281. And the fourth animal was like a flying eagle. That this signifies the appearance in ultimates of the Divine guardianship and providence as to intelligence and circumspection in every direction is evident from the signification of an eagle, as being intelligence, in this case the Divine intelligence of the guardianship and providence of the Lord. The reason why an eagle denotes intelligence is that intelligence is in the light of heaven, and an eagle flies on high to be there, and to look about on every side; hence it is that the face of the cherub appeared like a flying eagle, for to fly signifies presence and circumspection roundabout, and when said of the Divine, it signifies omnipresence. The reason why eagle signifies intelligence is also that the birds of heaven, in a good sense, signify things intellectual and rational, and the eagle above all others, because it not only flies high, but possesses a most acute sight. (That the birds of heaven signify intellectual and rational things in each sense may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 745, 776, 866, 988, 991, 3219, 5149, 7441).

[2] That an eagle signifies intelligence is evident from the following passages in the Word. In Ezekiel:

"A great eagle with great wings, long pinions, full of feathers, which had embroidering, came upon Lebanon, and took a small branch of a cedar. He plucked off the head of its shoots, and carried it down into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of dealers in spices. He took of the seed of the land, and placed it in the field of the sower; he took it to great waters, and placed it circumspectly; and it budded and became a luxuriant vine of low stature, so that its branches looked to him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, which produced branches and sent out boughs to him. There was also another great eagle with great wings and full of feathers; and, behold, this vine did bend its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him to water him from the little beds of its plantation. It was planted in a good field near many waters to form the bough, and to bear fruit, that it might be for a vine of magnificence" (17:1-8).

The subject here treated of is the establishment of the spiritual church by the Lord; and, in the internal sense, the process of its establishment, or of the regeneration of the man of that church, is described from beginning to end. By the first eagle is described the process of the regeneration of the natural or external man, by means of scientifics (scientifica) and by means of knowledges (cognitiones) from the Word; and by the other eagle is described the process of the regeneration of the spiritual or internal man by means of truths from good; hence by the first eagle is signified the intelligence of the natural man, and by the second the intelligence of the spiritual man.

What these particulars signify shall be explained in a few words. The first eagle is said to have great wings, long pinions, and to be full of feathers, and thereby are signified the abundance of the knowledges (scientiae) and cognitions of truth and good, from which is derived the first intelligence, or the intelligence of the natural man. It is therefore said that it had embroidering, for by embroidering is signified what pertains to knowledge and cognition (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 9688). It came upon Lebanon, and took a small branch of cedar, signifies that it took some knowledges (cognitiones) of truth from the doctrine of the church which is from the Word; for by Lebanon is signified that doctrine, and by the small branch of a cedar are signified knowledges. He plucked off the head of its shoots and carried it into a land of traffic signifies primary cognitions therefrom, to which it applied (by the head of the shoots are signified primary knowledges, and by the land of traffic is signified the natural man, to which knowledge (scientia) belongs). In a city of dealers in spices, signifies among truths from good in the natural man. (That spices signify truths which are grateful because from good, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 4748, 5621, 9474, 9475, 10199, 10254). He took of the seed of the land, and placed it in the field of the sower, he took it to great waters and placed it circumspectly, signifies multiplication. The seed of the land denotes the truth of the church; the field of the sower denotes the good by virtue of which it grows. Great waters signify the knowledges of truth and good; to place circumspectly denotes separation from falsities. And it budded and became a luxuriant vine, so that its branches looked towards him, and the roots thereof were under him signifies the church arising from the arrangement of the knowledges of truth, and their application to use. So it became a vine which produced branches, and sent out boughs signifies the beginning of the spiritual church, and the continuous increase of truths. (That vine signifies the spiritual church, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1069, 6375, 9277.) Hitherto the beginning of the church in the natural or external man has been described; its establishment, which takes place in the spiritual or internal man, is now described by the other eagle. Because this signifies spiritual intelligence, it is said that the vine bent its roots and sent its branches towards him, namely, the eagle, for by roots are signified knowledges (scientiae), and by branches the cognitions (cognitiones) of truth and good, which are all applied to the truths which are in the spiritual or internal man, since without their spiritual application man has no wisdom. The multiplication and fructification of truth from good, thus the increase of intelligence, is described by the vine being planted in a good field, near many waters, to form the bough, and to bear fruit, that it might be a vine of magnificence. Here, by the good field is signified the church as to the good of charity; many waters signify the knowledges of good and truth. To form the bough is to multiply truths; and to bear fruit is to produce goods, which are uses. A vine of magnificence is the spiritual church, thus internal and external. (But these things, because they are arcana of regeneration and of the establishment of the church with man, may be better perceived from what is adduced in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem from Arcana Coelestia, concerning knowledges (scientiae) and knowledges (cognitiones), n.51, and concerning regeneration, n. 183.)

[3] That eagle signifies intelligence is also evident in Isaiah:

"They that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength, and mount up with wings as eagles" (40:31).

To mount up with wings as eagles denotes ascent into the light of heaven, thus into intelligence.

[4] Again, in David:

"Jehovah satisfieth thy mouth; so that thou art renewed as the eagle" (Psalm 103:5).

To be renewed as the eagle, means as to intelligence.

[5] Again, in Moses:

"Ye have seen how I bare you as on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself" (Exodus 19:4).

By bearing them as on eagles' wings and bringing them is also signified into intelligence, because into heaven and the light thereof.

[6] Again:

Jehovah "found him in a desert land; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the pupil of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings; so Jehovah alone did lead him" (Deuteronomy 32:10-12).

Here the establishment of the Ancient Church is treated of, and the first reformation of those who belonged to that church; their first state is meant by the desert land in which Jehovah found them. This land denotes a state in which there is no good because there is no truth. Their instruction in truths, the guarding of them from falsities, and the opening of the interiors of their mind that they may come into the light of heaven and so into the understanding of truth and good, which is intelligence, is described by the eagle stirring up her nest, fluttering over her young, and bearing them upon her wings; comparison is here made with the eagle, because the eagle signifies intelligence.

[7] In 2 Samuel:

"Saul and Jonathan were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions" (1:23).

By Saul as king, and by Jonathan as son of a king, the truth of the church is signified; and because intelligence and power are therefrom, it is said that they were swifter than eagles, and stronger than lions; swiftness in the Word, when said of intelligence, signifying the affection of truth. For David wrote his lamentation over Saul and Jonathan to teach the sons of Judah the bow; and by the sons of Judah are signified the truths of the church, and by the bow is meant the doctrine of truth fighting against falsities.

[8] In Job:

"Doth the hawk fly by thy intelligence, and stretch her wings toward the south? Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? In the rock she dwelleth and passeth the night, thence she seeketh her food, and her eyes behold afar off; and where the slain are, there is she" (39:26-30).

Here the subject treated of is intelligence, which no one can procure from himself or from proprium; wherefore it is said, "Doth the hawk fly by thy intelligence, and stretch her wings towards the south?" by which is signified man's leading himself into the light of intelligence, which is signified by the south; but, in this case, that he cannot. The intelligence itself, which is that of the spiritual man, is described by the eagle mounting up, making her nest on high, dwelling and passing the night on the rock; also by her thence searching out her food, and her eyes beholding afar off. That no one has such intelligence from himself is signified by the question, "Doth the eagle mount up at thy command?" But that nothing but falsities can proceed from man's own intelligence is signified by where the slain are, there is she. The slain in the Word signify those with whom truths are extinguished by falsities (see Arcana Coelestia 4503).

[9] From these considerations it is evident what is signified by the words of the Lord when the disciples asked Him where the Last Judgment would be:

They said unto Him, "Where, Lord? He said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together" (Luke 17:37).

By the body is here signified the spiritual world, where all men are together, good and evil. By eagles are signified those who are in truths, and also those who are in falsities, thus those who are in true intelligence and those who are in false intelligence. False intelligence is from man's proprium, but true intelligence is from the Lord, by means of the Word.

[10] The falsities which are from man's own intelligence are also described by eagles in the following passages in the Word. In Jeremiah:

"Behold he ascendeth as clouds, and his chariots are as a storm, his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us, for we are spoiled" (4:13).

The subject here treated of is the desolation of truth in the church, and by the clouds which ascend are signified falsities; by the chariots which are as a storm is signified the doctrine of falsities; their eagerness and pleasure in reasoning against truths and destroying them is signified by their horses being swifter than eagles, for by swiftness and haste in the Word is signified incitement by affection and lust (see Arcana Coelestia 7695, 7866), and by horses the understanding of truth, and, in the opposite sense, the understanding of falsity, or reasoning from fallacies against truths (see Arcana Coelestia 2760, 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148, 8381). And because horses signify the understanding of truth, and eagles intelligence, in this place man's own intelligence, which is reasoning from falsities, it is therefore said, "their horses are swifter than eagles."

[11] In Lamentations:

"Our persecutors were swifter than the eagles of the heavens" (4:19).

In Habakkuk:

"Their horses are swifter than leopards, and are fiercer than the wolves of evening: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, whence his horsemen come from far; they fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. They come all for violence" (1:8, 9).

The eagle here, in like manner, signifies reasoning from falsities against truths, which is reasoning from man's own intelligence.

8148. 'And he took six hundred chosen chariots' means each and every doctrinal teaching that upholds falsity belonging to separated faith, in their own order. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'six hundred' as each and every aspect of the truth and good of faith taken all together, and so in the contrary sense as each and every aspect of the falsity and evil of faith separated from charity (this meaning of 'six hundred' may become clear from what has been shown regarding the number 'six hundred thousand' in 7973); and from the meaning of 'chariots' as doctrinal teachings upholding faith, in this instance separated faith, dealt with just above in 8146. 'Chosen chariots' means the chief doctrinal teachings that uphold that faith, to which all other teachings are subordinate. Those that are subordinate to them or serve them are meant by 'the chariots of Egypt', referred to immediately after the six hundred chosen ones.

[2] It should be recognized that these falsities - the ones that are meant here by Pharaoh, his army and people, and also his chariots, horses, and horsemen - are chiefly falsities present with people whose faith is no more than persuasion, that is, people who persuade themselves that the teachings of the Church they are in are true and who nevertheless lead a life of evil. This kind of faith, unlike saving faith, goes together with evil in life, because it is a faith in which people persuade themselves that everything the Church teaches is true, yet do so not for the sake of truth, or for the sake of life, or even for the sake of salvation (since they have scarcely any belief in this), only for their own advantage, that is, to acquire important positions and wealth, and reputation because of these. It is to gain such advantages that they imbibe religious teachings. Thus they do not learn them to the end that they may be of service to the Church and the salvation of souls, but to themselves and their dependents. Therefore it makes no difference to them whether those teachings are true or false. They do not care which they are, much less do they bother to find out; for they have no affection for truth because it is the truth. They endorse those teachings regardless of the character of them; and when they have endorsed them they tell themselves that they are true, without stopping to think that falsities can be endorsed just as much as truths, 4741, 5033, 6865, 7012, 7680, 7950.

[3] This is how faith that is no more than persuasion arises. And since it does not see the neighbour and the good of the neighbour, or therefore the Lord, as the end in view, only self and the world, that is, important positions and material gain, that kind of faith is linked to evil in life, and not to good in life. For faith, when linked to this good, is saving faith. This kind of faith is imparted by the Lord, but the other has its origin in people themselves. Faith imparted by the Lord remains forever, the other kind melts away in the next life. It even melts away in the world if they can gain nothing by it. As long as they can gain anything they fight for it as if for heaven itself, though in fact they do so not for that faith but for themselves. For the things that belong to faith, which are religious teachings, are for those people simply the means to an end, which is high position and wealth. People in the world with this type of faith are scarcely distinguishable from those possessing saving faith, since they speak and proclaim in favour of religious teachings with an ardour that seemingly belongs to true zeal, but is an ardour fired by selfish and worldly love.

[4] These are the people who are meant in particular by 'Pharaoh' and 'the Egyptians', who in the next life undergo vastation of that kind of faith. When that vastation is completed they are steeped in utter falsities arising from evil, for falsities now burst out of evil. Falsities do so because all evil has falsity present with it, since the two have been joined together. Those falsities make their appearance when such people are left exposed to the evil in their life. That evil is then like fire, and the falsities are like the light coming from a fire. This kind of evil, and the falsity arising from it, is altogether different from other kinds of evil and derivative falsities. It is more loathsome than all the rest, because it is contrary to the forms of good and the truths of faith, and that kind of evil consequently holds profanation within it. Profanation consists in acknowledging truth and good and yet living contrary to them, 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 2051, 3398, 3898, 4289, 4601, 6959, 6963, 6971.