46. That 'beasts' means affections residing with man - evil affections in evil men and good affections in good men - becomes clear from many examples in the Word, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, so that you will be tilled and sown; and I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they will be multiplied and be fruitful, and I will resettle you ¹ to be as in your ancient times. Ezekiel 36:9-11.

This refers to regeneration. In Joel,

Fear not, you beasts of My field, for the dwelling-places of the wilderness have been made green. Joel 2:22.

In David,

I was stupid, a beast ² was I with God. Psalms 73:12.

In Jeremiah,

Behold, the days are coming when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast, and I will watch over them to build and to plant. Jeremiah 31:27-28.

This refers to regeneration.

[2] 'Wild animals' (fera) has a similar meaning, as in Hosea,

I will make for them a covenant on that day, with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air, ³ and with the creeping things of the earth. Hosea 2:18.

In Job,

You will not fear the wild animals of the earth, for your covenant will be with the stones of the field, and the wild beasts of the field will be at peace with you. Job 5:22-23.

In Ezekiel,

I will make with them ⁴ a covenant of peace, and I will banish the evil wild animal from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness. Ezekiel 34:25.

In Isaiah,

The wild animals of the field will honour me, for I have given water in the desert. Isaiah 43:20.

In Ezekiel,

In its branches all the birds of the air ³ made their nests and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. Ezekiel 31:6.

This refers to Assyria, which means the spiritual man and is compared to the Garden of Eden. In David,

Praise Jehovah, all his angels, praise Him from the earth, sea monsters, fruit trees, wild animals, and all beasts, creeping things, and flying birds! Psalms 148:2-4, 7, 9-10.

Here the list is precisely the same - sea monsters, fruit trees, wild animals, beasts, creeping things, and birds. Unless they all mean things that are alive in human beings, they cannot possibly be referred to as praising Jehovah.

[3] A careful distinction is made in the Prophets between beasts and wild animals of the earth, and between beasts and wild animals of the field. The practice of calling goods 'beasts' extends to calling people in heaven who are nearest to the Lord 'living creatures', both in Ezekiel and in John,

All the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God. ⁵ Revelation 7:11; 19:4.

The expression 'creatures' is also used of people who are to have the gospel preached to them because they are to be created anew, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15.

Footnotes:

924. From a thousand six hundred furlongs. That this signifies evils in their whole extent is evident from the signification of furlongs, as denoting productions in a series. For furlongs, like miles, and ways in general, signify progressions in a series according to thoughts from affection. And from the signification of a thousand six hundred, as denoting goods in their whole extent, and in the opposite sense, as in this case, evils in their whole compass. For the number one thousand six hundred signifies the same as sixteen; and the number sixteen, the same as four and two. And all these numbers are said of goods, and in the opposite sense of evils. For the greater numbers arising from multiplication have a signification similar to the lesser and simple from which they arise by multiplication; as twelve thousand the same as twelve; and twelve the same as three and four multiplied into themselves; see above (n. 430, 851). That three, in the Word, is said of truths; and two, also four, of goods; thus in the opposite sense, three of falsities, and two and four of evils, may also be seen above (n. 532). It is, therefore, evident that by from a thousand six hundred furlongs are signified productions of evils in a continual series, thus evils in their whole compass.

That by those two devastators of the church, meant by Babylon, and by the beast of the dragon, are now being produced and have been produced, evils in a continual series, and by their means evils in their whole compass, may be shown from many examples. But the devastation of the church by the beast of the dragon has been shown in the explanations of chapters xii. and xiii.; and the devastation by Babylon will be shown below in the explanations of chapters xvii. and xviii.