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:

1097. Saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.- That this signifies that the Last Judgment was accomplished upon those who had profaned the holy things of heaven and of the church, by the dominion which they claimed to themselves over them, is evident from the signification of, "fallen, fallen," as denoting complete ruin and destruction, thus the Last Judgment, for by the Last Judgment complete ruin and destruction are effected, because they are then cast into hell; and from the signification of Babylon, as denoting those who have profaned the holy things of heaven and of the church by dominion assumed over them. For Babylon has a meaning similar to that of the harlot sitting on the scarlet beast, and to that of the mother of whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth, in the preceding chapter, by whom are meant those who have profaned the holy things of the church; of these and their profanations we have treated in that chapter.

[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- Thought concerning one God opens heaven to man, because there is only one God; but, thought concerning several Gods closes heaven, since the idea of several Gods destroys the idea of one God. Thought concerning the true God opens heaven, for heaven, together with all that belongs to it, is from the true God; but thought concerning a false God closes heaven, for no other God is acknowledged in heaven but the true God. Thought concerning God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Enlightener, opens heaven, for this trinity belongs to the one true God; also, thought concerning God the infinite, eternal, uncreate, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, opens heaven, for these are attributes that pertain to the essence of the one, true God; but, thought concerning a living man as a God, a dead man as a God, or an idol as a God, closes heaven, because these are not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, uncreate, eternal, and infinite, neither did creation and redemption proceed from them, nor are they the source of enlightenment.

[3] Only thought concerning God as a man, in whom is a Divine Trinity, which is called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, opens heaven; but, thought concerning God as not being a man, which is presented to appearance like a little cloud, or like nature in her minutest parts, closes heaven. For God is a man, just as the whole angelic heaven in its entirety is a man, and every angel and every spirit is consequently a man. Therefore, only thought concerning the Lord, that he is the God of the universe, opens heaven; for the Lord says, "The Father hath given all things into the hand" of the Son (John 3:35). The Father hath given to the Son "power over all flesh" (John 17:2). "All things have been delivered to me by the Father" (Matthew 11:27). "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18).

[4] From these things it is evident, that a man who does not possess such an idea of God as exists in heaven, cannot be saved. The idea of God in heaven is the Lord; for the angels of heaven are in the Lord, and the Lord is in them, and therefore, it is impossible for them to think of any other God than the Lord (see John 14:20, 21). Permit me to add, that the idea of God as a man, has been implanted from heaven in every nation throughout the whole world, but - and this I lament - it has been destroyed in Christendom; the reasons for this will be stated below.