Tierra" es una palabra general que puede ser pensada como un contenedor para otras palabras más específicas, como tierra, campo o jardín. Cada uno de estos significa una persona en una serie ascendente a medida que esa persona aprende verdades de la Biblia, piensa en ellas, y trata de aplicarlas a la vida. La serie representa la forma de convertirse en bueno y sabio. "Tierra" y "suelo" son términos que pueden ir en cualquier dirección, como en la parábola del sembrador (Mateo 13:4-8) había tanto tierra buena como mala, pero "campo" y "jardín" significan mentes que se regeneran hacia el bien. En el Apocalipsis la palabra "tierra" se utiliza tanto como un nivel del suelo, ya que la usamos en su sentido natural, como en el sentido de un grupo. La acción en este libro tiene lugar en la gran zona media del mundo espiritual, donde la gente va primero y donde se ordena. Hay tanto gente mala como buena allí, y a veces al final de una iglesia el mal puede tener gran influencia antes de que llegue un gran juicio. Este nivel del reino espiritual se llama la "tierra" a la que el dragón fue arrojado (Apocalipsis 12:9) y al que las estrellas cayeron (Apocalipsis 12:4). La "tierra" que se tragó el diluvio del dragón significa aquellas personas todavía sinceras dentro de la iglesia que descartaron el diluvio de las falsedades del dragón (Apocalipsis 12:15). "Tierra" en la Biblia puede significar una persona o un grupo de personas con ideas afines como en una iglesia. Pero se refiere específicamente a lo externo de la mente de la persona, o del pensamiento general del grupo. Si el cielo y la tierra se mencionan juntos, entonces tanto lo interno como lo externo de la mente son algo a tener en cuenta cuando se lee la historia de la creación.

916. 'Every wild animal and every creeping thing means his goods, 'wild animal' goods belonging to the internal man, 'creeping things' goods belonging to the external, while 'every bird, and everything creeping over the earth' means truths, 'bird' truths belonging to the internal man, creeping thing over the earth' truths belonging to the external. This becomes clear from what has been stated and shown in the previous verse about 'wild animals', 'birds', and 'creeping things that creep'. That verse mentions 'creeping thing that creeps', for the two phrases -'creeping thing' and 'that which creeps' - meant both the good and the truth belonging to the external man. Since this verse forms a conclusion to what goes before it, these attributes of the Church, namely its truths and goods, are added. These also indicate the character of the Church, namely that it was a spiritual one, and that having become spiritual it was a Church where charity or good was the chief thing. This is why 'wild animal and creeping thing' are here mentioned first, and 'bird' and 'that which creeps' after that.

[2] It is called a spiritual Church when its actions spring from charity, that is, from the good of charity, but never when it claims to have faith independently of charity. In that case it is not even a Church. For what does faith teach but that which charity teaches? And what other purpose does the teaching of faith have but that what it teaches may be practised? Merely knowing and thinking what it teaches is ineffectual. It is only the practice of what it teaches that is effectual. Consequently the spiritual Church starts to be a Church, or what amounts to the same, the member of the Church starts to be a Church, when its actions spring from charity, the substance of what faith teaches. What is the purpose of a commandment? Not merely that a person may know but that he may live according to what is commanded. And when he does so he has the Lord's kingdom within him, for the Lord's kingdom consists solely in mutual love and resulting happiness.

[3] People who separate faith from charity and place salvation in faith apart from the good works of charity are 'Cainites' who slay brother Abel, that is, charity. They are like birds hovering around a corpse, for that kind of faith is like a bird, and a person devoid of charity like a corpse. And as is very well known in the Christian world they also acquire a false (spuria) conscience to the effect that they may live as the devil does, may hate and harass the neighbour, may go on committing adultery all through life, and nevertheless be saved. What can sound sweeter to a person's ears and more persuasive than the suggestion that he is able to be saved even though he lives like an utter brute? Even gentiles perceive that this is a falsehood, many of whom on seeing the way Christians live find their teaching abhorrent. This is clear also from the fact that nowhere else is the way people live more despicable than in the Christian world.