780. "Cattle, and sheep." This symbolically means that these Roman Catholics no longer have any worship that springs from the church's external or natural goods and truths, because they have nothing inwardly in their worship that corresponds to the aforesaid things.

This statement is similar to ones explained in numbers 777, 778 above, the difference being that the valuables there were spiritual goods and truths and celestial goods and truths, while here they are natural goods and truths. The difference between these may be seen in no. 773 above.

Cattle and sheep symbolize the sacrifices that were made by offering bulls, calves, male goats, sheep, kids, rams, female goats, and lambs. Bulls and calves are meant by cattle, and kids, rams, goats and lambs by sheep. Moreover, the sacrifices were outward shows of worship, which are also called the natural expressions of worship.

If we turn ourselves toward the Lord, we can get the full inflowing of His wisdom and love; if we turn away from Him we cast ourselves into cold and shadow -- we turn ourselves toward hell. In the Bible, "turning" generally refers to a change in spiritual state, as people turn themselves toward the Lord or away from the Lord.