10644. 'And tear down their groves' means that their teachings are to be totally rejected. This is clear from the meaning of 'groves' as the teachings of the Church, at this point the teachings of the type of religion that is practised by idolaters, which are teachings that consist of falsity arising from evil. The reason why teachings are meant by 'groves' is that instances of perception or awareness of what is good and true are meant by 'trees', of perception among those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and of awareness among those who are in His spiritual kingdom; and each species of a tree means a specific kind of perception or awareness. This accounts for the meaning of 'paradise gardens' and other 'gardens' as heavenly intelligence and wisdom, and for that of 'forests' as the knowledge which the natural man possesses. From all this it may be recognized why it is that teachings are meant by 'groves', and why it was that the ancients performed holy acts of worship in groves. For the Church among the ancients was a representative one, all of whose outward forms represented inner realities, such as they are in heaven, which have regard to the Lord, to love for Him and faith in Him, and to such things as are aspects of love and faith. The reason why groves, and also forests, gardens, and paradise gardens, as well as trees according to their species, mean such things lies in representative objects in the next life. The angels' intelligence and wisdom determine what kinds of objects appear there; for whatever makes its appearance has a celestial or spiritual origin.

Teachings are meant by 'groves', and the ancients performed holy worship in groves, see 2722, 4552.

Heavenly intelligence and wisdom is meant by 'paradise gardens', 3220, 4528, 4529.

The like is meant by other 'gardens', 100, 108, 1588, 2722.

The knowledge which the natural man possesses is meant by 'forests', 9011(end).

Instances of perception, and those of awareness (or cognitions), of goodness and truth are meant by 'trees', 103, 2163, 2682, 2972, 7692, 8326.

The Ancient Church performed worship in groves and in gardens under trees, in accord with the meanings these carried, 2722, 4552.

8326. 'And plant them' means regeneration going on continuously. This is clear from the meaning of 'planting' as regenerating, for regeneration is like the activity of planting. When a tree is planted it grows into branches, leaves, and fruit, then from seeds in the fruit it grows into new trees, and so on. A person's regeneration is similar, which also explains why in the Word a person is compared to a tree, and one who has been regenerated to a garden or paradise. The truths of faith with that person are compared to the leaves, and forms of the good of charity to the fruit; the seeds from which new trees grow correspond to truths which spring from good, or what amounts to the same thing, to faith which springs from charity. The expression 'regeneration going on continuously' is used because a person's regeneration has a beginning but never ceases; he is continually being made more perfect not only while he lives in the world but also in the next life for evermore. Yet he can never reach any kind of perfection that enables him to be compared with the Divine.