774. I have already stated and shown that every kind of wild animal symbolizes all spiritual goodness, every kind of beast all earthly goodness, and the creeping thing creeping on the earth all goodness on the sensory and bodily levels (§§45, 46, 142, 143, 246).
It may at first glance seem wrong to say that a wild animal symbolizes spiritual goodness, but look at the series of subjects. First to be mentioned are they (the people of the church), then the wild animal, the beast, and finally the creeping thing. The wild animal involves something more important and nobler than a beast, because the Hebrew word also means a living being, something with a living soul. In this verse, then, it does not mean a wild animal but a living creature with a living soul, since the word for both is the same. 1
The symbolism of living creatures, beasts, and creeping things creeping on the earth as aspects of the will has been mentioned and demonstrated before. 2 More evidence appears directly below, where birds are discussed.
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew term Swedenborg refers to here is חַיָּה (ḥayyā). The same word is used in Ezekiel for the four guardian beings (see Ezekiel 1:5), and it may be that Swedenborg has those beings or something like them in mind when he mentions "a living creature with a living soul." [RS, JSR, LHC]
2. On the symbolism of all kinds of animals, see §§45-46, 142, 143, 246, 714-715, 719. For the symbolism of creeping things specifically, see §§44, 195-197, 251, 594, 674, 746. [LHC]
