278. (5:7) And the first animal was like a lion. That this signifies the appearance in ultimates of the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as to power and effect, is evident from the signification of a lion, as being Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as to power and effect, which will be explained in what follows. The reason why it denotes appearance in ultimates is because the cherubim were seen as animals, and the first was like a lion. It is said in ultimates because that appearance was before John when he was in the spirit, and he then saw all things in ultimates, in which celestial and spiritual Divine things are variously represented, sometimes by gardens and parks, sometimes by palaces and temples, sometimes by rivers and waters, sometimes by animals of various descriptions, as by lions, camels, horses, oxen, heifers, sheep, lambs, doves, eagles, and many others. Similar things were seen by the prophets by whom the Word was written, in order that the Word in its ultimates, which are the things contained in the sense of the letter, might consist of such things as are in the world, which were representations and correspondences of celestial and spiritual things, and thus serve for a basis and foundation to the spiritual sense. It was for this heaven also that the cherubim, by which are signified the guardianship and providence of the Lord that the higher heavens may not be approached except by the good of love and of charity, were seen by John, and also by Ezekiel, to have faces like animals. Because it is the Lord who guards and provides, and this by Divine truth and Divine good, thus by His Divine wisdom and intelligence, therefore there were seen four animals, respectively like a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle.

[2] By the lion was represented the power of Divine truth; by the calf, the Divine good as to protection; by the man, the Divine wisdom; and by the eagle, the Divine intelligence. These four are included in the Divine providence of the Lord as to the guardianship of the higher heavens, that they may not be approached except by the good of love and of charity.

That a lion signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as to power, is evident from the following passages in the Word; as in Moses:

"Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up; he stooped down, he lay down as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?" (Genesis 49:9).

By Judah is here signified the Lord's Celestial Kingdom, where all are in power from the Lord by means of Divine truth; this power is meant by a lion's whelp, and by an old lion. By the prey from which he went up is signified the dissipation of falsities and evils; by stooping down is signified to put himself into power; by lying down is signified to be in security from every falsity and evil; therefore it is said, "who shall rouse him up?" (That by Judah in the Word is signified the Celestial Kingdom, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 3634, 3881, 5603, 5782, 6363. That by prey, when said of that kingdom and concerning the Lord, is signified the dissipation of falsities and evils, and snatching away and deliverance from hell, Arcana Coelestia 6368, 6442; that by stooping, when said of the lion, is signified to put himself into power, n. 6369; and that to lie down, signifies a state of security and tranquillity, n. 3696).

[3] In the same:

"At this time it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel, What hath God wrought? Behold, the people riseth up as an old lion, and lifteth up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eat of the spoil" (Numbers 23:23, 24).

And in the same:

"He coucheth, he lieth down as an old lion; who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee" (24:9).

The subject here treated of is Jacob and Israel, by whom is signified the Lord's Spiritual Kingdom; their power is described by an old and a young lion rising, lifting himself up, and couching; the dissipation of falsities and evils is signified by eating of the spoil; and a state of security and tranquillity by he lieth down, who shall stir him up? (That by Jacob and Israel in the Word is signified the Lord's Spiritual Kingdom, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 4286, 4570, 5973, 6426, 8805, 9340. What the Lord's Celestial Kingdom is, and what His Spiritual Kingdom, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 20-28. That to couch denotes to put himself into power, that prey and spoil denote the dissipation of falsities and evils, and that lying down when said of a lion denotes a state of security and tranquillity, see above).

[4] Again in Nahum:

"Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions? where walked the lion, the old lion, the lion's whelp, and none making afraid?" (2:11).

By lions here also are signified those who are in power by means of Divine truth; by their dwelling is signified, where there are such in the church; by their feeding place are signified the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good; by their walking and none making afraid is signified their state of security from evils and falsities.

[5] Again, in Micah

"The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people, as a dew from Jehovah, as the drops upon the herb, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he go through, will tread down, and disperse in pieces, so that none delivereth. Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine enemies, and all thine adversaries shall be cut off" (Micah 5:7-9).

By the remnant of Jacob are signified the truths and goods of the church; by dew from Jehovah is signified spiritual truth; by the drops upon the herb, natural truth. By a lion among the beasts of the forest, and by a young lion among the flocks of sheep, also by treading down and dispersing, so that none delivereth, is signified power over evils and falsities. On account of this signification it is said, "Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine enemies, and all thine adversaries shall be cut off"; for by enemies are signified evils, and by adversaries falsities (as may be seen Arcana Coelestia 2851, 8289, 9314, 10481).

[6] In Isaiah:

"The Lord said, Go, set a watchman, who shall behold and declare. And he saw a chariot, a pair of horsemen, a chariot of an ass, a chariot of a camel, and he hearkened a hearkening; a lion upon the watch tower cried aloud: O Lord! I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set upon my guard all the night; Babylon is fallen, is fallen" (21:6-9).

The subject here treated of is the advent of the Lord, and a new church at that time. By a lion upon the watch tower is signified the guardianship and providence of the Lord; therefore it is said, "I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set upon my guard all the nights." By a chariot and by a pair of horsemen is signified the doctrine of truth from the Word. By hearkening a hearkening is signified a life according to that truth. (That chariot signifies the doctrine of truth, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2761, 2762, 5321, 8029, 8215: that horseman signifies the Word as to understanding may be seen, n. 2761, 6401, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148).

[7] In the same:

"Like as a lion and a young lion roareth on his prey when a multitude of shepherds goeth out against him so shall Jehovah of hosts descend to war upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof" (31:4).

In this passage Jehovah is compared to a lion roaring, because by a lion is signified the power of leading out from hell, or from evils, and by roaring is signified defence against evils and falsities; therefore it is said, "so shall Jehovah of hosts descend to war upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof." Mount Zion and the hill thereof denotes the celestial church and the spiritual church; and the prey upon which the lion and the young lion is said to roar signifies deliverance from evils, which are from hell.

[8] To roar, when said of the lion, has the same signification in Hosea:

"I will not return to destroy Ephraim, they will go after Jehovah as a lion roareth" (11:9, 10).

In Amos:

"The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy?" (3:8).

In the Apocalypse,

"The angel cried with a loud voice, as a lion roareth" (10:3).

And in David:

"The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together and lie down in their dwellings" (Psalms 104:21, 22).

By these words in David is described the state of the angels of heaven when they are not in a state of intense love and wisdom therefrom; and, when they return into that state, the former state is described by the lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their food from God. The latter state is described by the sun arising, and their gathering themselves together, and lying down in their dwellings. By lions are meant the angels of heaven; by their roaring is meant desire; by prey and food are meant the good of love and the truth of wisdom; by the sun arising is meant the Lord as to love and wisdom thence; by their gathering themselves together, their returning into a celestial state; and by lying down in their dwellings, a state of tranquillity and peace (concerning these two states of the angels of heaven, see in the work, Heaven and Hell 154-161).

[9] Because Jehovah is compared to a lion from Divine truth as to power, therefore the Lord is called a lion in the Apocalypse:

"Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David" (5:5).

And because all power is from the Lord by means of Divine truth, therefore this is also signified by a lion; as in Moses:

"And of Gad he said, Blessed is he who hath given breadth to Gad; as a lion he dwelleth, he seizeth the arm, also the crown of the head" (Deuteronomy 33:20).

By Gad is signified, in the highest sense, omnipotence, and hence in the representative sense the power of truth (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia, n 3934, 3935). Hence it is said, "Blessed is he who hath given breadth to Gad," for by breadth is signified truth (see Arcana Coelestia 1613, 3433, 3434, 4482, 9487, 10179; that all power is from Divine truth, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell, in the article concerning the power of the angels of heaven, n. 228-233).

[10] Because by lion is signified power, therefore in the lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan, it is said,

"Saul and Jonathan were lovely, they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions" (2 Sam. 1:23).

By Saul in this passage, as a king, and by Jonathan, as the son of a king, is meant truth defending the church, the subject treated of being the doctrine of truth and good; for that lamentation was inscribed "to teach the sons of Judah the bow" (ver. 18). By the bow is signified that doctrine (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2686, 2709, 6422).

[11] Because by the kings of Judah and Israel the Lord was represented as to Divine truth, and because by a throne was represented judgment, which is executed from Divine truth, and by lions were represented power, guardianship and defence against falsities and evils, therefore near the two stays of the throne built by Solomon there were two lions, and twelve upon the six steps on the one side and on the other (1 Kings 10:18-20). From these considerations it is evident what is signified by lions in the Word when the subject treated is the Lord, heaven and the church. Lions also, in the Word, in an opposite sense, signify the power of falsity from evil, by which the church is destroyed and devastated; as in Jeremiah:

"The young lions roar against him, they utter their voice, they reduce the earth to wasteness" (2:15).

And in Isaiah:

A nation "whose darts are sharp, and all his bows bent, the hoofs of his horses are accounted as rock, his roaring as of a lion, he roareth as a young lion, he roareth and layeth hold of the prey" (5:28, 29).

Also in many other places, as in Isaiah 11:6; 35:9; Jeremiah 4:7; 5:6; 12:8; 50:17; 51:38; Ezekiel 19:3, 5, 6; Hosea 13:7, 8; Joel 1:6, 7; Psalms 17:12; 22:13; 57:4; 58:6; 91:13.

9642. 'The boards for the south side, southwards' means even to the more internal and the inmost parts [of it], where truth dwells in light. This is clear from the meaning of 'the boards of the dwelling-place' as the good supporting heaven, dealt with in 9634; from the meaning of 'the side (or corner)', when the term is used in reference to the four quarters, as the specific state meant by that quarter, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the south, southwards' ¹ as the more internal and the inmost parts, where truth dwells in light. 'The south' or 'midday' means a state of light, which is a state of intelligence produced by truths, thus also an interior state; for in the heavens the light, and the intelligence and wisdom that accompany the light, increases towards the more internal parts. Further away from those parts truth dwells in shade; and this state of truth is meant by 'the north'. This then is why 'the south side, southwards' means even to the more internal and the inmost parts, where truth dwells in light.

[2] The same things are meant by 'the south' in Isaiah,

I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not withhold. Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the end of the earth. Isaiah 43:6.

This refers to a new Church. 'Saying to the north' means speaking to those who are in darkness or have no knowledge of the truths of faith, who are gentiles outside the Church. 'Saying to the south' means speaking to those who dwell in the light provided by cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth, who are people within the Church. This explains why the latter are told not to 'withhold' [those sons and daughters], but the former 'to give them up'.

[3] In Ezekiel,

Set your face the way of the south, and drop [your words] towards the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field to the south, and say to the forest of the south, Behold, I am kindling in you a fire, which will devour in you every green tree; and all faces from south to north will be scorched. Set your face towards Jerusalem, and drop [your words] against the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel. Ezekiel 20:46-21:2.

'The south' here stands for those who have the light of truth provided by the Word, thus those who belong to the Church, yet who are influenced by falsities which they substantiate from the sense of the letter of the Word wrongly explained. This is why the expressions 'the forest of the field towards the south' and 'the forest of the south' are used. 'A forest' is a state in which factual knowledge is predominant, whereas 'a garden' is one in which truth is predominant. From this it is evident what the meaning is of 'setting one's face the way of the south, and dropping [one's words] towards the south, and prophesying against the forest of the field to the south', and then of 'set your face towards Jerusalem, and drop [your words] against the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel'. 'Jerusalem' and 'the land of Israel' mean the Church, and 'the sanctuaries' there things of the Church.

[4] In Isaiah,

If you bring out for the hungry your soul ² and satisfy the afflicted soul, your light will rise in the darkness, and your thick darkness will be as at midday. Isaiah 58:10.

'Darkness' and 'thick darkness' stand for lack of knowledge of truth and good, 'light' and 'midday' for an understanding of them. In the same prophet, Give counsel, execute judgement, set your shade like the night in the middle of the day; ³ hide the outcasts, do not reveal the wanderer. Isaiah 16:3.

'In the middle of the day' stands for in the midst of the light of truth. In Jeremiah,

Prepare for ⁴ battle against the daughter of Zion; arise, and let us go up into the south, ⁵ for the day goes away, for the shadows of evening are set at an angle. Jeremiah 6:4.

'Going up into the south' stands for going up against the Church, where truth dwells in light from the Word. In Amos,

I will make the sun go down in the south, ⁵ and I will darken the land in broad daylight. Amos 8:9.

This stands for blotting out all the light of truth which is provided by the Word.

[5] In David,

You will not be afraid of the terror of the night, of the arrow that flies by day, of the pestilence in thick darkness, of death that lays waste at noonday. Psalms 91:5-6.

'The terror of the night' stands for falsities arising from evil that come from hell; 'the arrow that flies by day' stands for falsity which is taught openly; 'death that lays waste at noonday' stands for evil that is openly present in people's lives, and that destroys truth wherever it is able to dwell in its own light from the Word.

[6] And in Isaiah,

The prophecy of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south sweep through, ⁶ it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land. Isaiah 21:1.

In Daniel,

The he-goat of the she-goats made himself exceedingly great, and his horn grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. And it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. Daniel 8:8-10.

This refers to the state of the future Church. It foretells that the Church will be ruined by teachings about faith separated from the good of charity, 'the he-goat of the she-goats' being this kind of faith, 4169 (end), 4769. 'The horn's growing towards the south' stands for the power of falsity from this faith directed against truths, 'towards the east' for directing it against forms of good, and 'towards the glorious [land]' for directing it against the Church. 'Towards the host of heaven' stands for directing that power against all the forms of good and the truths belonging to heaven, and 'casting down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars' stands for destroying these, and also even the cognitions or knowledge of good and truth, 4697.

[7] The whole of Chapter 11 in the same prophet describes a war between the king of the south and the king of the north. 'The king of the south' means the light of truth derived from the Word, and 'the king of the north' reasoning about truths which is based on factual knowledge. The shifting fortunes which the Church will experience until it ceases to exist are described by the different phases in the course of that war.

[8] Because 'the south' meant truth dwelling in light it was decreed that the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad should camp towards the south, Numbers 2:10-15. Encampments represented the arrangement of all things in heaven as determined by the truths and forms of the good of faith and love, 4236, 8103 (end), 8193, 8196, and 'the twelve tribes' which formed the camp meant all the truths and forms of good in their entirety, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060, 6335, 6337, 6397, 6640, 7836, 7891, 7996, 7997. 'The tribe of Reuben' meant the truth of faith present in doctrine, 3861, 3866, 5542, 'the tribe of Simeon' the truth of faith subsequently present in life, 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5482, and 'the tribe of Gad' works motivated by that truth in doctrine and life, 6404, 6405. From these meanings it is evident why these three camped towards the south; for all things on the side of truth or faith belong in the south because they are in light.

[9] From all this it is now clear what 'the south side' means, namely where the state of truth dwelling in light is to be found. For all states of the good of love and the truth of faith are meant by the four corners of the earth, states of the good of love being meant by the east and west sides, and states of the truth of faith by the south and north ones. Much the same is meant by 'the four winds', as in the Book of Revelation,

... angels standing over the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, in order that the wind should not blow onto the earth. Revelation 7:1.

And elsewhere,

Satan will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth. Revelation 20:7-8.

In Matthew,

He will send angels, and gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ⁷ Matthew 24:31.

And in Ezekiel,

Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe into these killed, that they may live. Ezekiel 37:9.

[10] Because those winds, that is, those four quarters, meant all aspects of good and truth, thus all aspects of heaven and the Church, and 'a temple' meant heaven or the Church, it had been the custom since ancient times to site temples in an east-west direction. This was because the east meant the good of love on the rise, and the west the good of love on the decline. This custom had its origin in representative signs, which were well known to the ancients who belonged to the Church.

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