246. 'Beast' and 'wild animal of the field' mean affections. This becomes clear from what has been stated already in 45, 46, about 'beast' and 'wild animal', to which let the following quotation from David be added,

You shake down a shower of blessings, O God; Your heritage which is labouring, You strengthen; Your wild animals will dwell in it. Psalms 68:9-10.

Here also 'wild animal' stands for the affection for good, since it is going 'to dwell in God's heritage'. The reason 'beast' and 'wild animal of the field' are mentioned here, as also in Genesis 2:19, 20, but 'beast' and 'wild animal of the earth' in Genesis 1:24-25, is that the subject is the Church, that is, man when regenerate, whereas in Chapter 1 the subject is the time when the Church does not exist, that is, when man has yet to be regenerated; for 'field' is a term applying to the Church, that is, to man when regenerate.

681. Verse 15. And the seventh angel sounded, signifies the influx of Divine truth through the heavens from the Lord, and the consequent final changes. This is evident from the signification of "sounding," in reference to an angel, as being the influx of Divine truth from the Lord, and a consequent change in the lower places, where the evil are (See above, n. 489, 502). This is the reason of this signification of "to sound," because "trumpet" and "horn" signify Divine truth about to be revealed or that has been revealed (See above, n. 55, 262). The "sounding of the seventh angel" means the final change caused by the influx of Divine truth from the Lord, because the number "seven" signifies what is full and final (See above, n. 20, 24, 257, 300, 486). As the changes in the lower places where the evil are, which are effected by a stronger or milder influx of Divine truth through the heavens from the Lord, thus by various kinds of influx, have been fully treated of above (n. 413, 418, 419, 426, 489, 493), it is unnecessary to say anything further about them. That the separation of the evil from the good, and the casting down of the evil into hell, and many other changes were effected by these various kinds of influx can be seen in the places indicated. From this now it is evident what is signified by "the seven angels sounding."