read of "the beasts of the south" (30:6, and following verses), by which are signified adulterations of good and falsifications of truth, whence arise evils and falsities of every kind with those of the church who are only in externals; they are called the beasts of the south because they are with those who have the Word, from which they can be in the light of truth, which is the south.
[68] In Daniel:
"I saw in vision, when it was night, four beasts coming up out of the sea; the first was like a lion, but had the wings of an eagle; the second was like a bear; the third like a leopard, which had four wings; and the fourth was terrible and formidable" (316:15, 556:5).
[69] Almost similar things are signified in the Apocalypse by "the beast coming up out of the sea" (Revelation 13:1-10); by "the beast coming up out of the earth" (13:11-18); by "the scarlet beast" (17:3); by "the beast of the abyss" (17:8). A further account is given of these beasts in chaps. 19:19, 20, and 20:10. But what desires for evil and falsity are signified by each beast in particular, will be seen below, where those beasts are treated of.
[70] From these considerations it may now be evident what is meant by these words in Mark:
"The Spirit urging" Jesus "caused him to go into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, and he was with the beasts, and angels ministered unto him" (Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 302). And because temptations arise through evil spirits and genii who are from hell, thus through the hells, whence evils and falsities and their desires and lusts arise, therefore the beasts in this place, with which the Lord was, do not mean beasts, but the hells and the evils arising therefrom; and by the angels who ministered unto Him are not meant angels, but Divine truths, by means of which, from His own power, He conquered and subjugated the hells. That angels in the Word signify Divine truths may be seen above (n. 130, 200, 302, 593).
650. The beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, signifies assault from infernal love. This is evident from the signification of "beast," as being the affection of the natural man in both senses (of which presently; also from the signification of "the abyss," as being hell (of which above, n. 538; also from the signification of "to make war," as being to assault, for by "wars," in the Word, such wars as are in our world are not meant, but such as are in the spiritual world, all of which are combats of falsities from evil against truths from good; that such is the signification of "wars" in the Word will appear in what follows, where wars are again mentioned. From this it can be seen that "the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them," that is, the witnesses, signifies that infernal love from the falsities of evil shall assault the truths of good.
[2] It has been shown before that a "beast" signifies a love or affection of the natural man; let something now be said about assault. Infernal love is especially the love of self, for the love of self is the love of what is man's own [proprium], and what is man's own is nothing but evil; consequently so far as a man is in that love he is against the Lord, and thus against the good of love and charity, and against the truth of doctrine and faith, thus against these "two witnesses;" for this reason, the hells where the love of self reigns are more direful and malignant than others, and are directly opposed to the Lord, and thence unceasingly assault the goods of love and faith, because these are from the Lord alone, and are the Lord with man and angel. That these hells are more direful than the others can be seen from this, that they continually breathe forth the destruction of those who confess the Divine of the Lord, therefore of those who are in the good of love and the good of faith in the Lord from the Lord.
[3] These hells are more malignant than the rest because so far as man is in the love of self, and at the same time in the love of self-intelligence, his natural lumen is in a kind of brightness, as it were, for the love of self is like a fire that kindles that lumen; it is from this that men can ingeniously think and reason against the Divine and against all things of heaven and the church. I have sometimes been astonished when I have listened to such, and have thought that they above all others were capable of being led to receive faith, but I perceived that this was impossible, for so far as they were enlightened in corporeal, worldly, and natural things they were in thick darkness in respect to celestial and spiritual things. This thick darkness was seen to be exceedingly dusky, with something fiery intermixed. This I could confirm by much experience, if this were the place for describing experiences. The love of self is what is here meant in particular by "the beast coming up out of the abyss," which made war with the two witnesses and killed them.
[4] That a "beast" signifies the love and affection of the natural man in both senses can be seen from very many passages in the Word; and this has heretofore been unknown, and as it may seem strange that "beasts" should signify the love or affection of the natural man, it is necessary to confirm this from the Word. Natural affections are signified by "beasts" because these affections are altogether similar to the affections of beasts, consequently a man who 1is not imbued with spiritual affections through the goods and truths of heaven differs little from beasts. For man has above the beasts the superadded faculty to think and thence to will spiritually, which gives him the eminent faculty to see and perceive abstract things; but if this spiritual faculty is not vivified by the knowledges of truth and good, and afterwards by faith and the life of faith, he is no better than the beasts, except merely that by virtue of that higher faculty he is able to think and speak.
[5] Because the affections of the natural man are signified by "beasts," when those affections are presented to be seen in the spiritual world in forms like those animals, they appear altogether as the forms of various beasts; as for instance, lambs, sheep, she-goats, kids, he-goats, young cattle, oxen, cows; also as camels, horses, mules, asses; and also as bears, tigers, leopards, lions; likewise as dogs and serpents of various kinds. But such things are only appearances of the affections that are with spirits; and when these are made apparent it is also known there not only that the appearances are from these affections, but also from whom they are; but as soon as the affections with such cease, these appearances also cease. From this it can also be seen why "beasts" are so often mentioned in the Word.
[6] But let us proceed to the confirmations from the Word. In David:
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands. Thou hast put all things under His feet, the flock and herds, yea, the beasts of the fields, the bird of heaven, and the fishes of the sea (Psalms 8:6-8).
This whole psalm treats of the Lord and His dominion over all things of heaven and the church; the things of heaven and the church are meant here and elsewhere in the Word by "the works of the hands of Jehovah;" and as it is over these things that the Lord has dominion, and as spiritual things in the Word are expressed by natural things, for the Word in its bosom is spiritual, so by "flock," "herds," "the beasts of the field," "the birds of heaven," and "the fishes of the sea," these are not meant, but the spiritual things of heaven and the church. "Flock and herds" signify spiritual things and natural things that are from a spiritual origin, a "flock," that is, lambs, kids, she-goats, sheep, and rams, signifying spiritual things, and "herds," which are bullocks, oxen, cows, and camels, natural things from spiritual things; "beasts of the field" signify the affections of the natural man, "birds of the heavens" thoughts therefrom, and "fishes of the sea," the knowledges [scientifica] of the sensual-natural man. Except for this meaning, why should the Lord's dominion over these be described?
[7] In the same:
O God, Thou makest the rain of good will to drop down; Thou shalt strengthen Thine inheritance when it is weary; Thy wild beast (Thy congregation) shall dwell in it (Psalms 68:9, 10).
Here evidently "wild beast" stands for a people that receives the influx of Divine truth from the Lord, for of God's "inheritance," which signifies the church, it is said, "Thy wild beast (Thy congregation) shall dwell in it;" "the rain of good will" signifies the influx of Divine truth from Divine clemency.
[8] In the same:
Jehovah, who sendeth forth springs into the brooks; they run between the mountains, they give drink to every wild beast; the wild asses quench their thirst, by them the bird of the heavens dwells, from among the boughs they give forth their voice; who causeth the grass to spring forth for the beast, and the herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth. Thou appointest the darkness that there may be night, in which every wild beast of the forest goeth forth. The sea great and wide in spaces, wherein is the creeping thing without number, the wild beasts, the small with the great (Psalms 104:10-12, 14, 20, 25).
This, too, is said of the Lord, and these words describe the establishment of the church among the nations; therefore "wild beasts," "beasts," and "birds" signify such things as are with the man of the church.
[9] It is to be known that in many passages sometimes it is said "beast," and sometimes "wild beast," also that the term "wild beast" is not to be understood as it is commonly understood, for in the Hebrew "wild beast" [fera] is derived from a word that means life, therefore in some passages "animal" would be a better rendering than "wild beast," as can be seen from this, that the four animals that were seen as cherubim and that signify Divine Providence and protection in Ezekiel (chaps. 1, and 10) are called "animals" [ferae]; likewise the cherubim are meant by "the four animals about the throne" which are described by John in Revelation. Nevertheless, in the Word "beast" and "wild beast" are carefully distinguished, "beasts" signifying the affections of the natural man that belong to man's will, and "wild beasts" the affections of the natural man that belong to man's understanding. As in the Hebrew "wild beast" is derived from a word that means life, Eve the wife of Adam had her name from the same word. This is said that it may be known what "wild beast" and "beast" signify in the proper sense.
[10] What is signified by "Jehovah sendeth forth springs into the brooks, to run between the mountains, and give drink to every wild beast of the fields, the wild asses quench their thirst, and by them the bird of the heavens dwells," has been explained above n. 483. "Jehovah causeth the grass to spring forth for the beast, and the herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth," signifies the instruction and nourishment of the natural and spiritual man by truths from the Word, that he may have thereby the good of love and charity; "grass" signifies the truth of the natural man, which is true knowledge (See above, n. 507; "beast" signifies affection for it which wishes to be instructed and spiritually nourished; "herb" signifies the truth of the spiritual man; "man" signifies intelligence therefrom and "bread" signifies the good of love and charity, which is nourished by truths. As "darkness" and "night" signify the lumen of the natural man, which compared to the light of the spiritual man is like night, "the wild beast of the forest" signifies the affection of knowledges, "the sea great and wide in spaces" the natural itself, "the creeping thing without number" knowledge therein, and "the wild beasts great and small" the various affections, it is evident what is signified by "Thou appointest the darkness that there may be night, in which every wild beast of the forest goeth forth; the sea great and wide in its spaces, wherein is the creeping thing without number, wild beasts the small with the great."
[11] In the same:
They shall sow fields and plant vineyards, and make fruit of increase, and He shall bless them so that they may be multiplied exceedingly; and He shall not diminish their beast; yet are they diminished and bowed down because of the vehemence of wickedness and grief (Psalms 107:37-39).
This entire psalm treats of the Lord's coming and of redemption by Him; that they will then have truths, by which the church will be implanted in them, is signified by "They shall sow fields and plant vineyards;" that in consequence they will have the goods of the church, and thence truths will increase, is signified by "shall make fruit of increase," and by "Jehovah shall bless them so that they shall be multiplied exceedingly;" that then every good affection of the natural man will remain with them is signified by "He shall not diminish their beast;" that otherwise these affections would not be destroyed by evils is signified by "they are diminished and bowed down because of the vehemence of wickedness and grief."
[12] In the same:
Praise Jehovah, ye whales and all deeps, wild beast and every beast, creeping thing and every bird of wing (Psalms 148:7, 10).
In this psalm very many things in the world that have no life, but that shall praise Jehovah, are enumerated, as "fire," "hail," "snow," "vapor," "the wind of tempest," "mountains," "hills," "trees," "fruits," "cedars," as also here, "wild beasts," "beasts," "creeping things," and "birds," which nevertheless cannot praise Jehovah. Who cannot see that the enumeration of such things in the Divine Word would be wholly unmeaning unless they signified something with man that can praise, that is, worship Jehovah? From a knowledge of correspondences it is known that "whales" signify the knowledges of the natural man in general, "deeps" and "seas" the natural itself where the knowledges are, "wild beast" and "beasts," the affections of the natural man as well those which belong to his understanding as those of his will, "the creeping things" the sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man, and "birds of wing" the thinking faculty therefrom.
[13] In the same:
Jehovah who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to spring forth upon the mountains, who giveth to the beast his food, to the sons of the raven which call (Psalms 147:8, 9).
These particulars too, signify the spiritual things belonging to heaven and the church. Why else should the Word (which is given solely to teach man the way to heaven, by teaching him the truths of faith and the goods of love), speak of Jehovah as "preparing rain for the earth, making grass to spring forth upon the mountains, giving to the beast his food, and to the sons of the raven which call upon Him?" These things, however, are worthy of the Divine Word, when by "rain" the influx of Divine truth is meant, by "mountains" the good of love, by "making grass to spring forth" the instruction of the natural man by the knowledges from the Word, by "beasts" the affections of the natural man, which desire to be thus nourished. "To give food" signifies nourishment; and since "the sons of the raven" signify natural men who are in an obscure lumen from fallacies respecting Divine truths, as were many of the nations, it is said "He giveth to the sons of the raven which call," for such can call upon Jehovah, but not the sons of a raven.
[14] In the same:
Every wild beast of the forest is Mine, the beasts upon a thousand mountains. I know every bird of the mountains, and the wild beast of My fields is with Me (Psalms 50:10, 11).
This is said of sacrifices, that the Lord does not delight in them, but in the confession of heart and calling upon Him; yet "the wild beast of the forest," "the beasts upon the mountains," and "the bird of the mountains," and "the wild beast of the fields," have a similar signification as above, namely, things pertaining to the man of the church.
[15] In the same:
Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God, Thy judgments are a great deep; O Jehovah, Thou preservest man and beast (Psalms 36:6).
"Man and beast" signify interior affection, which is spiritual, from which is intelligence, and exterior affection, which is natural, from which is knowledge [scientia] corresponding to intelligence.
[16] "Man and beast" have a like signification in the following passages.
In Jeremiah:
The God of Israel said, I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the faces of the earth, by My great power (Jeremiah 27:5; 36:29).
In the same:
Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).
In the same:
Yet again in this place, concerning which ye say, It is devastated so that there is no man nor beast, and in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are devastated, so that there is no man, and no inhabitant, and no beast, there shall be heard the voice of joy and the voice of gladness (Jeremiah 33:10-12).
In the same:
The whole land shall be a desolation, so that there shall not be man or beast (Jeremiah 32:43).
In the same:
I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence (Jeremiah 21:6).
In the same:
A nation from the north cometh up against Babylon; this shall make her land a desolation, so that none shall dwell therein; from man even to beast they are dispersed, they have gone away (Jeremiah 50:3).
In the same:
My anger and My wrath is poured out upon this place, upon man and upon beast (Jeremiah 7:20).
In Ezekiel:
When the land shall sin against Me, I will break its staff of bread and I will send into it famine, and I will cut off from it man and beast (Ezekiel 14:13, 17, 19).
In the same:
I will stretch out My hand over Edom and will cut off from it man and beast (Ezekiel 25:13).
In the same:
I will destroy every beast of Egypt over many waters, so that the foot of man shall trouble them no more, nor shall the hoof of beast trouble them (Ezekiel 32:13).
In the same:
I will multiply upon you man and beast, that they may increase and be fruitful (Ezekiel 36:11).
In Zephaniah:
In consuming I will consume all things from upon the faces of the land. I will consume man and beast, I will consume the bird of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off man from the faces of the earth (Zephaniah 1:2, 3).
In Zechariah:
The angel who came to measure Jerusalem said, Run, speak, saying, Jerusalem shall inhabit the suburbs, by reason of the multitude of man and of the beast in the midst of it (Zechariah 2:3, 4).
Let your hands be strong, for the temple shall be built; for before those days there was no price for man nor any price for beast, for to him that went out and to him that came in there was no peace from the enemy (Zechariah 8:9, 10).
[17] In these passages "man and beast" 2signifies what is interior or spiritual, and "beast" what is exterior or natural; and therefore "man" signifies the spiritual affection of truth, from which is all intelligence, and "beast" the natural affection corresponding to the spiritual. What is exterior or natural is signified by "beast," because man, in respect to his external or natural man is nothing but a beast; for he enjoys like desires and also pleasures, appetites and senses, so that in these respects man is entirely similar to the beast; therefore the natural man may be called the animal man. But what is internal or spiritual is signified by "man," because it is in respect to his internal or spiritual that man is man; this enjoys the affections of good and truth such as are with the angels of heaven, also because by means of this with him man rules his natural or animal man, which is a beast.
[18] Because the spiritual man and the natural man are signified by "man and beast" in the history of creation (Genesis 1), it is related that the beasts and also man were created on the same day, namely, the sixth; and afterwards, that to man was given dominion over the beasts. Of the creation of the beasts and man on the same day, and of man's dominion over the beasts, we thus read in Genesis:
God said, Let the earth bring forth the living soul according to its kind, and what moveth itself, and the wild beast of the earth according to its kind; and it was so. And God made the wild beast of the earth according to its kind, and the beast according to its kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground according to its kind. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and they shall have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the bird of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And there was evening and there was morning, the third 3day (Genesis 1:24-31).
In the spiritual sense of this chapter, by "the creation of heaven and earth" the new creation or regeneration of the man of the Most Ancient Church is described; for this reason "beast" here signifies the external or natural man, and "man" the internal spiritual, and "dominion over the beasts" here means the dominion of the spiritual man over the natural.
[19] That it was granted to the man of that church to know all the affections of the natural man, in order that he might have dominion over them, is signified by these words in Genesis:
Out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens, and brought unto the man, to see what he would call it; and whatsoever man called it, the living soul, that was its name; and the man called the names to every beast, and to the bird of the heavens, and to every wild beast of the field (Arcana Coelestia 142-146.)
[20] Because "man" in the Word signifies properly the internal or spiritual man, and "beast" the external or natural man, by command of God all beasts and birds were brought into the ark with Noah; of which it is thus written in Genesis:
Jehovah said to Noah, Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, male and female; and of the beast that is not clean two, male and female. And he took of the beast that was clean, and of the beast not clean, and of the bird, and of everything that creepeth upon the earth; two and two entered unto Noah into the ark, male and female (Genesis 7:1-9).
"Noah's flood" describes in the spiritual sense the destruction of the Most Ancient Church, and also the Last Judgment upon the men of that church; and by "Noah and his sons" in the same sense, the church that followed is meant and described, which is called the Ancient Church. From this it follows that the "beasts" brought into the ark with Noah mean the affections of the natural man, corresponding to spiritual affection, which the men of that church had (but these things may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia).
[21] Since "man" signifies the internal spiritual man, and "beast" signifies the external or natural, and "Egypt" signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, which has altogether perished and is no longer a man but a beast, so where the destruction of Egypt is treated of it is related that:
Jehovah made hail to rain with which fire was mingled, and smote everything that was in the fields, from man even to beast (Exodus 9:22-25).
(See respecting this also in Arcana Coelestia.) For the purpose of representing and thus signifying the same thing it is also written that:
Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man even to beast (Exodus 12:12, 29).
But on the other hand, the sons of Israel, by whom the church was represented, were commanded:
To sacrifice to Jehovah all the firstborn of man and of beast (Numbers 12:15).
Because such things were represented and thus signified by "man and beast," from a holy rite received in the Ancient Church:
The king of Nineveh proclaimed a fast, and commanded that neither man nor beast should taste or drink anything, and that man and beast should be covered with sackcloth (Jonah 3:7, 8).
[22] Because "beasts" signify the affections in both senses it was forbidden to make the figure of any beast; of which it is thus written in Moses:
Ye shall not make to you the figure of any beast that is on the earth, the figure of any winged bird that flieth under heaven, the figure of anything that creepeth on the ground, the figure of any fish that is in the waters under the earth (Deuteronomy 4:17, 18).
This was because the posterity of Jacob, who were called, because of the representation of the church with them, "the sons of Israel," were in externals without an internal, that is, were for the most part merely natural; if, therefore, they had made to themselves the figure of any beast or bird, which signified the affections and the like, they would have made idols for themselves, and would have worshiped them. This, too, was why the Egyptians, who had more knowledge of representatives than any other people, made for themselves figures of beasts, as of calves, serpents, and many other kinds; yet at first not with reference to worship, but on account of their signification; but their posterity, who from internal became external, and thus merely natural, did not look upon these as representative and significative, but as holy things of the church, and thus they offered to them idolatrous worship. It was for this reason that the posterity of Jacob, who were altogether external men, and thence in heart idolatrous, were forbidden to make to themselves any figure of these things.
[23] As for example: they worshiped calves in Egypt, and afterwards in the wilderness, because a "calf" signifies the first affections of the natural man, together with its good of innocence. The Gentiles here and there worshiped serpents because a "serpent" signifies the sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man and its prudence, and so with the rest.
[24] Because "beasts" signified the various things of the natural man it was also sometimes commanded when cities or regions were given to the curse that the beasts also should be slaughtered, for the reason that "the beasts" represented the evil and profane things with the men who were given to the curse. Because all kinds of beasts signify the various things pertaining to the men of the church, laws were enacted respecting beasts, which ones might be eaten and which might not be eaten (Leviticus 11). Those that might be eaten signified goods, and those that might not be eaten signified evils; for the church at that time was a representative church, and therefore every particular prescribed for them was representative and significative, especially the beasts; of this we thus read in Moses:
Ye shall distinguish between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean, that ye may not make your souls abominable by beast or by bird; and ye shall be holy unto Me (Leviticus 20:25, 26).
[25] From this it can now be seen why sacrifices of beasts of various kinds were permitted, as of lambs, sheep, kids, goats, bullocks, oxen, also of pigeons and turtledoves; namely, because they signified things spiritual, and things natural from a spiritual origin; as "lambs" innocence, "sheep" charity, "bullocks and oxen" the affections of the natural man corresponding to the affections of the spiritual man. It was on this account that the beasts for the sacrifices varied according to the reasons for which they were offered; this would not have been unless each particular sacrifice of beasts had signified something belonging to the church.
[26] As the man of the church at the present day can hardly be led to believe that "beasts" and "wild beasts" signify in the Word the affections of good and truth which belong to the man of the church, and this because it seems so strange that anything belonging to beasts should signify anything belonging to man, I will here cite more passages from the Word in the way of confirmation.
In Ezekiel:
Speak unto the king of Egypt and to his multitude, Whom art thou like in thy stature? Behold Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in branch and with shady foliage; his stature was higher than all the trees of the field, and his branches were multiplied because of many waters; in his branches all the birds of the heavens built their nests; and under his branches every wild beast of the field has brought forth, and in his shade have dwelt all great nations; he was beautiful in his greatness. But because thou art lifted up in height he should be cut down; upon his ruin every bird of the heavens shall dwell, and every wild beast of the field shall be upon his branches (Ezekiel 31:2, 3, 5-7, 10, 12, 13).
"The king of Egypt and his multitude" signify the natural man with the knowledges therein; "Asshur, the cedar in Lebanon," signifies the rational which is formed by knowledges on the one part and by the influx of spiritual truth on the other; "beautiful in branch and with shady foliage" signifies intelligence through rational truths by means of knowledges.
[27] "His stature was higher than all the trees of the field" signifies elevation even to the interior rational which is from the spiritual; "branches multiplied because of many waters" signify abundance through spiritual truths which are from the cognitions of truth from the Word; "the fowl of the heavens that built their nests in his branches" signify spiritual thoughts in things rational, for the rational is the medium between the internal spiritual man and the external natural; "every wild beast of the field that brought forth under his branches" signifies the affections of knowledges rationally perceived.
[28] "The great nations" that dwelt in his shade signify the goods of the affections in the natural man; "beautiful in greatness" signifies intelligence; while "the bird of the heavens and the wild beast of the field that shall dwell upon his ruin and in his branches" signify the falsities of thoughts, and the evils of desires which one has because he is "lifted up in height," that is, has become proud from the love of self-intelligence. Thoughts of truth and affections for it are signified evidently by "birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the field," for it is said that "great nations dwelt in his shade."
[29] In Daniel:
Behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great; it reached even to heaven, and the sight thereof unto the end of the earth; the leaf thereof was fair, and the flower thereof much, and in it was food for all; the beast of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of heaven dwelt in its branches; and all flesh was nourished from it. A watcher and holy one came down from heaven, crying, Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, shake off his leaf, scatter his flower; let the beast flee from under him, and the birds from his branches; but leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, with the herbage of the field; and let him be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let his portion be with the beast in the grass of the earth; they shall change his heart from man's and the heart of a beast shall be given to him (Daniel 4:10-16).
This was the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and it describes the establishment of the celestial church and its increase even to its culmination, and afterwards its overthrow because of its domination even over the holy things of the church, and its claiming to itself a right over heaven.
[30] "The tree in the midst of the earth" signifies that church; its "height" signifies the extension of perception and thus of wisdom; "its sight unto the end of the earth" signifies its extension even to the ultimates of the church; "the leaf thereof was fair, and the flower thereof much," signifies the knowledges and affections of truth and good, and intelligence therefrom; "in it was food for all" signifies heavenly nourishment which is from good and from truths thence; "the beast of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches," signifies the affections of good and the consequent thoughts and perceptions of truth; and as these pertain to spiritual food it is said that "all flesh was nourished from it."
[31] But because of its domination, from the love of self, over the holy things of heaven and the church, which the Babylonians at length claimed control of, a description of its overthrow follows: "A watcher and holy one came down from heaven, crying, Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, shake off the leaf, scatter the flower; let the beast flee from under him and the birds from his branches;" for the love of self and the consequent elation of mind increases with such even to their claiming a right over the holy things of the church, yea, over heaven itself; and when this is done everything of the church perishes, even all perception and the knowledge of good and truth; for the internal of the mind where the spiritual resides is closed up, and the external where the natural resides has dominion, and thus man becomes sensual, until he differs but little from the beasts.
[32] The "stump of the roots which should be left in the earth" signifies the Word, only the letter of which is understood, and which is merely something known, held in the memory and going forth therefrom into speech; "bands of iron and brass" signify the interior truths and goods closed up and held bound in ultimates, "iron" meaning truth in ultimates, and "brass" good in ultimates, and these when separated from the interiors are falsities and evils. And as the man of the church then becomes almost like a beast in respect to the understanding and to the will, since the evils of the affections and the falsities of the thoughts have rule, it is said that "his portion shall be with the beast in the grass of the earth, and his heart shall be changed from man's, and the heart of a beast shall be given him." That this change and inversion took place on account of their claiming the right over the holy things of the church, and at length over heaven, is evident from verses 30-32 of this chapter, where are these words:
The king said, Is not this the great Babylon which I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the glory of mine honor? While the word was in the king's mouth there fell a voice from the heavens, saying, The kingdom shall pass away from thee, and they shall drive thee from man, and thy dwelling shall be with the beast of the field; they shall make thee to eat the herb as oxen, until thou dost know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of man, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.
[33] That "Nebuchadnezzar," as king of Babylon, signifies in the beginning a celestial church and its increase even to the pinnacle of wisdom, is evident also from Daniel, where treating of the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream it is said:
The God of the heavens hath given into thine hand the sons of man, the beast of the field, and the bird of the heavens, and hath made thee to rule over all; thou art the head of the statue which is of gold (Daniel 2:37, 38).
"The head of the statue, which was of gold," signifies the celestial church, which is the first of all. That church is signified by "the king of Babylon" at first, because the church that finally becomes Babylon or Babylonia begins with the worship of the Lord and from love to Him, and there then prevails with it a zeal for extending and perfecting the church by means of the holy goods and truths of heaven, but this from a motive as yet hidden, namely, a love of exercising dominion, which however breaks forth only by degrees. But more will be said about this when Babylon is treated of.
[34] In Hosea:
In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens and with the creeping thing of the earth, and I will break the bow and the sword and the war from the earth, and I will make them to lie down securely; and I will betroth thee to Me forever (Hosea 2:18, 19).
This is said of the establishment of a New Church by the Lord, which is here treated of. Evidently Jehovah, that is, the Lord, will then make a covenant, not with the wild beast of the field, the bird of the heavens, and the creeping thing of the earth, but with the men in whom the church will be established. These things, therefore, signify such things as are with man, namely, the "wild beast of the field" the affection of the knowledges of truth, the "bird of the heavens" rational thought from what is spiritual, the "creeping thing of the earth" the knowledge [scientificum] of the natural man, in particular sensual knowledge. That He will then "break the bow and the sword from the earth" signifies that He will destroy the falsities that fight against the truths of doctrine; and that there will be no longer any contention between truths and falsities and goods and evils is signified by "I will betroth thee to Me forever."
[35] In Isaiah:
The wild beast of the field shall honor Me, the dragons and the daughters of the owl; because I will give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen (Isaiah 43:20).
Evidently "the wild beast of the field," "the dragons," and "the daughters of the owl," do not mean here a wild beast of the field, dragons and owls, for these cannot honor Jehovah. That the men of the church are meant is clear from what follows, since it is said, "to give drink to My people, My chosen." "The wild beast of the field" signifies therefore the affections of the knowledges of truth, "dragons" natural ideas, and "daughters of the owl" sensual affections; for the sensual is affected by truths and sees them in the darkness as owls see objects at night.
[36] This being the signification, it is evident that the Gentiles with whom a New Church was to be established are meant, for before they were reformed these were in such obscure affection and natural thought. "To give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" signifies to imbue with truths and thence with intelligence those who before were in ignorance, "waters" meaning truths, "rivers" intelligence, and "wilderness and desert" ignorance; "to give drink to the people of Jehovah and to His chosen" signifies to instruct those who are in the truths of faith and in the good of charity; those who are in the truths of faith are called "people," and those who are in the good of charity are called "chosen. "
[37] In Joel:
Is not the food cut off before our eyes from the house of our God, gladness and joy? The beast groaneth, the droves of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; also the droves of the flock are made desolate. The beast of the field panteth after thee, because the channels of waters are dried up, and fire hath devoured the habitations of the wilderness (Joel 1:16, 18, 20).
This describes the state of the church when there are no longer in it any truths of doctrine or good of life. "The food cut off from the house of God" signifies spiritual nourishment, which is from truths that are from good, "the house of God" signifying the church; "the beast groaneth, the droves of cattle are perplexed" signifies the lack of the affections of truth and thence of knowledges in the natural man, and grief on that account, "droves of cattle" signifying the things of the natural man in the whole complex.
[38] That there is "no pasture" signifies no instruction; "the droves of the flock are made desolate" signifies the lack of spiritual truth and good which are of faith and charity; "the beast of the field panteth after thee" signifies the grief of those who are in natural affection, and consequently in a longing for the knowledges of truth and good; "the channels of waters are dried up" signifies the truths of doctrine dissipated by natural love; "fire hath devoured the habitations of the wilderness" signifies that love and thence the destruction of the knowledges of truth, "the habitations of the wilderness" meaning the things of the understanding and the will in such a man, which would otherwise receive the truths and goods of the church.
[39] In the same:
Fear, 4O earth, rejoice and be glad, for Jehovah hath done great things; fear not, ye beasts of My fields, for the habitations of the wilderness are made full of herbs, for the tree shall bear her fruit, the fig tree and the vine shall yield their strength. Sons of Zion, rejoice and be glad in Jehovah (Joel 2:21-23).
This is said of the establishment of the church by the Lord; and the "earth which will fear, but rejoice and be glad" signifies the church and its delight; its establishment by the Lord is signified by "Jehovah hath done great things;" therefore "the beasts of His fields" mean those who are in the affections of good and long for instruction from the Word, "beasts" meaning those who are in the affections of good belonging to the natural man, and "fields" the doctrinals from the Word.
[40] "The habitations of the wilderness are made full of herbs" signifies that there will be the knowledges of truth and good with those with whom there were none before; "the tree shall bear her fruit" signifies the bringing forth of the good of life through these knowledges, for a "tree" signifies the man of the church, and in particular a mind imbued with knowledges, and "fruit" signifies the good of life; "the fig tree and the vine shall yield their strength" signifies the bringing forth of the effect from natural good and spiritual good together. Because "beasts of the fields," "tree," "fig tree," and "vine," signify such things as are with the man of the church it is said, "Sons of Zion, rejoice and be glad in Jehovah," "sons of Zion" meaning those who are of the celestial church, while "to rejoice" is predicated of the delight of good; and "to be glad" of the pleasantness of truth.
[41] In Ezekiel:
In that day Gog shall come upon the land of Israel; and then shall be a great earthquake upon the land of Israel; and the fishes of the sea, and the bird of the heavens, and the wild beast of the field, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man who is upon the faces of the earth, shall tremble before Me (Ezekiel 38:18-20).
"Gog" signifies external holiness without internal holiness, thus those who are in such holiness; an "earthquake" signifies a change of the state of the church; "the fishes of the sea, and the bird of the heavens, the wild beast of the field, the creeping thing of the earth, and every man, shall tremble" signifies that all things of man, in respect to what belongs to the church with him, shall be changed; "the fishes of the sea" meaning the knowledges, "the birds of the heavens" thoughts therefrom, "the wild beasts of the field" the affections therefrom, "the creeping thing of the earth" the thoughts and affections in the corporeal-sensual, and "man" all these from first to last. Why otherwise should these be said to tremble before Jehovah?
[42] In Zechariah:
There shall be in that day a great tumult, Judah shall fight against Jerusalem and so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of every beast that shall be in those camps; afterwards everyone remaining shall go up to Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:13-15).
This describes the last state of the old church, and the beginning of the new. The last state of the old church is described by "a great tumult, when Judah shall fight against Jerusalem," which means the change at that time, and the fight of the love of evil against the truths of the doctrine of the church; "the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, of the ass, and of every beast" signify such things as hurt and destroy the church and the spiritual life of the men of the church, "horses, mules, camels, and asses" signifying the things of their understanding and of their will, thus the things of their knowledges and affections. But what is signified in particular by "horse, mule, camel, and ass," has been told elsewhere; here it is stated merely that "beast" signifies the affection of the natural man, and "the plague of beast" the hurting and destroying of that affection.
[43] In Jeremiah:
How long shall the land mourn, and the herb of every field dry up? For the wickedness of them that rule 5therein the beasts and the bird shall be consumed (Jeremiah 12:4).
The "land" means the church; "the herb of the field" signifies the truth of the church that has sprung up and that is springing up; "to mourn and to dry up" signifies to perish and to be dissipated by lusts; "the beasts and the bird that shall be consumed" signify the affections of good and the thoughts of truth therefrom. The result is that these will perish by reason of the evils in the church; therefore it is said, "for the wickedness of them that dwell in the land."
[44] In Isaiah:
The bird of the mountains and the beast of the earth shall be left together; 6but the bird shall loathe it, and every beast of the earth shall despise it (Isaiah 18:6).
This is said of "the land shadowed with wings," by which the church is meant which, because of the obscurity it is in, catches at imaginary things for spiritual truths, and thus from ignorance comes into a denial of these truths. "Bird and beast" signify here the thoughts of truth and the affections of good, both rational and natural, which are said "to loathe and despise." Evidently it is not the bird and every beast that will loathe and despise, but the affections of good and the thoughts of truth, that is, those who are in these.
[45] In Hosea:
They commit robbery, bloods touch bloods, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish, even to the wild beast of the field and the bird of the heavens, yea, the fishes of the sea shall be gathered up (Hosea 4:2, 3).
Here again "the wild beast of the field," "the bird of the heavens," and "the fishes of the sea," have a similar signification as above.
[46] In Ezekiel:
Thou son of man, say to every bird of every wing, and to every wild beast of the field, Gather yourselves together and come, gather yourselves from every side to My sacrifice that I sacrifice for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood; ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, rams, lambs, and kids, 7the bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan; ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood to drunkenness, of My sacrifice which I sacrifice for you; and ye shall be satiated at My table with horse and chariot, with the mighty, and with every man of war; so will I give My glory among the nations (Ezekiel 39:17-21).
This is said of the calling together of the Gentiles to the church, and the reception by them of the truth of doctrine in the good of love, which is the good of life, and of their consequent intelligence in spiritual things. Therefore "the bird of every wing and every wild beast of the field" which shall be gathered from every side to the great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, mean all in whatever state they may be in respect to the perception of truth and the affection of good, "the bird of every wing" meaning all in whatever kind of perception of truth they may be, and "every wild beast of the field" all in whatever kind of affection of good they may be; "to gather together from every side" signifies those outside the church from every quarter.
[47] "The great sacrifice" signifies the worship of the Lord from faith and love, for that is what "sacrifices" in general represented; and "the mountains of Israel" signify the goods of spiritual love. "To eat flesh and drink blood" signifies to appropriate to oneself the good of love and the truth of that good; "to eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth" signifies such appropriation, "the mighty" (or oxen) signifying the affections of the natural man, and "the princes of the earth" the chief truths of the church; "rams, lambs, kids, 7bullocks, fatlings of Bashan" signify all things of innocence, love, charity, and good, "the fatlings of Bashan" meaning the goods of the natural man from a spiritual origin.
[48] From this it is clear what is signified by "eating flesh to satiety, and drinking blood to drunkenness," namely, to be filled with every good of love and truth of faith; "to be satiated at the table of the Lord with horse and chariot, with the mighty, and with every man of war" signifies to be fully instructed from the Word, "horse" signifying the understanding of truth, "chariot" the doctrine of truth, "the mighty and the man of war" the truth of good fighting against the falsity of evil, and destroying it. Because this is said of the calling together of the Gentiles to the church of the Lord, it is added, "so will I give my glory among the nations," "glory" signifying the Divine truth in light.
[49] That such is the signification of "bird of every wing and beast of the field" can be seen from passages before explained, also from these words in Isaiah:
The saying of the Lord Jehovih, who gathereth the outcasts of Israel, I will yet gather them to his gathered ones; every wild beast of My fields, come ye to devour, every wild beast in the forest (Isaiah 56:8, 9).
"The outcasts of Israel," whom the Lord will gather, signify all in the church who are in truths from good separated from those therein who are in falsities from evil; these are meant also by "the wild beasts of the fields of the Lord Jehovih," "fields" signifying the church in reference to the implantation of the truth of doctrine; but the Gentiles that are without the church are signified by "the wild beast in the forest," the "forest" signifying the natural and sensual man, and "the wild beast" its knowledge [scientia] and obscure intelligence therefrom. This evidently is the signification of "the wild beast of the field" and "the wild beast in the forest," for it is said, "Come ye to devour, every wild beast of My fields and every wild beast in the forest," "to devour" signifying instruction and appropriation.
[50] As most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so also have "beast" and "wild beast," in which sense "beasts" signify evil affections, which are the cupidities of adulterating and destroying the goods of the church, and "wild beasts" the cupidities of falsifying and thus destroying the truths of the church.
[51] In this sense "beasts" and "wild beasts" are mentioned in the following passages. In Ezekiel:
I will raise up over them one shepherd, who shall feed them, My servant David; he shall be to them for a shepherd; then I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, that they may dwell trustingly in the wilderness and sleep in the forest; they shall be no more a prey to the nations, and the wild beast of the earth shall not devour them, but they shall dwell trustingly, and none shall make afraid (409; "to make with them a covenant of peace" signifies conjunction with the Lord through the Divine things proceeding from Him, which are the goods of love and the truths of doctrine from the Word, thus through the Word; "to cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land" signifies that evil cupidities and lusts will no more invade and destroy them.
[52] "To dwell trustingly in the wilderness and to sleep in the forests" signifies that they will be safe from infestation by cupidities and lusts, although they are in them and among them, "wilderness" and "forest" meaning where such things and such persons are (these having a similar meaning as in Isaiah 11:7-9). Because the man of the church is destroyed by the cupidities of evil and falsity it is said "they shall no more be a prey to the nations, and the evil wild beast shall not devour them," "nations" signifying the cupidities of evil, and "wild beasts of the earth" the cupidities of falsity.
[53] In Jeremiah:
Mine heritage is become as a lion in the forest, she hath given forth her voice against Me, therefore I have hated her; the bird Zabuah is Mine heritage, about it is the bird; gather together every wild beast of the field, come ye to devour; many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard (Jeremiah 12:8-10).
This is said of the vastation of the church by the falsities of evil. "Heritage" signifies the church; "the lion out of the forest which hath given forth his voice against God" signifies the falsity of evil in the whole complex; "the bird Zabuah" signifies reasonings from falsities; "the wild beast of the field which shall be gathered to devour" signifies the cupidities of destroying the truths of the church by falsities; and because the church that is so destroyed is meant it is said, "many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard," "vineyard" signifying the spiritual church, or the church in reference to the affection of truth; and as a "vineyard" signifies the church it follows that "a wild beast of the field" signifies the cupidity of falsifying and thus destroying the truths of the church.
[54] In Isaiah:
No lion shall be there, the ravenous of the wild beast shall not go up thereon, it shall not be found there (Isaiah 35:9).
This treats of the Lord's coming and of His kingdom in the heavens and on the earths; and the "lion" and "the ravenous of the wild beasts" have a similar signification as above. It must be clear to everyone that "wild beast" here does not mean a wild beast.
[55] In Hosea:
I will encounter them as a bear that is bereaved, and I will rend the caul of their heart, and I will devour them like a huge lion; the wild beast of the field shall tear them (Hosea 13:8).
Here again, "lion" and "the wild beast of the field" have a similar signification as above.
[56] In Zephaniah:
Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north and will destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a waste, a dry place like the wilderness; and the droves shall lie down in the midst of her, every wild beast of the nation; both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge nightly in her chapiters; a voice shall sing in the window, a drought shall be in the threshold, because the cedar thereof shall be made bare; such is the rejoicing city that dwelleth securely, saying in her heart, I and none other besides me. How is she become a waste, a place for the wild beast to lie down in; everyone that passeth over her hisseth and moveth his hand (Zephaniah 2:13-15).
This describes the vastation of the church by the falsities of doctrine which are from self-intelligence. The "north over which Jehovah will stretch out His hand" signifies the church that is in falsities; "Assyria which Jehovah will destroy" signifies the reasonings from falsities; "Nineveh which He shall make a waste, a dry place like the wilderness" signifies the falsities of doctrine; "droves," "the wild beast of the nation," the "pelican," and the "bittern," signify the affections of falsities, and falsities themselves interior and exterior.
[57] The "chapiters in which these shall rest" signify the knowledges of truth from the Word falsified; "the voice in the window" signifies the proclamation of falsity; "the drought in the threshold" signifies the total desolation of truth; the "cedar which is made bare" signifies the rational destroyed; "the rejoicing city dwelling securely" signifies the doctrine of falsity, with which they are delighted and in which they rest; "saying in her heart, I and none other besides me" signifies the pride of self-intelligence; "the place for the wild beast to lie down in" signifies the state of the church vastated in respect to truths; "everyone that passeth over her hisseth and moveth his hand" signifies contempt for such and rejection of them by those who are in truths and goods of doctrine.
[58] In Moses:
I will give peace in the land, so that ye may lie down securely and none make afraid, and I will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, and the sword shall not pass through your land (Leviticus 26:6).
"Peace in the land, so that they may lie down securely and none make afraid" signifies protection by trust in the Lord from the breaking in of falsity into the church; "to cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land" signifies freedom from the affection and cupidity of falsity; and "the sword shall not pass through the land" signifies that falsity shall no longer destroy truth.
[59] In the same:
I will send the hornet before thee, and it shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, the Hittite before thee; I will not drive him out from before thee in one year, lest the land be a solitude, and the wild beast of the field be multiplied upon thee; by little and little will I drive him out from before thee, until thou be fruitful and inherit the land (Arcana Coelestia 9331-9338.)
[60] There is a like signification in these words in Moses:
Jehovah God will drive out these nations from before thee by little and little; thou canst not destroy them at once, lest the wild beast of the field be multiplied against thee (Deuteronomy 7:22).
The "nations" driven out and to be driven out of the land of Canaan by the sons of Israel signify evils and falsities of every kind, "the land of Canaan" signifying the church, and "the sons of Israel" the men of the church; therefore "the wild beast of the field" which would be multiplied against them signify the cupidities of falsity from evil; for a man who is reformed and regenerated to the extent that the church may be in him is reformed and regenerated by little and little; for he is conceived anew, is born, and is educated, and this is done so far as the evils and their falsities that are in him from birth and hereditarily are removed, which is not effected in a moment, but through a considerable course of life. This makes clear what is signified in the spiritual sense by "the nations shall not be driven out in one year, but by little and little, lest the wild beast of the field be multiplied against thee;" for if evils and the falsities thence were removed all at once man would have scarcely any life, since the life into which he is born is a life of evil and consequent falsity from cupidities, which are removed only so far as goods and truths enter, for by these they are removed.
[61] Because "wild beast" signifies 8in the spiritual sense the cupidities of falsity from evil, and "birds" signify thoughts and reasonings from them, and because through these the man of the church spiritually perishes, so here and there in the Word, where the vastation of the church is treated of, it is said that "they were given to the wild beasts and the birds to be devoured," as in the following passages. In David:
The boar in the forest treadeth under foot the vine, and the wild beast of the fields doth feed on it (Psalms 80:13).
In Hosea:
I will lay waste her vine and her fig tree, and I will make them a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour them (Hosea 2:12).
In Ezekiel:
I will send upon you famine and the evil wild beast, and they shall make thee bereaved (Ezekiel 5:17).
This is said of Jerusalem, by which the church is meant. In the same:
I will give him to the wild beast to be devoured (Ezekiel 33:27).
In the same:
The sheep were scattered, without a shepherd, and were for food for every wild beast of the field (Ezekiel 34:5, 8).
In the same:
I have given thee for food to the wild beast of the land and to the bird of the heavens (Ezekiel 29:5).
In the same:
I will cast thee forth upon the faces of the field, and I will cause every bird of the heavens to dwell upon thee, and with thee I will satisfy the wild beast of all the earth (Ezekiel 32:4).
In Jeremiah:
Their carcass shall be for food to the bird of the heavens and to the beast of the earth (Jeremiah 16:4; 19:7; 34:20).
In Ezekiel:
I have given thee for food to the swift bird of every wing, and to the wild beast of the field (Ezekiel 39:4).
In David:
The dead body of Thy servant have they given to the bird of the heavens, the flesh of Thy saint to the wild beast of the earth (Psalms 79:2).
In Jeremiah:
I will visit upon them with four kinds, with the sword to kill, and with dogs to drag about, and with birds of the heavens and with the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy (Jeremiah 15:3).
[62] In these passages, "wild beasts and birds" signify falsities from the cupidity of evil and from reasoning. And as the "nations" in the land of Canaan signify the evils and falsities of religion and of worship, the sons of Jacob did not bury the dead bodies of the nations which they slew in war, but left them to be devoured by birds and wild beasts; but this was not by Divine command, but from the inborn cruelty of that people, thus by permission, in order that such things might be represented.
[63] In David:
The enemy hath reproached Jehovah, and a foolish people hath contemned Thy name. Give not the soul of Thy turtledove unto the beast; forget not the life of Thine afflicted ones perpetually (Psalms 74:18, 19).
The "enemy" who reproached Jehovah signifies hell and evil therefrom; the "foolish people" who contemned His name signify the falsities which are opposed to the truths of doctrine; those who are in truths are called a "people," and in the contrary sense those who are in falsities, and these are a "foolish people;" the "name of Jehovah" signifies every truth of doctrine and of the church; "give not the soul of Thy turtledove to the beast" signifies not to give spiritual good to those who are in the cupidities of evil; "the life of Thine afflicted ones" signifies spiritual life oppressed by evils and falsities.
[64] In Habakkuk:
The violence of Lebanon hath covered thee, and the devastation of the beasts shall dismay them, because of the blood of men and the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein (Habakkuk 2:17).
The "violence of Lebanon" signifies the violence done to the truths perceived by the rational man from the Word, for "Lebanon" signifies the church in respect to the perception of truth from the rational man; "the devastation of the beasts" which shall dismay them signifies the destruction of truths by the cupidities of evil; "bloods" signify the violence offered to the truths of the Word by evils; and "violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein" signifies violence done to the truths and goods of the church and to its doctrine from the Word by falsities.
[65] In Moses:
The tooth of beasts I will send upon them, with the poison of the creeping things of the earth (Deuteronomy 32:24).
"The tooth of beasts" signifies the sensual in respect to the cupidities of evil, for "tooth" corresponds to the ultimate of man's life, which is the sensual; "the poison of the creeping things of the earth" signifies the falsities therefrom, which cunningly pervert truths by means of the fallacies of the sensual man.
[66] In Ezekiel:
When I went in and I saw an abomination, and behold every form of creeping thing and of beast, and all the idols of the house of Israel painted upon the wall round about (Ezekiel 8:10).
These and many other things that were shown to the prophet signify the direful cupidities and falsities in which the Israelites were, because they were in externals and not at all in internals; and those who were such turned all representatives into things idolatrous; this was the source of their idolatries and also of the idolatries of many other nations; and then the "beasts and creeping things," images of which they made for themselves because these signified the affections of good and of prudence, became the representatives of the direful cupidities of evil and falsity. This is what takes place when the natural man separated from the spiritual looks upon things holy; this is why these are called the "idols of the house of Israel." "The wall round about" upon which they were seen painted signifies the interiors everywhere in the natural man, for the "roof" signifies the inmost, the "floor" or "pavement" the outmost, the "walls" the interiors, and the "house" the man himself in respect to the things of his mind. The natural man is interior and exterior, and the interior natural is where the filthy things of man reside and these the exterior does not divulge but puts on the semblance of things good, just, and sincere.
[67] As "wild beasts" and "beasts" signify the goods of the understanding and the goods of the will which are of the affections, and as the ancients who knew correspondences made representative and significative figures of these, which at first they did not worship, but their posterity, who from internal became merely external, worshiped them as divine in themselves, so wild beasts and beasts became idols. This is evident in Isaiah:
Bel bowed down, Nebo stooped, their idols are to the wild beast and to the beast (Isaiah 46:1).
In Isaiah there is a prophecy respecting:
The beasts of the south (Isaiah 30:6, et seq.);
which signify the adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth, from which arise evils and falsities of every kind with those of the church who are merely in externals; they are called "the beasts of the south" because they are with those who have the Word, from which they are able to be in the light of truth from the Word, and this is the "south."
[68] In Daniel:
He saw in vision, when it was night, four beasts coming up out of the sea; the first was like a lion but had eagle's wings, the second like a bear, the third like a leopard which had four wings, and the fourth was dreadful and terrible (316, 556.)
[69] Nearly the like things are signified in Revelation by:
The beast coming up out of the sea (Revelation 13:1-10);
The beast coming up out of the earth (Revelation 13:11-18);
The scarlet beast (Revelation 17:3);
The beast out of the abyss (Revelation 17:8).
(Respecting these beasts more is said in Revelation 19:19, 20, and Revelation 20:10.)
But what cupidities of evil and falsity each beast signifies will be seen below, where these beasts are treated of.
[70] From this it will now appear what is meant by these words in Mark:
The spirit urging Jesus caused Him to go into the wilderness, and He was in the wilderness forty days; and He was with the beasts, and angels ministered unto Him (The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 302). Because temptations arise through evil spirits and genii who are from hell, thus through the hells, from which evils and falsities and their cupidities and lusts arise, so the "beasts" here, with which the Lord was, do not mean beasts, but the hells and the evils that rise out of them; and the "angels" who ministered unto Him do not mean angels, but Divine truths, through which from His own power He overcame and subjugated the hells. (That "angels" signify in the Word Divine truth, see above, n. 130, 200, 302, 593)
Footnotes:
1. The Latin for "who" has "because;" "quia" for "qui."
2. The Latin "et bestiam," "and beast," seems here superfluous.
3. The Hebrew here has "sixth," as found in Arcana Coelestia 60.
4. The Hebrew has "not" which is here omitted.
5. The Hebrew has "dwell" as also in the explanation which follows.
6. the Hebrew has "they shall be left to the bird. . . and to the beast," as found in 1100.
7. The Hebrew has "he-goats," as found in Arcana Coelestia 35-47.
8. The photolithograph has "removes" for signifies.
650. "Bestia ascendens ex abysso faciet bellum cum illis." - Quod significet impugnationem ex infernali amore, constat ex significatione "bestiae", quod sit affectio naturalis hominis in utroque sensu (de qua sequitur); ex significatione "abyssi", quod sit infernum (de qua supra, n. 538): et ex significatione "bellum facere", quod sit impugnare; nam per "bella" in Verbo non significantur bella qualia sunt in nostro mundo, sed qualia in spirituali mundo, quae omnia sunt pugnae per falsa ex malo contra vera ex bono; quod talia per "bella" in Verbo significentur, constabit in sequentibus, ubi iterum "bella" nominantur. Ex his constare potest quod per quod "bestia ascendens ex abysso faciet bellum cum illis", nempe "testibus", significetur quod infernalis amor ex falsis mali impugnaturus vera boni.
[2] Antequam ostenditur quod per "bestiam" significetur amor seu affectio naturalis hominis, aliquid dicetur de impugnatione. Amor infernalis imprimis est amor sui; nam amor sui est amor proprii hominis, et proprium hominis non est nisi quam malum: quare quantum homo in illo amore est, tantum est contra Dominum, et inde contra bonum amoris et charitatis ac contra verum doctrinae et fidei, ita contra illos "binos testes": inde est quod inferna ubi amor sui regnat, sint inferna diriora et maligniora, ac e diametro contra Dominum, et inde jugiter impugnant bona amoris et fidei, quia illa sunt a solo Domino, et Dominus sunt illa apud hominem et angelum. Quod illa inferna sint diriora reliquis constare potest ex eo, quod continue spirent necem illorum qui confitentur Divinum Domini, proinde necem illorum qui in bono amoris et in bono fidei sunt in Dominum a Domino:
[3] quod illa inferna sint maligniora reliquis, est quia quantum homo in amore sui est, et simul in amore propriae intelligentiae, tantum ejus lumen naturale est in quodam quasi splendore; est enim amor sui sicut ignis, qui id lumen accendit; inde est quod ingeniose possint cogitare et ratiocinari contra Divinum, et contra omnia caeli et ecclesiae. Quandoque stupefactus sum quando audivi tales, credens quod etiam prae aliis potuissent adduci ad recipiendum fidem; sed animadverti quod hoc impossibile esset; nam quantum corporea, mundana et naturalia in luce fuerunt, tantum illis caelestia et spiritualia in caligine fuerunt; caligo visa est, quod prorsus furva cum immixto igneo esset: hoc multa experientia potuissem confirmare, si locus foret exspatiandi ad experientias. Amor sui est qui in specie hic intelligitur per "bestiam ascendentem ex abysso", quae bellum cum binis testibus fecit, et illos occidit.
[4] Quod "bestia" significet amorem seu affectionem naturalis hominis in utroque sensu, constare potest a permultis locis in Verbo: et quia hactenus ignotum fuit, et sicut alienum apparet, quod "bestiae" amorem seu affectionem naturalis hominis significent, necessum est ut id confirmetur e Verbo. Quod affectiones naturales per "bestias" significentur, est quia illae affectiones sunt prorsus similes affectionibus bestiarum, et inde homo 1
qui non per bona et vera caeli imbuit affectiones spirituales, parum a bestiis differt. Nam homini prae bestiis superaddita est facultas spiritualiter cogitandi et inde volendi, ex qua eminenter potest res abstractas videre et percipere; et si spiritualis illa facultas non vivificatur per cognitiones veri et boni, et dein per fidem et vitam fidei, non melior bestiis est, nisi solum quod ex facultate illa superiore possit cogitare et loqui.
[5] Quoniam affectiones naturalis hominis significantur per "bestias", ideo affectiones illae, cum in mundo spirituali sistuntur videndae in forma animalium simili, apparent prorsus sicut formae variarum bestiarum; ut sicut agni, oves, caprae, haedi, hirci, juvenci, boves, vaccae, et quoque sicut cameli, equi, muli, asini, ut et sicut ursi, tigres, leopardi, leones, tum sicut canes et serpentes plurium generum: sed talia sunt modo apparentiae affectionum quae apud spiritus; quae cum apparent, etiam scitur ibi non solum quod inde sint, sed etiam a quibus; verum ut primum affectiones apud illos cessant, etiam apparentiae illae cessant. Ex his quoque constare potest unde est quod toties nominentur "bestiae" in Verbo.
[6] Sed ad confirmationes inde:
- Apud Davidem,
"Dominari fecisti Ipsum super opera manuum tuarum, omnia posuisti sub pedes Ipsius; gregem et armenta [omnia] , etiamque bestias agrorum, avem caeli et pisces maris" (Psalms 8:7-9 [B.A. 6-8]):
haec de Domino, de quo in toto illo capite agitur, deque dominio Ipsius super omnia caeli et ecclesiae: illa quae caeli et ecclesiae sunt, intelliguntur hic et alibi in Verbo per "opera manuum Jehovae"; et quia dominium Ipsius super illa est, et quia spiritualia per naturalia in Verbo exprimuntur, Verbum enim in sinu est spirituale, inde per "gregem", "armenta", "bestias agrorum", "aves caeli", et "pisces maris", non illa intelliguntur, sed spiritualia quae sunt caeli et ecclesiae: per "gregem" et "armenta" significantur spiritualia, et naturalia quae ex origine spirituali sunt; per "gregem", nempe per "agnos", "haedos", "capras", "oves", "arietes", spiritualia; et per "armenta", quae sunt "juvenci", "boves", "vaccae", "cameli", naturalia ex spiritualibus; per "bestias agrorum" significantur affectiones naturalis hominis, per "aves caelorum" cogitationes inde, et per "pisces maris" scientifica naturalis sensualis hominis; quid alioqui foret describere dominium Domini super alia?
[7] Apud eundem,
"Pluviam benevolentiarum stillare facis, Deus; hereditatem tuam.. laborantem confirmabis..; fera tua", coetus tuus, "habitabunt in ea" (Psalms 68:10, 11 [B.A. 9, 10]):
ibi manifeste "fera" pro populo qui recipit influxum Divini Veri a Domino; nam "hereditas Dei", per quam significatur ecclesia, dicitur "fera tua", coetus tuus, "habitabunt in ea"; per "pluviam benevolentiarum" significatur influxus Divini Veri ex Divina clementia.
[8] Apud eundem,
Jehovah "qui emittit fontes in fluvios, inter montes eant, potum praebent omni ferae, frangunt onagri sitim suam, juxta illos avis caelorum habitat, ab inter ramos edunt vocem: .... qui germinare facit gramen bestiae, et herbam in ministerium hominis ad educendum panem e terra. .... Disponis tenebras ut fiat nox, in qua prodit omnis fera silvae;.... mare magnum et latum spatiis, ibi reptile cui non numerus, ferae parvae cum magnis" (Psalms 104:10, 11, 12,] 14, 20, 25):
etiam haec de Domino, et per illa verba describitur instauratio ecclesiae apud gentes; quare per "feras", "bestias" et "aves" significantur talia quae apud hominem ecclesiae sunt.
[9] Sciendum est quod in pluribus locis nunc dicatur "bestia" et nunc "fera", et quod per "feram" non intelligatur fera in eo sensu quo capta est idea de feris; nam "fera" in Hebraea lingua derivatur ex voce quae significat vitam; inde pro "fera" in quibusdam locis potius dicendum est animal; quod etiam constare potest ex eo, quod "quatuor animalia" in quibus cherubi visi sunt, per quos significatur Divina providentia et tutela, apud Ezechielem (cap. 2
Ezech. 1:10) nominentur "ferae"; pariter apud Johannem in Apocalypsi, ubi agitur de "quatuor animalibus circa thronum", per quae etiam intelliguntur cherubi. Sed usque in Verbo probe distinguitur inter "bestias" et "feras"; et per "bestias" significantur affectiones naturalis hominis quae sunt ejus voluntatis, et per "feras" affectiones naturalis hominis quae sunt ejus intellectus. Quia "fera" in lingua Hebraea derivatur ex voce quae significat vitam, ideo Eva uxor Adami ex illa voce nominata est. Hoc praemittitur ut sciatur quid per "feram" et quid per "bestiam" in proprio sensu significatur.
[10] Quid significatur per quod "Jehovah emittet fontes in fluvios, ut inter montes eant, potum praebent omni ferae agrorum, frangunt onagri sitim, juxta illos avis caelorum habitat", explicatum est supra (n. 483 [a]): quod "Jehovah germinare faciat gramen bestiae, et herbam in ministerium hominis, ad educendum panem e terra", significat instructionem et nutritionem naturalis et spiritualis hominis per vera ex Verbo, ut inde bonum amoris et charitatis; per "gramen" significatur verum naturalis hominis, quod est verum scientificum (videatur supra, n. 507); per "bestiam" significatur affectio ejus quae vult instrui et spiritualiter nutriri; per "herbam" significatur verum spiritualis hominis, per "hominem" intelligentia inde, et per "panem" significatur bonum amoris et charitatis, quod nutritur per vera: quia per "tenebras" et per "noctem" significatur lumen naturalis hominis, quod respective est sicut nox ad lucem spiritualis hominis, per "feram silvae" affectio scientificorum, per "mare magnum et latum spatiis" ipsum naturale, per "reptile cui non numerus" scientificum ibi, et per "feras parvas et magnas" variae affectiones, patet quid significatur per "Disponis tenebras ut fiat nox, in qua prodit omnis fera silvae; mare magnum et latum spatiis; ibi reptile cui non numerus, ferae parvae cum magnis."
[11] - Apud eundem,
"Serent agros et plantabunt vineas, et facient fructum proventus, et benedicet iis ut multiplicentur valde; et bestiam eorum non diminuet, 3
at diminuuntur et incurvantur prae vehementia malitiae et maerore" (Psalms 107:37-39):
agitur in toto illo capite de adventu Domini et de Redemptione ab Ipso; quod tunc illis vera, per quae apud illos implantabitur ecclesia, significatur per quod "serent agros, et plantabunt vineas"; quod inde illis bona ecclesiae et inde crescent vera, significatur per quod "facient fructum proventus", quod "Jehovah benedicet illis, ut multiplicentur valde"; quod tunc illis permansura sit omnis affectio bona naturalis hominis, significatur per quod "bestiam eorum non diminuet"; quod illae affectiones 4
alioqui periturae essent per mala, significatur per "Diminuuntur et incurvantur prae vehementia malitiae et maerore."
[12] Apud eundem,
"Laudate Jehovam, ...balaenae et omnes abyssi, .... fera et omnis bestia, reptile et" omnis "avis alae" (Psalms 148:7, 10):
in eo psalmo enumerantur perplura quae in mundo absque vita sunt, quae laudabunt Jehovam; sicut "ignis", "grando", "nix", "vapor", "ventus procellae", "montes", "colles", "arbores", "fructus", "cedri", tum etiam hic "ferae", "bestiae", "reptilia" et "aves"; quae tamen usque non laudare possunt Jehovam. Quis non videt quod recensio talium in Divino Verbo supervanea foret, si non quodlibet significaret aliquid apud hominem quod Jehovam laudare, hoc est, colere potest? Ex scientia correspondentiarum scitur quod "balaenae" significent scientifica naturalis hominis in communi, quod "abyssi" et "maria" ipsum naturale ubi scientifica sunt, "ferae" et "bestiae" affectiones naturalis hominis tam quae ejus intellectus quam quae ejus voluntatis sunt, "reptilia" sensuale quod est ultimum naturalis hominis, et "aves alae" cogitativum inde.
[13] Apud eundem,
Jehovah "qui praeparat terrae pluviam, qui germinare facit montes gramen, qui dat bestiae cibum ejus, filiis corvi qui invocant" (Psalms 147:8, 9):
singula haec etiam significant spiritualia quae sunt caeli et ecclesiae: quid ad Verbum, quod unice docet hominem viam ad caelum, quae sunt vera fidei et bona amoris, quod dicatur de Jehovah quod "praeparet terrae pluviam, germinare faciat montes gramen, det bestiis cibum, et filiis corvi qui invocant Ipsum"? Haec tamen usque digna Divino Verbo sunt, quando per "pluviam" intelligitur influxus Divini Veri, per "montes" bonum amoris, per "germinare facere gramen" instructio naturalis hominis per cognitiones e Verbo, per "bestias" affectiones naturalis hominis, quae desiderant inde nutriri; nutritio significatur per "dare cibum": et cum per "filios corvi" significentur naturales homines, qui in tenebricoso lumine ex fallaciis sunt de veris Divinis, in quali fuerunt multi ex gentibus, quare dicitur quod "det filiis corvi qui invocant", illi enim invocare Jehovam possunt, non autem filii corvi.
[14] Apud eundem,
"Mihi omnis fera silvae, bestiae in montibus millium; novi omnem avem montium, et fera agrorum meorum Mecum" (Psalms 50:10, 11):
haec quidem de sacrificiis dicta sunt, quod Dominus non illis delectetur, sed confessione cordis et invocatione; at usque per "feram silvae", "bestias in montibus", perque "avem montium" et "feram agrorum", significantur similia quae supra, nempe quae apud hominem ecclesiae sunt.
[15] Apud eundem,
"Justitia tua sicut montes Dei, judicia tua abyssus magna, hominem et bestiam servas, Jehovah" (Psalms 36:7 [B.A. 6]):
per "hominem" et "bestiam" significatur affectio interior quae spiritualis ex qua intelligentia, et affectio exterior quae naturalis ex qua scientia intelligentiae correspondens.
[16] Similia per "hominem" et "bestiam" significantur in sequentibus locis:
- Apud Jeremiam,
Dixit Deus Israelis, "Ego feci terram, hominem et bestiam, quae super faciebus terrae, per virtutem meam magnam" (27:5; 5
36:29);
apud eundem,
"Ecce dies venient, ... quibus seminabo domum Jehudae semine hominis et semine bestiae" (31:27);
apud eundem,
"Adhuc audietur in loco hoc, de quo dicitis, Devastatus ille ut non homo et non bestia, et in urbibus Jehudae, et in plateis Hierosolymae devastatis, ut non homo et non habitator, et non bestia, vox gaudii et vox laetitiae" (33:10-12);
apud eundem,
"Desolatio erit" tota terra, "ut non homo et bestia" (32:43);
apud eundem,
"Percutiam habitatores urbis hujus, et hominem et bestiam; peste magna morientur" (21:6);
apud eundem,
"Ascendit contra" Babelem "gens a septentrione; haec ponet terram ejus in desolationem, ut non sit habitans in ea; ab homine usque ad bestiam se dimoverunt, abiverunt" (50:3);
apud eundem,
"Ira mea et excandescentia mea effusa est super locum hunc, super hominem et super bestiam" (Jeremias 7:20);
apud Ezechielem,
"Quando terra peccaverit Mihi, .... frangam illi baculum panis, et mittam in eam famem, et exscindam ex ea hominem et bestiam" (14:13, 17, 19);
apud eundem,
"Extendam manum meam super Edomum, et exscindam ex ea hominem et bestiam" (25:13);
apud eundem,
"Perdam omnem bestiam" Aegypti "desuper aquis multis, ut non turbet eos pes hominis amplius, nec ungula bestiae turbet illas" (32:13);
apud eundem,
"Multiplicabo super vobis hominem et bestiam ut crescant et fructificent" (Ezech. 36:11);
apud Zephaniam,
"Consumendo consumam omnia desuper faciebus terrae, ...consumam hominem et bestiam, consumam avem caelorum, et pisces maris, et offendicula cum impiis, et exscindam hominem a faciebus terrae" (1:2, 3, 4]);
apud Sachariam,
Dixit angelus qui venit ad metiendum Hierosolymam, "Curre, loquer...dicendo, Suburbia habitabit Hierosolyma, prae multitudin hominis et bestiarum in medio ejus" (2:7, 8 [B. A. 2:3, 4]);
apud eundem,
"Confortent se manus vestrae, .... quia templum aedificabitur; nam ante dies hos non fuit pretium hominis nec pretium bestiae, nam exeunti et intranti non pax ab hoste" (8:9, 10):
[17] in his locis per " 6
hominem" significatur interius seu spirituale, et per "bestiam" exterius seu naturale; proinde per "hominem" affectio spiritualis veri ex qua omnis intelligentia, et per "bestiam" affectio naturalis correspondens spirituali: quod exterius seu naturale per "bestiam" significetur, est quia homo quoad externum seu naturalem hominem non est nisi quam bestia; similibus enim cupiditatibus, et quoque voluptatibus, appetitibus et sensibus gaudet, sic ut homo quoad illa sit prorsus similis bestiae; quare naturalis homo potest animalis homo vocari: quod autem internum seu spirituale per "hominem" significetur, est quia homo quoad internum seu spirituale suum est homo; id gaudet affectionibus boni et veri talibus quae sunt apud angelos caeli; et quia homo per illud apud se regit naturalem seu animalem suum hominem qui bestia est.
[18] Quia homo spiritualis et naturalis per "hominem" et "bestiam" significatur, ideo in Historia Creationis (cap. 1. Genes.) memoratur quod eodem die, nempe sexto, creatae sint bestiae et quoque homo; et dein quod homini datum sit dominium super bestias. De creatione bestiarum et hominis eodem die, et de dominio hominis super bestias, ita legitur in Genesi,
"Dixit Deus, Producat terra animam viventem secundum speciem suam, [bestiam] et se movens, et feram terrae secundum speciem suam; et factum ita. Et fecit Deus feram terrae secundum speciem suam, et bestiam secundum speciem suam, et omne reptans humi secundum speciem suam.... Et dixit Deus, Faciamus hominem in imaginem nostram, secundum similitudinem nostram; et dominabuntur in pisces maris, et in avem caelorum et in bestiam, et in omnem terram, et in omne reptans quod reptat super terra. Et fuit vespera et mane dies 7
sextus" (1:24-31):
per "creationem caeli et terrae" in eo capite in sensu spirituali describitur nova creatio seu regeneratio hominis Ecclesiae Antiquissimae; inde est quod per "bestiam" ibi significetur externus seu naturalis homo, et per "hominem" internus spiritualis, et quod per "dominium super bestias" ibi intelligatur dominium spiritualis hominis super naturalem.
[19] Quod datum sit illius ecclesiae homini nosse omnes affectiones naturalis hominis, ob causam ut dominaretur super illas, significatur per haec verba in Genesi,
"Formavit Jehovah..ex humo omnem bestiam agri, et omnem avem caelorum, et adduxit ad hominem ad videndum quid vocaret id: et quicquid vocavit id homo, animam viventem, id nomen ejus; et vocabat homo nomina omni bestiae et avi caelorum, et omni ferae agri" (2:19 [, 20]):
per "vocare nomen" in sensu spirituali significatur nosse quale rei, seu qualis est; ita hic, quales essent omnes affectiones, cupiditates, voluptates, appetitus, tum cogitationes et inclinationes naturalis hominis, et quomodo concordarent et corresponderent affectionibus et perceptionibus spiritualis hominis: nam a creatione datum est spirituali homini videre omnia naturalis hominis, et simul percipere concordantiam et discordantiam ejus cum spirituali, ob causam ut possit regere illum, et admittere concordantia et rejicere discordantia, et sic fieri spiritualis, etiam quoad effectus, qui fiunt medio naturali homine. (Sed haec amplius explicata videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 142-146.)
[20] Quoniam per "hominem" in Verbo proprie significatur homo internus seu spiritualis, et per "bestiam" externus seu naturalis, ideo ex mandato Dei omnes bestiae et aves cum Noacho introductae sunt in arcam, de qua re ita in Genesi,
"Dixit Jehovah Noacho,.... De omni bestia munda accipias tibi septena septena, marem et feminam, et de bestia quae non munda bina, marem et feminam..": et accepit "de bestia munda et de bestia non munda, et de ave, et de omni quod reptat super terra; bina bina intrarunt ad Noachum in arcam, masculus et femina" (7:1-9):
per "diluvium" Noachicum in sensu spirituali describitur exitium Antiquissimae Ecclesiae, et quoque ultimum judicium super homines istius ecclesiae; et per "Noachum et ejus filios" in eodem sensu intelligitur et describitur ecclesia succedens, quae Ecclesia Antiqua vocanda est: inde sequitur quod per "bestias" introductas in arcam cum Noacho intelligantur affectiones naturalis hominis correspondentes affectioni spirituali, quae fuerunt hominibus istius ecclesiae. (Sed haec etiam videantur explicata in Arcanis Caelestibus.)
[21] Quoniam per "hominem" significatur internus spiritualis homo, et per "bestiam" externus seu naturalis, et per "Aegyptum" naturalis homo separatus a spirituali, qui prorsus est deperditus, et non amplius homo sed bestia, ideo ubi agitur de exitio Aegypti, memoratur
Quod Jehovah pluere fecerit grandinem, cui ignis fuit immixtus, et percusserit omne quod in agris ab homine usque ad bestiam (Exod 9:22-25).
(De qua re videantur etiam Arcana Caelestia.) Propter repraesentationem ejusdem rei, et inde significationem, etiam Jehovah percussit "omne primogenitum in terra Aegypti, ab homine usque ad bestiam" (Exodus 12:12, 29).
At vicissim apud filios Israelis, per quos repraesentata est ecclesia, mandatum est
Ut sacrificarentur Jehovae omnia primogenita de homine et de bestia (Numeri 18:15).
Quia talia repraesentata et inde significata sunt per "hominem" et "bestiam", ideo ex ritu sancto in Ecclesia Antiqua recepto,
Rex Ninives proclamavit jejunium, et mandavit ut non homo nec bestia quicquam gustarent et biberent, et quod homo et bestia operirentur saccis (Jonas 3:7, 8).
[22] Quoniam per "bestias" significantur affectiones in utroque sensu, ideo prohibitum fuit figuram ullius bestiae facere, de qua re apud Mosen,
Non facietis vobis "figuram ullius bestiae quae in terra, figuram ullius avis alae quae volat sub caelo, figuram ullius reptilis in terra, figuram ullius piscis qui in aquis sub terra" (Deutr. 4:17, 18):
causa erat, quia posteri ex Jacobo, qui propter repraesentationem ecclesiae apud illos vocabantur "filii Israelis", in externis absque interno fuerunt, hoc est, plerique mere naturales; quare si figuram alicujus bestiae aut avis sibi fecissent, quae significabant affectiones et similia, fecissent illas sibi idola, et coluissent. Haec etiam causa fuit quod Aegyptii, apud quos repraesentativa prae ceteris populis nota fuerunt, fecerint sibi figuras bestiarum, sicut vitulorum, serpentum et plurium aliarum, primitus tamen non propter cultum, sed propter significationem; sed posteri illorum, qui ab internis facti sunt externi, proinde mere naturales, inspexerunt illa non sicut repraesentativa et significativa, sed sicut sancta ecclesiae, et inde illis cultum idololatricum addixerunt. Inde est quod posteris Jacobi, quia prorsus externi homines erant, et inde corde idololatrae, prohibebatur figuram illarum sibi facere.
[23] Sicut pro exemplo, quod vitulos coluerint in Aegypto, et postea in deserto, erat quia "vitulus" significabat affectionem primam naturalis hominis una cum ejus bono innocentiae: quod gentes passim coluerint serpentes, erat quia "serpens" significabat sensuale quod est ultimum naturalis hominis et ejus prudentiam; et sic in reliquis.
[24] Quia "bestiae" significabant varia naturalis hominis, ideo etiam aliquoties mandatum est, quod cum devotioni darent urbes et regiones, etiam trucidarent bestias; ex causa quia "bestiae" repraesentabant mala et profana quae fuerunt apud homines qui devotioni dabantur. Quoniam omnes species bestiarum significabant varia quae apud homines ecclesiae sunt, ideo leges latae sunt de bestiis, quaenam edendae et quaenam non edendae (11): "quae edendae" significabant bona, et "quae non edendae" significabant mala; erat enim ecclesia illius temporis ecclesia repraesentativa, et ideo singula quae illis praescripta fuerunt, repraesentabant et significabant, praecipue bestiae; de qua re ita legitur apud Mosen,
"Distinguetis inter bestiam mundam et immundam, et inter avem immundam et mundam, ut non abominabiles faciatis animas vestras per bestiam et avem: .... et eritis Mihi sancti" (Leviticus 20:25, 26).
[25] Ex his nunc videri potest unde est quod sacrificia ex variis bestiarum generibus permissa fuerint, ut ex agnis, ovibus, haedis, capris, juvencis, bovibus, et ex columbis et turturibus; nempe, quia significabant spiritualia et naturalia ex origine spirituali; sicut "agni" innocentiam, "oves" charitatem, "juvenci" et "boves" affectiones naturalis hominis affectionibus spiritualis hominis correspondentes. Inde erat quod bestiae pro sacrificiis variarentur secundum causas propter quas offerebantur, quod non factum fuisset nisi singula sacrificia ex bestiis significavissent talia quae ecclesiae sunt.
[26] Quoniam homo ecclesiae hodie aegre adduci potest ad credendum quod per "bestias" et "feras" in Verbo significentur affectiones boni et veri, quae sunt homini ecclesiae, et hoc ex causa quia apparet alienum quod aliquid bestiae significaret aliquid hominis, ideo velim adhuc e Verbo afferre plura, quae confirmant:
- Apud Ezechielem,
"Dic ad..regem Aegypti et ad multitudinem ejus, Cui similis es in altitudine tua? Ecce Aschur cedrus in Libano, pulchra ramo et silva umbrosa alta facta est altitudo ejus prae omnibus arboribus agri, et multiplicati sunt rami ejus per aquas multas...; in ramis ejus nidificarunt omnes aves caelorum, et sub ramis ejus pepererunt omnis fera agri, ac in umbra ejus habitarunt omnes gentes magnae; pulchra fuit magnitudine sua: .... sed quoniam elatus es altitudine", exscindetur, "super ruina ejus habitabit omnis avis caelorum, et super ramis ejus erunt omnis fera agri" (31:2, 3, 5, 6, [7,] 10, [12,] 13):
per "regem Aegypti" et per "multitudinem ejus" significatur naturalis homo cum scientificis ibi; per "Aschurem cedrum in Libano" significatur rationale quod ex scientificis ab una parte et ab influxu veri spiritualis ab altera; per "pulchram ramo et silva umbrosa" significatur intelligentia per vera rationalia mediis scientificis;
[27] per "altitudinem prae omnibus arboribus agri significatur elevatio usque ad interius rationale quod ex spirituali; per "multiplicatos ramos per aquas multas" significatur copia per vera spiritualia quae ex cognitionibus veri ex Verbo; per "aves caelorum quae nidificarunt in ramis ejus" significantur cogitationes spirituales in rationalibus, nam rationale est medium inter internum spiritualem hominem et externum naturalem; per " [omnem] feram agri quae sub ramis ejus pepererunt" significantur affectiones scientificorum rationaliter perceptorum;
[28] per "gentes magnas quae in umbra ejus habitarunt" significantur bona affectionum in naturali homine; per "pulchram magnitudine" significatur intelligentia; at per "avem caelorum et feram agri quae super ruina ejus in ramis ejus habitabunt" significantur falsa cogitationum et mala cupiditatum, quae illi quia "elatus est altitudine", hoc est, quia superbivit ex amore propriae intelligentiae; quod cogitationes veri et affectiones ejus per "aves caelorum et feras agri" significentur, patet, nam etiam dicitur quod "gentes magnae in umbra ejus habitarunt."
[29]): hoc fuit somnium Nebuchadnezaris regis Babelis, et per id describitur instauratio ecclesiae caelestis et ejus incrementum usque ad suum fastigium, et postea ejus exitium propter dominationem etiam super sancta ecclesiae, et propter vindicatum sibi jus super caelum:
[30] per "arborem in medio terrae" significatur illa ecclesia; per "altitudinem ejus" significatur extensio perceptionis et inde sapientiae; per "prospectum ejus usque ad finem terrae" significatur extensio ejus usque ad ultima ecclesiae; per "folium ejus pulchrum" et per "florem ejus multum" significantur cognitiones et affectiones veri et boni et inde intelligentia; per "cibum omnibus in ea" significatur nutritio caelestis quae ex bono et inde veris; per "bestiam agri quae umbram in illa habebat", et per "aves caelorum quae in ramis ejus habitabant", significantur affectiones boni, et inde cogitationes et perceptiones veri, quae quia sunt cibi spiritualis, dicitur quod "ex ea aleretur omnis caro."
[31] Sed propter dominationem super sancta caeli et ecclesiae ex amore sui, super quae Babylonici tandem sibi jus vindicant, sequitur descriptio interitus ejus, per haec, "Vigil et Sanctus de caelo descendit, clamans, Excidite arborem, et amputate ramos ejus, discutite folium, dispergite florem, et fugiet bestia a sub illa, et aves e ramis ejus"; nam apud illos amor sui et inde elatio animi increscit usque dum jus sibi super sancta ecclesiae, immo super caelum, vindicant; quod cum fit, tunc omne ecclesiae perit, atque omnis perceptio et cognitio boni et veri; clauditur enim internum mentis ubi spirituale, et dominatur externum ubi naturale, et sic fit homo sensualis, usque ut parum differat a bestiis.
[32] , illius capitis, ubi haec verba,
"Rex dixit, Nonne hoc est Babel magna quam ego aedificavi in domum regni, per robur fortitudinis meae, et in gloriam honoris mei? Adhuc verbum in ore regis, vox e caelis cecidit, dicens Regnum transibit de te, et ab homine expellent te, et cum bestia agri habitatio tua; herbam sicut boves te gustare facient usque dum scias quod dominetur Altissimus in regnum hominis, et ei cui vult det illud."
[33] Quod per "Nebuchadnezarem" ut regem Babelis in initio significetur ecclesia caelestis et ejus incrementum usque ad sapientiae fastigium, constat quoque apud Danielem, ubi agitur de statua visa ab ipso in somnio: ibi dicitur,
"Deus caelorum filios hominis, bestiam agri, et avem caelorum, dedit in manum tuam, et dominari fecit te in omnes; tu es caput" statuae "quod est aurum" (2:37, 38):
per "caput statuae", quod erat ex auro, significatur ecclesia caelestis quae est omnium primaria; quod illa ecclesia per "regem Babelis" in principio significetur, est quia ecclesia, quae postea fit Babel seu Babylonia, incohat a cultu Domini et ex amore in Ipsum, et tunc apud illos regnat zelus extendendi et perficiendi illam per sancta bona et vera caeli; at hoc ex causa adhuc latente, quae est amor dominandi, qui tamen non erumpit nisi successive. Sed de hac re plura dicentur ubi agendum est de Babylonia.
[34] Apud Hoscheam,
"Feriam illis foedus in die illo cum fera agri, et cum ave caelorum et reptili terrae, et arcum et gladium et bellum frangam de terra, et cubare faciam eos secure, et desponsabo te Mihi in aeternum" (2:18, 19):
haec de instauratione novae ecclesiae a Domino, de qua ibi agitur. Quod tunc Jehovah, hoc est, Dominus, non facturus sit foedus cum fera agri, et cum avi caelorum, et cum reptili terrae, sed cum hominibus, apud quos instaurabitur ecclesia, patet: quare per illa significantur talia quae apud hominem sunt; nempe per "feram agri" affectio cognitionum veri, per "avem caelorum" cogitatio rationalis ex spirituali, et per "reptile terrae" scientificum naturalis hominis, in specie scientificum sensualis: quod tunc "arcum et gladium franget de terra" significat quod destructurus falsa impugnantia vera doctrinae; et quod non amplius aliquod discidium inter vera et falsa et inter bona et mala futurum, significatur per "Desponsabo te Mihi in aeternum."
[35] Apud Esaiam,
"Honorabit Me fera agri, dracones et filiae noctuae, eo quod dederim in deserto aquas, fluvios in solitudine, ad potandum populum meum electum meum" (43:20);
quod per "feram agri", "dracones" et "filias noctuae", hic non intelligantur fera agri, dracones et noctuae, patet, nam illae non honorare possunt Jehovam; quod homines ecclesiae sint qui intelliguntur, constat ex sequentibus, nam dicitur, "ad potandum populum meum, electum meum": quare per "feram agri" significantur affectiones cognitionum veri, per "dracones" ideae naturales, et per "filias noctuae" affectiones sensuales; nam sensuale afficitur veris et videt illa in tenebris, sicut noctua objecta in nocte:
[36] et quia illa significantur, patet quod gentes per illa intelligantur apud quas nova ecclesia instauranda erat, nam illi ante reformationem in obscura tali affectione et naturali cogitatione fuerunt: per "dare in deserto aquas, et in solitudine fluvios", significatur imbuere veris et inde intelligentia illos qui prius in ignorantia fuerunt; "aquae" sunt vera, "fluvii" sunt intelligentia, "desertum" et "solitudo" sunt ignorantia: "potare populum Jehovae et electum Ipsius", significat instruere illos qui in veris fidei et in bono charitatis sunt; "populus" dicitur de illis qui in veris fidei, et "electus" qui in bono charitatis.
[37] Apud Joelem,
"Nonne coram oculis nostris cibus excisus est e domo Dei nostri, laetitia et gaudium? .... Suspirat bestia, perplexa sunt armenta bovis, eo quod non pascuum illis; tum greges pecudum desolati sunt: .... bestia agri glocitat ad Te, quia exsiccati sunt rivi aquarum, et ignis comedit habitacula deserti" (1:16, 18, 20):
haec de statu ecclesiae, quando non ibi amplius sunt vera doctrinae et bonum vitae: per "cibum qui excisus est e domo Dei" significatur nutritio spiritualis quae est ex veris quae ex bono; "domus Dei" significat ecclesiam: "Suspirat bestia, perplexa sunt armenta bovis", significat defectum affectionum veri et inde cognitionum in naturali homine, et ex eo dolorem; "armenta bovis" significant illa quae naturalis hominis sunt in toto complexu:
[38] quod "non pascuum", significat quod non instructio; "greges pecudum desolati sunt" [l] significat defectum veri et boni spiritualis quae sunt fidei et charitatis; "bestia agri glocitat ad Te" significat dolorem illorum qui in affectione naturali et inde in desiderio cognitionum veri et boni: "exsiccati sunt rivi aquarum" significat vera doctrinae dissipata per amorem naturalem: "ignis comedit habitacula deserti" significat amorem illum et inde destructionem cognitionum veri; "habitacula deserti" sunt illa quae intellectus et voluntatis apud talem hominem sunt, quae alioqui receptura vera et bona ecclesiae.
[39] Apud eundem,
" [Ne] time tibi, terra, gaude et laetare, quod magnificaverit Jehovah faciendo; ne timete, bestiae agrorum meorum, quia herbosa facta sunt habitacula deserti, quia arbor feret fructum suum, ficus et vitis dabunt vim suam; filii Zionis, gaudete et laetamini in Jehovah" ( 8
2:21-23).
[40] Quod "herbosa facta sint habitacula deserti" significat quod cognitiones veri et boni erunt apud illos apud quos non prius: "arbor faciet fructum" significat productionem boni vitae per cognitiones illas; "arbor" enim significat hominem ecclesiae, in specie mentem imbutam cognitionibus, et "fructus" bonum vitae: "ficus et vitis dabunt vim suam" significat productionem effectus ex bono naturali et simul spirituali: quia per "bestias agrorum", "arborem", "ficum" et "vitem" talia quae apud hominem ecclesiae sunt, significantur, ideo dicitur, "Filii Zionis, gaudete et laetamini in Jehovah; per "filios Zionis" intelliguntur qui ab ecclesia caelesti, ac "gaudere" praedicatur de jucundo boni ac "laetari" de amoeno veri.
[41] Apud Ezechielem,
"In die illo veniet Gog super terram Israelis, .... et tunc erit terrae motus magnus super terra Israelis, et contremiscent coram Me pisces maris, et avis caelorum, et fera agri, et omne reptile reptans super terra, et omnis homo qui super faciebus terrae" (38:18-20):
per "Gogum" significatur sanctum externum absque sancto interno, ita illi qui in tali sancto sunt: per "terrae motum" significatur mutatio status ecclesiae: quod "contremiscent pisces maris, avis caelorum, fera agri, reptile terrae et omnis homo", significat quod omnia hominis quoad illa quae ecclesiae sunt apud illum, mutabuntur; "pisces maris" sunt scientifica, "aves caelorum" sunt cogitationes inde, "ferae agri" sunt affectiones inde, "reptile terrae" sunt cogitationes et affectiones in sensuali corporeo, et "homo" sunt omnia illa a primis ad ultima. Quid alioqui foret quod illa coram Jehovah contremiscerent?
[42] Apud Sachariam,
Erit in die illo tumultuatio magna.... , Jehudah pugnabit contra Hierosolymam; .... et ita erit plaga equi, muli, cameli et asini, et omnis bestiae quae erit in castris illis.... : deinde omnis residuus ascendet.... Hierosolymam" (14:13-15):
ita describitur status ultimus ecclesiae veteris, et primus novae: status ultimus ecclesiae veteris describitur per "tumultationem magnam, quando Jehudah pugnabit contra Hierosolymam", per quae intelligitur mutatio tunc et pugna amoris mali contra vera doctrinae ecclesiae: per "plagam equi, muli, cameli, asini et omnis bestiae", significantur talia quae laedunt et destruunt ecclesiam, et vitam spiritualem hominum ecclesiae; et per "equos, mulos, camelos, asinos", illa quae illorum intellectus et illorum voluntatis sunt, proinde quae illorum cognitionum et affectionum; quid autem in specie per "equum", "mulum", "camelum" et "asinum" significatur, alibi dictum est; hic solum quod "bestia" significet affectionem naturalis hominis, et per "plagam bestiae" laesio et destructio affectionis illius.
[43] Apud Jeremiam,
"Quousque lugebit terra, et herba omnis agri exarescet? Propter malitiam 9
habitantium in ea consumentur bestiae et avis" (12:4):
per "terram" intelligitur ecclesia; per "herbam agri" significatur verum ecclesiae natum et nascens; per "lugere et "exarescere" significatur perire et per cupiditates dissipari; et per "bestias et avem" quae consumentur, significantur affectiones boni et inde cogitationes veri: quod hae periturae sint propter mala in ecclesia, sequitur; quare etiam dicitur, "propter malitiam habitantium in terra."
[44] Apud Esaiam,
"Relinquentur simul 10
avis montium, et 11
bestia terrae; sed abominabuntur eum avis, et omnis bestia terrae eum contemnet (18:6):
haec de "terra inumbrata alis", per quam intelligitur ecclesia, quae ex obscuro, in quo est, imaginaria pro veris spiritualibus captat, et quae inde ex ignorantia in negationem illorum venit; per "avem" et "bestiam" etiam ibi significantur cogitationes veri et affectiones boni tam rationales quam naturales, quae dicuntur "abominari" et "contemnere"; quod avis et omnis bestia non abominaturae et contempturae sint, patet; sed affectiones boni et cogitationes veri, hoc est, ii qui in illis sunt.
[45] Apud Hoscheam,
"Latrocinantur, sanguines sanguines attingunt et contabescet omnis habitans in ea, ad feram agri et ad avem caelorum, etiamque pisces maris colligentur" (4:2, 3)
etiam hic per "feram agri" et "avem caelorum", ac per "pisces maris", similia significantur quae supra.
[46] Apud Ezechielem,
"Tu fili hominis dic omni avi omnis alae, et omni ferae agri, Congregamini et venite, congregate vos a circuitu super sacrificium meum quod Ego sacrifico vobis, sacrificium magnum super montibus Israelis, ut comedatis carnem et bibatis sanguinem; carnem fortium comedetis, et sanguinem principum terrae bibetis, arietes, agnos et 12
haedos et juvencos, saginatos Baschanis omnes; comedetis adipem ad satietatem, et bibetis sanguinem usque ad ebrietatem de sacrificio meo quod sacrifico vobis: et satiabimini super mensa mea equo et curru, forti et omni viro belli: .... sic dabo gloriam meam inter gentes" (39:17-21):
haec dicta sunt de convocatione gentium ad ecclesiam, et de receptione veri doctrinae in bono amoris, quod est bonum vitae, ab iis, ac de eorum intelligentia in spiritualibus inde: quare per "avem omnis alae", et per "omnem feram agri", quae congregarentur a circuitu ad sacrificium magnum super montibus Israelis, intelliguntur omnes in quocunque statu sint quoad perceptionem veri et quoad affectionem boni; per "avem omnis alae" intelliguntur omnes qualicunque perceptione veri sint, per "omnem feram agri" omnes qualicunque affectione boni; per "congregari a circuitu significatur ab undeque qui extra ecclesiam;
[47] per "sacrificium magnum" significatur cultus Domini ex fide et amore, nam illum sacrificia in genere repraesentabant; et per "montes Israelis" significantur bona amoris spiritualis: per "comedere carnem" et "bibere sanguinem" significatur appropriare sibi bonum amoris et verum illius boni: per "comedere carnem fortium, et bibere sanguinem principum terrae", significatur appropriatio illa; "fortes" (seu boves) significant affectiones naturalis hominis, et "principes terrae" principalia vera ecclesiae: per "arietes", "agnos", " 13
haedos", "juvencos", "saginatos Baschanis", significantur omnia quae sunt innocentiae, amoris, charitatis et boni; "saginati Baschanis" bona naturalis hominis ex origine spirituali:
[48] inde patet quid significatur per "comedere carnem ad satietatem" et per "bibere sanguinem ad ebrietatem", nempe, quod implerentur omni bono amoris et vero fidei: per "satiari super mensa Domini equo et curru, forti et omni viro belli", significatur ad plenum instrui ex Verbo; per "equum" significatur intellectus veri, per "currum" doctrina veri, per "fortem et virum belli", significatur verum boni pugnans contra falsum mali et destruens illud: quia illa dicta sunt de convocatione gentium ad ecclesiam Domini, ideo dicitur, "Sic dabo gloriam meam inter gentes"; "gloria" significat Divinum Verum in luce.
[49] Quod per "avem omnis alae" et per "bestiam agri", illa significentur, constare potest ex locis hactenus explicatis; tum ex hoc apud Esaiam,
"Dictum Domini Jehovih congregantis expulsos Israelis, Adhuc congregabo illos ad congregatos ejus; omnis fera agrorum meorum, venite ad comedendum, omnis fera in silva" (56:8, 9):
per "expulsos Israelis", quos Dominus congregabit, significantur omnes in ecclesia 14
qui in veris ex bono sunt separati ab illis ibi qui in falsis ex malo; illi etiam intelliguntur per "feras agrorum Domini Jehovih", "agri" enim significant ecclesiam quoad implantationem veri doctrinae: gentes autem quae extra ecclesiam significantur per "feram in silva"; "silva" significat naturalem et sensualem hominem, et "fera" scientiam ejus ac inde obscuram intelligentiam: quod per "feram agri" et per "feram in silva" illa significentur, patet, nam dicitur, "Venite, omnis fera agrorum meorum, et omnis fera in silva, ad comedendum"; "comedere" significat instructionem et appropriationem.
[50] Quoniam pleraque in Verbo etiam oppositum sensum habent, ita quoque "bestia" et "fera"; in quo sensu "bestiae" significant affectiones malas, quae sunt cupiditates adulterandi et destruendi bona ecclesiae, et "ferae" significant cupiditates falsificandi et sic destruendi vera ecclesiae.
[51] In hoc sensu nominantur "bestiae" et "ferae" in sequentibus locis:
- Apud Ezechielem,
"Excitabo super illos Pastorem unum, qui pascet eos, Servum meum Davidem; Hic erit iis in Pastorem: .... tunc excidam iis foedus pacis, et cessare faciam feram malam e terra, ut habitent in deserto confidenter, et dormiant in silvis; .... non erunt amplius praeda gentibus, et fera terrae non devorabit eos, sed habitabunt confidenter, non terrefaciens" (34:23, 25, 28):
haec de adventu Domini, et de statu beato caeli et illorum ab ecclesia qui in novum caelum venturi sunt: per "Pastorem Servum Davidem", quem Jehovah excitabit, intelligitur Dominus, qui vocatur "Servus" ab inserviendo et ministrando, hoc est, usus praestando (videatur supra, n. 409 [b]): per "excidere illis foedus pacis" significatur conjunctio cum Domino per Divina procedentia ab Ipso, quae sunt bona amoris et vera doctrinae ex Verbo, ita per Verbum: per "cessare facere feram malam e terra" significatur quod non amplius illos invadent et perdent cupiditates et concupiscentiae malae:
[52] per "habitare in deserto confidenter, et dormire in silvis", significatur quod tuti erunt ab infestatione illarum, tametsi in illis et inter illas sunt; "desertum" et "silva" sunt ubi talia et tales sunt: (per haec simile intelligitur quod apud Esaiam 11:7-9): quoniam cupiditates mali et falsi perdunt hominem ecclesiae, ideo dicitur, "Non erunt amplius praeda gentibus, et fera mala non devorabit eos"; nam per "gentes" significantur cupiditates mali, et per "feras terrae" cupiditates falsi.
[53] Apud Jeremiam,
"Facta est hereditas..mea sicut leo in silva, edidit contra Me vocem suam, ideo odi eam; avis Zabuah hereditas...; circa quam avis; ..congregate omnem feram agri, venite ad comedendum; pastores multi perdiderunt vineam meam" (12:8-10):
haec de vastatione ecclesiae per falsa mali: per "hereditatem" significatur ecclesia; per "leonem e silva", qui contra Deum edidit vocem, significatur falsum mali in toto complexu; "avis Zabuah" significat ratiocinationes ex falsis; "fera agri" quae congregabitur ad comedendum, significat cupiditates per falsa destruendi vera ecclesiae; et quia intelligitur ecclesia quae sic destruitur, ideo dicitur, "Pastores multi perdiderunt vineam meam"; per "vineam" significatur ecclesia spiritualis, seu ecclesia quoad affectionem veri: quia per "vineam" significatur ecclesia, sequitur quod per "feram agri" significetur cupiditas falsificandi et sic destruendi vera ecclesiae
[54] Apud Esaiam,
"Non erit leo, rapax ferarum non ascendet eo, non invenietur ibi" (35:9):
agitur ibi de adventu Domini, et de regno Ipsius in caelis et in terris; et per "leonem" et "rapacem ferarum" similia significantur quae supra: quod non fera per "feram" ibi intelligatur, quisque potest videre.
[55] Apud Hoscheam,
"Occurram illis sicut ursus orbatus, et discindam clausuram cordis eorum, et consumam eos sicut immanis leo, fera agri diffindet eos" (13:8):
etiam hic per "leonem" et "feram agri" similia quae supra significantur.
[56] Apud Zephaniam,
Jehovah "extendet manum suam supra septentrionem, et perdet Aschurem, et ponet Niniven in vastitatem, locum siccum sicut desertum; et requiescent in medio ejus greges, omnis fera gentis, tam platea quam anataria, in malogranatis ejus pernoctabunt; vox cantabit in fenestra, siccitas in limine, eo quod cedrum ejus denudaverit; talis urbs laetabunda, habitans secure, dicens in corde suo, Ego, praeter me non amplius; quomodo facta est in vastitatem, cubile ferae, omnis transiens super ea sibilat, movet manum suam" (2:13, 14 [, 15]):
ita describitur vastatio ecclesiae per falsa doctrinae, quae ex propria intelligentia: per "septentrionem" super quam Jehovah extendet manum, significatur ecclesia quae in falsis; per "Aschurem" quem Jehovah perdet, significantur ratiocinationes ex falsis; per "Ninivem" quam ponet in vastitatem, locum siccum sicut desertum, significantur falsa doctrinae; per "greges", "feram gentis", "plateam" et "anatariam", significantur affectiones falsi, et ipsa falsa interiora et exteriora;
[57] per "malogranata" in quibus illae requiescent, significantur cognitiones veri ex Verbo falsificatae; per "vocem in fenestra" significatur praedicatio falsi; per "siccitatem in limine" significatur desolatio veri totalis; per "cedrum" quam denudavit, significatur rationale deperditum; per "urbem laetabundam habitantem secure" significatur doctrina falsi qua delectantur et in qua requiescunt; "dicens in corde suo, Ego, praeter me non amplius", significat fastum propriae intelligentiae; per "cubile ferae" significatur status ecclesiae vastatae quoad vera; per quod "omnis transiens super ea sibilet, moveat manum suam", significatur contemptus et rejectio illorum ab illis qui in veris et bonis doctrinae sunt.
[58] Apud Mosen,
"Dabo pacem in terra, ita ut secure cubetis, et non perterrefaciens, et cessare faciam feram malam e terra, et gladius non transibit per terram vestram" (Leviticus 26:6):
per "pacem in terra, ut secure cubent, et non perterrefaciens", significatur tutela ab irruptione falsi in ecclesia ex confidentia in Dominum; per "cessare facere feram, malam e terra" significatur immunitas ab affectione et cupiditate falsi; et per "gladium" qui "non transibit per terram", significatur quod falsum non amplius destruet verum.
[59] Apud eundem,
"Mittam crabronem ante te, et expellet Chivaeum, Cananaeum, Chittaeum ante te; non expellam eum ab ante te in anno uno, ne forte sit terra solitudo, et multiplicetur super te fera agri: parum parum expellam eum ab ante te, usque dum fructificeris et heredites terram (Exodus 23:28-30):
"mittam crabronem ante te" significat formidinem illorum qui in falsis ex malo sunt; "et expellet Chivaeum, Cananaeum et Chittaeum", significat fugam falsorum quae ex malis; "non expellam illum ab ante te in anno uno" significat fugam seu remotionem eorum festinam; "ne forte sit terra desolata" significat deficientiam tunc et parum vitae spiritualis; "et multiplicetur super te fera agri" significat affluxum falsorum ex jucundis amorum sui et mundi; "parum parum expellam illum ab ante te" significat remotionem per gradus secundum ordinem; "usque dum fructificeris" significat secundum incrementum boni; "et heredites terram" significat dum in bono sit et regeneratus. (Sed haec amplius explicata in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 9331-9338, videantur)
[60] Similia significantur per haec apud Mosen,
"Expellet Jehovah Deus.. gentes.. coram te paullatim, non poteris [perdere] eas statim, ne multiplicetur contra te fera agri" (Deutr. 7:22 15
):
per "gentes" e terra Canaane a filiis Israelis expulsas et expellendas, significantur mala et falsa omnis generis; per "terram Canaanem" ecclesia, et per "filios Israelis" homines ecclesiae: quare per "feram agri" quae contra illos multiplicaretur, significantur cupiditates falsi ex malo: nam homo qui reformatur et regeneratur usque ut sit ecclesia apud illum, paullatim reformatur et regeneratur; e novo enim concipitur, nascitur et educatur, quod fit quantum mala et inde falsa, quae ei ex nativitate et hereditario insunt, removentur; quod fit non uno momento, sed per insignem cursum vitae; ex quibus patet quid in sensu spirituali intelligitur per quod "gentes non expellentur anno uno", sed "parum" et "paullatim", "ne multiplicetur contra te fera agri"; nam si mala et inde falsa confestim removentur, tunc homini vix aliqua vita foret; vita enim ejus, in quam natus, est vita mali et inde falsi ex cupiditatibus, quae removentur quantum bona et vera intrant; per haec enim removentur illa.
[61] Quoniam per "feram" in sensu spirituali 16
significantur cupiditates falsi ex malo, et per "aves" cogitationes et ratiocinationes ex illis, et quia homo ecclesiae per illas spiritualiter perit, ideo passim in Verbo, ubi agitur de vastatione ecclesiae, dicitur quod "darentur feris et avibus ad comedendum"; ut in sequentibus locis:
- Apud Davidem,
"Conculcat" vitem "aper in silva, et fera agrorum depascit eam" (Psalms 80:14 [B.A. 13]);
apud Hoscheam,
"Devastabo vitem ejus et ficum ejus, .... et ponam ea in silvam, et comedet ea fera agri" (2:12);
apud Ezechielem,
"Mittam super vos famem, et feram malam, et orbam facient te" (5:17):
haec de Hierosolyma, per quam intelligitur ecclesia.
Apud eundem,
"Ferae dabo eum ad devorandum" (33:27):
apud eundem,
"Oves dispersae sunt sine pastore, et in cibum omni ferae agri" (34:5, 8);
apud eundem,
"Ferae terrae et avi caelorum dedi te in cibum" (29:5):.
apud eundem,
"Super facies agri projiciam te, et habitare faciam super te omnem avem caelorum, et satiabo ex te feram omnis terrae" (32:4);
apud Jeremiam,
"Erit cadaver eorum in cibum avi caelorum et bestiae terrae" (16:4; 19:7; cap. 34:20 17
);
apud Ezechielem,
"Avi volucris omnis alae, et ferae agri dedi te in cibum" (39:4);
apud Davidem,
"Dederunt cadaver servorum tuorum [cibum] avi caelorum, carnem sanctorum tuorum ferae terrae" (Psalms 79:2);
apud Jeremiam,
"Visitabo super eos quatuor generibus, ...gladio ad occidendum, et canibus ad trahendum, et avibus caelorum et bestiis terrae ad devorandum et ad perdendum" (15:3):
[62] in his locis per "feras et aves" significantur falsa ex cupiditate mali et ex ratiociniis: et quia per "gentes" in terra Canaane significantur mala et falsa religionis et cultus, ideo filii Jacobi cadavera gentium, quas bello occiderunt, non sepeliebant, sed avibus et feris relinquebant devoranda; sed hoc non ex mandato Divino, sed ex immanitate ipsi populo innata, ita ex permissione ut repraesentarentur talia.
[63] Apud Davidem,
"Hostis opprobrio afficit Jehovam, et populus stultus spernit nomen tuum; ne des bestiae animam turturis..; vitae miserorum tuorum ne obliviscaris in perpetuum" (Psalms 74:18, 19):
per "hostem" qui opprobrio afficit Jehovam, significatur infernum et inde malum: per "populum stultum" qui spernit nomen Ipsius, significantur falsa quae sunt contra vera doctrinae; "populus" dicuntur illi qui in veris sunt, et in opposito sensu qui in falsis, qui sunt "populus stultus"; et "nomen Jehovae" significat omne verum doctrinae et ecclesiae: "ne des bestiae animam turturis" significat ne det spirituale bonum illis qui in cupiditatibus mali sunt: per "vitam miserorum" significatur vita spiritualis oppressa a malis et falsis.
[64] Apud Habakuk,
"Violentia Libani operuit te, et devastatio bestiarum consternabit eas, propter sanguines hominum, et violentiam terrae, urbis, et omnium habitantium in ea" (2:17):
per "violentiam Libani" significatur vis illata veris a rationali homine e Verbo perceptis, "Libanus" enim significat ecclesiam quoad perceptionem veri ex rationali homine; per "devastationem bestiarum", quae consternabit, significatur destructio veritatum per cupiditates mali; per "sanguines" significatur violentia illata veris Verbi per mala; et per "violentiam terrae, urbis et omnium habitantium in ea", significatur vis illata veris et bonis ecclesiae, ac doctrinae ejus ex Verbo per falsa.
[65] Apud Mosen,
"Dentem bestiarum immittam in illos, cum veneno reptilium terrae" (Deutr. 32:24 18
):
per "dentem bestiarum" significatur sensuale quoad cupiditates mali; nam "dens" correspondet ultimo vitae hominis, quod est sensuale: per "venenum reptilium terrae" significantur falsitates inde, quae per fallacias sensualis hominis astute pervertunt vera.
[66] Apud Ezechielem,
"Quum intravi et vidi, ecce omnis effigies reptilis et bestiae, abominatio, et omnia idola domus Israelis depicta super pariete circumcirca" (8:10):
per haec et plura quae ostensa sunt Prophetae, significantur dirae cupiditates et falsitates, in quibus fuerunt Israelitae, propterea quod in externis essent et prorsus non in internis; et qui tales fuerunt, verterunt omnia repraesentativa in idololatrica; inde idololatria eorum, et quoque plurium gentium: et tunc per "bestias" et "reptilia", quorum imagines, propter significationem affectionum boni et prudentiae, sibi fecerunt, repraesentatae sunt dirae cupiditates mali et falsi: sic enim fit quando naturalis homo separatus a spirituali res sanctas intuetur; inde est quod appellentur "idola domus Israelis": per "parietem circumcirca", in quo depicta videbantur, significantur interiora ubique in naturali homine; nam per "tectum" significatur intimum, per "solum" seu "pavimentum" ultimum, et per "parietes" interiora, et per "domum" ipse homo quoad illa quae ejus mentis sunt; et naturalis homo est interior et exterior, et interior naturalis est ubi foeda hominis resident, et exterior non vulgat illa sed mentitur bona, justa et sincera.
[67] Quia "ferae" et "bestiae" significabant bona intellectus et bona voluntatis, quae sunt affectionum, et ab antiquis, qui noverunt correspondentias, figurae repraesentativae et significativae factae sunt, quas illi primitus non coluerunt; sed posteri, qui ab internis facti sunt mere externi, coluerunt illa sicut Divina in se; inde ferae et bestiae factae sunt idola: ut patet apud Esaiam,
"Incurvatus est Bel, inflexus est Nebo, sunt idola eorum ferae et bestiae" (46:1).
Legitur propheticum apud Esaiam,
De bestiis meridiei (cap. 30:6, seq.);
per quas significantur adulterationes boni et falsificationes veri, unde omnis generis mala et falsa apud illos qui ab ecclesia solum in externis sunt, oriuntur; "bestiae meridiei" dicuntur, quia apud illos qui habent Verbum, ex quo in luce veri, quae est "meridies", possunt esse.
[68] Apud Danielem,
Vidit in visione cum nox esset, quatuor bestias ascendentes ex mari; "prima erat sicut leo, sed alae aquilae illi; .... altera similis urso; .... tertia sicut pardus, cui alae quatuor; et quarta terribilis et formidabilis" (7:27 19
):
per "bestiam e mari" ibi significatur amor dominii, cui sancta Verbi et ecclesiae pro mediis inserviunt; et per "quatuor bestias" significatur incrementum ejus successive; quare ultima bestia dicitur "terribilis et formidabilis." (Sed illa videantur quoad partem supra, n. 316 [c] et 556 [a] , explicata.)
[69] Similia paene significantur in Apocalypsi,
Per bestiam ascendentem ex mari (13:1-10);
Per bestiam ascendentem ex terra (13:11-18);
Per bestiam coccineam (17:3);
Per bestiam ex abysso ( 20
(de quibus bestiis porro, cap. 19:19, 20; 20:10):
sed quaenam cupiditates mali et falsi per singulas "bestias" in specie significantur, videbitur infra ubi de bestiis illis agetur.
[70] Ex his nunc constare potest quid intelligitur per haec apud Marcum,
"Spiritus" Jesum "impellens fecit exire in desertum, et erat..in deserto dies quadraginta, .... et erat cum bestiis, et angeli ministrabant Ipsum" (1:12, 13):
Dominus per quod in deserto fuerit quadraginta diebus, repraesentabat durationem omnium tentationum, quas Ipse prae omnibus in universo terrarum orbe immanissimas subiit et sustinuit; nam per "quadraginta dies" significatur integra periodus et duratio tentationum; ita non quod tunc solum tentatus fuerit, sed quod a pueritia usque ad ultimum vitae suae in mundo; ultima tentatio fuit Ipsi in Gethsemane; per tentationes enim subjugavit omnia inferna, et quoque glorificavit Humanum suum: (sed de tentationibus Domini videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 302): et quia tentationes existunt per malos spiritus et genios qui ab inferno sunt, ita per inferna, unde mala et falsa et eorum cupiditates et concupiscentiae assurgunt, ideo per "bestias" ibi, cum quibus fuit, non intelliguntur bestiae, sed inferna et inde exsurgentia mala; et per "angelos", qui ministrabant Ipsi, non intelliguntur angeli, sed Divina vera, per quae ex propria potentia vicit et subjugavit inferna. (Quod per "angelos" in Verbo significentur Divina vera, videatur supra, 130, 200, 302, 593.)
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