10132. Two lambs, sons of a year, day by day. That this signifies the good of innocence in every state, is evident from the signification of “lambs,” as being the good of innocence (of which below); from the signification of “lambs sons of a year” as being the quality of infancy, in which nevertheless truths have been implanted (of which also below); and from the signification of “day by day,” as being in every state. For by “day” is signified state, and by the “morning” of the day and by its “evening” in which the burnt-offerings of lambs were offered, is signified every state. (That “day” denotes state, see n. 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 7680; and that changes of states are as the alternations of the day in respect to morning, noon, evening, night, and again morning, see n. 5672, 5962, 6110, 8426)

[2] That “lambs” denote the good of innocence, is evident from the passages in the Word where “lambs” are mentioned, as in Isaiah:

The wolf shall abide with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them; the sucking child shall play on the hole of the viper, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the basilisk’s den; they shall not corrupt themselves in all the mountain of My holiness. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, which standeth for an ensign of the peoples, shall the nations seek, and his rest shall be glory (Isaiah 11:6, 8-10).

There is here described the state of peace and innocence in the heavens and in the church after the Lord came into the world; and as a state of peace and innocence is described, mention is made of a “lamb,” a “kid,” and a “calf,” also of a “little child,” a “sucking child,” and a “weaned child,” and by all of these is signified the good of innocence-the inmost good of innocence by a “lamb,” the interior good of innocence by a “kid,” and the exterior good of innocence by a “calf;” the like is signified by a “child,” a “sucking child” and a “weaned child;” the “mountain of My holiness” denotes the heaven and the church where is the good of innocence; the “nations” denote those who are in this good; “the root of Jesse” denotes the Lord from whom is this good; the good of love from Him to Him, which is also called celestial good, is the good of innocence.

[3] That a “lamb” denotes the good of innocence in general, and specifically the inmost good of innocence, is evident from its being mentioned first, and also from the fact that the Lord Himself is called a “Lamb” as will be seen in what follows. (That a “kid” denotes the interior good of innocence, see n. 3519, 4871; that a “calf” or a “bullock” denotes the exterior good of innocence, n. 430, 9391; a “child,” innocence, n. 5236; in like manner a “sucking child,” a “weaned child,” or “infant,” n. 430, 2280, 3183, 3494, 5608; the “mountain of holiness” denotes where the good of love to the Lord is, see n. 6435, 8758; and “nations” denote those who are in this good, n. 1416, 6005.) That the good of love to the Lord, which is called celestial good, is the good of innocence, is evident from those who are in the inmost heaven, who because they are in this good appear naked, and like infants, for the reason that nakedness denotes innocence, and likewise infancy (see the places cited in n. 9262, and n. 3887, 5608).

[4] It is said that “the wolf shall abide with the lamb,” because by a “wolf” are signified those who are against innocence, as also is the case in the following passages:

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; they shall not do evil nor destroy in all the mountain of My holiness (Isaiah 65:25);

Jesus said to the disciples whom He sent forth, Behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3).

[5] As when the Lord was in the world He was innocence itself in respect to His Human, and as consequently everything that belongs to innocence proceeds from Him, the Lord is called “the Lamb,” and “the Lamb of God,” as in Isaiah:

Send ye the Lamb of the Ruler of the land from the rock toward the wilderness, unto the mountain of the daughter of Zion (Isaiah 16:1).

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

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, and said, Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36).

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

These are they who have not been defiled with women; these are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth; these were bought from among men, firstfruits to God and the Lamb (Revelation 14:4).

Besides many other passages in the Revelation, as (Revelation 5:6) 5:6, 8, 12-13; 6:1, 16; 7:9-10, 14; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:9, 14, 22-23, 27; 22:1, 3.

[6] As” lambs” denote those who are in innocence, therefore the Lord said to Peter, first, “Feed My lambs,” and afterward, “Feed My sheep,” and again, “Feed My sheep” (John 21:15-17); “lambs” here denote those who are in the good of love to the Lord, for these are in the good of innocence more than all others; but “sheep” denote those who are in the good of charity toward the neighbor, and who are in the good of faith.

[7] The like is signified by “lambs” in Isaiah:

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

That these things were said of the Lord is evident, because by “lambs” are meant those who are in love to Him, thus who are in the good of innocence, wherefore it is said that “He will gather them in His arm, and carry them in His bosom;” for they are conjoined with the Lord by love, and love is spiritual conjunction; and for this reason it is also added that “He will gently lead the sucklings,” for “sucklings” and “infants” denote those who are in the good of innocence (see n. 430, 2280, 3183, 3494).

[8] From all this it can now be seen what is signified by the burnt-offerings and sacrifices of lambs, and why they were to be made every day, every Sabbath, every new moon, and at every feast, and every day on the feast of the passover; and why at the feast of the passover the lamb that was called the paschal lamb was to be eaten, of which it is thus written in Moses:

This month shall be to you the head of the months; this shall be the first month of the year in respect to you; ye shall take a male cattle from the lambs or from the kids; and they shall take of the blood, and put it upon the two posts, and upon the lintel, and upon the houses wherein they shall eat it; they shall not eat of it raw, nor boiled in waters, but roast with fire (Exodus 12:2, and following verses).

By “the feast of the passover” was signified the liberation from damnation of those who receive the Lord in love and faith (n. 9286-9292); thus who are in the good of innocence, for the good of innocence is the inmost of love and faith, and is their soul; wherefore it is said that they should “put the blood of it upon the posts, the lintel, and the houses,” for where the good of innocence is, there hell cannot enter. They were to eat it “roast with fire,” because by this was signified the good of celestial love, which is the good of love to the Lord from the Lord.

[9] As a “lamb” signified innocence, therefore when the days of purifying after childbirth had been fulfilled, there were offered:

A lamb the son of a year for a burnt-offering; and the son of a pigeon or a turtle-dove, for a sacrifice (Leviticus 12:6).

By “the son of a pigeon” and by “a turtle-dove” was signified innocence in like manner as by a “lamb;” by “childbirth” in the spiritual sense is signified the birth of the church, which is that of the good of love, for no other birth is understood in heaven; and by the burnt-offering and sacrifice from these is signified purification from evils through the good of innocence; for this good is that into which the Divine flows, and through which it purifies.

[10] He who sinned through error was to offer a lamb, or a kid of the goats, or two turtle-doves, or two sons of pigeons, for guilt (Leviticus 5:1-13), for the reason that sin through error is sin from ignorance, and if in ignorance there is innocence, purification is effected. Concerning the Nazirite also it is said:

When he has fulfilled his Naziriteship, he shall offer a lamb the son of a year for a burnt-offering, and a ewe lamb the daughter of a year for a sacrifice of sin, and one ram for a eucharistic sacrifice, also a basket of unleavened things, cakes mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened things anointed with oil (Numbers 6:13-15);

by all these things, namely, the “lamb,” the “ewe lamb,” the “ram,” the “unleavened breads,” the “wafers,” and the “oil,” are signified celestial things, that is, those which are of love to the Lord from the Lord. These were to be sacrificed by the Nazirite after the fulfilling of the days of the Naziriteship, because the Nazirite represented the celestial man, or the Lord as to the Divine celestial. The Divine celestial is the Divine of the Lord in the inmost heaven; and this Divine is innocence.

[11] From all this it can be seen that by a “lamb” is signified the good of innocence; for by all the beasts that were sacrificed something of the church was signified, as can be very well seen from the fact that the Lord Himself is called a “Lamb,” as is evident from the passages above cited; and likewise that those are called “lambs” who love the Lord, as in Isaiah 40:10-11, and in John 21:15; and that upright men are also called “sheep” (as in Matthew 15:21-29; 25:31-41; 26:31; John 10:7-16, 26-31; 21:16-17; and in other places); and evil men are called “goats” (Matthew 25:31; Zech. 10:3; Daniel 8:5-11, 25). (That all useful and gentle beasts signify good affections and inclinations; but that useless and fierce ones signify evil affections and inclinations, see th e places cited in n. 9280.)

[12] The good of innocence is signified not only by a “lamb,” but also by a “ram,” and by a “bullock,” but with the difference that by a “lamb” is signified the inmost good of innocence; by a “ram,” the interior or middle good of innocence; and by a “bullock,” the external good of innocence. The good of innocence in every one must be external, internal, and inmost, in order that the man may be regenerated, for the good of innocence is the very essence of all good. As these three degrees of innocence are signified by a “bullock,” a “ram,” and a “lamb,” therefore these three were offered for sacrifice and burnt offering when purification was represented by this good, as was done in each of the new moons, the feasts, the day of firstfruits, and when the altar was inaugurated (as is evident in Numbers 7:15, 21, 27, 38; 28, 29). (That a “bullock” denotes the external good of innocence, see n. 9391, 9990; and a “ram,” the internal good of innocence, n. 10042.) (As regards innocence and its quality with infants, also with the simple who are in ignorance, and with the wise, see the places cited in n. 10021.)

[13] By its being said that the lamb which was to be offered for a burnt-offering should be “the son of a year,” was signified that it then was a lamb, for when it exceeded a year, it was a sheep; and because a lamb was as it were an infant sheep, by it was signified such good as is of infancy, which is the good of innocence; hence also it was that lambs were to be offered for a burnt-offering in the first month of the year at the time of the passover (Exodus 12:2, and following verses; Numbers 28:16, 28:19); on the day of the firstfruits (Numbers 28:26-27); and on the day in which they waved the sheaf (Leviticus 23:11-12); for by the first month of the year, and by the day of the firstfruits, and by the day of waving the sheaf, there was also signified a state of infancy, thus a state of innocence.

6110. Because the famine was very grievous. That this signifies desolation, is evident from the signification of “famine,” as being a lack of good and of knowledges (see n. 1460, 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, 5579, 5893); thus a “very grievous famine” denotes desolation (n. 5360, 5376, 5415, 5576). With regard to desolation, be it known that truths and goods and the knowledges thereof make the spiritual life of those who are in heaven, for these are the celestial and spiritual foods with which they are nourished. These foods are given them daily by the Lord. When it is morning with them, goods are supplied; when it is noon, truths are supplied; but when it is evening, goods and truths are lacking, and this even unto twilight and the return of morning. The angels are then kept in a state of appetite, which is of such a nature that they long for these things more than those who are hungry on earth long for food. This state is signified by “famine,” and it is a kind of desolation, but not such as exists with those who are in the lower earth (n. 698, 699, 1106-1113).

[2] Scarcely anyone in this world can believe that the angelic heaven has such an appetite for truths and goods and the knowledges of these; for they who are intent on nothing else than gain and glory and indulgence in pleasures, will wonder that such things are a matter of life to the angels, and will say, “What are knowledges of good and of truth to me? what have these to do with life? The things which give life and the delight of life are riches, honors, and pleasures.” But be it known to them that the life which is from these things is the life of the body, and not the life of the soul, and that the former life perishes with the body, but the latter remains to eternity; and that they consult their own evil who during their abode in this world think nothing about the spiritual life.

[3] As further regards desolation, it is for the sake of inducing appetite, for goods and truths are received in accordance with this; and when the desires excited by appetite are obtained, they cause satisfaction and happiness. Wherefore in the other life they who are in desolation are soon afterward refreshed, and attain their desires. By means of such alternations are all made perfect. It is worthy of note that the alternations of the day in the natural world-morning, midday, evening, night, and again morning-perfectly represent the alternations in the spiritual world, with only this difference: that the alternations of the spiritual world flow into the understanding and the will, and sustain those things which are of the life; while the alternations in the natural world flow into those things which are of the body, and sustain them.

[4] What is still more worthy of note is that the shades of evening and the darkness of night do not come from the Lord, but from things that belong to angels, spirits, and men. For the Lord as a Sun is continually shining and flowing in, but evils and falsities from what is one’s own, being in men, spirits, and angels, turn and convert them from the Lord, and thus lead them into the shades of evening, and those who are evil into the darkness of night; in like manner as the sun of our world is continually shining and inflowing, but the earth by its rotation turns itself away from it, and brings itself into shade and darkness.

[5] The reason why these alternations take place in the natural world is that the natural world comes forth from the spiritual world, and therefore also subsists from it; and hence it is that universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord’s kingdom (see n. 3483, 4939). The reason why these alternations exist in the spiritual world is that all who are in heaven may be continually perfected. From this there are such alternations also in the natural world, for otherwise all things therein would perish with drought.

[6] Yet be it known that in heaven there is no night, but only evening, which is succeeded by the twilight that precedes the morning. But in hell there is night. There are alternations there also, but these are opposite to the alternations in heaven; for in hell morning is the heat of cupidities, noon is the itching of falsities, evening is anxiety, and night is torment. Yet through all these alternations the night dominates, and it is only the variations of shade and of the darkness of night that present these alternations.

[7] Be it further known that in the spiritual world the alternations with one person are not like those with another; and also that the alternations there are not distinguished into stated times, because it is the variations of state that present them to view; for in place of times in the natural world there are states in the spiritual world (n. 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 4814, 4882, 4901, 4916).