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:

302. (5:2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice. That this signifies exploration from the influx of the Lord into heaven, is evident from the signification of a strong angel, as denoting heaven (concerning which in what follows) and from the signification of proclaiming with a great voice, as denoting exploration from the influx of the Lord, - exploration that is, as to whether any one can know the states of the life of all in heaven and on the earth in general and in particular, for this is the subject here treated of. This exploration is signified by proclaiming, and the influx of the Lord is signified by a great voice. For voice, when said of the Lord, signifies all the truth of the Word, of doctrine and of faith from Him; and when said of heaven and the church, all the thought and affection thence. And because everything true and good, that angels in heaven, and men in whom the church is, think, and by which they are affected, is from the influx of the Lord, therefore this is here signified by a great voice; for it is well known, that no one can be affected with good from the love of good, and think truth from the love of truth, of himself, but that it flows in from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and because this is the case, by a great voice is signified the influx of the Lord; that voice in the Word signifies the truth of the Word, of doctrine and of faith, as well as everything announced from the Word, may be seen above, n. 261, and in the Arcana Coelestia 3563, 6971, 8813, 9926; and that it signifies the interior affection of truth and good, and the thought thence, n. 10454. The reason why a strong angel signifies heaven, is, because the whole angelic heaven before the Lord is as one man, or as one angel; in like manner each society of heaven; therefore by an angel in the Word is not meant an angel, but an entire angelic society, as by Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Here, therefore, by a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, is signified the influx of the Lord into the whole heaven; that it is into the whole heaven, is also evident from what follows, for it is said, "And no one in heaven neither upon the earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon." (That by the angels in the Word are meant entire societies of heaven, and, in the highest sense, the Lord as to the proceeding Divine truth, may be seen above, n.90, 130, 200; and that all heaven before the Lord is as one man, or as one angel, and also every society of heaven, in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 59-87.)