388. And by the wild beasts of the earth, signifies the evils of life, which are lusts and falsities therefrom springing from the love of self and of the world, which devastate all things of the church with man. This is evident from the signification of "wild beasts," as being the lusts and falsities that spring from the love of self and the world; and because these are the evils of life themselves, since an evil life is a life of lusts and falsities, therefore these are here meant by "the wild beasts of the earth;" that this is the signification of "wild beasts" will be seen in what follows. Also from the signification of "the earth," as being the church (of which see above, n. 29, 304); and as "wild beasts" signify the evils of life, and these devastate the church with man, and "the earth" signifies the church, so the "wild beasts of the earth" signify the evils of life which devastate the church with man. It is said the church with man, because the church is in man; for the church is a church from charity and faith, and these are in man; and if these are not in him, the church is not with him. It is believed that the church is where the Word is, and where the Lord is known; but still the church consists of those only who from the heart acknowledge the Divine of the Lord, and who learn truths from the Lord by the Word and do them; others do not constitute the church. That "the wild beasts of the earth" here signify, in particular, the evils of life can be seen from the series of things in the internal sense. It is said that "there was given unto them power over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth," "sword" signifying falsity destroying truth, "famine," the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good, "death" the extinction of spiritual life; therefore "the wild beasts of the earth" signify the evils of life, since these rule when spiritual life is extinct, for where there is no spiritual life there life is merely natural, and natural life apart from the spiritual is full of lusts from the love of self and the world, thus is infernal; therefore that life is meant by "the evil wild beast."

[2] Moreover, in respect to the evil life that is signified by "the evil wild beast," such may be the life as well with those who lead a good moral life, if they have no spiritual life; for such do good and speak truth and practice sincerity and justice but only because of reputation, honor, gain, and the laws, thus for the sake of appearance, that they may emulate those who are spiritual, while inwardly they have no will of good and no thought of truth, and laugh at sincerity and justice, unless for the causes mentioned above; consequently they are infernal within. This is also clearly manifest when such persons become spirits, which takes place immediately after death; then the external bonds mentioned above are taken away from them, and they then rush without restraint into evils of every kind. But it is otherwise with those who have led a good moral life from a spiritual origin. (On this subject see further in the work on Heaven and Hell 484, 529-531, 534 and above, n. 182.) This has been said to make known what is meant by an evil life, namely, that it is not the external life that pertains to the body and has reference to the world where men are, which is called the natural world, but is the internal life that pertains to the spirit and has reference to the world where angels are, which is called the spiritual world. For in respect to his body, its gestures and speech, man is in the natural world, but in respect to his spirit, that is, in respect to thought and affection, man is in the spiritual world; in fact, as the bodily sight has extension into the natural world and sweeps about there, so the sight of the spirit, which is thought from affection, has extension into the spiritual world and sweeps about there. That this is so is known to few; and it is therefore supposed that thinking evil and willing evil is of no consequence if only one does not do evil and speak evil; and yet every thought and volition affects the spirit of man and makes up his life after death.

[3] That "evil wild beasts" signify the lusts and the falsities from them springing from the love of self and the world, that devastate all things of the church with man, and in a contrary sense signify also the affections of truth that vivify all things of the church, can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Jeremiah:

Go ye, gather together every wild beast of the field; come to eat. Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trodden down My field, they have made the field of desire a wilderness of solitude (Jeremiah 12:9-10).

This treats of the vastation of the church in respect to its truths and its goods. Vastation is described by "the shepherds have destroyed the vineyard of the Lord," and "have trodden His field under foot;" "shepherds" mean those who teach truths, and by means of them lead to good of life; here those who teach falsities and by means of them lead to evil of life; "vineyard" means the church in respect to truths; and "field" the church in respect to good; its vastation is meant by "have destroyed" and "have trodden down," also by "they have made the field a wilderness of solitude." And as lusts and falsities springing from the love of self and the world devastate it, it is said, "Go ye, gather together every wild beast of the field; come to eat;" "every wild beast of the field" signifying the falsities and lusts springing from those loves, and "to eat" signifying to devastate and consume. "The wild beast of the field" does not mean evidently the wild beast of the field, for it is said "shepherds have destroyed the vineyard and trodden down the field;" and "shepherds" mean shepherds (pastors) of the church, and not shepherds of the flock.

[4] In David:

Why doth the boar out of the forest tread under foot [thy vine], and the wild beast of the fields doth feed on it (Psalms 80:13)?

"Vine" here signifies the same as "vineyard" above, namely, the church in respect to truth, which is called the spiritual church; its vastation by the lusts and falsities of the natural man separated from the spiritual is meant by "the boar out of the forest treadeth it under foot;” "the boar out of the forest" signifying the evil lusts of the natural man, and "the wild beast of the field" falsities.

[5] In Hosea:

I will lay waste her vine and her fig-tree; and I will make them a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall eat them (Hosea 2:12).

"Vine" and "fig-tree" signify the church, "vine" the internal church which is of the spiritual man, and "fig-tree" the external church which is of the natural man; the vastation of both is signified by "I will lay them waste, and make them a forest; and the wild beast of the field shall eat them," "a forest" signifying the sensual man who is in mere fallacies and in falsities therefrom, and the "wild beast of the field" signifying falsities therefrom and evil lusts; for when the church with man is laid waste, that is, when the truth of the church is no longer believed, then man becomes sensual, believing nothing but what he can see with his eyes and touch with his hands; and such a man gives himself up wholly to the love of self and the love of the world, thus to lusts. That the church is here meant by "the vine" and "fig-tree" is evident from the second verse of the same chapter, where it is said that they should plead with their mother, "for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband," "mother" and "wife" in the Word signifying the church.

[6] In Moses:

By little and little I will drive out the nations, lest the land become a waste, and the wild beast of the field be multiplied against thee (Exodus 23:29-30Deut. Deuteronomy 7:22).

What this signifies can be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9333-9338), namely, that "nations" signify the evils that man has, even those from inheritance; and that these with man are removed "by little and little," since if they were removed suddenly, before good is formed in him by truths, falsities would enter which would destroy him. "The wild beasts of the field" signify the falsities springing from the delights of natural loves.

[7] In the same:

If ye walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, I will give peace in the land, so that ye may lie down securely, and none make afraid; and I will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, and the sword shall not pass through your land. But if ye do not hearken unto Me and do all My commandments, I will send among you the wild beast of the field, which shall bereave you of your children, and cut off your cattle, and make you few in number, that your ways may be laid waste (Leviticus 26:3, 6, 14, 22).

This describes the state of life of those who are in charity, and of those who are not in charity. The life of charity is meant by "walking in the statutes and keeping the commandments and doing them," for this is charity; the state of their life is described by "peace," by "they shall lie down securely, and none make them afraid," which signifies blessedness of heart and soul arising from the conjunction of good and truth, whence there is no longer any combat of evil and falsity against good and truth. It is also described by "I will cause the evil beast to cease out of the land, and the sword shall not pass through it," which signifies that there will no longer be any lusts or falsities springing from the love of self and the world, "the evil wild beast" signifying the lusts that destroy good affections, and "the sword" signifying the falsities that destroy truths. That those who are not in charity are in a contrary state is described by "if ye do not hearken unto Me and do all My commandments, I will send among you the wild beast of the field, which shall bereave you of your children, and cut off your cattle, and make you few in number, that your ways may be laid waste," which signifies that by lusts and falsities from them they shall be deprived of every good and truth. The lusts and falsities therefrom that will deprive are signified by "the wild beasts of the field that shall bereave you of your children;" the good affections of which they will be deprived are signified by "the cattle that shall be destroyed," and the truths themselves therefrom by their "ways" that shall be laid waste, "ways" meaning the truths that lead to good.

[8] In Ezekiel:

Then I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, that they may dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, and the wild beast of the field shall not devour them; but they shall dwell securely, and none shall make afraid (Ezekiel 34:25, 28).

This treats of the Lord's coming and His kingdom at that time; what is signified in the internal sense, can be seen from the passages just now explained, where many like words occur; the evil wild beast in the land" signifies lusts; and "the wild beast of the field" falsities.

[9] In Hosea:

I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and I will rend the caul of their heart, and I will devour them like a fierce lion; the wild beast of the field shall cleave them asunder (Hosea 13:8).

This treats of the vastation of good by falsity, "a bear bereaved of her whelps" signifying the power of evil from falsity, and "a fierce lion" the power of falsity from evil, and "the wild beast of the field" lusts and falsities; destruction by these is signified by "the wild beast shall cleave them asunder;" the separation of truth from good by falsity and evil is signified by "rending the caul of their heart."

[10] In Isaiah:

No lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not go up thither (Isaiah 35:9).

This chapter treats of the Lord's coming, and the state of those who are in His kingdom. "No lion shall be there" signifies that there shall be no falsity destroying truth; "the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not go up thither" signifies that there shall be no lust of destroying; it is said "shall not go up thither," because this lust is from hell.

[11] In Zephaniah:

Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north, and will destroy Assyria; that the droves may lie down in! the midst of her, every wild beast of the nation; both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge in the chapiters thereof. Such is the city that dwelleth securely, saying in her heart, I, and none other beside me; how is she become a waste, a place for the wild beast to lie down in! (Zephaniah 2:13-15).

This treats of self-intelligence, which confirms falsities and evils by reasonings from knowledges [scientifica], and by applying to them things from the sense of the letter of the Word. "The north" signifies the natural and sensual man, and the knowing [faculty] [scientificum] that belongs to it; and "Assyria" signifies reasoning therefrom; and "saying in her heart, I, and none other beside me" signifies self-intelligence. This makes clear what is involved in these particulars, in series, namely, "Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north, and will destroy Assyria" signifies that He will deprive such a natural man, and its power to understand and reason thence, of all perception of good and understanding of truth; "the droves shall lie down in! the midst of her, every wild beast of the nation; both the pelican, and the bittern, shall lodge in the chapiters thereof" signifies that there shall be falsities of evil, and falsities of thought and perception in the knowledges from the Word everywhere therein, "the wild beast of the nation" meaning the falsity of evil, "pelican and bittern" the falsity of thought and perception, and "chapiters" the knowledges from the Word. "Such is the city that dwelleth securely, saying in her heart, I, and none other beside me" signifies that such intelligence trusts in itself and draws only from self [ex proprio], "city" signifying doctrine from such intelligence; "how is she become a waste, a place for the wild beast to lie down in!" signifies that it has nothing of truth in it but is full of falsities.

[12] In Ezekiel:

Speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, he has become high above all the trees of the field; but because he was lifted up in his height, and hath set his top among the thick boughs, therefore strangers shall cut him off, the violent of the nations, and they shall cast him down. Upon his ruin every fowl of the heavens shall dwell, and every wild beast of the field shall be upon his branches (Ezekiel 31:2-3, 5, 10, 12 - 31:12-13).

These things have a like signification as those above; "Pharaoh king of Egypt" meaning the like as "the north," namely, the natural man and the knowing [faculty] [scientificum] that belongs to it; "Asshur" reasoning from it; "he was lifted up in his height, and hath set his top among the thick boughs" signifies glorying in intelligence from reasoning, thus in self-intelligence. From this general idea of the contents it can be seen what the particulars here involve, namely, "Speak unto pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude" signifies what pertains to the natural man, and its knowledges [scientifica], "Pharaoh king of Egypt" meaning the natural man, and "his multitude" the knowing faculty there; "Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, has become high above all the trees of the field" signifies the rational increasing by knowledges [scientifica], "Asshur" meaning the rational, and "cedar" the intellectual, and "its becoming high above all the trees of the field" signifying immense increase from the knowledges of truth and good; "but because he was lifted up in his height, and hath set his top among the thick boughs" signifies because he gloried in his intelligence, and in the knowledge [scientia] belonging to the natural man; and this glorying, which is an elation of mind from the love of self is from the selfhood; for the natural man separated from the spiritual exalts itself, because when separated from the spiritual it is in one's own [proprium, and] attributes all things to itself and nothing to God; "to set his top" is exalting oneself; and "thick boughs" are the knowledges [scientifica] that belong to the natural man (See Arcana Coelestia n.2831, 8133).

"Strangers shall cut him off, the violent of the nations, and they shall cast him down" signifies that falsities and evils therefrom shall destroy the rational, "strangers" meaning falsities, and "the violent of the nations" evils therefrom; whence "upon his ruin every fowl of the heavens shall dwell, and every wild beast of the field shall be upon his branches" signifies that then there will be the falsities of thought and the evils of affection;" "fowl" signifying the knowledges both of truth and of falsity, "wild beast" the evils of affection therefrom, and "field" the church, for no other falsities and evils are meant than those that are in the church. (That birds signify thoughts, ideas, and reasonings, in both senses, with a difference according to their genera and species, Arcana Coelestia 776[1-6], 778, 866, 988, 991, 3219, 5149, 7441

[13] In the same:

I will abandon thee in the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers; upon the faces of the field shalt thou fall; thou shalt not be gathered nor brought together; I have given thee for food to the wild beast of the land and to the fowl of heaven (Ezekiel 29:5; 32:4).

This, too is said of Pharaoh and the Egyptian, who signify the natural man separate from the spiritual, and this, when separated is in mere falsities and evils, for it is then without the light of heaven, which gives all intelligence; therefore "I will abandon thee in the wilderness" signifies to be without truths and goods; "the fish of his rivers" signify the sensual knowing faculty [scientificum sensuale] (See above, n. 342; "upon the faces of the field shalt thou fall" signifies that for it everything of the church is to perish; "thou shalt not be gathered nor brought together" signifies that good and truth will not be seen, for the spiritual man sees these in the natural, for the natural brings together and gathers knowledges [scientifica] and forms conclusions; "I have given thee for food to the wild beast of the land and the fowl of heaven" signifies here as above, to be about to perish by the falsities of thought and the evils of affection therefrom. Because the natural man separated from the spiritual is carried away into falsities of every kind and becomes hurtful, therefore "Egypt" is to be:

A wild beast of the reed (Psalms 68:30).

[14] In Ezekiel:

Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou and all thy hordes, and the peoples that are with thee; I have given thee for food to the bird of prey, the bird of every wing, and to the wild beast of the field (Ezekiel 39:4).

This is said of Gog, which signifies external worship separated from internal, which in itself is no worship, for it is the worship of the natural man separated from the spiritual. "Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel" signifies that such have nothing of the good of charity, "mountains of Israel" signifying the goods of charity, and "to fall" there signifying to perish; "thou and all thy hordes, and the people that are with thee," signifies that such worship, with its doctrinals and falsities, would perish; "I have given thee for food to the bird of prey, the bird of every wing, and to the wild beast of the field," signifies the extinction of truth and good by falsities of every kind and by evils; the evils that are signified by "the wild beast of the field" are the evils of life, which are the lusts arising from the love of self and the world.

[15] In David:

O God, the nations have come into Thine inheritance; the temple of Thy holiness have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps; the dead body of Thy servants have they given for food to the fowl of the heavens, the flesh of Thy saints to the wild beast of the earth (Psalms 79:1-2).

"Nations" here does not mean nations, but the evils of life and the falsities of doctrine; for God's "inheritance" signifies the church wherein the Lord is all the good and all the truth, because these are from Him; "to defile the temple of holiness, and to lay Jerusalem in heaps," signifies to profane worship and to pervert the doctrine of the church, "the temple of holiness" signifying worship, because worship is there, and "Jerusalem" signifying the church in relation to doctrine, thus also the doctrine of the church; "to give the dead body of Thy servants for food to the fowl of the heavens, and the flesh of Thy saints to the wild beast of the earth" signifies to destroy all truths by falsities, and all goods by evils; here, too, "the fowl of the heavens" means thoughts of falsity, and "the wild beast of the earth" the affections of evil therefrom.

[16] In the same:

Give not the soul of Thy turtle dove unto the wild beast; forget not the life of Thy wretched ones perpetually (Psalms 74:19).

"Turtle dove" signifies spiritual good, so, too, those who are in that good; and "the wild beast" signifies the falsity of evil lusting to destroy, so, too, those who are in the falsity of evil and are eager to destroy; this makes clear what "give not the soul of Thy turtle dove unto the wild beast" signifies. "Wretched ones" mean those who are infested by falsities, and are thence in anxiety, and are waiting for deliverance.

[17] In Ezekiel:

The sheep were scattered with no shepherd, and became food for every wild beast of the field, and were scattered (Ezekiel 34:5, 8).

This signifies that the goods of charity have been destroyed by falsities and utterly consumed by evils of every kind therefrom; "the wild beast of the field" meaning the evils of life springing from the falsities of doctrine; "sheep," in the Word, mean those who are in the good of charity; but the genuine spiritual sense is a sense abstracted from persons, consequently "sheep" signify the goods of charity; "shepherds" signify those who by truths lead to good, and in an abstract sense, the truths themselves through which there is good; therefore "without a shepherd" signifies that there is no truth through which there is good, and therefore falsity. "To become food" signifies to be consumed, the same as "to be eaten" when wild beasts are spoken of; "the wild beast of the field" signifying the evils from falsities.

[18] In Job:

Blessed is the man whom God chasteneth. In famine He shall ransom thee from death; and in war from the hands of the sword. At devastation and famine thou shalt laugh, and thou shalt not fear the wild beast of the land (Job 5:17, 20, 22).

This treats of temptations; "Blessed is the man whom God chasteneth" signifies one who is tempted; "In famine he shall ransom thee from death" signifies deliverance from evil when tempted through the lack and non-perception of good; "in war from the hands of the sword" signifies deliverance from falsities when tempted through the lack and non-understanding of truth; "war" meaning temptation; "at devastation and famine thou shalt laugh" signifies that to him there shall be no lack of good; and "thou shalt not fear the wild beast of the earth" signifies that no falsity shall be in him.

[19] In Ezekiel:

Thus shalt thou say unto them, Those who are in the desolate places shall fall by the sword, and him that is upon the faces of the field I will give to the wild beast to be devoured, and they that be in the fortresses and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. For I will make the land a desolation and wasteness (Ezekiel 33:27-28).

This treats of the desolation of all the truth and the vastation of all the good in the church, as is also said, "I will make the land a desolation and wasteness," "land" signifying the church. "Those who are in the desolate places shall fall by the sword" signifies that those who are in knowledges [scientifica] shall perish by falsities, for the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man without light from the spiritual are here meant by desolate places; "him who is upon the faces of the field I will give to the wild beast to be devoured" signifies that those who are in knowledges from the Word shall perish by the evils of falsity, "the faces of the field" meaning the things of the church, here knowledges from the Word, and the "wild beast" the evil of falsity; "they that are in the fortresses and in the caves shall die of the pestilence" signifies those who by the Word and those who by knowledges [scientifica] have confirmed themselves in falsities and evils, that such shall utterly perish by evils and falsities," "fortresses" meaning confirmations from the Word, and "caves" confirmation from knowledges. That such is the signification of these words, can be seen only from the series in the internal sense, for that sense treats, as has been said, of the total vastation of the church.

[20] In the same:

I will send upon you famine and the evil wild beast, and I ¹ will make thee bereaved; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee: especially will I bring the sword upon thee (Ezekiel 5:17).

In the same:

When I shall send famine upon the land, and cut off from it man and beast; when I shall cause the evil wild beast to pass through the land and bereave it, that it may become a waste, so that none pass through because of the wild beast, and when I shall bring the sword, and send the pestilence; thus when I shall send my four evil judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, the famine, the evil wild beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast (Ezekiel 14:13, 15, 17, 19, 21).

In the internal sense "to cut off man and beast" signifies to deprive of every affection of good and truth, both internal or spiritual and external or natural. (That this is signified by "man and beast" in the Word, see Arcana Coelestia 7424, 7523, 7872. "Famine" signifies the deprivation of the good of love; "sword" the deprivation of the truth of faith, both through falsity; "the evil wild beast" the deprivation of both by the evils of the love of self and of the world; and "pestilence" the consequent loss of spiritual life. These are called here "the four judgments," because man is judged by them.

[21] From the explanation of these and the preceding passages the meaning of each particular here in the series can be seen. "The evil wild beast" means all ravenous beasts, such as lions, bears, tigers, panthers, wild boars, wolves, dragons, serpents, and many others, which seize and rend asunder good animals, such as lambs, sheep, bullocks, oxen, and the like. That such wild beasts, and in general, "the evil wild beast," signify lusts springing from the love of self and the world, from which are all the evils of life and the falsities of doctrine, is from correspondence, as can be seen from the appearances in the spiritual world. There all lusts of evil and of falsity appear as wild beasts of various kinds; moreover, those from whom such appearances spring are like wild beasts, for their highest delight is to attack and destroy the good. This delight is an infernal delight, and is inherent in the loves of self and of the world, in which the hells are. From this it can be seen why it is that "the evil wild beast" in general signifies the evils of life, or lusts and the falsities therefrom springing from the loves of self and of the world, which lay waste all things of the church with man.

[22] Hitherto it has been shown from the Word that "wild beasts" signify evil lusts and falsities, in particular, the lusts of ravaging and destroying goods and truths, thus the spiritual life of man, by means of falsities. It shall now be shown that "wild beasts" in the Word also signify the affections of truth and good, which are contrary to the affections of falsity from evil, which are called lusts. "Wild beasts" signify also in the Word the affections of truth and good, because the word in the original by which they are designated and called signifies life, for in that language a "wild beast" is called chayah, and chayah means life, and the life itself of the spiritual man is in the affection of truth and good; so when "wild beast" is mentioned in the Word in this good sense, it ought rather to be rendered and called animal, which means a living soul. But when "wild beast" is spoken of in this sense, the idea that adheres to the word fera in the Latin must be entirely laid aside, for in that language an idea of what is fierce and ferocious adheres to the word fera, thus an idea of something bad or evil. It is otherwise in the Hebrew tongue, in which fera means life, and in general, a living soul or animal; in this sense chayah or fera cannot be called "beast" [bestia], since frequently in the Word fera and bestia are mentioned together, when fera signifies the affection of truth, and bestia the affection of good. Because fera or chayah in this contrary sense signifies the affection of truth and good, Eve, the wife of Adam, is called Chavah, from that word, as is evident in Moses:

And the Man called his wife's name Eve [chavah], because she was to be the mother of all chay [that is, living] (Genesis 3:20).

Also "the four animals" that were cherubim, are called from the same word, chayah, in the plural; and because, as was said, the idea of fierce and ferocious adheres to the word fera in the Latin, therefore the translators have used "living creatures" [animalia] for the cherubim which appeared as animals (See Ezekiel 1:5, 13-15, 22; 10:15 elsewhere).

[23] Likewise animals that may be eaten, as lambs, sheep, she-goats; rams, kids, he-goats, heifers, oxen, cows, as also animals that are not to be eaten, are called by the common word wild beasts [ferae], and yet they are mild and useful, consequently not wild or ferocious. Thus in Moses:

This is the wild beast that ye shall eat of all the beasts, among all the wild beasts that go on all four, to distinguish between the wild beast that is eaten and the wild beast that is not eaten (Leviticus 11:2, 27, 47).

And elsewhere:

He that hunteth a hunting of the wild beast or ² of the fowl that is eaten (Leviticus 17:13).

Also the animals that were sacrificed, and that have been named above, were termed wild beasts. Thus in Isaiah:

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, and the wild beast thereof is not sufficient for a burnt-offering (Isaiah 40:16).

And in David:

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds for sacrifice; for every wild beast of the forest is Mine, and the beasts upon the mountains of thousands. I know every fowl of the mountains and the wild beast of My fields is with Me. If I were hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is Mine and the fullness thereof. Sacrifice unto God confession (Psalms 50:9-12, 14).

[24] That "wild beast" signifies the affection of truth and good can be seen further from the following passages. In Moses:

In the seventh year, which is the sabbatical year, thou shalt let the land rest and shalt abandon it; that the needy of thy people may eat it, and what they leave the wild beast of the field may eat (Exodus 23:11).

And in another place:

In the year of the Sabbath, all the produce that is in thy land shall be for food for thy beast and for the wild beast (Leviticus 25:7).

Here "beast and wild beast" mean lambs, sheep, she-goats, kids, rams, he-goats, bullocks, oxen, cows, horses, and asses, but not lions, bears, boars, wolves, and the like rapacious wild beasts; so here "wild beasts" mean domestic wild beasts which are useful, which signify the affections of truth and good.

[25] In David:

Praise Jehovah from the earth, ye whales and deeps, the wild beast and every beast, the creeping thing and the bird of wing, kings of the earth and all peoples (Psalms 148:7, 10-11).

These signify goods and truths of every kind with man, from which man worships God; and as man worships God from these, and these are not of man but of the Lord with him, it is meant that these worship God, for no one can worship God rightly from himself, but from God, that is, from the goods and truths that are of God with him. That no one of himself but only from the Lord, is able to name Jesus, is known to some in the church, and is fully known in heaven. "To praise Jehovah" signifies to worship Him; "whales and deeps" signify knowledges and cognitions in general or in the whole complex; "wild beast and every beast" signify the affections of truth and good; "creeping thing and bird of every wing" signify the delight of good and truth of the natural and of the spiritual man; consequently it is also said, "Praise Jehovah, ye kings of the earth and all peoples," these signifying truths of good of every kind. That such things are signified by these words is evident from their signification in the internal sense, and from the Word in heaven, where the Word is spiritual, because it is for the angels who are spiritual. (That the Word is also in the heavens, and there it is in its internal sense, see Heaven and Hell 259-261.)

[26] In the same:

O God, Thou makest the rain of good will to drop down; Thou shalt confirm Thine inheritance when it is weary; Thy wild beasts shall dwell therein (Psalms 68:9-10).

Here too, "wild beast," or "animal," stands for those who are in the affections of truth and good, or in an abstract sense, those affections themselves; for "the rain of good will which God makes to drop down," signifies Divine truth from Divine good; "the inheritance when it is weary which God shall confirm," signifies the church that is in Divine truth in respect to doctrine and life, "inheritance" meaning the church where these are, which is said "to be weary" from the earnest endeavor to do good; "the wild beasts that shall dwell therein," that is, in the inheritance or church, signify the affections of truth and good. That nothing else is here meant by "wild beast," is evident, for no rapacious wild beast, that is, no lust of falsity and evil, can dwell in the inheritance upon which God causes the rain of good will to drop down.

[27] In Hosea:

In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and I will break the bow and the sword and war from the earth; and I will make them to lie down securely. And I will betroth Me to thee ³ forever (Hosea 2:18-19).

These things are said of a new church from the Lord; and "the wild beast of the field, the fowl of the heavens, and the creeping thing of the earth," have the same signification as above in David (Psalms 148:7, 10, 11), where they have been explained. "Covenant" signifies conjunction; so "to make a covenant" signifies to be conjoined (See Arcana Coelestia 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632). For Jehovah cannot "make a covenant" or be conjoined with the affections of evil and falsity, or with the lusts that are signified by "wild beasts" in the sense first given, nor can He make a covenant with the wild beast, the fowl, and the creeping thing generally, but only with such things as are signified by these. But these things may be seen more fully explained above n. 357.

[28] In Ezekiel:

Speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, Behold Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in branch, and with shady foliage, and high in stature. The waters made him to grow great, whence his stature became higher than all the trees of the field; in his branches did all the birds of the heavens build their nests, and under his boughs every wild beast of the field brought forth; and in his shade have dwelt all the great nations; no tree in the garden of God was equal to him in beauty (Ezekiel 31:2-9).

"Pharaoh and Egypt" here signify the knowing faculty, [scientificum] that belongs to the natural man; and "Asshur" the rational which the knowing faculty serves; the growth of this through knowledges and cognitions is described by "cedar in Lebanon," this also signifying the rational; "the waters that made him to grow great" signify truths, and "branches" signify extension, such as pertains to the thought of the rational man. From this it can be seen what is signified by "in his branches did all the birds of the heavens build their nests; under his boughs every wild beast of the field brought forth, and in his shade have dwelt all the great nations," namely, rational and spiritual truths of every kind, the affections of truth and goods; "the birds of the heavens" signifying the rational and spiritual truths of every kind, "the wild beast" the affections of truth, "to bring forth" signifies to multiply, since every spiritual birth or multiplication is effected by the affections of truth, and "the great nations" signify goods. (That "birds" signify thoughts, and things rational, intellectual, and spiritual, and thus truths, since all things of thought are either truths or falsities, see Arcana Coelestia 745, 776, 866, 988, 991, 3219, 5149, 7441; that "to bring forth" signifies to multiply truths and goods, and that this is spiritual birth, n. 3860, 3868, 9325; that "nations" signify those who are in goods, and thence in an abstract sense, goods, n. 1059, 1159, 1258, 1260, 1416, 1849, 6005; and above, n. 175, 331; that "Pharaoh" and "Egypt" signify the knowing faculty [scientificum] in both senses, good and evil, see n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5700, 5702, 6015, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 7296, 9340, 9391; and that "Asshur" signifies the rational in both senses, n. 119, 1186)

[29] That "Egypt" signifies the true knowing faculty [verum scientificum] and "Assyria" the rational, and that the whole of man's rational has its birth by means of knowledges [scientifica], or that these serve it, as was said above, can be seen from these words in Isaiah:

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt into Assyria, that Assyria may come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and they shall serve [Jehovah], the Egyptians with Assyria. In that day shall Israel be a third to Egypt and to Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land, whom Jehovah of Hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance (Isaiah 19:23-25).

Here "Egypt" signifies the knowing faculty [scientificum], "Assyria" the rational, and "Israel" the spiritual.

[30] From the passages already cited it can be seen what "bird" and "wild beast of the field" signify in Ezekiel:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Say to the bird of every wing, and to every wild beast of the field, Assemble yourselves and come; gather yourselves from the circuit to My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth. And ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood, even to drunkenness, of My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. And ye shall be satiated at My table with horse and chariot, with mighty man and with every man of war. So will I give My glory among the nations (Ezekiel 39:17-21).

From the particulars here it is evident that this is said of the church to be established by the Lord among the nations; therefore "the bird of every wing, and every wild beast of the field, that are to be assembled and invited to the sacrifice," signify all who are in the affection of truth and good, for "the flesh that they will eat" signifies the good of love, and "the blood that they will drink," the truth from that good, and "sacrifice" the worship itself from these. But these things may be seen more fully explained above n. 329.

[31] Sometimes in the Word, "wild beast" and "beast" are mentioned together, sometimes "wild beast" alone, and "beast" alone; and sometimes "wild beast of the earth" or "wild beast of the field;" and when "wild beast" and "beast" are mentioned together, then the affection or love of falsity and evil is signified, "the wild beast" signifying the affection or love of falsity, and "beast" the affection or love of evil; or in a contrary sense "the wild beast" the affection or love of truth, and "beast" the affection or love of good. But when "wild beast" alone, or "beast" alone is mentioned, then "a wild beast" means the affection of both falsity and evil, and in a contrary sense the affection both of truth and good; while "beast" means the affection of evil and of the falsity therefrom, and in a contrary sense, the affection of good and of the truth therefrom. But what "beast" signifies will be seen below where it is explained. When, however, "the wild beast of the earth" is mentioned, it means a wild beast that devours animals and men; but when "the wild beast of the field" is mentioned, it means a wild beast that eats up the crops; therefore "the wild beast of the earth" signifies such things as destroy the goods of the church, and "the wild beast of the field" such things as destroy the truths of the church; for both "earth" and "field" signify the church, "earth" signifying the church from the nation and people there, and "field" the church from what is sown, or from the reception of seeds.

Poznámky pod čarou:

3708. 'And you will break forth towards the sea, and towards the east' means infinite extension of good, while 'towards the north, and towards the south' means infinite extension of truth - thus every state of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'breaking forth' as extension, here infinite extension since it has reference to the Lord; from the meaning of 'the sea' or the west as good which is as yet obscure and so at only an initial stage; from the meaning of 'the east' as bright and so perfected good; from the meaning of 'the north' as truth which is still shrouded in obscurity; and from the meaning of 'the south' as truth bathed in light.

[2] Many references are made in the Word to the sea or west, the east, the north, and the south. But because nobody up to now has known that, as with every other single expression, these possessed an internal sense in which they did not mean things to do with the world, as they do in the sense of the letter, but spiritual and celestial things, and that in the highest sense those expressions meant Divine things belonging to the Lord Himself, what else could people have known therefore other than that west, east, north, and south are used in the Word simply to mean the four quarters? What else other than that 'breaking forth' towards those four quarters means a multiplying? But the fact that they do not mean the four quarters or the multiplying of any group of people, but states of good and truth, and the extension of these, may become clear from all the places in the Word, especially those in the Prophets, where reference is made to them. For what west, east, north, or south are is totally unknown in heaven. There the Sun, which is the Lord - unlike the sun of this world which rises and sets, reaching its highest point at midday and its lowest at night - is visible all the time, though how visible depends on the states of those receiving its light; for the light from it holds wisdom and intelligence within it, see 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3339, 3341, 3485, 3636, 3643. Consequently it is visible to each individual according to the wisdom and intelligence existing with him. Among those with whom good and truth are present - which are warmth and light, but of the celestial and spiritual kind - the sun is as it is when rising and at midday; but among those with whom good and truth are not present the sun is as it is when setting and at night. From this it is evident that in the internal sense of the Word 'east, south, west, and north' means states of good and truth.

[3] It should be recognized that the Word does not use only the four quarters, as indicated, to describe states of good and truth. It also uses both the annual seasons or states of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and the daily times or states of morning, midday, evening, and night. These are used for a similar purpose; but when the subject is the extension of good and truth, the four quarters are employed to describe it. What each one means specifically however may be seen from the places where they are mentioned in the Word. 'East' means the Lord and also the good of love and charity, which comes from the Lord, as shown already in 101, 1250, 3249, and 'south' means the truth bathed in light, in 1458, 3195.

[4] But what 'west' and what 'north' mean in the genuine sense, and what they mean in the contrary sense, may be seen from the following places: In Isaiah,

Fear not, for I am with you; from the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you. 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 43:5-6

This refers to a new spiritual Church, meant here by Jacob and Israel. 'Bringing the seed from the east and gathering from the west' stands for people governed by good; 'saying to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not withhold' stands for those governed by truth.

[5] In David,

The redeemed of Jehovah will speak, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered together out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea. They wandered in the wilderness, in a desolate way; they did not find an inhabited city. ¹ Psalms 107:2-4.

This refers to people who are without knowledge of good and truth. 'From the east and from the west' stands for those without knowledge of good, 'from the north and from the sea' for those without knowledge of truth. Those without knowledge of good are referred to as 'wandering in the wilderness', and those without knowledge of truth as doing so 'in a desolate way'. And those without knowledge of both are referred to as their not finding an inhabited city - 'a city' meaning doctrinal teaching consisting of truth, see 402, 2449, 2943, 3216, and 'a habitation' being used in reference to good, 268, 2451, 2712.

[6] In Isaiah,

Behold, these will come from afar, and behold, those from the north and from the west, and those from the land of Sinim. Isaiah 49:12.

'The north' stands for people in obscurity as regards truth, 'the west' for those in obscurity as regards good. They are said 'to come from afar' because they are remote from the light which flows from the Lord.

[7] In Amos,

Behold, the days are going to come in which I will send a famine on the land. And they will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east they will run to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah, and will not find it. Amos 8:11-12.

'A famine' stands for a lack and absence of cognitions, 1460, 3364. 'Wandering from sea to sea' stands for searching for the place where cognitions may be found - 'seas' meaning cognitions in general, 28, 2850. 'Running to and fro from the north even to the east' stands for going from those cognitions that are in obscurity to cognitions that are in the light. As regards cognitions being meant, this is evident because the words 'to seek the Word of God and will not find it' are used.

[8] In Jeremiah,

Proclaim these words towards the north, and say, Return, backsliding Israel; I will not cause My face to fall upon you, for I am merciful. In those days the house of Judah will go to the house of Israel, and together they will come out of the north land over the land I gave as a heritage to your fathers. Jeremiah 3:12, 18.

This refers to the restoration of the Church from among the gentiles. 'The north' stands for people without knowledge of truth but who lead a good life. It is evident that neither the north nor the north land is meant here for the reason that Israel did not exist any longer.

[9] In the same prophet,

The living Jehovah who caused the children of Israel to come up out of the north land. Jeremiah 16:15.

'North' in a similar way stands for being without knowledge of truth. In the same prophet,

Behold, I am bringing them from the north land, and I will gather them from the furthest parts of the earth, among them the blind one and the lame. Jeremiah 31:8.

The 'north land' stands for no knowledge of good because of no knowledge of truth. Now because the land of Canaan represented the Lord's kingdom - and therefore also represented good, see above in 3705 - and places within that land, such as Zion and Jerusalem, represented inmost good to which truth was joined, the places which lay away from that land consequently represented obscurity so far as good and truth were concerned. Everything that lies in obscurity is called 'the north land' and also 'the furthest parts of the earth'.

[10] In addition to this, since all good that flows in with light from the Lord is confined within man's obscurity, the north is also called 'an assembly' as in Isaiah,

You said in your heart, I will go up the heavens, above the stars of God I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the furthest parts of the north. Isaiah 14:13.

In the same prophet,

Wail, O gate; cry, O city; you have melted away, O Philistia, all of you, for smoke comes from the north, and not a solitary person in the assemblies. Isaiah 14:31.

In David,

Great is Jehovah and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, the mountain of His holiness - the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, the furthest parts of the north, the city of the great King. Psalms 48:1-2.

And again in the same author,

The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours. The world and the fullness of it You have founded; the north and the right hand ² You have created. Psalms 89:11-12.

'The north' here stands for those who are more remote from the light of good and truth, 'the right hand' for those who are closer to them. For the latter are on the Lord's right hand, see 1274, 1276.

[11] In Zechariah,

He saw four chariots coming out between two mountains of bronze. The horses coupled to them were reddish, black, white, and mottled - strong ones. The angel said, These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of the whole earth, the black horses going into the north land; and the white have gone out after them, and the mottled have gone out into the south land. Those going towards the north land have caused My spirit to rest on the north land. Zechariah 6:1-8.

'Chariots coming out between two mountains of bronze' stands for matters of doctrine concerning good. For 'chariots' means matters of doctrine, as will be shown elsewhere, while 'a mountain' means love, see 795, 1430, 2722, and two mountains therefore two kinds of love - celestial love, which is love to the Lord, and spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbour. 'Bronze' is good originating in those loves as it exists within the natural, 425, 1551; 'horses' things of the understanding, and so an understanding of matters of doctrine concerning good, 2760-2762, 3217; 'the south land' stands for people who possess cognitions of good and truth, 1458, 3195, 'the north land' for those who are without knowledge of good and truth but who lead a good life, as upright gentiles do among whom, when a new Church is established, God's Spirit is said to rest.

[12] In Jeremiah,

Jehovah who brought up and led back the seed of the house of Israel out of the land towards the north and out of all the lands to where I have driven them, so that they might dwell on their own land. Jeremiah 23:8.

'Out of the land towards the north' stands for away from the obscurity that is due to a lack of knowledge about what is good and true. In the same prophet,

Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze? Jeremiah 15:12.

'Iron' stands for natural truth, 425, 426, 'bronze' for natural good, 425, 1551. These are said to come 'from the north' because they derive from the natural which, though lying in obscurity compared with other degrees, serves as the outer limit of these. It is evident without explanation that this prophetic utterance does not mean the use of iron and bronze from the north, for what would be Divine about that, indeed what connection would it have with what goes before and after if no more than iron and bronze from there were meant?

[13] In Matthew,

I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Matthew 8:11; Luke 13:29.

'Many from the east and from the west' stands for those who possess cognitions and lead a good life, and also for those who are in obscurity and have no knowledge of such cognitions; and so it stands for people inside the Church and those outside it. It has been stated above that states of good are meant by the east and the west. 'Reclining with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' means being with the Lord, see 3305 (end). And the Prophets in a similar way speak of people coming from east and west who are going to be with the Lord in His kingdom or Church, as in Isaiah,

From the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you. Isaiah 43:5.

Elsewhere in the same prophet,

They will fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and His glory from the east. Isaiah 59:19.

Elsewhere in the same,

From the rising of the sun and from its setting they will know that there is none besides Me; I am Jehovah and there is no one else. Isaiah 45:6.

Elsewhere in the same,

I will stir up one from the north, and he will come; from the rising of the sun he will call on My name. Isaiah 41:25.

[14] In addition one may see that east, west, south, and north have these meanings from the following: The Construction of the Tabernacle; The Children of Israel when they were encamped and when they journeyed; The Description of the Land of Canaan; also, The Description of the New Temple, New Jerusalem, and New Land:

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE

Everything in it was positioned according to the four quarters, see Exodus 38 - what went on the east and west sides, and what on the south and north, is stated in Exodus 26:18, 20, 22, 27; 27:9, 12, 13; and the requirement that the lampstand was to be placed towards the south across from the table, the table itself being on the north side, Exodus 26:35; 40:22.

[15] THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WHEN THEY WERE ENCAMPED AND WHEN THEY JOURNEYED

Here also positions were determined according to the four quarters. That is to say, they encamped around the Tent of Meeting, with the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun towards the east; the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad towards the south; the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin towards the west; and the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali towards the north, Numbers 2:1- end. In addition to this, the Levites encamped with the Gershonites towards the west, the Kohathites towards the south, the Merarites towards the north; and Moses, Aaron and his sons in front of the Tabernacle towards the east, Numbers 3:23-38. In this way the heavenly order which in the Lord's kingdom exists in accordance with states of good and truth was represented. Towards the south side also they were to sound the call for them to begin their journeys, Numbers 10:6. And even as they took up specific positions when they encamped, so they did when they journeyed, Numbers 2:34.

[16] THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LAND OF CANAAN

First Moses described its border lands - those indeed in the south, those in the west, those in the north, and those in the east, Numbers 34:2-12, as they were again described when the land had been apportioned to the tribes by lot, in Joshua 15 Chapters-19 of Joshua. From these circumstances, and also from the most ancient people who dwelt in the land of Canaan, all places in that land became representatives and meaningful signs determined by their position, distance, and boundaries in relation to the four quarters, 1607, 1866.

[17] THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW TEMPLE, NEW JERUSALEM, AND NEW LAND

These also are described in Ezekiel in relation to the four quarters. The structure of the city, for example, started from the south. When dealing with the gateway to the building he says that its sides faced towards the east, towards the north, and towards the south, Ezekiel 40:2, 6, 19, 20-46. When dealing with the measurement of the Temple, he says that its doors looked towards the north and the south, Ezekiel 41:11, while the outer court looked towards the north, the east, the south, and the west, Ezekiel 42:1, 4, 11, 16-19. He also says that the glory of Jehovah the God of Israel came in from the way of the east, Ezekiel 43:1-2, 4. The gates to the outer court are dealt with in Ezekiel 44:1-2, 4; 46:1, 9, 10, 19, 20; and the boundaries of the Holy Land in Chapter 47 - towards the north in verses 15-17, towards the east in verse 18, towards the south in verse 19, towards the west in verse 20; while Chapter 48 specifies in relation to the four quarters the territories allotted to each tribe. And in the description of the Holy Jerusalem it is said that the gates were on the east, north, south, and west, Revelation 21:13. From these references it is quite evident that the four quarters of the world in relation to which those holy things, or representatives of what is holy, were arrayed do not mean in the internal sense the four quarters but states of good and truth within the Lord's kingdom.

[18] In the contrary sense 'the north' and 'the west' mean falsity and evil, as may be seen from the following places: In Jeremiah,

The word of Jehovah came to me a second time, saying, What do you see? I said, I am seeing an open pot with it's face towards the north. And Jehovah said, From the north evil will be opened over all the inhabitants of the land. Lo, I am calling all the families of the north to come. Jeremiah 1:13-15.

In the same prophet,

Set up a standard towards Zion; assemble, stay not, for I am bringing evil from the north, and a great destruction. Jeremiah 4:6.

In the same prophet,

The sound of crashing; behold, it is coming, and a great commotion out of the land of the north to reduce the cities of Judah into a waste. Jeremiah 10:22.

In the same prophet,

In Tekoa sound the trumpet, for evil stares from the north, and great destruction. Behold, a people coming from the land of the north, a mighty nation will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. Jeremiah 6:1, 22.

In the same prophet,

I took the cup from Jehovah's hand and made all the nations drink it - Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and its kings, Pharaoh king of Egypt, and the whole western crowd; all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the west, dwelling in the wilderness, and all the kings of the north, far and near. Jeremiah 25:17-26.

[19] In the same prophet,

The swift will not flee away, nor the strong man escape. Northwards on the bank of the River Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen. Who is this coming up like a river? Egypt comes up like the river, for he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. But that day is to the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth a day of vengeance - for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth holds a sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates. A very beautiful heifer is Egypt, but destruction from the north has come. The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame; she has been delivered into the hand of a people from the north. Jeremiah 46:6-10, 20, 24.

In the same prophet,

Thus said Jehovah, Behold, waters rising out of the north which are like a deluging stream, and they will deluge the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. Jeremiah 47:2.

[20] In the same prophet,

[The word which] Jehovah spoke against Babel: There will come up against her a nation from the north, which will make her land a desolation so that none may dwell in it. Jeremiah 50:1, 3.

In the same prophet,

Behold, I am stirring up and bringing up against Babel an assembly of great nations out of the north land, and they will array themselves against her; from there she will be taken. Behold, a people coming out of the north, a mighty nation, and many kings will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. Jeremiah 50:9, 41.

In the same prophet,

Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, will sing over Babel, because those who lay waste will come out of the north. Jeremiah 51:48.

In Ezekiel,

Say to Gog, You will come out of your place from the furthest parts of the north, you and many peoples with you. You will come up against My people Israel, like a cloud to cover the land. Ezekiel 38:14-16.

In the same prophet,

Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince. I will make you turn back and will split you into six, and make you come up from the furthest parts of the north and bring you onto the mountains of Israel. On the mountains of Israel you will fall. On the surface of the field you will fall. Ezekiel 39:1-2, 4-5.

In Zechariah,

Ho! Flee from the land of the north, says Jehovah, for like the four winds of the heavens I will spread you abroad. Ho, Zion! escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babel. Zechariah 2:6-7.

[21] These quotations show what 'the north' means in the contrary sense, namely falsity which is the source of evil, or falsity which is the result of evil. Because falsity which is the source of evil originates in reasoning about Divine things and against Divine things, which reasoning is based on factual knowledge belonging to the natural man, it is called 'a people from the north out of Egypt' - 'Egypt' meaning such factual knowledge, see 1164, 1165, 2588 (end). And because falsity which is the result of evil originates in worship which to outward appearance is holy but interiorly is unholy, it is called 'a nation from the north out of Babel' - 'Babel' meaning such, see 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326, as well as that which lays waste, 1327. Both types of falsity - that which is the source of evil, and that which is the result of evil - are said to come out of Gog, for 'Gog' is worship consisting in external observances devoid of anything internal, which is idolatrous worship, as at all times was that of the Jews. That 'Gog' means such worship, see 1151.

[22] Out of the obscurity in which the natural man dwells either truth can arise or falsity can do so. When anyone allows himself to be enlightened by means of the Word from the Lord his obscurity is turned into brightness, for the internal path is opened and so influx and communication from the Lord by way of heaven takes place. But when he does not allow himself to be enlightened by means of the Word from the Lord, but by his own intelligence, his obscurity is turned into darkness and so into falsity, for the internal path is closed and no influx and communication from the Lord by way of heaven takes place, apart from such as enables him to be seen outwardly to be human, when he thinks and so speaks from evil and falsity. This is why 'the north' means truth with those who allow themselves to be enlightened, falsity with those who do not. For the former come up from obscurity, that is, they are raised up to light, but the latter go down from obscurity, that is, remove themselves from light. The former are accordingly brought into [the light of] the south, the latter into [the gloom of] Tartarus.

[23] The fact that 'the north' means the thick darkness of falsity and 'the south' the light of truth is quite evident in Daniel where the ram and the he-goat are the subject, and also where the king of the south and the king of the north are. Referring to the ram and the he-goat it is said that the ram butted with his horns towards the west and towards the north and towards the south, so that none of the beasts could stand before him, and that a he-goat came from the west across the surface of the whole earth, and out of one of his horns there came forth a [little] horn which grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land], Daniel 8:4-5, 9. And referring to the king of the south and the king of the north in the place where 'the king of the south' means those possessing cognitions of truth, and 'the king of the north' those who are governed by falsity, it is said that

After some years they will make an alliance, as a result of which the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to negotiate equitable terms but her arm will not gain strength. One will rise from that stem who will enter into the fortress of the king of the north and will prevail and will carry [the gods] they have captured into Egypt. The king of the south will come into the kingdom and fight with the king of the north, and the king of the north will return and raise a multitude greater than the former. Many will stand up against the king of the south. The king of the north will come and take the fortified city and destroy much. The king of the south will be stirred up to battle with a great army, but he will not stand, for they will devise plots against him. After that he will return, but it will not be as previously. The people consisting of those who know their God will stand firm. At length, at the time of the end, the king of the south will clash with him; therefore the king of the north will rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen. In the glorious land many will fall. But rumours will terrify him from the east and from the north, so that he goes forth with great fury. He will come to his end, with none to help him. Daniel 11:1-end.

The fact that 'the king of the south' means those who dwell in the light of truth, 'the king of the north' those who first dwell in shade and then in the thick darkness of falsity, may become clear from the details in that chapter. So it is a description of how the state of the Church is in course of time perverted. They are called kings of the south and of the north because 'kings' in the internal sense of the Word means truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, 1672, 2015, 2069, while 'kingdoms' means things that belong to truth, and in the contrary sense those that belong to falsity, 1672, 2547.

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