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.

4524. Now because every single thing that exists in the world and in the natural system comes into being, and is constantly coming into being - that is, is kept in being - from something prior to itself, it follows that it comes into being and is kept in being from a world above the natural system, which is called the spiritual world. And because there must be a continuous connection with that spiritual world in order that every single thing may be kept in being, or constantly come into being, it follows that the purer or more interior things present within the natural order, and consequently within the human being, spring from that world, and that purer or more interior things are forms such as are able to receive influx. But because there can be only one source of life, as in the natural system there is only one source of light and warmth, it is clear that every trace of life originates in the Lord, who is the Primary Source of life. This being so, every single thing which exists in the spiritual world corresponds to Him, and so therefore does every single thing within man, for man is a tiny spiritual world in miniature form. Consequently the spiritual man is also an image of the Lord.