45. This was how people who lived in most ancient times envisaged matters of the understanding and those of the will. Among the Prophets therefore, and consistently throughout the Old Testament Word, like matters are represented by various kinds of living creatures. There are two kinds of beasts - evil ones, because they are harmful, and good ones, because they are gentle. Evil [and harmful] things in man were meant by such beasts as bears, wolves, and dogs, while good and gentle things were meant by beasts such as calves, sheep, and lambs. As the subject here is those persons who are to be regenerated, 'the beasts' are good and gentle ones, which mean affections. Things of a baser nature that derive from the body are called 'wild animals of the earth'. These are desires and pleasures.

332. And the sun became as black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. This symbolically means that all goodness of love was adulterated in those people, and every truth of faith falsified.

The sun symbolizes the Lord in respect to His Divine love, and thus the goodness of love emanating from Him; and in an opposite sense it symbolizes the Lord's Divinity denied, and thus the goodness of love adulterated. See no. 53 above. And because the sun symbolizes the goodness of love, therefore the moon symbolizes the truth of faith. For the sun has a reddish glow owing to its fire, while the moon glows white from the light radiating from the sun, and fire symbolizes the goodness of love, while light symbolizes the truth arising from that goodness. Regarding the moon, see also the places cited above in no. 53.

The sun is said to have become as black as sackcloth of hair because good adulterated is, in itself, evil, and evil is black.

The moon is said to have become like blood because blood symbolizes Divine truth, and in an opposite sense Divine truth falsified. See nos. 379, 684 below.

The sun and moon are described in almost the same way in Joel:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and terrible day of Jehovah. (Joel 2:31)