143. Nowadays it may seem strange that 'beasts' and 'animals' in ancient times meant affections and similar things residing with man. But because people had heavenly ideas then, and because such things are also represented in the world of spirits by animals - by such animals in fact as resemble those affections - this alone is what they therefore understood when they spoke in this fashion. And this alone is what is meant in the Word whenever beasts are mentioned in general or in particular. The whole prophetical section of the Word is full of things such as these, and therefore anyone who does not know the particular meaning of any beast cannot possibly understand what the Word contains in the internal sense. But as slated already, there are two kinds of beasts - evil ones, because they are harmful, and good ones, because they are harmless. Good beasts, such as sheep, lambs, and doves, mean good affections. Here, because the subject is the celestial man, or the celestial-spiritual man, the same applies. The fact that 'beasts' in general means affections has been confirmed from several places in the Word quoted already in 45, 46. So there is no need of further confirmation.

4218. THE GRAND MAN AND CORRESPONDENCE - continued

At the ends of chapters in the previous volumes ¹ things are recorded which I have been allowed to see and to be made aware of in the world of spirits and in the heavens of angels, the last subject to be dealt with being the Grand Man and Correspondence. To enable people to understand more fully man's state of being - that he lives connected to heaven not only as to his thoughts and affections but also as to his bodily organs, interior and exterior, and that without that connection he cannot remain in existence for a single instant - let what was begun at the ends of chapters immediately before the present one regarding Correspondence with the Grand Man be continued in this volume.

Note a piè di pagina: