314. A Lamb standing, signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human. This is evident from the signification of "lamb," as being, in reference to the Lord, Himself in respect to the Divine Human. The Lord in respect to the Divine Human is called a "lamb" because a "lamb" signifies the good of innocence, and the good of innocence is the good itself of heaven proceeding from the Lord; and so far as angels receive this good, so far they are angels. This good reigns with angels that are in the third or inmost heaven; for this reason those in that heaven appear as infants before the eyes of other angels. (What the good of innocence is, and that the angels of heaven are in that good, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, in the chapter treating of The State of Innocence of the Angels of Heaven, n. 276-283, also n. 285, 288, 341, 382.) It is believed in the world that the Lord is called "a Lamb" for the reason that the continual burnt-offering, or what was offered every day, evening and morning, was from lambs, and especially on the Passover days, when a lamb was also eaten; and that the Lord suffered Himself to be sacrificed. Such a reason for His being so called may do for those in the world who do not think beyond the sense of the letter of the Word; but nothing of this kind is perceived in heaven when the term "lamb" is predicated of the Lord; but when "lamb" is mentioned, or is read in the Word, the angels, because they are all in the spiritual sense of the Word, perceive the good of innocence; and when the Lord is so called, they perceive His Divine Human, and at the same time the good of innocence that is from Him. I know that this will with difficulty be believed, but yet it is true.

[2] That "lamb" in the Word signifies the good of innocence, and in reference to the Lord Himself, "lamb" signifies His Divine Human, can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Behold, the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs into His arm, and shall carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead the sucklings (Isaiah 40:10-11).

This treats of the Lord's coming; the "flock that He shall feed as a shepherd," signify those who are in the good of charity; and the "lambs that He shall gather into His arm," signify those who are in love to Him. It is this love that, viewed in itself, is innocence; therefore all who are in it are in the heaven of innocence, which is the third heaven; and as this love is signified by lambs, it is also said, "He shall gently lead the sucklings." "Sucklings" and "infants" in the Word mean those who are in innocence (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 277, 280, 329-345).

[3] In the same:

The wolf shall sojourn with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little boy shall lead them; and the heifer and the bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together; the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the basilisk's den (Isaiah 11:6-8).

These things are said of the Lord's coming and of His kingdom, also of those therein who are in the good of innocence, that they shall have nothing to fear from the hells and the evils therefrom, because they are protected by the Lord. The Lord's kingdom is here described by innocences of various kinds, and by their opposites from which they shall be protected; a "lamb" means innocence of the inmost degree, its opposite is the "wolf;" a "kid" means innocence of the second degree, the opposite of which is the "leopard;" a "calf" means innocence of the last degree, the opposite of which is the "young lion." (That "lamb," "ram," or "sheep," and "calf," signify three degrees of innocence, see Arcana Coelestia 10132.) Innocence of the inmost degree is such as belongs to those who are in the third or inmost heaven, and its good is called celestial good; innocence of the second degree is such as belongs to those who are in the second or middle heaven, and its good is called spiritual good; and innocence of the last degree is such as belongs to those who are in the first or the last heaven, and its good is called spiritual-natural good. (That all who are in the heavens are in some good of innocence, see Arcana Coelestia 4797.) Because the goods of innocence are described by the animals above named, it is said further "and a little boy shall lead them," also, "the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put forth his hand on the basilisk's den." These degrees of innocence are signified also by "boy," "suckling," and "weaned child." (That "boy" has this signification, see Arcana Coelestia 430, 5236; that "suckling," or infant of the first age, and "weaned child," or infant of the second age, have these significations see n. 3183 4563, 5608, 6740, 6745)

[4] Because a "lamb" signifies innocence, or those who are innocent, and a "wolf" those who are against innocence, it is said in like manner in another place in the same prophet:

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; they shall not do evil in the whole mountain of holiness (Isaiah 65:25);

"the mountain of holiness" is heaven, especially the inmost heaven. Therefore the Lord said to the seventy whom He sent forth:

I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3).

[5] Because "lambs" signify those who are in the love to the Lord, which love is one with innocence, and because "sheep" signify those who are in love towards the neighbor, which love is charity, the Lord said to Peter:

Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto Him, Feed My lambs; and afterwards, Feed My sheep (John 21:15-17).

These things were said to Peter, because by "Peter" truth from good, or faith from charity was meant, and truth from good teaches; "to feed" meaning to teach.

[6] In Ezekiel:

Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of thy hand, in lambs, rams, and goats (Ezekiel 27:21).

This is said of Tyre, by which those who are in the knowledges of truth and good are meant. "Arabia" and "the princes of Kedar," who are "the merchants of her hand," signify those who are in truths and goods from knowledges; "merchants" signify those who communicate and teach these; "lambs, rams, and goats," signify three degrees of the good of innocence, the same as "lambs, rams, and calves." (That these signify the three degrees of the good of innocence, see Arcana Coelestia 10042, 10132)

[7] In like manner in Moses:

He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed him with the increase of the fields; he made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock; butter of the herd and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou drinkest the pure blood of the grape (Deuteronomy 32:13-14).

These things are said of the establishment of the Ancient Church, which was the first church after the flood, and all these things describe its various kinds of good; but as scarcely anyone will understand them without explanation, I will briefly explain them. "To ride on the high places of the earth" signifies that the intelligence of those who were of that church was interior; "He fed him with the increase of the fields" signifies that they were instructed in all truth and good; "He made him to suck honey out of the cliff" signifies that they had natural good by means of truths; "oil out of the flint of the rock" signifies that they had spiritual good also by means of truths; "honey" and "oil" signifying those goods, and "cliff," "rock," and "hard rock," signifying truths; "butter of the herd, and milk of the flock," signify the internal and the external good of truth; "the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats," signifies the goods of innocence of the three degrees (as above); "the fat of the kidneys of wheat" and "the blood of the grape" signify genuine good and genuine truth therefrom.

[8] In Isaiah:

The sword of Jehovah shall be filled with blood; it shall be made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and of he-goats, and with the fat of the kidneys of rams (Isaiah 34:6).

Here, too, "lambs, rams, and goats," signify the three degrees of the good of innocence (of which above); but here their destruction by the falsities of evil is treated of; for "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth and good; the "blood" with which it shall be filled signifies destruction.

[9] Since a "lamb" signifies innocence, which, viewed in itself, is love to the Lord, a "lamb," in the highest sense, signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, for in respect to this, the Lord was innocence itself; as may be seen in the following passages. In Isaiah:

He endured persecution and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is led as a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7).

Send ye the lamb of the ruler of the land from the cliff toward the wilderness unto the Mount of the daughter of Zion (Isaiah 16:1).

In John:

John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. And afterwards, seeing Jesus walking, he said, Behold the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36).

And in Revelation:

The Lamb in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters (Revelation 7:17).

They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of the testimony (Revelation 12:11;

besides also elsewhere in Revelation (as Revelation 13:8; 14:1, 4; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:22-23; 22:1, 3).

[10] Since "burnt-offerings and sacrifices" signified all representative worship from the good of love and from the truths thence, "burnt-offerings" worship from the good of love, and "sacrifices" in a special sense worship from the truths thence, so:

Every day, evening and morning, there was a burnt-offering of lambs (Exodus 29:38-43; Numbers 28:1-9);

Every sabbath, of two lambs, besides the continual burnt-offering of them (Numbers 28:9-10);

In the beginnings of the months, of seven lambs (Numbers 28:11-15);

Likewise on the day of the firstfruits (Numbers 28:26 to end);

Likewise in the seventh month, when there was a holy convocation (Numbers 29:1-7);

Likewise, namely of seven lambs on each day of the passover, besides two young bullocks, one ram, and one goat (Numbers 28:16-24).

The burnt-offering was of "seven lambs" because "seven" signifies all and fullness, and it is predicated of what is holy, and because "burnt-offerings" in general signified worship of the Lord from the good of love, and the good of love to the Lord from the Lord is the good itself of innocence; and "lamb" in the highest sense signified the Lord in respect to the Divine Human. (That "burnt-offerings" signified all worship from the good of love to the Lord from the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042) On account of this representation there was also instituted:

The supper of the passover of lambs or kids (Exodus 12:1-29);

for "the feast of the passover" represented the glorification of the Lord's Human (See Arcana Coelestia 10655). Because "infants" signified innocence, it was also commanded that:

After birth, on the day of purification, they should sacrifice a lamb, a young pigeon, or a turtle dove; or, instead of a lamb, two young pigeons or two turtle doves (Leviticus 12:6, 8);

"young pigeons" and "turtle doves" signifying the like as "lambs," namely, innocence.

9272. '[And] six years you shall sow [your] land' means the first state, when a member of the Church receives instruction in the truths and forms of the good of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'six years' as the first state of a person who is being regenerated, dealt with below in 9274; and from the meaning of 'sowing the land' as a time when the seeds of the truth and good of faith are implanted. The reason why 'sowing the land' has this meaning is that everything involving the field, what is sown in it, and what it produces means such things as belong in general to the Church and in particular to a member of the Church, that is, to a person regenerated by means of the truth of faith and the good of charity received from the Lord. This is why 'the field' and 'the ground' in the Word mean those within the Church who receive the truths and forms of the good of faith, just as the field receives seeds, and therefore also why the field, seed, sowing, harvest, produce, grain and wheat, bread made from them, and everything else involving the field are mentioned many times in the Word.

[2] Anyone unacquainted with the true nature of the heavenly state inevitably supposes that those things as they are mentioned in the Word are no more than metaphorical ways of speaking and comparisons; yet they are true correspondences. For when angels talk about the Lord's regeneration of a person by means of the truths of faith and forms of the good of charity, there appear at the same time in the world of spirits below them fields, crops, fallow land, and also harvests. The reason for their appearance is their correspondence. Anyone acquainted with this is also able to see that such things have been created in the world in accordance with correspondences; for the whole natural order - that is, all the sky together with the sun, moon, and stars, and the earth together with every object in its three kingdoms - corresponds to such things as exist in the spiritual world, 2993, 5116, 5377, so that the natural order is a theatre which is representative of the Lord's kingdom, 3483, from which all things in the natural world derive their existence, 2987, 2989-2991, 3002, 8211. All this shows how it comes about that what belongs to the field - that is, what is sown in the field and what is harvested from the field - means things of the Church in general and in particular. Even comparisons made in the Word involve the use of things that are correspondential, see 3579, 8989.

[3] The fact that 'sowing the land (or the field)' means teaching and learning about the truths and forms of the good of faith which belong to the Church, and the fact that 'the produce' means resulting forms of the good of truth may be seen from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, therefore you will plant pleasant plants; ¹ but you will plant out the land ² with the vine-sprig of the foreigner. In the day you will cause your plant to grow, and in the morning your seed to flourish. The harvest will be a heap on the day of possession; but the grief will be desperate. Isaiah 17:10-11.

Here such things as grow on earth are mentioned, but holy things of the Church are plainly meant by them. That is to say, 'planting pleasant plants' means such things as delight the affections, and 'planting out the land with the vine-sprig of the foreigner' teaching unauthentic truths.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah to the man of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and remove the foreskins of your heart. Jeremiah 4:3-4.

'Sowing among thorns' means teaching and learning truths which however are choked and rendered unfruitful by 'the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and cravings', as the Lord teaches in Mark 4:7, 18-19. This is why it says that they were 'to circumcise themselves to Jehovah and to remove the foreskins of their heart', that is, to purify themselves from the kinds of things that choke the truths and forms of the good of faith and render them unfruitful. For this meaning of 'circumcising', see 2039, 2056, 2632, 3412, 3413, 4462, 7045. Sowing wheat and reaping thorns in Jeremiah 12:13 has a similar meaning.

[5] In Micah,

I am tired of striking you, of laying you waste because of your sins. You will sow but not reap; you will tread olives but not anoint yourself with oil, and tread the new wine but not drink wine. Micah 6:13, 15.

'Sowing and not reaping' stands for receiving instruction in the truths of faith but to no further effect. 'Treading olives but not anointing themselves with oil' stands for receiving instruction in goodness of life but still failing to lead a good life. 'Treading the new wine but not drinking wine' stands for receiving instruction in truths flowing from good but still not making them their own. That such aspects of the Church or of heaven are meant by these words is evident from those that come before them, namely the words stating that they were laid waste in that way because of their sins. For one who is wicked and a sinner receives instruction but he does no more than store it away among items of knowledge in his memory which he draws on in his quest for reputation, position, and riches, thus which he uses to serve an evil end and purpose. As a consequence the truths and forms of good which the person has learned about forfeit the life of heaven, becoming dead and eventually lethal.

[6] In Isaiah,

Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass. Isaiah 32:20.

'Sowing beside all waters' stands for receiving instruction in any truths whatever that can be put to useful service, 'sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass' for receiving instruction in external kinds of goodness and truth. In the same prophet,

Those who are to come Jacob will cause to take root. Israel will blossom and flower, so that the face of the earth may be filled with produce. Your teachers will not be compelled to flee away any more; and your eyes will be looking at your teachers, and your ears will hear the word behind you, saying, This is the way, go in it. Then Jehovah will give rain for your seed with which you will sow the land, and bread of the produce of the earth; and there will be fatness and wealthiness. On that day they will feed your livestock in a broad grassland. And oxen and asses tilling the land will eat pure fodder. The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, on the day when Jehovah will bind up the hurt ³ of His people, and will heal the wound of their stroke. Isaiah 27:6; 30:20-26.

[7] When it says that Jehovah would give rain for the seed with which [the people] would sow the land, and bread of the produce of the earth, that they would feed their livestock in a broad grassland, that oxen and asses tilling the land would eat pure fodder, that the light of the moon would be as the light of the sun, and that the latter would be sevenfold, such things as have to do with the Church are meant. This is plainly evident to anyone who gives thought to the matter, as is the fact that receiving instruction in the truths and forms of the good of faith is meant. For it says, 'Your eyes will be looking at your teachers, and your ears will hear the word, saying, This is the way, go in it', and 'teachers' are those who give instruction, while 'the way' in which they were to go is the truth that doctrine teaches and the good in which life consists. But the specific meaning of each individual statement is evident from the meaning of 'rain', 'seed', 'produce', 'the land', 'livestock', 'a broad grassland', 'oxen and asses tilling the land', and 'the fodder they were to eat', as well as from the meaning of 'the light of the moon and of the sun', and also of 'sevenfold' and 'seven days'. And since such things as have to do with the Church are meant by them, that is, matters of doctrine and of life, it follows that this will take place 'on the day when Jehovah will bind up the hurt of His people, and will heal the wound of their stroke' - 'the hurt of the people' being falsity in doctrine that gradually creeps in owing to the dishonesty of teachers, to evil cravings, and to other causes, and 'the wound of their stroke' being consequent evil in life.

[8] Since everything among the Israelite and Jewish people was representative of heavenly and Divine realities, so too were fields and their produce, also vineyards, olive groves, and all cultivated areas, as well as herds and oxen, and in addition mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, and all else that met their eye. In this also lay the reason why, whenever they kept and carried out statutes and judgements, they were made rich in those earthly things, according to the promises made in various places in the Word, for example in Moses,

If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, I will give you rain in its season, and the land will give its produce, and the tree of the field will give its fruit. Leviticus 26:3-4.

And in Zechariah,

The vine will give its fruit, and the land will give its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. Consequently it will happen, that just as you were a curse among the nations, you will be a blessing. Zechariah 8:12-13.

[9] But the opposite happened to them when they worshipped other gods, for then they no longer represented heavenly and Divine realities but hellish and devilish ones; and for this reason the land was no longer fertile or productive, but was consumed and laid waste, in accordance with the following in Moses,

If you serve other gods Jehovah's anger will be aroused against you; He will close heaven so that there is no rain and the land does not give its produce. Deuteronomy 11:16-17.

And in the same author,

When Jeshurun became fat he kicked, and forsook God. They sacrifice to demons, to gods they have not known. Therefore a fire has flared up in My anger, and will burn right down to the lowest hell, and will consume the land and its produce. Deuteronomy 32:15, 17, 22.

[10] All this shows what it is that 'sowing the land' and 'its produce' means, and also where they derive that meaning from, as well as showing what it is they mean in the following places: In David,

Jehovah turns a wilderness into a pool of water, and parched land into streams of water. He makes the hungry dwell there, that they may sow fields and plant vineyards, and yield a fruitful harvest. ⁴ Psalms 107:35-37.

In the same author,

All the peoples will acclaim You. The land will give its produce; God will bless us. Psalms 67:5-7.

In Moses,

Jehovah causes His people to ride on the heights of the land, and He feeds [them] with the produce of the fields; He causes them to suck honey out of the stony crag and oil out of the stony rock. Deuteronomy 32:13.

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