314. Stood a Lamb. That this signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human, is evident from the signification of a lamb, when predicated of the Lord, as denoting Himself as to the Divine Human. The Lord as to the Divine Human is called a lamb, because a lamb signifies the good of innocence, and the good of innocence is the very good of heaven which proceeds from the Lord; and in proportion as the angels receive this good, in the same proportion they are angels. This good reigns with the angels who are in the third or inmost heaven; therefore those who are in that heaven appear as infants before the eyes of other angels. What the good of innocence is, and that the angels of heaven are in that good, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, in the article which treats concerning the State of Innocence of the Angels of Heaven (n.276-283, also n. 285, 288, 341, 382). It is believed in the world that the Lord is called a lamb from this, that the continual burnt-offering, or what was offered every day, evening and morning, was that of lambs; and especially on the days of the passover, when a lamb was also eaten; and that the Lord suffered Himself to be sacrificed. But this reason of His being so called is for those in the world who do not think beyond the sense of the letter of the Word; nevertheless, in heaven no such thing is perceived by a lamb when it is predicated of the Lord; but when a lamb is named or read of in the Word, the angels, because all of them are in the spiritual sense of the Word, perceive the good of innocence; and when the Lord is thus called, they perceive His Divine Human, and at the same time the good of innocence which is from Him. I know that it will be believed with difficulty that it is so, but yet it is the truth.

[2] That the lamb, in the Word, signifies the good of innocence, and, when predicated of the Lord, signifies His Divine Human, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

"Behold, the Lord Jehovih cometh in might. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs into his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead the sucklings" (40:10, 11).

This is spoken of the Lord's advent; by the flock which He shall feed like a shepherd, are signified those who are in the good of charity; and by the lambs which He shall gather into His arm, are signified those who are in love to Him. This love is that which strictly regarded, is innocence, therefore all those who are in it are in the heaven of innocence, which is the third heaven; and because that love is signified by lambs, it is therefore said also, "He shall gently lead the sucklings." By sucklings and infants in the Word are meant those who are in innocence, as may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 277, 280, 329-345).

[3] In the same:

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy shall lead them. And the she-calf and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den" (11:6-8).

These things are said concerning the Lord's advent, and concerning His kingdom, also concerning those therein who are in the good of innocence, that they shall have nothing to fear from the hells and the evils thence, because guarded by the Lord. The Lord's kingdom is here described, by innocences of various kinds, and by their opposites from which they shall be defended; the lamb denotes innocence of the inmost degree, its opposite is the wolf: the kid denotes innocence of the second degree, of which the opposite is the leopard: the calf denotes innocence of the last degree, of which the opposite is the young lion. (That a lamb, a ram or sheep, and a calf, signify three degrees of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 10132.) Innocence of the inmost degree is such as belongs to those who are in the third or inmost heaven, and the good thereof is called celestial good; innocence of the second degree is such as belongs to those who are in the second or middle heaven, and the good thereof is called spiritual good; and innocence of the last degree is such as belongs to those who are in the first or ultimate heaven, and the good thereof is called natural-spiritual good. (That all those who are in the heavens are in some good of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 4797.) Because as the goods of innocence are described by these, it is therefore also said, "And a little boy shall lead them," also, "the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder the weaned child shall put his hand upon the cockatrice' den." By a boy, a suckling a weaned child, are in like manner signified those degrees of innocence. (That a boy [signifies a degree of innocence], Arcana Coelestia 430, 5236; that a suckling or infant of the first age, and a weaned child or an infant of the second age, see n. 3183, 4563, 5608, 6740, 6745.)

[4] Because the lamb signifies innocence or those who are innocent, and a wolf those who are opposed to innocence, therefore it is said elsewhere in the same prophet:

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; they shall not do evil in the whole mountain of holiness" (65:25).

The mountain of holiness denotes heaven, specifically the inmost heaven; and therefore the Lord said to the seventy whom He sent forth,

"I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves" (Luke 10:3).

[5] Because lambs signify those who are in love to the Lord, which love is one with innocence, and because sheep signify those who are in love towards the neighbour, which love is charity, therefore the Lord said to Peter,

"Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs; and afterwards, Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).

These things were said to Peter, because by him was meant truth from good, or faith from charity, and truth from good teaches; to feed denoting to teach.

[6] In Ezekiel:

"Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of thy hand, in lambs, rams, and goats" (27:21).

This is said concerning Tyre, by which are meant those who are in the knowledges of truth and good. By Arabia and the princes of Kedar, who are the merchants of her hand, are signified those who are in truths and goods from knowledges; and by merchants are signified those who communicate and teach them; by lambs, rams, and goats, are signified three degrees of the good of innocence, similarly as by lambs, rams, and calves. That by these are signified the three degrees of the good of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 10042, 10132.

[7] Also in Moses:

"He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed him with the produce of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the stone of the rock; butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou drinkest the pure blood of the grape" (Deuteronomy 32:13, 14).

These things are said concerning the establishment of the Ancient Church, which was the first church after the flood, and by all these things are described its various kinds of good; but because without explanation scarcely any one will understand them, a few words will be said. To ride on the high places of the earth, signifies that the intelligence of those who belonged to that church was interior; he fed him with the produce of the fields, signifies that they were instructed in every truth and good; He made him to suck honey out of the rock, signifies that by means of truths they had natural good; oil out of the stone of the rock, signifies that they had also spiritual good by means of truths; honey and oil signify those goods, and a rock, a flinty rock, and a stone signify truths. Butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, signify the good of external and internal truth; the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats, signifies the goods of innocence of three degrees (as mentioned above); the fat of the kidneys of wheat, and the blood of the grape, signify that thus they had genuine good and genuine truth.

[8] In Isaiah:

"The sword of Jehovah is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and of goats, and with the fat of the kidneys of rams" (34:6).

Here also by lambs, rams, and goats, are signified the three degrees of the good of innocence (mentioned above); but the subject here treated of is concerning their destruction by the falsities of evil; for a sword signifies falsity destroying truth and good; the blood with which it shall be filled signifies destruction.

[9] Because by lamb is signified innocence, which, strictly regarded, is love to the Lord, therefore by lamb, in the highest sense, is signified the Lord as to the Divine Human, for the Lord as to that was Innocence itself; as may be seen in the following passages. In Isaiah:

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter" (53:7).

In the same:

"Send ye the lamb of the ruler of the land from the rock toward the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion" (16:1).

In John:

"John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." And afterwards seeing Jesus walking, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God" (1:29, 36).

In the Apocalypse:

"The Lamb [which is] in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters" (7:17).

And in another place:

"They have overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of the testimony" (12:11),

besides also elsewhere in the Apocalypse (as chap. 13:8; 14:1, 4; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:22, 23; 22:1, 3).

[10] Because the burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified all representative worship from the good of love and from the truths thence, burnt-offerings from the good of love, and sacrifices specifically from the truths thence, therefore,

Every day, evening and morning, a burnt-offering was made of lambs (Exodus 29:38-43; Num. 28:1-9).

On every Sabbath, of two lambs, besides the continual burnt-offering of them (Num. 28:9, 10).

In the beginnings of the months, of seven lambs (Num. 28:11-15).

In like manner, on the day of the first-fruits (Num. 28:26 to end).

In like manner in the seventh month, when there was a holy convocation (Num. 29:1-7).

In like manner of seven lambs on each day of the passover, besides of two calves, one ram, and one goat (Num. 28:16-24).

[The burnt-offering was] of seven lambs, because by seven is signified all and full, and it is said of what is holy; and because by burnt-offerings in general was signified the worship of the Lord from the good of love, and the good of love to the Lord from the Lord is the essential good of innocence; and by lamb, in the highest sense, was signified the Lord as to the Divine Human. (That burnt-offerings signified all worship grounded in the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, may be seen, n. 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042.) Because of this representation the supper of the passover of lambs or kids was also instituted (Exodus 12:1-29); for by the feast of the passover was represented the glorification of the Lord's Human (as may be seen, n. 10655). Because infants signified innocence, it was therefore also commanded, that

After a birth, on the day of purification, they should sacrifice a lamb, a young pigeon, or a turtle dove; or, instead of a lamb, two young pigeons or two turtle doves (Leviticus 12:6, 8).

By young pigeons and by turtle doves is signified the same as by lambs, namely, innocence.

9325. 'None will suffer miscarriage or be barren in [your] land' means that forms of good and truths will develop in their proper order, in continuous progression. This is clear from the meaning of 'none will suffer miscarriage or be barren' as the progress of regeneration in its proper order, and therefore the development of forms of good and of truths in their proper order, in continuous progression, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'in the land' as in the Church. In the Word 'the land' or 'the earth' means the Church, see 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2571, 2928, 3355, 3368, 3379, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011, 8732; and the reason why 'the land' means the Church is that it implies the land of Canaan, where the Church existed, indeed where it had existed since most ancient times, 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136, 6306, 6516, 8317. In the spiritual world furthermore, when a land is spoken of no one envisages a land but what the people and their religion in a land are like. Consequently when 'the land' is mentioned in the Word and it implies the land of Canaan, the Church is envisaged. All this goes to show what a new heaven and a new earth is used to mean in the prophetical parts of the Word, namely the internal Church and the external Church, 1850, 3355, 4535; for there are internal people and there are external people.

[2] The reason why 'none will suffer miscarriage or be barren in the land' means that forms of good and truths will develop in their proper order, in continuous progression, is that all things connected with childbirth are used in the internal sense of the Word to mean such things as are connected with spiritual birth, thus such as are connected with regeneration, 2584, 3860, 3868, 3905, 3915. The things connected with spiritual birth or regeneration are the truths of faith and forms of the good of charity; for through these a person is conceived and born anew. It is evident from a large number of places in the Word that such things are meant by 'births', and plainly so from the Lord's words to Nicodemus,

Jesus said to him, Truly, truly I say to you, Unless a person is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said, How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Truly, truly I say to you, Unless a person has been born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, but that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Nicodemus said, How can these things happen? Jesus answered, Are you a teacher in Israel, and do not know these things? John 3:3-6, 9-10.

'Being born through water and the Spirit' means being born again through the truths of faith and the good of love, see the places referred to in 9274.

[3] The origin of this meaning of 'births' in the Word lies in the correspondence of marriages on earth with the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of goodness and truth. Regarding this correspondence, see 2727-2759. But scarcely anyone at the present day knows, and perhaps scarcely anyone is willing to recognize that truly conjugial love comes down from that marriage; for earthly and bodily things are before people's eyes, and those things have a dampening and smothering effect when they think about such correspondence. Furthermore, since that is the source of truly conjugial love, 'births' and 'generations' in the internal sense of the Word mean things connected with new birth and generation effected by the Lord. So it is also that father, mother, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and many more who are the product of marriages, mean forms of good and truths, and derivations from them, dealt with many times in explanatory sections.

[4] From all this it now becomes clear that 'none will suffer miscarriage or be barren in the land' means that forms of good and truths will develop in their proper order, in continuous progression. The fact that 'one suffering miscarriage' and 'one who is barren' mean instances of miscarriage and barrenness in a spiritual sense, that is, the perversions of goodness and truth, and also the destruction and total rejections of them, is evident from the following places: In Hosea,

Ephraim, when I saw it reaching as far as Tyre, was planted in a beautiful [place]; and Ephraim must lead out its sons to the killer. Give them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. On account of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house. Hosea 9:13-15.

Unless people know what it is that 'Ephraim', 'Tyre', 'the killer', 'sons', 'a miscarrying womb', and 'dry breasts' mean in the internal sense, they cannot have any knowledge at all of what those prophetic statements imply. 'Ephraim' is the Church's power of understanding, which is an understanding enlightened in regard to the truths and forms of the good of faith obtained from the Word, see 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267; 'Tyre' is the cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201; and from this it is evident what 'Ephraim, when I saw it reaching as far as Tyre, was planted in a beautiful place' means. 'A killer' is one who deprives another of spiritual life, that is, the life provided by truth and good, 3607, 6767, 8902; 'sons' are the truths of faith, 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2813, 3373, 3704, 4257; and from this it is evident what 'Ephraim must lead out its sons to the killer' means. 'Breasts' are affections for goodness and truth, 6432, so that 'dry breasts' are the absence of affections, and desires to pervert instead; and from this it is evident what 'a miscarrying womb' means, namely a perversion of goodness and truth. Things connected with spiritual life are clearly meant by all these words, for it says, 'On account of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house', 'out of Jehovah's house' meaning out of the Church and out of heaven, 2233, 2234, 3720, 5640.

[5] In Malachi,

I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that he does not ruin for you the fruit of the land, nor will the vine in the field miscarry for you. All the nations will declare you blessed, and you will be a land of delight. Malachi 3:11-12.

The prophecy that the vine in the field would not miscarry means that the truths and forms of the good of faith among those who are within the Church will develop in their proper order; for 'the vine' is the spiritual Church's truth and good, 1069, 6375, 6376, 9277, and 'the field' is the Church, 2971, 3766, 7502, 9139, 9295. 'A land of delight' is a Church pleasing to the Lord; for everyone within the Church who has been regenerated through truth and good is an embodiment of the Church. From this it is evident what it is that 'you will be a land of delight' means, 'a land' being the Church, see above.

[6] In Moses,

If you hear My judgements, to keep and do them, you will be blessed above every people; none will be unfruitful or barren among you, or among [your] beasts. Jehovah will take away all sickness from you, and all the evil diseases of Egypt. Deuteronomy 7:12, 14-15.

'None will be unfruitful or barren' stands for not being devoid of the life provided by truth and good; thus it is a promise that spiritually they will have life. Since 'barrenness' had such a meaning, women in the ancient Churches did not think of themselves as being alive if they were barren. This was so with Rachel, who spoke of herself to Jacob - see 3908 - in the following words,

Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob [any children]; and she said to Jacob, Give me sons; if you do not, I am dead. Genesis 30:1.

[7] 'The barren' also means those who are without good because they do not possess truths, yet have a desire for truths in order that they may be governed by good, as with upright nations outside the Church. An example of this meaning occurs in Isaiah,

Sing, O barren one that did not bear; resound with singing and cry out with joy, O one that has not been in travail, for the sons of her that is desolate will be more than the sons of her that was married. Isaiah 54:1.

In David,

Jehovah lifts one who is crushed out of the dust, He raises the needy one from the dunghill, to set him with the princes of His people. He causes the barren one of the house to dwell as a joyful mother of children. Psalms 113:7-9.

[8] In Hannah's prophetic utterance after she had given birth to Samuel,

The full have been hired out [for bread], and the hungry have ceased [to be hungry], till she who was barren has borne seven, while the one who has many children has become feeble. 1 Samuel 2:5.

In these places 'the barren' is used to mean gentile nations who are being summoned to the Church, and to whom the Church is transferred when the old Church has come to an end, that is, when those who formerly belonged to the Church no longer possess faith because they do not have any charity. This old Church is meant by 'the one who has many children has become feeble' and by 'her that was married', while the new one among gentile nations is meant by 'her that is barren and desolate who will have many more sons' and by 'the barren one of the house [who dwells as] a joyful mother of children'. 'Bearing seven' means being regenerated completely, for 'seven' in this prophetic utterance does not mean seven but to completion, 9228. From all this it is evident what the following words spoken by the Lord serve to mean,

The days will come in which they will say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts which have not nursed! Luke 23:29.

This refers to the close of the age, which is the final period of the Church.

[9] In the second Book of Kings,

The men of Jericho said to Elisha, Behold, the city's situation is good, but the water is bad and the land barren. Then Elisha told them to put salt in a new dish and to throw the salt from it into the source of the water. And the water was healed, and no more death or barrenness came from it. 2 Kings 2:19-21.

No one can know what this description holds within it except from the internal sense; for all the miracles described in the Word hold within them the kinds of things that happen within the Lord's kingdom, that is, within the Church, 7337, 7465, 8364, 9086. A person needs to know therefore what 'Elisha' represented, what 'the city of Jericho' meant, what 'bad water and barren land' meant, what 'a new dish and salt in it' meant, and also what 'the source of the water' into which they were to throw the salt meant. 'Elisha' represented the Lord in respect of the Word, see 2762. 'Water' means the truths of faith, 28, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 6346, 7307, 8137, 8138, 8568, and therefore 'bad water' means truths devoid of good, while 'barren land' means the Church's good which as a consequence is not alive. 'A new dish' or new vessel means factual knowledge and cognitions of goodness and truth, 3068, 3079, 3316, 3318. 'Salt' means truth's desire for good, 9207. 'The source of the water' means the human natural which receives the cognitions or knowledge of truth and good and is improved by truth's desire for good.

[10] From all this it is evident what that miracle held within it, namely the improvement of the Church and its life by the Lord's Word and by truth's desire for good from there. The improvement is brought about when the human natural receives truths from the Word as a result of such a desire. The reason why the miracle took place at the city of Jericho was that this city was located not far from the Jordan, and 'the Jordan' means that with a member of the Church which first receives truths, which is the natural, 1585, 4255. The human natural is the first to receive truths from the Lord which are present in the Word, but it is regenerated last; and when it has been regenerated the whole person has been regenerated. This was meant by the Lord's words to Peter when He washed the disciples' feet,

Jesus said, He who has been washed has no need except to wash his feet, and the whole person is clean. John 13:10.

'The feet' are those things that belong to the human natural, and in general are the natural, see 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 5327, 5328. The natural or external man must be in agreement with the spiritual or internal man if a person is to be regenerated. Thus a person has not been regenerated until the natural has been, see 2850, 3167, 3286, 3321, 3470, 3493, 3508, 3509, 3518, 3573, 3576, 3579, 3620, 3623, 3671, 3882, 3969, 4353, 4588, 4612, 4618, 5168, 5326, 5373, 5651, 6299, 6454, 7442, 7443, 8742-8747, 9043, 9046, 9061.