Apocalypse Revealed #757
757. "A prison for every foul spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird!" This symbolically means that the evils willed and so done by the people in those hells, and the falsities entertained in thought and in consequent intention, are diabolical, because the people have turned away from the Lord to themselves.
A prison symbolizes a hell, because these Roman Catholics were imprisoned there. A spirit symbolizes everything pertaining to their affection or will and of the consequent action, and a bird symbolizes everything pertaining to the thought or intellect and consequent intention. A foul spirit and an unclean bird accordingly symbolize all the evils willed and so done, and all the falsities entertained in thought and consequent intention. Moreover, since the evils and falsities entertained by these people are found in the hells, therefore the symbolical meaning is that their evils and falsities are diabolical. In addition, because these people have turned away from the Lord to themselves, every unclean bird is also called loathsome.
Similar symbolism is used to describe Babylon in the Prophets, as in Isaiah:
Babylon... will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited..., so that Arabs will not tarry there... But ziyyim 1 will lie there, their houses will be full of 'ochim, 2 the offspring of owls will dwell there, and satyrs will caper there. 'Iyyim 3 also will reply in its palaces, and dragons in its pleasant palaces. (Isaiah 13:19-22)
I will... cut off from Babylon the name and remnant... I will make it a possession of the bittern... (Isaiah 14:22-23)
And in Jeremiah:
...in Babylon shall dwell ziyyim 1 and 'iyyim 3 and the offspring of owls... As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors..., no son of man shall dwell in it. (Jeremiah 50:39-40)
It is apparent from this that a prison for every foul spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird, means symbolically that the evils willed and so done by the people in those hells, and the falsities entertained in thought and consequent intention, are diabolical, because the people have turned away from the Lord to themselves.
[2] It is apparent from the Word that birds symbolize such things as have to do with the intellect and thought and consequent intention, and this in both senses, bad and good. They are found in a bad sense in the following passages there:
In the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice... (At length) on the bird of abominations shall be desolation. Even until the consummation... there shall rain down devastation. (Daniel 9:27)
The pelican and the bittern shall possess (the land). The screech owl and the raven shall dwell in it. (Isaiah 34:11)
Nothing else than hellish falsities are symbolized by 'ochim, 2 ziyyim, 1 the offspring of owls, and dragons in the passages cited above, as also by the birds that came down on the carcasses which Abram drove away (Genesis 15:11), by the birds which were given human corpses for food (Jeremiah 7:33; 15:3; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; Ezekiel 29:5; Psalms 79:1-2).
[3] Birds are found in a good sense in the following passages:
Creeping thing and bird... shall praise the name of Jehovah. (Psalms 148:10, 13)
In that day I will make a covenant for them... with the birds of the sky, and the creeping things of the ground. (Hosea 2:18)
...ask the beasts, and they will teach you, and the birds of the sky, and they will tell you... Who among all these does not know that the hand of Jehovah does this? (Job 12:7-9)
I looked, when behold, there was no man; all the birds of the sky had flown away. (Jeremiah 4:24-26)
Both the birds of the sky and the beasts have fled away..., (because) I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of dragons. (Jeremiah 9:10-11)
There is no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God... Therefore the land will mourn... as regards the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky. (Hosea 4:1, 3)
I am God... calling a bird from the east, a man of My counsel from a far country. (Isaiah 46:9, 11)
Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon... In its branches all the birds of the sky made their nests..., and in its shade all great nations dwelled. (Ezekiel 31:3, 6)
[4] Similar statements to that made of Assyria as a cedar here are found elsewhere, as in Ezekiel 17:23, Daniel 4:10-14, 20-21, Mark 4:32, Luke 13:19.
Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: ."..come... to... a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel...." (Thus) I will set My glory among the nations. (Ezekiel 39:17, 21, cf. Revelation 19:17)
And so on regarding birds elsewhere, as in Isaiah 18:1, 6; Ezekiel 38:20; Hosea 9:11; 11:10-11.
That birds symbolize such things as have to do with the intellect and its consequent thought and intention is clearly apparent from birds in the spiritual world. There, too, one sees birds of every kind and every species - in heaven very beautiful ones, birds of paradise, turtle doves, and doves - in hell dragons, screech owls, eagle owls, and others of that kind - all of which are objective representations of thoughts springing from good affections in heaven, and of thoughts springing from evil affections in hell.
V:
1. A Hebrew word (צִיִּים), appearing six times in the Old Testament (Psalms 72:9; 74:14). It seems to refer to desert dwellers, and in contexts suggesting animals, to desert creatures, but the actual identity is unknown. It may not be a precise term.
2. Another Hebrew word (אֹחִים), appearing only once in the Old Testament (Isaiah 13:21:4 identifies them as birds of the night.
3. Another Hebrew word (אִיִּים), appearing only three times in the Old Testament (Isaiah 13:22; 34:14
Matthew 18
1
At the same time came the disciples to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2
And Jesus called a little child to him, and set him in the midst of them,
3
And said, Verily I say to you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4
Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5
And whoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.
6
But whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in me, to sin, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7
Woe to the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but Woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!
8
Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to sin, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.
9
And if thy eye causeth thee to sin, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell-fire.
10
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
11
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12
How think ye? if a man hath a hundred sheep, and one of them is gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go to the mountains, and seek that which is gone astray?
13
And if he findeth it, verily I say to you, he rejoiceth more over that sheep, than over the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14
Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
15
Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church: but if he shall neglect to hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican.
18
Verily I say to you, Whatever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.
19
Again I say to you, That if two of you shall agree on earth, concerning any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.
20
For where two or three are assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22
Jesus saith to him, I say not to thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king who would take account of his servants.
24
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25
But as he had not ability to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26
The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what thou owest.
29
And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30
And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31
So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done.
32
Then his lord, having called him, said to him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33
Shouldst thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?
34
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him.
35
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
