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.

7649. 'Which your fathers and your fathers' fathers have not seen, from the day they have been on the ground even to this day' means that since ancient times no such falsity had existed in the Church as existed there now. This is clear from the meaning of 'which (that is, the locusts) they have not seen' as no such falsity had existed, 'locusts' being falsity in outermost parts, see above in 7643; from the meaning of 'fathers, and fathers of fathers' as since ancient times; and from the meaning of 'the ground' as the Church, dealt with in 566, 1068. 'From the day they have been on it even to this day' means the state in which the Church existed from that time to this, the state being meant by 'the day', see 23, 487, 488, 493, 2788, 3462, 4850. For more on this, see 7686.