9328. 'And throw into confusion all the people' means the dismay of all falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'throwing into confusion' as dismay, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the people' as those guided by truths, thus in the abstract sense as truths themselves, and in the contrary sense as falsities, dealt with in 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581, 6232. The reason why 'throwing into confusion' means dismay is that those who are dismayed are thrown in heart and mind into such confusion that they are mad and charge of their own accord into destruction. The fact that such dismay is meant by 'throwing into confusion' is evident in Zechariah,

On that day there will be great confusion from Jehovah among those who fight against Jerusalem. And everyone will seize his companion's hand, ¹ and his [other] hand will rise up against his companion's hand. Zechariah 14:12-13.

'Fighting against Jerusalem' means doing so against the Church, thus also against the truths and forms of the good of faith which constitute the Church. 'Confusion', it is evident, means dismay to the point of madness. In Moses,

Jehovah your God will deliver up ² the nations before you, and will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. Deuteronomy 7:23.

'Confusion' stands for such dismay.

Poznámky pod čarou:

In Genesis 1:24, beasts signify the things of man's will or loves. (Arcana Coelestia 44, 46)

In Genesis 9:10, beasts signify all that was living in the man of the Ancient Church, and also what belonged to his new will; likewise the lower things of his understanding and the will therefrom. (Arcana Coelestia 1026-1029)

In Psalm 104:20, beasts signify affections longing to be instructed, or spiritually nourished. (Apocalypse Explained 650[10])

In Luke 10:35, since the beast was a donkey, this signifies to instruct another according to his capability. (Apocalypse Explained 1154)

The beast of the south (Isaiah 30:6) signifies people who are principled in the knowledges of good and of truth, but do not apply them to life and instead to science.

Every beast and creeping thing (Genesis 8:19) signifies the goodnesses of the internal and external man.

"Beasts" represent the affection for doing good things, a true desire to do them from the heart. In the negative sense, "beasts" stand for the lust to do evil.

The beast ascending out of the sea (Revelation 13:1) signifies reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life.

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Explained 13, 773; Revelation 13:11)