388. And by the wild beasts of the earth, signifies the evils of life, which are lusts and falsities therefrom springing from the love of self and of the world, which devastate all things of the church with man. This is evident from the signification of "wild beasts," as being the lusts and falsities that spring from the love of self and the world; and because these are the evils of life themselves, since an evil life is a life of lusts and falsities, therefore these are here meant by "the wild beasts of the earth;" that this is the signification of "wild beasts" will be seen in what follows. Also from the signification of "the earth," as being the church (of which see above, n. 29, 304); and as "wild beasts" signify the evils of life, and these devastate the church with man, and "the earth" signifies the church, so the "wild beasts of the earth" signify the evils of life which devastate the church with man. It is said the church with man, because the church is in man; for the church is a church from charity and faith, and these are in man; and if these are not in him, the church is not with him. It is believed that the church is where the Word is, and where the Lord is known; but still the church consists of those only who from the heart acknowledge the Divine of the Lord, and who learn truths from the Lord by the Word and do them; others do not constitute the church. That "the wild beasts of the earth" here signify, in particular, the evils of life can be seen from the series of things in the internal sense. It is said that "there was given unto them power over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth," "sword" signifying falsity destroying truth, "famine," the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good, "death" the extinction of spiritual life; therefore "the wild beasts of the earth" signify the evils of life, since these rule when spiritual life is extinct, for where there is no spiritual life there life is merely natural, and natural life apart from the spiritual is full of lusts from the love of self and the world, thus is infernal; therefore that life is meant by "the evil wild beast."

[2] Moreover, in respect to the evil life that is signified by "the evil wild beast," such may be the life as well with those who lead a good moral life, if they have no spiritual life; for such do good and speak truth and practice sincerity and justice but only because of reputation, honor, gain, and the laws, thus for the sake of appearance, that they may emulate those who are spiritual, while inwardly they have no will of good and no thought of truth, and laugh at sincerity and justice, unless for the causes mentioned above; consequently they are infernal within. This is also clearly manifest when such persons become spirits, which takes place immediately after death; then the external bonds mentioned above are taken away from them, and they then rush without restraint into evils of every kind. But it is otherwise with those who have led a good moral life from a spiritual origin. (On this subject see further in the work on Heaven and Hell 484, 529-531, 534 and above, n. 182.) This has been said to make known what is meant by an evil life, namely, that it is not the external life that pertains to the body and has reference to the world where men are, which is called the natural world, but is the internal life that pertains to the spirit and has reference to the world where angels are, which is called the spiritual world. For in respect to his body, its gestures and speech, man is in the natural world, but in respect to his spirit, that is, in respect to thought and affection, man is in the spiritual world; in fact, as the bodily sight has extension into the natural world and sweeps about there, so the sight of the spirit, which is thought from affection, has extension into the spiritual world and sweeps about there. That this is so is known to few; and it is therefore supposed that thinking evil and willing evil is of no consequence if only one does not do evil and speak evil; and yet every thought and volition affects the spirit of man and makes up his life after death.

[3] That "evil wild beasts" signify the lusts and the falsities from them springing from the love of self and the world, that devastate all things of the church with man, and in a contrary sense signify also the affections of truth that vivify all things of the church, can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Jeremiah:

Go ye, gather together every wild beast of the field; come to eat. Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trodden down My field, they have made the field of desire a wilderness of solitude (Jeremiah 12:9-10).

This treats of the vastation of the church in respect to its truths and its goods. Vastation is described by "the shepherds have destroyed the vineyard of the Lord," and "have trodden His field under foot;" "shepherds" mean those who teach truths, and by means of them lead to good of life; here those who teach falsities and by means of them lead to evil of life; "vineyard" means the church in respect to truths; and "field" the church in respect to good; its vastation is meant by "have destroyed" and "have trodden down," also by "they have made the field a wilderness of solitude." And as lusts and falsities springing from the love of self and the world devastate it, it is said, "Go ye, gather together every wild beast of the field; come to eat;" "every wild beast of the field" signifying the falsities and lusts springing from those loves, and "to eat" signifying to devastate and consume. "The wild beast of the field" does not mean evidently the wild beast of the field, for it is said "shepherds have destroyed the vineyard and trodden down the field;" and "shepherds" mean shepherds (pastors) of the church, and not shepherds of the flock.

[4] In David:

Why doth the boar out of the forest tread under foot [thy vine], and the wild beast of the fields doth feed on it (Psalms 80:13)?

"Vine" here signifies the same as "vineyard" above, namely, the church in respect to truth, which is called the spiritual church; its vastation by the lusts and falsities of the natural man separated from the spiritual is meant by "the boar out of the forest treadeth it under foot;” "the boar out of the forest" signifying the evil lusts of the natural man, and "the wild beast of the field" falsities.

[5] 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 eat them (Hosea 2:12).

"Vine" and "fig-tree" signify the church, "vine" the internal church which is of the spiritual man, and "fig-tree" the external church which is of the natural man; the vastation of both is signified by "I will lay them waste, and make them a forest; and the wild beast of the field shall eat them," "a forest" signifying the sensual man who is in mere fallacies and in falsities therefrom, and the "wild beast of the field" signifying falsities therefrom and evil lusts; for when the church with man is laid waste, that is, when the truth of the church is no longer believed, then man becomes sensual, believing nothing but what he can see with his eyes and touch with his hands; and such a man gives himself up wholly to the love of self and the love of the world, thus to lusts. That the church is here meant by "the vine" and "fig-tree" is evident from the second verse of the same chapter, where it is said that they should plead with their mother, "for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband," "mother" and "wife" in the Word signifying the church.

[6] In Moses:

By little and little I will drive out the nations, lest the land become a waste, and the wild beast of the field be multiplied against thee (Exodus 23:29-30Deut. Deuteronomy 7:22).

What this signifies can be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9333-9338), namely, that "nations" signify the evils that man has, even those from inheritance; and that these with man are removed "by little and little," since if they were removed suddenly, before good is formed in him by truths, falsities would enter which would destroy him. "The wild beasts of the field" signify the falsities springing from the delights of natural loves.

[7] In the same:

If ye walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, 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. But if ye do not hearken unto Me and do all My commandments, I will send among you the wild beast of the field, which shall bereave you of your children, and cut off your cattle, and make you few in number, that your ways may be laid waste (Leviticus 26:3, 6, 14, 22).

This describes the state of life of those who are in charity, and of those who are not in charity. The life of charity is meant by "walking in the statutes and keeping the commandments and doing them," for this is charity; the state of their life is described by "peace," by "they shall lie down securely, and none make them afraid," which signifies blessedness of heart and soul arising from the conjunction of good and truth, whence there is no longer any combat of evil and falsity against good and truth. It is also described by "I will cause the evil beast to cease out of the land, and the sword shall not pass through it," which signifies that there will no longer be any lusts or falsities springing from the love of self and the world, "the evil wild beast" signifying the lusts that destroy good affections, and "the sword" signifying the falsities that destroy truths. That those who are not in charity are in a contrary state is described by "if ye do not hearken unto Me and do all My commandments, I will send among you the wild beast of the field, which shall bereave you of your children, and cut off your cattle, and make you few in number, that your ways may be laid waste," which signifies that by lusts and falsities from them they shall be deprived of every good and truth. The lusts and falsities therefrom that will deprive are signified by "the wild beasts of the field that shall bereave you of your children;" the good affections of which they will be deprived are signified by "the cattle that shall be destroyed," and the truths themselves therefrom by their "ways" that shall be laid waste, "ways" meaning the truths that lead to good.

[8] In Ezekiel:

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 securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, and the wild beast of the field shall not devour them; but they shall dwell securely, and none shall make afraid (Ezekiel 34:25, 28).

This treats of the Lord's coming and His kingdom at that time; what is signified in the internal sense, can be seen from the passages just now explained, where many like words occur; the evil wild beast in the land" signifies lusts; and "the wild beast of the field" falsities.

[9] In Hosea:

I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and I will rend the caul of their heart, and I will devour them like a fierce lion; the wild beast of the field shall cleave them asunder (Hosea 13:8).

This treats of the vastation of good by falsity, "a bear bereaved of her whelps" signifying the power of evil from falsity, and "a fierce lion" the power of falsity from evil, and "the wild beast of the field" lusts and falsities; destruction by these is signified by "the wild beast shall cleave them asunder;" the separation of truth from good by falsity and evil is signified by "rending the caul of their heart."

[10] In Isaiah:

No lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not go up thither (Isaiah 35:9).

This chapter treats of the Lord's coming, and the state of those who are in His kingdom. "No lion shall be there" signifies that there shall be no falsity destroying truth; "the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not go up thither" signifies that there shall be no lust of destroying; it is said "shall not go up thither," because this lust is from hell.

[11] In Zephaniah:

Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north, and will destroy Assyria; that the droves may lie down in! the midst of her, every wild beast of the nation; both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge in the chapiters thereof. Such is the city that dwelleth securely, saying in her heart, I, and none other beside me; how is she become a waste, a place for the wild beast to lie down in! (Zephaniah 2:13-15).

This treats of self-intelligence, which confirms falsities and evils by reasonings from knowledges [scientifica], and by applying to them things from the sense of the letter of the Word. "The north" signifies the natural and sensual man, and the knowing [faculty] [scientificum] that belongs to it; and "Assyria" signifies reasoning therefrom; and "saying in her heart, I, and none other beside me" signifies self-intelligence. This makes clear what is involved in these particulars, in series, namely, "Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north, and will destroy Assyria" signifies that He will deprive such a natural man, and its power to understand and reason thence, of all perception of good and understanding of truth; "the droves shall lie down in! the midst of her, every wild beast of the nation; both the pelican, and the bittern, shall lodge in the chapiters thereof" signifies that there shall be falsities of evil, and falsities of thought and perception in the knowledges from the Word everywhere therein, "the wild beast of the nation" meaning the falsity of evil, "pelican and bittern" the falsity of thought and perception, and "chapiters" the knowledges from the Word. "Such is the city that dwelleth securely, saying in her heart, I, and none other beside me" signifies that such intelligence trusts in itself and draws only from self [ex proprio], "city" signifying doctrine from such intelligence; "how is she become a waste, a place for the wild beast to lie down in!" signifies that it has nothing of truth in it but is full of falsities.

[12] In Ezekiel:

Speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, he has become high above all the trees of the field; but because he was lifted up in his height, and hath set his top among the thick boughs, therefore strangers shall cut him off, the violent of the nations, and they shall cast him down. Upon his ruin every fowl of the heavens shall dwell, and every wild beast of the field shall be upon his branches (Ezekiel 31:2-3, 5, 10, 12 - 31:12-13).

These things have a like signification as those above; "Pharaoh king of Egypt" meaning the like as "the north," namely, the natural man and the knowing [faculty] [scientificum] that belongs to it; "Asshur" reasoning from it; "he was lifted up in his height, and hath set his top among the thick boughs" signifies glorying in intelligence from reasoning, thus in self-intelligence. From this general idea of the contents it can be seen what the particulars here involve, namely, "Speak unto pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude" signifies what pertains to the natural man, and its knowledges [scientifica], "Pharaoh king of Egypt" meaning the natural man, and "his multitude" the knowing faculty there; "Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, has become high above all the trees of the field" signifies the rational increasing by knowledges [scientifica], "Asshur" meaning the rational, and "cedar" the intellectual, and "its becoming high above all the trees of the field" signifying immense increase from the knowledges of truth and good; "but because he was lifted up in his height, and hath set his top among the thick boughs" signifies because he gloried in his intelligence, and in the knowledge [scientia] belonging to the natural man; and this glorying, which is an elation of mind from the love of self is from the selfhood; for the natural man separated from the spiritual exalts itself, because when separated from the spiritual it is in one's own [proprium, and] attributes all things to itself and nothing to God; "to set his top" is exalting oneself; and "thick boughs" are the knowledges [scientifica] that belong to the natural man (See Arcana Coelestia n.2831, 8133).

"Strangers shall cut him off, the violent of the nations, and they shall cast him down" signifies that falsities and evils therefrom shall destroy the rational, "strangers" meaning falsities, and "the violent of the nations" evils therefrom; whence "upon his ruin every fowl of the heavens shall dwell, and every wild beast of the field shall be upon his branches" signifies that then there will be the falsities of thought and the evils of affection;" "fowl" signifying the knowledges both of truth and of falsity, "wild beast" the evils of affection therefrom, and "field" the church, for no other falsities and evils are meant than those that are in the church. (That birds signify thoughts, ideas, and reasonings, in both senses, with a difference according to their genera and species, Arcana Coelestia 776[1-6], 778, 866, 988, 991, 3219, 5149, 7441

[13] In the same:

I will abandon thee in the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers; upon the faces of the field shalt thou fall; thou shalt not be gathered nor brought together; I have given thee for food to the wild beast of the land and to the fowl of heaven (Ezekiel 29:5; 32:4).

This, too is said of Pharaoh and the Egyptian, who signify the natural man separate from the spiritual, and this, when separated is in mere falsities and evils, for it is then without the light of heaven, which gives all intelligence; therefore "I will abandon thee in the wilderness" signifies to be without truths and goods; "the fish of his rivers" signify the sensual knowing faculty [scientificum sensuale] (See above, n. 342; "upon the faces of the field shalt thou fall" signifies that for it everything of the church is to perish; "thou shalt not be gathered nor brought together" signifies that good and truth will not be seen, for the spiritual man sees these in the natural, for the natural brings together and gathers knowledges [scientifica] and forms conclusions; "I have given thee for food to the wild beast of the land and the fowl of heaven" signifies here as above, to be about to perish by the falsities of thought and the evils of affection therefrom. Because the natural man separated from the spiritual is carried away into falsities of every kind and becomes hurtful, therefore "Egypt" is to be:

A wild beast of the reed (Psalms 68:30).

[14] In Ezekiel:

Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou and all thy hordes, and the peoples that are with thee; I have given thee for food to the bird of prey, the bird of every wing, and to the wild beast of the field (Ezekiel 39:4).

This is said of Gog, which signifies external worship separated from internal, which in itself is no worship, for it is the worship of the natural man separated from the spiritual. "Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel" signifies that such have nothing of the good of charity, "mountains of Israel" signifying the goods of charity, and "to fall" there signifying to perish; "thou and all thy hordes, and the people that are with thee," signifies that such worship, with its doctrinals and falsities, would perish; "I have given thee for food to the bird of prey, the bird of every wing, and to the wild beast of the field," signifies the extinction of truth and good by falsities of every kind and by evils; the evils that are signified by "the wild beast of the field" are the evils of life, which are the lusts arising from the love of self and the world.

[15] In David:

O God, the nations have come into Thine inheritance; the temple of Thy holiness have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps; the dead body of Thy servants have they given for food to the fowl of the heavens, the flesh of Thy saints to the wild beast of the earth (Psalms 79:1-2).

"Nations" here does not mean nations, but the evils of life and the falsities of doctrine; for God's "inheritance" signifies the church wherein the Lord is all the good and all the truth, because these are from Him; "to defile the temple of holiness, and to lay Jerusalem in heaps," signifies to profane worship and to pervert the doctrine of the church, "the temple of holiness" signifying worship, because worship is there, and "Jerusalem" signifying the church in relation to doctrine, thus also the doctrine of the church; "to give the dead body of Thy servants for food to the fowl of the heavens, and the flesh of Thy saints to the wild beast of the earth" signifies to destroy all truths by falsities, and all goods by evils; here, too, "the fowl of the heavens" means thoughts of falsity, and "the wild beast of the earth" the affections of evil therefrom.

[16] In the same:

Give not the soul of Thy turtle dove unto the wild beast; forget not the life of Thy wretched ones perpetually (Psalms 74:19).

"Turtle dove" signifies spiritual good, so, too, those who are in that good; and "the wild beast" signifies the falsity of evil lusting to destroy, so, too, those who are in the falsity of evil and are eager to destroy; this makes clear what "give not the soul of Thy turtle dove unto the wild beast" signifies. "Wretched ones" mean those who are infested by falsities, and are thence in anxiety, and are waiting for deliverance.

[17] In Ezekiel:

The sheep were scattered with no shepherd, and became food for every wild beast of the field, and were scattered (Ezekiel 34:5, 8).

This signifies that the goods of charity have been destroyed by falsities and utterly consumed by evils of every kind therefrom; "the wild beast of the field" meaning the evils of life springing from the falsities of doctrine; "sheep," in the Word, mean those who are in the good of charity; but the genuine spiritual sense is a sense abstracted from persons, consequently "sheep" signify the goods of charity; "shepherds" signify those who by truths lead to good, and in an abstract sense, the truths themselves through which there is good; therefore "without a shepherd" signifies that there is no truth through which there is good, and therefore falsity. "To become food" signifies to be consumed, the same as "to be eaten" when wild beasts are spoken of; "the wild beast of the field" signifying the evils from falsities.

[18] In Job:

Blessed is the man whom God chasteneth. In famine He shall ransom thee from death; and in war from the hands of the sword. At devastation and famine thou shalt laugh, and thou shalt not fear the wild beast of the land (Job 5:17, 20, 22).

This treats of temptations; "Blessed is the man whom God chasteneth" signifies one who is tempted; "In famine he shall ransom thee from death" signifies deliverance from evil when tempted through the lack and non-perception of good; "in war from the hands of the sword" signifies deliverance from falsities when tempted through the lack and non-understanding of truth; "war" meaning temptation; "at devastation and famine thou shalt laugh" signifies that to him there shall be no lack of good; and "thou shalt not fear the wild beast of the earth" signifies that no falsity shall be in him.

[19] In Ezekiel:

Thus shalt thou say unto them, Those who are in the desolate places shall fall by the sword, and him that is upon the faces of the field I will give to the wild beast to be devoured, and they that be in the fortresses and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. For I will make the land a desolation and wasteness (Ezekiel 33:27-28).

This treats of the desolation of all the truth and the vastation of all the good in the church, as is also said, "I will make the land a desolation and wasteness," "land" signifying the church. "Those who are in the desolate places shall fall by the sword" signifies that those who are in knowledges [scientifica] shall perish by falsities, for the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man without light from the spiritual are here meant by desolate places; "him who is upon the faces of the field I will give to the wild beast to be devoured" signifies that those who are in knowledges from the Word shall perish by the evils of falsity, "the faces of the field" meaning the things of the church, here knowledges from the Word, and the "wild beast" the evil of falsity; "they that are in the fortresses and in the caves shall die of the pestilence" signifies those who by the Word and those who by knowledges [scientifica] have confirmed themselves in falsities and evils, that such shall utterly perish by evils and falsities," "fortresses" meaning confirmations from the Word, and "caves" confirmation from knowledges. That such is the signification of these words, can be seen only from the series in the internal sense, for that sense treats, as has been said, of the total vastation of the church.

[20] In the same:

I will send upon you famine and the evil wild beast, and I ¹ will make thee bereaved; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee: especially will I bring the sword upon thee (Ezekiel 5:17).

In the same:

When I shall send famine upon the land, and cut off from it man and beast; when I shall cause the evil wild beast to pass through the land and bereave it, that it may become a waste, so that none pass through because of the wild beast, and when I shall bring the sword, and send the pestilence; thus when I shall send my four evil judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, the famine, the evil wild beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast (Ezekiel 14:13, 15, 17, 19, 21).

In the internal sense "to cut off man and beast" signifies to deprive of every affection of good and truth, both internal or spiritual and external or natural. (That this is signified by "man and beast" in the Word, see Arcana Coelestia 7424, 7523, 7872. "Famine" signifies the deprivation of the good of love; "sword" the deprivation of the truth of faith, both through falsity; "the evil wild beast" the deprivation of both by the evils of the love of self and of the world; and "pestilence" the consequent loss of spiritual life. These are called here "the four judgments," because man is judged by them.

[21] From the explanation of these and the preceding passages the meaning of each particular here in the series can be seen. "The evil wild beast" means all ravenous beasts, such as lions, bears, tigers, panthers, wild boars, wolves, dragons, serpents, and many others, which seize and rend asunder good animals, such as lambs, sheep, bullocks, oxen, and the like. That such wild beasts, and in general, "the evil wild beast," signify lusts springing from the love of self and the world, from which are all the evils of life and the falsities of doctrine, is from correspondence, as can be seen from the appearances in the spiritual world. There all lusts of evil and of falsity appear as wild beasts of various kinds; moreover, those from whom such appearances spring are like wild beasts, for their highest delight is to attack and destroy the good. This delight is an infernal delight, and is inherent in the loves of self and of the world, in which the hells are. From this it can be seen why it is that "the evil wild beast" in general signifies the evils of life, or lusts and the falsities therefrom springing from the loves of self and of the world, which lay waste all things of the church with man.

[22] Hitherto it has been shown from the Word that "wild beasts" signify evil lusts and falsities, in particular, the lusts of ravaging and destroying goods and truths, thus the spiritual life of man, by means of falsities. It shall now be shown that "wild beasts" in the Word also signify the affections of truth and good, which are contrary to the affections of falsity from evil, which are called lusts. "Wild beasts" signify also in the Word the affections of truth and good, because the word in the original by which they are designated and called signifies life, for in that language a "wild beast" is called chayah, and chayah means life, and the life itself of the spiritual man is in the affection of truth and good; so when "wild beast" is mentioned in the Word in this good sense, it ought rather to be rendered and called animal, which means a living soul. But when "wild beast" is spoken of in this sense, the idea that adheres to the word fera in the Latin must be entirely laid aside, for in that language an idea of what is fierce and ferocious adheres to the word fera, thus an idea of something bad or evil. It is otherwise in the Hebrew tongue, in which fera means life, and in general, a living soul or animal; in this sense chayah or fera cannot be called "beast" [bestia], since frequently in the Word fera and bestia are mentioned together, when fera signifies the affection of truth, and bestia the affection of good. Because fera or chayah in this contrary sense signifies the affection of truth and good, Eve, the wife of Adam, is called Chavah, from that word, as is evident in Moses:

And the Man called his wife's name Eve [chavah], because she was to be the mother of all chay [that is, living] (Genesis 3:20).

Also "the four animals" that were cherubim, are called from the same word, chayah, in the plural; and because, as was said, the idea of fierce and ferocious adheres to the word fera in the Latin, therefore the translators have used "living creatures" [animalia] for the cherubim which appeared as animals (See Ezekiel 1:5, 13-15, 22; 10:15 elsewhere).

[23] Likewise animals that may be eaten, as lambs, sheep, she-goats; rams, kids, he-goats, heifers, oxen, cows, as also animals that are not to be eaten, are called by the common word wild beasts [ferae], and yet they are mild and useful, consequently not wild or ferocious. Thus in Moses:

This is the wild beast that ye shall eat of all the beasts, among all the wild beasts that go on all four, to distinguish between the wild beast that is eaten and the wild beast that is not eaten (Leviticus 11:2, 27, 47).

And elsewhere:

He that hunteth a hunting of the wild beast or ² of the fowl that is eaten (Leviticus 17:13).

Also the animals that were sacrificed, and that have been named above, were termed wild beasts. Thus in Isaiah:

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, and the wild beast thereof is not sufficient for a burnt-offering (Isaiah 40:16).

And in David:

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds for sacrifice; for every wild beast of the forest is Mine, and the beasts upon the mountains of thousands. I know every fowl of the mountains and the wild beast of My fields is with Me. If I were hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is Mine and the fullness thereof. Sacrifice unto God confession (Psalms 50:9-12, 14).

[24] That "wild beast" signifies the affection of truth and good can be seen further from the following passages. In Moses:

In the seventh year, which is the sabbatical year, thou shalt let the land rest and shalt abandon it; that the needy of thy people may eat it, and what they leave the wild beast of the field may eat (Exodus 23:11).

And in another place:

In the year of the Sabbath, all the produce that is in thy land shall be for food for thy beast and for the wild beast (Leviticus 25:7).

Here "beast and wild beast" mean lambs, sheep, she-goats, kids, rams, he-goats, bullocks, oxen, cows, horses, and asses, but not lions, bears, boars, wolves, and the like rapacious wild beasts; so here "wild beasts" mean domestic wild beasts which are useful, which signify the affections of truth and good.

[25] In David:

Praise Jehovah from the earth, ye whales and deeps, the wild beast and every beast, the creeping thing and the bird of wing, kings of the earth and all peoples (Psalms 148:7, 10-11).

These signify goods and truths of every kind with man, from which man worships God; and as man worships God from these, and these are not of man but of the Lord with him, it is meant that these worship God, for no one can worship God rightly from himself, but from God, that is, from the goods and truths that are of God with him. That no one of himself but only from the Lord, is able to name Jesus, is known to some in the church, and is fully known in heaven. "To praise Jehovah" signifies to worship Him; "whales and deeps" signify knowledges and cognitions in general or in the whole complex; "wild beast and every beast" signify the affections of truth and good; "creeping thing and bird of every wing" signify the delight of good and truth of the natural and of the spiritual man; consequently it is also said, "Praise Jehovah, ye kings of the earth and all peoples," these signifying truths of good of every kind. That such things are signified by these words is evident from their signification in the internal sense, and from the Word in heaven, where the Word is spiritual, because it is for the angels who are spiritual. (That the Word is also in the heavens, and there it is in its internal sense, see Heaven and Hell 259-261.)

[26] In the same:

O God, Thou makest the rain of good will to drop down; Thou shalt confirm Thine inheritance when it is weary; Thy wild beasts shall dwell therein (Psalms 68:9-10).

Here too, "wild beast," or "animal," stands for those who are in the affections of truth and good, or in an abstract sense, those affections themselves; for "the rain of good will which God makes to drop down," signifies Divine truth from Divine good; "the inheritance when it is weary which God shall confirm," signifies the church that is in Divine truth in respect to doctrine and life, "inheritance" meaning the church where these are, which is said "to be weary" from the earnest endeavor to do good; "the wild beasts that shall dwell therein," that is, in the inheritance or church, signify the affections of truth and good. That nothing else is here meant by "wild beast," is evident, for no rapacious wild beast, that is, no lust of falsity and evil, can dwell in the inheritance upon which God causes the rain of good will to drop down.

[27] In Hosea:

In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and I will break the bow and the sword and war from the earth; and I will make them to lie down securely. And I will betroth Me to thee ³ forever (Hosea 2:18-19).

These things are said of a new church from the Lord; and "the wild beast of the field, the fowl of the heavens, and the creeping thing of the earth," have the same signification as above in David (Psalms 148:7, 10, 11), where they have been explained. "Covenant" signifies conjunction; so "to make a covenant" signifies to be conjoined (See Arcana Coelestia 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632). For Jehovah cannot "make a covenant" or be conjoined with the affections of evil and falsity, or with the lusts that are signified by "wild beasts" in the sense first given, nor can He make a covenant with the wild beast, the fowl, and the creeping thing generally, but only with such things as are signified by these. But these things may be seen more fully explained above n. 357.

[28] In Ezekiel:

Speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, Behold Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in branch, and with shady foliage, and high in stature. The waters made him to grow great, whence his stature became higher than all the trees of the field; in his branches did all the birds of the heavens build their nests, and under his boughs every wild beast of the field brought forth; and in his shade have dwelt all the great nations; no tree in the garden of God was equal to him in beauty (Ezekiel 31:2-9).

"Pharaoh and Egypt" here signify the knowing faculty, [scientificum] that belongs to the natural man; and "Asshur" the rational which the knowing faculty serves; the growth of this through knowledges and cognitions is described by "cedar in Lebanon," this also signifying the rational; "the waters that made him to grow great" signify truths, and "branches" signify extension, such as pertains to the thought of the rational man. From this it can be seen what is signified by "in his branches did all the birds of the heavens build their nests; under his boughs every wild beast of the field brought forth, and in his shade have dwelt all the great nations," namely, rational and spiritual truths of every kind, the affections of truth and goods; "the birds of the heavens" signifying the rational and spiritual truths of every kind, "the wild beast" the affections of truth, "to bring forth" signifies to multiply, since every spiritual birth or multiplication is effected by the affections of truth, and "the great nations" signify goods. (That "birds" signify thoughts, and things rational, intellectual, and spiritual, and thus truths, since all things of thought are either truths or falsities, see Arcana Coelestia 745, 776, 866, 988, 991, 3219, 5149, 7441; that "to bring forth" signifies to multiply truths and goods, and that this is spiritual birth, n. 3860, 3868, 9325; that "nations" signify those who are in goods, and thence in an abstract sense, goods, n. 1059, 1159, 1258, 1260, 1416, 1849, 6005; and above, n. 175, 331; that "Pharaoh" and "Egypt" signify the knowing faculty [scientificum] in both senses, good and evil, see n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5700, 5702, 6015, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 7296, 9340, 9391; and that "Asshur" signifies the rational in both senses, n. 119, 1186)

[29] That "Egypt" signifies the true knowing faculty [verum scientificum] and "Assyria" the rational, and that the whole of man's rational has its birth by means of knowledges [scientifica], or that these serve it, as was said above, can be seen from these words in Isaiah:

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt into Assyria, that Assyria may come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and they shall serve [Jehovah], the Egyptians with Assyria. In that day shall Israel be a third to Egypt and to Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land, whom Jehovah of Hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance (Isaiah 19:23-25).

Here "Egypt" signifies the knowing faculty [scientificum], "Assyria" the rational, and "Israel" the spiritual.

[30] From the passages already cited it can be seen what "bird" and "wild beast of the field" signify in Ezekiel:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Say to the bird of every wing, and to every wild beast of the field, Assemble yourselves and come; gather yourselves from the circuit to My sacrifice that I do 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. And ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood, even to drunkenness, of My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. And ye shall be satiated at My table with horse and chariot, with mighty man and with every man of war. So will I give My glory among the nations (Ezekiel 39:17-21).

From the particulars here it is evident that this is said of the church to be established by the Lord among the nations; therefore "the bird of every wing, and every wild beast of the field, that are to be assembled and invited to the sacrifice," signify all who are in the affection of truth and good, for "the flesh that they will eat" signifies the good of love, and "the blood that they will drink," the truth from that good, and "sacrifice" the worship itself from these. But these things may be seen more fully explained above n. 329.

[31] Sometimes in the Word, "wild beast" and "beast" are mentioned together, sometimes "wild beast" alone, and "beast" alone; and sometimes "wild beast of the earth" or "wild beast of the field;" and when "wild beast" and "beast" are mentioned together, then the affection or love of falsity and evil is signified, "the wild beast" signifying the affection or love of falsity, and "beast" the affection or love of evil; or in a contrary sense "the wild beast" the affection or love of truth, and "beast" the affection or love of good. But when "wild beast" alone, or "beast" alone is mentioned, then "a wild beast" means the affection of both falsity and evil, and in a contrary sense the affection both of truth and good; while "beast" means the affection of evil and of the falsity therefrom, and in a contrary sense, the affection of good and of the truth therefrom. But what "beast" signifies will be seen below where it is explained. When, however, "the wild beast of the earth" is mentioned, it means a wild beast that devours animals and men; but when "the wild beast of the field" is mentioned, it means a wild beast that eats up the crops; therefore "the wild beast of the earth" signifies such things as destroy the goods of the church, and "the wild beast of the field" such things as destroy the truths of the church; for both "earth" and "field" signify the church, "earth" signifying the church from the nation and people there, and "field" the church from what is sown, or from the reception of seeds.

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3858. Since the subject in the verses that follow now is the twelve sons of Jacob, and since the twelve tribes of Israel were named after them as their fathers, let an introductory statement be made here about what the tribes mean and why there were twelve. Nobody as yet has known the arcanum lying within these considerations, for people have believed that the historical descriptions of the Word are purely history and hold nothing more of the Divine within them than their ability to be made to apply to matters of a holy nature when these are under discussion. Consequently they have also believed that the twelve tribes meant nothing else than the divisions of the Israelitish people into so many separate nations or general families, when in fact Divine realities are implied in those tribes. That is to say, those tribes mean so many universal divisions of faith and love and so mean things that constitute the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, each tribe in particular meaning some universal division. But what exactly each tribe means will be evident from the verses that follow directly after this, where the subject is the sons of Jacob after whom the twelve tribes were named. In general the twelve tribes meant everything constituting the doctrine of truth and good, that is, of faith and love; for these - that is to say, truth and good, or faith and love - constitute the Lord's kingdom, since what are essentially matters of truth or faith constitute the whole of thought there, and what are essentially matters of good or love constitute the whole of affection. And because the Jewish Church was established so as to represent the Lord's kingdom the divisions of that people into twelve tribes therefore meant those things of His kingdom. This is an arcanum which has not previously been disclosed.

[2] Twelve means all things in general, as shown already in 577, 2089, 2129, 2130 (end), 3272, while 'tribes' means matters of truth and good, or of faith and love, so that 'the twelve tribes' means all of these. Let this meaning of 'the twelve tribes' be substantiated here from the Word before each one is dealt with individually. In John,

The holy city New Jerusalem, having twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels, and names written which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He measured the city with the measuring rod, twelve thousand stadia. And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Revelation 21:12, 14, 16-17, 21.

'The holy city', or the New Jerusalem, means the Lord's new Church, as is evident from each detail of this description. Previous chapters refer to what the condition of the Church was going to be like before its end; this chapter refers to a new Church. That being so, 'the gates', 'the wall', 'the foundations' mean nothing else than things constituting the Church, which are those of charity and faith since these constitute the Church.

[3] From this it may be clear to anyone that 'twelve' used so many times in that description, also 'tribes', and 'apostles' too, are not used to mean twelve, or tribes, or apostles, but that 'twelve' is used to mean all things in their entirety; see what has been shown in 577, 2089, 2129, 2130 (end), 3272. The same is true of the number 'a hundred and forty-four', for this is twelve twelves. And since 'twelve' means all things it is evident that 'the twelve tribes' means all things constituting the Church, which, as stated above, are truth and good, or faith and love. The same is also true of 'the twelve apostles' who as well represented all things constituting the Church, that is, all things of faith and love, see 2129, 3354, 3488, 3857. That number is therefore called 'the measure of a man, that is, of an angel', by which is meant a state of truth and good. For 'measure' means state, see 3104, and 'man' means that which constitutes the Church, as is evident from things said about the meaning of 'man' in 478, 479, 565, 768, 1871, 1894, and also from the fact that the Lord's kingdom is called the Grand Man, which it is called by virtue of good and truth which come from the Lord, dealt with at the ends of chapters in 3624-3649, 3741-3750. And 'angel' has the same meaning, 1705, 1754, 1925, 2821, 3039.

[4] As in John, so also in the Prophets, in the Old Testament Word, is the new Jerusalem referred to, where in a similar way the Lord's new Church is meant, as in Isaiah 65:18-19, and following verses; in Zechariah 14; and in particular in Ezekiel, Chapters 40-48, where the new Jerusalem, the new Temple, and a new earth describe in the internal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. The contents of those chapters, plainer than anywhere else, show what 'earth', 'Jerusalem', 'Temple', and everything in them meant, and also what 'the twelve tribes' means. For the subject of those chapters is the division of the land and the inheritance of it according to tribes, as well as the city and its walls, foundation, and gates, and everything that was to go with the Temple there. From those chapters let simply matters relating to the tribes be quoted here,

The Lord Jehovih said, This is the boundary of your inheritance of the land, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. You shall divide this land according to the tribes of Israel. But you shall divide it by lot as an inheritance, and for sojourners sojourning in your midst. They shall cast lots with you for an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel. Ezekiel 47:13, 21-23.

As regards the land, it will be for the prince as a possession in Israel. And the princes will no longer oppress My people, and the land they will give to the house of Israel according to their tribes. Ezekiel 45:8.

Concerning inheritances and how they were assigned to individual tribes which are also referred to there by name, see Ezekiel 48:1 and following verses; and concerning the gates of the city which are named after the tribes of Israel, verses 31-34 of the same chapter.

[5] Quite plainly, when the tribes are spoken of here it is not the tribes who are meant, for by that time ten tribes had long since been scattered throughout the whole world, and had not subsequently returned. Nor can they possibly return, for they have become gentiles. And yet reference is made to each individual tribe, and to how it was to inherit the land and what its boundary was to be. What the boundary for the tribe of Dan was to be is stated in verse 2; what the boundary for the tribe of Asher was to be in verse 3; what those of Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah were to be, and concerning the inheritance of the Levites; and what the boundaries of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad were to be in verses 4-29. In addition to all this that chapter declares that the city was to have twelve gates named after the tribes of Israel - three gates facing north, those of Reuben, Judah, and Levi; three gates facing east, those of Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; three gates facing south, those of Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun; and three gates facing west, those of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, in verses 31-34.

[6] From all this it is evident that 'the twelve tribes' means all things that belong to the Lord's kingdom, and so all that are matters of faith and love, for these constitute the Lord's kingdom, as stated above. Because the twelve tribes meant all things of the Lord's kingdom they also represented that kingdom by their encampments and by their travellings. In Moses it is said that they were to encamp according to the tribes around the Tent of Meeting - to the east, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; to the south, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; to the west, Ephraim Manasseh, and Benjamin; and to the north, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, and as they were encamped so they travelled, Numbers 2:1-end. In all this they represented the Lord's kingdom, as is quite evident from Balaam's prophecy,

When Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to tribes, the Spirit of God came upon him and he delivered his utterance, and said, How good your tabernacles are, O Jacob; your dwelling-places, O Israel! They are like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river, like aloes Jehovah has planted, like cedars beside the waters. Numbers 24:2-3, 5-6.

The fact that Balaam received from Jehovah these words spoken by him is explicitly stated in Numbers 22:8, 18-19, 35, 38; 23:5, 12, 16, 26; 24:2, 13.

[7] From this also it is evident what the inheritances of the land of Canaan according to tribes represented, in connection with which it is said in Moses that he was to take a census of the congregation of the children of Israel, according to their fathers' houses; a census of those twenty or more years old, everyone going into the army of Israel. The land was to be distributed by lot; according to the names of their fathers' tribes they were to receive an inheritance, Numbers 26:2, 7-56; 33:54; 34:19-29. And Joshua's actual division of the land by lot according to tribes is described in Chapters 13, 15, 19 of the Book of Joshua. From these particular details it is evident that the Lord's kingdom was represented, as has been stated; for the land of Canaan meant that kingdom, see 1585, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705.

[8] The reason why they are called 'armies' and why it is said that 'they encamped according to their armies and travelled according to their armies', Numbers 2:4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 19, 21-23, 26, 28, 30, is that 'an army' had the same meaning [as 'a tribe'], namely truths and goods, see 3448. And the Lord is called Jehovah Zebaoth or 'Jehovah of Armies (or Hosts)' 3448. They were for these reasons called 'the armies of Jehovah' when they departed from Egypt, as in Moses,

It happened at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that same day it happened that all the armies of Jehovah were to come out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:41.

Anyone may recognize that such people in Egypt, and after that in the wilderness, were not called 'the armies of Jehovah' except in a representative sense, for no good or truth was present in them, the worst of all nations.

[9] From this it is also quite evident what was meant by the names of the twelve tribes on Aaron's breastplate, which was called the Urim and Thummim. Concerning the breastplate the following is said in Moses,

There shall be four rows in it and twelve stones. These stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names. The engravings of a signet, for each one over its name, there shall be for the twelve tribes. Exodus 28:17, 21; 39:14.

For 'Aaron' represented the Lord's Divine priesthood, and therefore all the vestments worn by him as high priest meant Divine celestial and spiritual things. But the exact meaning of those vestments will in the Lord's Divine mercy be clear where they are the subject. Since the breastplate itself was most holy, the names of it were representations of all the essential characteristics of love and faith in the Lord. These are the Urim and Thummim. The reason why the names were engraved on the precious stones was that 'stones' in general meant truths, 1298, 3720, and 'precious stones' truths shining through from good, 114. And because the name of each individual tribe meant some essential characteristic, a specific stone was also allocated for each tribe, Exodus 28:17-20; 39:10-13, which expressed by means of its colour and transparence the characteristic meant by that tribe. This was how Jehovah or the Lord gave answers by means of the Urim and Thummim.

[10] The two shoham stones which were on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod had a similar representation but in a lesser degree than the twelve stones on the breastplate. For 'the shoulders' meant all power, and so the Lord's omnipotence, 1085, whereas 'the breast' or heart and lungs meant Divine celestial and spiritual love - 'the heart' Divine celestial love, 'the lungs' Divine spiritual love, see 3635 and the end of the present chapter where the Grand Man and its correspondence with the province of the heart and the province of the lungs is the subject. The two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod are referred to in Moses as follows,

You shall take two shoham stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of the names on one stone and the remaining six names on the other stone, according to their births. You shall put two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. Exodus 28:9-12; 39:6-7.

[11] Because 'the tribes' meant what are essentially matters of truth and good, or faith and love, and each tribe meant some universal aspect of these, and since the tribe of Levi meant love, as will be evident from the explanation at verse 34 below, one can therefore recognize what was meant by their placing rods, one for each tribe, in the Tent of Meeting and by Levi's rod alone blossoming with almonds. All this is described in Moses as follows,

He was told to take twelve rods, one rod for each head of their fathers' houses, and these were to be left in the Tent of Meeting, the name of Aaron being written on the rod of Levi. Aaron's rod was placed in the middle of them. And the next day, behold, Aaron's rod for the tribe of Levi had blossomed; it had produced buds, ¹ so that it flowered and produced almonds. Numbers 17:2-8.

These occurrences meant that love was the essential, also the first and foremost, thing of all in the Lord's kingdom and that love is the source of all fruitfulness. And the reason why Aaron's name was on the rod was that Aaron represented the Lord as regards His Divine priesthood. For by the Lord's priesthood is meant Divine Good, which essentially is His love and mercy, and by the Lord's kingship is meant Divine Truth which stems from Divine Good, see 1728, 2015 (end), 3670.

[12] From what has been introduced so far one may now see what 'tribes' and 'the twelve tribes' mean in the following places: In John,

I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe of Israel - twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Benjamin. Revelation 7:4-8.

In Moses,

Remember the days of old, understand the years of generation after generation.

When the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. Deuteronomy 32:7-8.

In David,

Jerusalem, built as a city which is closely compacted together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, a testimony to Israel, to confess the name of Jehovah. Psalms 122:3-4.

[13] In Joshua, who was told,

The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass over before you into the Jordan. Take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. And it will happen when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. They will stand in one heap. Joshua 3:11-17.

And further,

Take out of the midst of the Jordan, from the places where the priests' feet stood, twelve stones which you are to prepare and carry with you. And let each man take a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, that it may be a sign that the waters of the Jordan were cut off. Moreover Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, beneath the places where the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant had stood. Joshua 4:1-9.

Also in the description about Elijah,

Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word had come, Israel shall be your name; and he built an altar to the name of Jehovah. 1 Kings 18:31-32.

[14] That 'the tribes' means the goods of love and the truths of faith is also clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. Matthew 24:30.

Here 'all the tribes of the earth will mourn' means that the acknowledgement of truth and the life of good will not exist any longer, for the subject in that chapter is the close of the age. Similarly in John,

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail over Him. Revelation 1:7.

What 'coming in the clouds of heaven' means, see Preface to Genesis 18. See in addition what I have been shown from experience about the number 'twelve', in 2129, 2130.

[15] The reason why all things of faith and love are called 'tribes' is that the same expression in the original language also means a sceptre and a rod. For 'a sceptre' and also 'a rod' mean power, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown elsewhere. For this reason the noun 'tribe' entails the idea that forms of good and truth possess within them all power from the Lord. And angels too are therefore referred to as 'powers' and also 'principalities', for 'princes' means the first and foremost aspects of charity and faith, such as the twelve princes descended from Ishmael, Genesis 25:16, see 2089, as well as the princes who were leaders of the tribes, Numbers 7; 13:4-16.

[16] From what has been said up to now about the twelve tribes one can recognize why the Lord's disciples, who later on were called apostles, were twelve in number, and that like the tribes they represented the Lord's Church as regards goods and truths, 2129, 3354, 3488, 3857. 'Peter' represented faith, 'James' charity, and 'John' the works that flow from charity, see the Prefaces to Genesis 18, 22, and also 3750. This is also quite evident from the things which the Lord said about them and to them.

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