143. Nowadays it may seem strange that 'beasts' and 'animals' in ancient times meant affections and similar things residing with man. But because people had heavenly ideas then, and because such things are also represented in the world of spirits by animals - by such animals in fact as resemble those affections - this alone is what they therefore understood when they spoke in this fashion. And this alone is what is meant in the Word whenever beasts are mentioned in general or in particular. The whole prophetical section of the Word is full of things such as these, and therefore anyone who does not know the particular meaning of any beast cannot possibly understand what the Word contains in the internal sense. But as slated already, there are two kinds of beasts - evil ones, because they are harmful, and good ones, because they are harmless. Good beasts, such as sheep, lambs, and doves, mean good affections. Here, because the subject is the celestial man, or the celestial-spiritual man, the same applies. The fact that 'beasts' in general means affections has been confirmed from several places in the Word quoted already in 45, 46. So there is no need of further confirmation.

6623. Since details so countless are present within the ideas that go to make up thought, the angels can know solely from a single spoken word produced by thought what a spirit or else man is really like. This too has been proved to me by means of an experience. When simply the word truth was uttered, which was done by quite a number of spirits one after another, I heard instantly whether it was hard, rough, soft, childlike, dear, innocent, full or empty, stained with falsity, pretentious, closed, or open, and in what degree these things were present within it. In short, I heard the actual character of the idea, yet only its general character. So what do angels hear who perceive the specific details of the idea?