574. 'Flesh' means that man became bodily-minded. This is clear from the meaning of 'flesh' in the Word, where it is used to mean the whole of mankind in general and the bodily-minded man in particular. It is used to mean the whole of mankind in Joel,
I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Joel 2:28.
'Flesh' stands for mankind, 'spirit' for the influx of truth and good from the Lord. In David,
O You that hearest prayer, to You will all flesh come. Psalms 65:2.
Here 'flesh' stands for the whole of mankind. In Jeremiah,
Cursed is that man (vir) who trusts in man (homo) and makes flesh his arm. Jeremiah 17:5.
'Flesh' stands for mankind, 'arm' for power.
In Ezekiel,
And all flesh will know. Ezekiel 20:48, 49.
[2] In Zechariah,
Be silent, all flesh, before Jehovah. Zechariah 2:13.
Again 'flesh' stands for the whole of mankind. 'Flesh' stands for the bodily-minded man in particular in Isaiah,
The Egyptian is man (homo), and not God; and his horses are flesh and not spirit. Isaiah 31:3.
'Flesh' here indicates that their factual knowledge is concerned with things of the body. 'Horses' here and elsewhere in the Word stands for the rational.
In the same prophet,
One will strike down on the right and will be hungry; and they will eat on the left, and they will not be satisfied. Every man will eat the flesh of his own arm. Isaiah 9:20.
Here 'flesh' stands for the things that are man's own, all of which are of a bodily nature.
In the same prophet,
He will fat up from the soul even to the flesh. Isaiah 10:18.
'Flesh' stands for bodily things.
In the same prophet,
The glory of Jehovah will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together. A voice says, Cry! And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass. Isaiah 40:5-6.
'Flesh' stands for the whole of mankind as being bodily-minded.
[3] In the same prophet,
In fire Jehovah will dispute, and by His sword with all flesh, and the slain 1
of Jehovah will be multiplied. Isaiah 66:16.
'Fire' stands for the punishment of evil desires, 'sword' for the punishment of falsities, and 'flesh' for the bodily things of man. In David,
God remembered that they were flesh, a spirit going away so that it did not turn back. Psalms 78:39.
This refers to the people in the wilderness who craved for flesh, that is, a bodily-minded people. Their craving for flesh represented their desire for bodily things alone, see Numbers 11:32-34.
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