434. Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed, signifies the light of truth from that love, and that all who are in that light are in heaven and come into heaven. This is evident from the signification of "the tribe of Reuben," as being those who are in the light of truth (of which presently); from the signification of "twelve thousand," as being all things and all persons (of which above, n. 430, here all who are in the light of truth from the good of love to the Lord, which love is signified by "the tribe of Judah" (as was just shown above, n. 433; also from the signification of "the sealed," as being those who are in heaven and who come into heaven (of which also above, n. 427, 433). It has been said before, that the twelve tribes of Israel represented and thence signify in the Word all things of the church, that each tribe signifies some universal essential of the church, and that "Judah" signifies love to the Lord; but that "Reuben" signifies light from that love will be seen in what follows.

[2] "Reuben," and thence the tribe named from him, signifies in the highest sense the Lord in respect to foresight or foreknowledge; in the internal sense spiritual faith and the understanding of truth; and in the external sense, sight; and as "Reuben" in the internal sense signifies faith and understanding he also signifies the light of truth, for faith exists from the light of truth, and the understanding is illustrated by it; for where there is the light of truth there is understanding and there is faith.

[3] "Reuben," or the tribe of Reuben, has the same signification as "Peter" the apostle; for the twelve apostles in a similar manner as the twelve tribes of Israel, represented all things of the church, and each apostle some universal essential of the church; and as Peter had a similar representation with Reuben, therefore was he the first of the apostles, as Reuben was the first of the sons of Jacob. (That "Peter" signifies truth in the light, and faith, see above, n. 9, 411.)

[4] Reuben was the first of the sons of Jacob, and thence the tribe called from him is named in the first place in most passages of the Word, because he was the firstborn; and "firstborn" in the Word signifies truth from good, or what is the same thing, truth in light, and thus faith from charity. For truth and what is of faith appears to man to be first, for it enters by the hearing into the memory and is called forth therefrom into the thought; and that which a man thinks he sees and perceives by interior sight, and that which is first in sight and perception is first, but merely in appearance, not actually. Actually, good is the firstborn, or the first constituent of the church, since truth exists from good, for good forms itself in truths, and by means of truths presents itself to be seen, therefore truth is good in form. This is why truth is said to be from good and faith from charity, for that which is from anything is that thing imaged forth; and [truth] viewed in itself is good formed and born; such therefore is the meaning of "firstborn" in the spiritual sense of the Word. Moreover, with infants the good of innocence is what is first imparted by the Lord, and it is from this that man first becomes a man; and because good is of love, and man does not reflect about his love but about his thought from the memory, and because good has no quality until it is formed into truths, and without quality nothing is perceived, so it is not known that good is first, and is the firstborn; for it is good that is first conceived from the Lord with man, and it is brought forth through truths, in which good is in its own form and effigy.

[5] It is to be noted, furthermore, that the truths that man in his infancy and childhood imbibes from the Word and from doctrine therefrom, and from preaching, although they appear as truths, still they are not truths with him, they are only like shells without kernels, or like the form of the body or of the face without soul and life. These do not become truths until they are received in the will, for thus they are first received by the man and begin to live with him; for the will is the man himself, and all good is of the will, and all truth of the understanding therefrom. From this it can be seen why the tribe of Judah, which signifies the good of love to the Lord, is here named in the first place, and then the tribe of Reuben, which signifies truth in light from that good.

[6] It should be known that all light in which truth is seen is from the light of heaven which is from the Lord; the light of heaven is from the Divine good of the Lord's Divine love; the light of heaven is Divine good in form. In heaven these two are one, and are received by the angels as one, and should be received by man as one that he may have communion with the angels. (But these things may be seen more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia, as follows: When man is regenerating, truth is in the first place and good in the second, not actually but apparently, but when he is regenerated, good is in the first place and truth in the second actually and perceptibly, n. 3324, 3325, 3330, 3336, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4245, 4247, 4337, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 5351, 6256, 6269, 6273, 8516, 10110; thus good is the first and the last of regeneration, n. Arcana Coelestia 9337. Since truth appears to be in the first place and good in the second when man is regenerating, or what is the same, when he is becoming a church, because of this appearance it was a matter of controversy among the ancients whether the truth of faith or the good of charity is the firstborn of the church, n. Arcana Coelestia 367, 2435.

The good of charity is the firstborn of the church actually, and the truth of faith only apparently, n. 3325, 3494, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 8042, 8080.

And the "firstborn" in the Word signifies the first constituent of the church, which has priority and superiority, n. 3325.

For this reason the Lord is called "the Firstborn," because in Him and from Him is all the good of love, of charity, and of faith, 3325)

[7] As truth is apparently in the first place, so Reuben was the firstborn, and was named from sight, as is evident in Moses:

Leah conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, Jehovah hath seen my affliction; for now my man will love me (Genesis 29:32).

Although these are historical facts, they nevertheless contain a spiritual sense; for every and each thing that is in the Word is from the spiritual world, because it is from the Lord; when these [spiritual] things are let down out of heaven into the natural world they are clothed with a correspondent natural sense, such as the sense of the letter of the Word is; therefore the nativities of the sons of Jacob signify spiritual nativities, which describe how good and truth are born in man when the Lord is regenerating him. This is why spiritual conception and birth are signified by "Leah conceived and bare a "she called his name Reuben" signifies its quality; "she said, because Jehovah hath seen" signifies in the highest sense foresight, in the internal sense faith, in the interior sense the understanding, and in the external sense sight, here faith from the Lord; "mine affliction" signifies the state of attaining to good; "for now my man will love me" signifies that the good of truth is therefrom. (But this may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 3860-3866.)

In the original language Reuben signifies sight, and in the spiritual sense "sight" signifies the understanding of truth and faith, in the highest sense Divine foresight (as can be seen from what is shown respecting the signification of seeing and sight in the Arcana Coelestia, as follows:

"sight" in the highest sense, which has reference to the Lord, signifies foresight, n. 2807, 2837, 2839, 3686, 3854, 3863, 10428;

"sight" in the internal sense signifies faith, because spiritual sight is sight from faith, and the things that pertain to faith are the objects of sight in the spiritual world, n. 897, 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 5400, 10705;

also "to see" signifies to understand and perceive truth, n. 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 10705;

the internal sight is the understanding, and this sees through the eyes of the body; and the sight of the understanding is from the light of heaven, n. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 5114, 6608, 8707, 9128, 9399, 10569).

[8] That "Reuben" signifies truth from good, or faith from charity, is evident also from the "mandrakes" that he found in the field and gave to his mother, respecting which it is thus written in Moses:

Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man? and wilt thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou shalt come in unto me; because hiring I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And she conceived, and bare Jacob a son, Issachar (Genesis 30:14-18).

One who does not know what is signified by "mandrakes," also what was represented by "Reuben," "Jacob," "Leah," and "Rachel," must be wholly ignorant of why such things occurred, and why they have been recorded in the Word; but it can be seen that there is something Divine in them that is not apparent in the sense of the letter, because they are in the Word, and in it each and everything is Divine. The spiritual sense of these things makes evident the Divine that is contained in them; in that sense "mandrakes" signify the marriage of good and truth; "Reuben" represents truth from good; "Jacob" the church in respect to truth; "Leah" and "Rachel" the church in respect to good, but "Leah" the external church, and "Rachel" the internal church; therefore the "mandrakes" found by Reuben signify the conjugial [conjugiale] of truth with good; and as that conjugial is between truth and good in the internal or spiritual man, which constitutes the internal church, and yet that truth is first given in the external or natural man, which constitutes the external church, therefore the mandrakes were found by Reuben, who represented truth from good, and were first given to Leah his mother, who represented the external church, but still Leah afterwards gave them to Rachel, who represented the internal church, that Leah might be permitted to lie with Jacob. (But this may be seen more fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 3940-3952.)

[9] Because "Reuben" represented truth from good, or faith from charity:

It was he who exhorted his brethren not to kill Joseph, wishing to deliver him out of their hand; and was greatly grieved when Joseph was not found in the pit (Genesis 37:21, 22, 29, 30).

(This may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 4731-4738, and n. 4761-4766.)

[10] Because "Reuben" or his tribe signified truth from good, or faith from charity:

The camp of that tribe in the wilderness was to the south, and the camp to the south was called the camp of Reuben (Numbers 2:10-16);

for the encampments of the tribes of Israel represented the arrangements of the angelic societies in heaven, and the angelic societies have their dwelling places in quarters according to their states in respect to good and truth (See above, n. 422), and in the southern quarter there those dwell who are in the light of truth from good; and because the tribe of Reuben represented truth from good or truth in light, it encamped on the south.

[11] Because truth from good, which the tribe of Reuben represented, is in the natural man, to the tribe of Reuben an inheritance beyond Jordan was given (See Numbers 32, Deuteronomy 3:12-20; Joshua 13 end; Leviticus 18:7); for by "the land of Canaan" the church was represented and thus signified in the Word, that region of it beyond Jordan signifying the external church, the region on this side, Jordan the internal church, and the river Jordan the boundary between them; and it is truth from good, or faith from charity that constitutes the church, truth from good in the natural man constituting the external church; and because the tribe of Reuben represented this constituent of the church, therefore to that tribe an inheritance beyond Jordan was given. Why inheritances beyond Jordan were given also to the tribe of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh will be told in what follows.

[12] The conjunction of these two churches, namely, the external and the internal, which is like the conjunction of the natural and the spiritual man, was represented, and in the spiritual sense is described by:

The altar that the sons of Reuben, of Gad, and of Manasseh built beside the Jordan, about which there was a strife between these tribes and the other tribes; but it was said that the altar should be for a witness that although they dwelt beyond Jordan, they nevertheless served Jehovah in common with the rest; therefore they called that altar a witness between us that Jehovah is God (Joshua 22:9-34 to end).

For "the Jordan" signified the medium between the external and the internal of the church; "the land of Canaan on this side Jordan" signifying the internal church, and "the land beyond Jordan" the external, and this also was represented by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, which had their inheritances there; while that altar signified the common worship of the two churches, and thus conjunction thereby.

[13] That "Reuben" signifies truth in the natural man is evident also from the prophecy of Deborah and Barak in the book of Judges:

In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of the heart. Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. Gilead dwelt ¹ beyond the Jordan (Judges 5:15-17).

This no one can understand unless he knows what the prophecy treats of, and what is signified by the "districts," "Reuben," "the campfires," "the whistling for the flocks," and "Gilead." This treats of the church among the sons of Israel in a state of vastation; and "the districts of Reuben" signify both all truths and all goods that are in the natural man; "the campfires" signify cognitions and knowledges there; "the whistling for the flocks" signify the perceptions and thoughts thereof; and "Gilead" signifies the natural man. When this is known, what these things mean in the spiritual sense becomes evident, namely, that when the church is destroyed the natural man with the things in it is separated from the spiritual man, whereas it ought to be conjoined to it; and when it is conjoined, there are truths there from good, by which truths there is a combat against the falsities from evil, for the natural man must combat against them from the spiritual man. "The statutes of the heart" and "the searchings of the heart" signify the truths from good, which are in the natural man from the spiritual man, "heart" signifying the good of love, and "the statutes and searchings of the heart" all things that are determined and arranged in the natural man from good in the spiritual man. This is said respecting Reuben because his tribe dwelt beyond Jordan in Gilead; and it was not conjoined with Deborah and Barak when they fought against Sisera, but only Issachar and Zebulun, "Sisera" in the spiritual sense meaning the falsity from evil destroying the church.

[14] "Reuben" signifies the light of truth, and the understanding of the Word therefrom, in Moses:

Let Reuben live and not die; yet his men shall be a number (Deuteronomy 33:6).

Here "Reuben" means the understanding of the Word illustrated by light from heaven; and because there are a few who receive such illustration it is said of Reuben, "Yet his men shall be a number," "number" signifying fewness and a few.

[15] That "Reuben" signifies truth from good, or faith from charity, is evident also from the contrary sense, in which he is also mentioned. In that sense "Reuben" signifies truth separate from good, or faith separate from charity; and truth without good is not truth except merely in respect to expression and sound, for it is merely a matter of knowledge, having its seat in the memory of the natural man, thus only in the entrance to man, and not within him in his life. The memory of the natural man is merely an entrance to him, and what is in it does not become truth in him until he wills it and does it; then it first enters and receives life; not till then does the light from heaven flow in and illustrate. It is similar with faith separate from charity, for truth is of faith, and good is of charity.

[16] That "Reuben" in the contrary sense signifies faith separate from charity can be seen from his adultery with Bilhah his father's concubine, which is thus described in Moses:

It came to pass while Israel dwelt in the land Ephrath Bethlehem, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard (Genesis 35:22).

"Ephrath Bethlehem" signifies the spiritual church, which is in truths from good, or in faith from charity; Reuben's adultery signifies the rejection of the good of charity from the truths of faith, for truth is profaned when it is not conjoined with its own good, which is the good of charity, since it is then conjoined with the love of self and the world, which is adulteration. All adulteries (of which many kinds are enumerated in Leviticus 18:6-23) correspond to the adulterations of good and truth. That the adultery committed by Reuben corresponds to faith separate from charity has been made known and testified to me by things heard and seen in the spiritual world, where such a sphere of adultery is perceived to go forth from those who have separated charity from faith in doctrine and life.

[17] Because this too was signified by "Reuben," the birthright was taken away from him by his father and given to Joseph and his sons. That it was taken from Reuben is evident from these words of his father:

Reuben my firstborn, thou art my power and the beginning of my might, excelling in eminence and excelling in strength. Light as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then profanedst thou it; he went up to my couch (Genesis 49:3, 4).

"Reuben my firstborn" signifies faith, which is apparently in the first place, or truth born of good; "thou art my power and the beginning of my might" signifies that thereby good has its potency and truth has its first potency; "excelling in eminence and excelling in strength" signifies that from this is glory and power; "light as water" signifies that it is not so with faith separate from charity; "thou shalt not excel" signifies that such faith has neither glory nor power, "because thou wentest up to thy father's bed" signifies because the truth of faith separated from the good of charity has a filthy conjunction; "then profanedst thou it" signifies conjunction with the love of self and the world and with evil therefrom, which is a profane conjunction; "he went up to my couch" signifies the contamination of spiritual good in the natural. (This is fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 6341-6350.)

[18] That the birthright was therefore given to the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, is meant by these words of Israel the father to Joseph:

Now thy two sons born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came into Egypt, they are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine (Genesis 48:5).

And in the first book of Chronicles:

Reuben was the firstborn; but because he defiled his father's bed his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel (1 Chronicles 5:1, 2).

For "Ephraim" in the Word has a similar signification with "Reuben," namely, the understanding of truth, and truth in the light. It is said "Ephraim and Manasseh shall be the sons of Israel, even as Reuben and Simeon," because "Reuben" signifies the understanding of truth, and "Simeon" the will of truth, similar with "Ephraim" and "Manasseh." From this it can now be seen what universal essential of the church is signified in the Word by "Reuben."

Poznámky pod čarou:

342. Verse 13. And every created thing that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, signifies the acknowledgment and consequent glorification of the Lord by the angels that are in the lowest parts of heaven. This is evident from the signification of "every created thing" as being all who are reformed. That "to be created" signifies to be reformed and regenerated, see above (n. 294); therefore "created thing" signifies what is reformed and regenerated; but in reference to the angels, of whom these things are said, it signifies those who were reformed in the world, that is, created anew, for all such are in heaven. "Created thing" here has a like meaning as "creature" in Mark:

Jesus said to the disciples, Go into all the world, preach ye the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15);

where "every creature" means all who receive the gospel and can be reformed by it; the rest are not meant by "creatures," because they do not receive, but hear and reject.

[2] From this the nature of the Word in the sense of the letter can be seen, namely, why the term "creature" is used, and why it is said "every created thing that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them." He who does not know that the sense of the letter is made up of such things as appear before the eyes, and that these signify spiritual things, may easily be led to believe that "every created thing that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them," mean the birds that fly in the sky, the beasts that walk on the earth, and the fishes that are in the sea; and the more because in various other passages in the Word, like things are said of "the birds of heaven," the "beasts of the earth," and also of "whales" and "fishes" (as in Ezekiel 39:17; Psalms 148:7; Job 12:7, 8; Revelation 19:17). Still those whose minds can be somewhat elevated above the sense of the letter instantly perceive by interior sight that these things mean the angels and spirits who are in heaven and under heaven, and that it was these whom John heard when he was in the spirit; for it is said, "heard I saying, Unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the might, unto the ages of the ages;" from which it can be seen that "every created thing" therein means the angels that are in the lowest parts of heaven; moreover, this follows from the fact that the preceding verses treat of the angels of the higher heavens and of the angels of the lower heavens, that they acknowledged and glorified the Lord (See above, n. 322, 335).

[3] It shall now be explained who are meant by those "in heaven," who by those "on the earth and under the earth," and who by those "in the sea." All these mean those who are in the ultimates of heaven, those "in heaven" meaning the higher there, those "on the earth and under the earth" the lower there, and those "in the sea" the lowest there. There are three heavens, and each heaven is divided into three degrees; the same is true of the angels who are in them; consequently in each heaven there are higher, middle, and lower angels; these three degrees of the lowest heaven are meant by those "in heaven," those "on the earth," and those "in the sea." (Respecting this division of the heavens and of each heaven, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 4938, 4939, 9992, 10005, 10017, 10068; and respecting the lowest degree, n. 3293, 3294, 3793, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 9216; and in the work on Heaven and Hell 29-40.)

It should be known, that in the spiritual world, where spirits and angels are, all things have the same appearance as in the natural world where men are, namely, there are mountains, hills, lands, and seas (See above, n. 304). The angels who are in the third or inmost heaven dwell upon the mountains, those who are in the second or middle heaven dwell upon the hills, and those who are in the first or lowest heaven dwell upon the earth and under the earth, and in the seas. But the seas in which the lowest of that heaven dwell are not like the seas in which the evil dwell; their waters are different. The waters of the seas in which the well-disposed in the lowest heaven dwell are rare and pure; but the waters of the seas in which the evil dwell are gross and impure; thus they are entirely different seas.

[4] These seas I have several times been permitted to see, and also to converse with those who are in them; and it was found that those were there who had been in the world merely sensual, and yet well-disposed; and because they were sensual they were unable to understand what the spiritual is, but only what the natural is; nor could they apprehend the Word and the doctrine of the church from the Word except sensually. All these appear to be as if in a sea; but those who are in it do not seem to themselves to be in a sea, but as it were in an atmosphere like that in which they had lived while in the world; they appear to be in a sea only to those who are above them. At this day there is an immense number there, because so many at this day are sensual. This lowest part of heaven corresponds to the soles of the feet. This is the reason why seas are so often mentioned in the Word, and also fishes therein, "seas" there signifying the generals of truth which belong to the natural man, and "fishes" the sensual knowledges [scientifica sensualia], which are the lowest things of the natural man, consequently such persons, that is, those who are in these knowledges, are signified. (What sensual things and what sensual men are, and that they may be either good or evil, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 50 .) From this it can be known what is meant by "every created thing that is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them."

[5] Like things are signified in the following passages by "seas," and by the things that are in them, which are called "fishes" and "whales." In David:

Let heaven and earth praise Jehovah, the seas, and every thing that creepeth therein. For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah (Psalms 69:34-35).

It is said also "every thing that creepeth therein," meaning those who are sensual. "Zion, which God will save," and "the cities of Judah, which He will build," mean the celestial church and its doctrine, "Zion" that church, and "cities" the doctrine. There is a like meaning in these words in David:

Praise Jehovah from the earth, ye whales and all deeps (Psalms 148:7); "whales" meaning the same. For this reason Egypt also is called a "whale" (Ezekiel 29:3);

for "Egypt" signifies the knowing faculty in the natural man, and "whale" knowing in general.

[6] These things have a like signification also elsewhere in the same:

Thou madest him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet; the flock and all herds, and also the beasts of the field, the bird of heaven, and the fishes of the sea (Psalms 8:6-8).

This treats of the Lord, and His Divine power over heaven and earth; and "the flocks and the herds, the beasts of the field, the bird of heaven, and the fishes of the sea," mean the men, spirits, and angels, in respect to spiritual and natural things pertaining to them; and the "fishes of the sea" meaning those who are in the ultimates of heaven (as above).

In Job:

Ask, I pray, the beasts, and they shall teach thee, or the birds of heaven, and they shall tell thee, or the shrub of the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not from all these that the hand of Jehovah doeth this? (Job 12:7-10).

[7] In Ezekiel:

The angel brought me back unto the entrance of the house; where behold, waters went out from under the threshold of the house towards the east. Then he said unto me, These waters go out toward the eastern border, and go down into the plain, and come towards the sea; they are sent forth into the sea that the waters may be healed; whence it cometh to pass that every living soul that creepeth, whithersoever the brooks come, shall live; whence it is that there are exceeding many fish, because these waters come thither, and they are healed, that everything may live whither the brook cometh. According to their kind shall the fish be, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. The miry places thereof and the marshes thereof are not healed; they are given to the salt (Ezekiel 47:1, 8-11).

"The waters going out from under the threshold of the house towards the east" signify truths from a celestial origin, "waters" meaning truths, "the east" the good of heavenly love, and "house" heaven and the church; the "plain into which the waters go down," and "the sea into which they come," signify the ultimates of heaven and the church, consequently those who are in ultimates (of whom above), namely, those who are only in the knowledges of truth from the outmost sense of the Word, and apprehend those knowledges naturally and sensually. When such are in simple good, they receive the influx of the higher heavens, whence it is that they also receive in their knowledges what is spiritual, and thus some spiritual life. This is meant by "the waters are sent forth into the sea, that the waters may be healed; whence it cometh to pass that every living soul that creepeth, whithersoever the brooks come, shall live;" likewise by these words, "whence it cometh that there are exceeding many fish, because these waters come thither, and they are healed." But those who are such, and are not good, are meant by these words, "The miry places thereof and the marshes thereof are not healed; they are given to salt;" "to be given to salt" signifying not to receive spiritual life, but to remain in a life merely natural, which, separate from spiritual life, is defiled by falsities and evils, which are "miry places" and "marshes."

[8] Like things are signified by "sea," and by "fishes of the sea," in Isaiah:

Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers into a wilderness; their fish stinketh because there is no water, and dieth of thirst (Isaiah 50:2).

"Rebuke" signifies the desolation of all truth; "sea" signifies where truth is in its outmost; "water" signifies truth from a spiritual origin; "to die for thirst" signifies desolation from lack of that truth; "fishes of the sea" signify those who are in the ultimates of truth, in whom there is no life from a spiritual origin.

[9] "Fishes of the sea" have a like signification in Ezekiel:

In My zeal, in the fire of My fury I will speak; that the fishes of the sea, and the fowl of the heavens, and the wild beast of the field, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the ground may quake before Me (Ezekiel 38:19-20).

In Hosea:

They commit robbery, and bloods touch bloods; therefore the land shall mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish; as to the wild beast of the field, and as to the fowl of the heavens, and also the fishes of the sea shall be gathered together (Hosea 4:2-3).

And in Zephaniah:

In taking away I will take away all things from upon the faces of the ground; I will take away man and beast; I will take away the fowl of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea (Zephaniah 1:2-3).

"Man and beast" when mentioned together signify the interior and exterior affections of good (See Arcana Coelestia 7424, 7523, 7872); and "the fowl of the heavens and the fishes of the sea" signify the affections of truth and the thoughts spiritual and natural, but in the passages here cited, that these are about to perish.

[10] This significance of "sea" and "fishes" comes from the appearance in the spiritual world; all societies there appear surrounded by an atmosphere corresponding to their affections and thoughts; those in the third heaven appear in an atmosphere pure as the ethereal atmosphere; those in the second heaven appear in an atmosphere less pure, like the aerial; while the societies in the lowest part of heaven appear surrounded by an atmosphere, as it were watery; but those in the hells appear surrounded by gross and impure atmospheres, some of them as if in black waters, and others in other ways. It is the affections and the thoughts therefrom that produce these appearances around them; for spheres are exhaled from all, and these spheres are changed into such appearances. (Of these spheres, see Arcana Coelestia 2489, 4464, 5179, 7454, 8630.) It is also from the appearance in the spiritual world that those who are in spiritual affection and in thought therefrom are signified by "the birds of heaven," and those who are in natural affection and in thought therefrom by "fishes;" for both birds and fishes appear there, birds over the lands, and fishes in the seas. The affections and consequent thoughts of those who are there are what so appear; this is known to all who are in that world; and both the birds and the fishes have been many times seen by me: this appearance is from correspondence. From this it can be seen why "seas" signify the generals of truth, and "whales" and "fishes" the affections and thoughts of those who are in the generals of truth. That "seas" signify the generals of truth has been shown above n. 275.

[11] The quality of those in the spiritual world who dwell in that watery atmosphere which is meant by "seas," I will illustrate by a single example. When such read these words in David:

Everything that Jehovah willeth He doeth, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps (Psalms 135:6);

they do not know otherwise than that "heaven" means the heaven that is visible before our eyes, and "earth" the habitable earth, and "seas" and "deeps" the seas and deeps, thus that Jehovah does in these whatsoever He wills; and they cannot be led to believe that "heaven" means the angelic heaven; "earth" those there who are below, and "seas" and "depths" those there who are in the lowest parts. Because these things are spiritual, and above the sense of the letter, they are not willing and are scarcely able to perceive them because they see all things naturally and sensually.

[12] For this reason, from these words in Revelation:

I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away (Revelation 21:1).

It has been understood heretofore that the visible heaven and the habitable earth were to perish, and that a new heaven and a new earth were to arise. That "heaven" here means the heaven where angels are, and "earth" means the church where men are, and that these are to become new, those who think merely naturally and sensually are not willing to admit, and therefore do not understand; for they do not suffer their mind to be elevated out of the natural light into spiritual light. With such this is difficult, so much so that they can hardly bear that the Word should have any meaning beyond what the letter in its own sense declares and the natural man apprehends. Such persons are not unlike those birds that see and sing in dark places, but in the light of day blink with their eyes and see but little. The good among such are like these birds, and also like flying fishes; but the evil of this class are like night owls and horned owls, which altogether shun the light of day, or like fishes that cannot be elevated into the air without loss of life. The reason is that with the good of this class the internal spiritual man receives some little spiritual influx from heaven, consequently some perception that a thing is so although they do not see it; while with the evil of this class the internal spiritual man is entirely closed up. For everyone has an internal and an external man, or a spiritual and a natural; the internal or spiritual man sees from the light of heaven, but the external or natural man sees from the light of the world.