40. 'Creeping things which the waters bring forth' means facts which belong to the external man, while 'birds' generally means rational concepts and also intellectual concepts, of which the latter belong to the internal man. That creeping things from the waters, or fish, mean facts is clear in Isaiah,

I came, and there was no man. By My rebuke I will dry up the sea, I will make the rivers a desert. Their fish will stink because there is no water and will die of thirst. I will clothe the heavens with darkness. Isaiah 50:2-3.

[2] This is plainer still in Ezekiel where the Lord describes the new temple, or new Church in general, and the member of the Church, or person who has been regenerated, for every regenerate person is a temple of the Lord,

The Lord Jehovih ¹ said to me, Those waters which will go out to the boundary eastwards will come towards the sea, having been directed into the sea, and the waters will be fresh. And it will be that every living creature which swarms will live, wherever the water of the rivers reaches, and there will be very many fish, for these waters are going there and will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. And it will be that fishermen from En-gedi to En-eglaim will stand beside it, with nets spread out. Its fish according to their kinds will be very many, like the fish of the great sea. Ezekiel 47:8-10.

'Fishermen from En-gedi to En-eglaim with their nets stretched out' means people who are to teach the natural man about the truths of faith.

[3] In the Prophets 'birds' invariably means rational concepts and intellectual concepts, as in Isaiah,

Calling a bird of prey from the east, a man of My counsel from a distant land. Isaiah 46:11.

In Jeremiah,

I looked, and behold there was no man, and all the birds of the air ² had fled. Jeremiah 4:25.

In Ezekiel,

I will plant the sprig of a lofty cedar, and it will bring forth a branch, and bear fruit, and it will become a noble cedar, and under it will dwell every bird of every sort, ³ in the shade of its branches they will dwell. Ezekiel 17:23.

And in Hosea, when the subject is a new Church, or regenerate person,

And I will make for them a covenant on that day, with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air, ² and with things moving on the ground. Hosea 2:18.

Anyone may see that because the Lord 'is making a new covenant' with them, 'wild animal' is not used to mean a wild animal, nor 'bird' to mean a bird.

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1793. That 'the Lord Jehovih' is the Internal Man in relationship to the Interior Man is clear from what has been stated about the Lord's Internal Man, namely that it was Jehovah Himself, from whom He was conceived, whose only Son He was, and to whom the Lord's Human became united after the maternal human, that is, the human derived from the mother, had been purified by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations. In the Word 'Lord Jehovih' occurs quite often; indeed for as many times as Jehovah is called the Lord He is not named 'Lord Jehovah' but 'Lord Jehovih'; and especially so when temptations are the subject, as in Isaiah,

[2] Behold, the Lord Jehovih is coming with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs into His arm, and will carry them in His bosom, and will lead those that give suck. Isaiah 40:10-11.

Here 'the Lord Jehovih is coming with might' has reference to victory in the conflicts brought about by temptations. 'His arm will give Him dominion' stands for His winning it by His own power. What the 'reward' is that is referred to in the previous verse is stated here, namely that it is the salvation of the whole human race, that is, 'He pastures His flock like a shepherd, gathers the lambs in His arm, carries them in His bosom, and leads those giving suck', all of which things belong to inmost or Divine love.

[3] In the same prophet,

The Lord Jehovih opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backwards. I gave my body to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pluck them. I hid not my face ¹ from insults and spitting; and the Lord Jehovih will help me. Behold, the Lord Jehovih will help me. Isaiah 50:5-7, 9.

This plainly refers to temptations. And there are other examples besides these.

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