774. I have already stated and shown that every kind of wild animal symbolizes all spiritual goodness, every kind of beast all earthly goodness, and the creeping thing creeping on the earth all goodness on the sensory and bodily levels (§§45, 46, 142, 143, 246).

It may at first glance seem wrong to say that a wild animal symbolizes spiritual goodness, but look at the series of subjects. First to be mentioned are they (the people of the church), then the wild animal, the beast, and finally the creeping thing. The wild animal involves something more important and nobler than a beast, because the Hebrew word also means a living being, something with a living soul. In this verse, then, it does not mean a wild animal but a living creature with a living soul, since the word for both is the same. ¹

The symbolism of living creatures, beasts, and creeping things creeping on the earth as aspects of the will has been mentioned and demonstrated before. ² More evidence appears directly below, where birds are discussed.

Footnotes:

143. These days it may seem strange that in ancient times animals and beasts symbolized feelings and similar human qualities. But [in the first place] people then viewed things the way heaven does, and [in the second place] animals represent these qualities in the world of spirits as well. (In fact a quality is represented by an animal whose nature reflects that quality.) In consequence, when the ancients mentioned the animals they meant nothing else than the qualities.

In the Word, too, no other meaning is intended in any passage that mentions animals in general or in particular. The whole of the prophetic portion is full of these references. Not knowing what each species of animal symbolizes makes it impossible to understand what the Word contains in its inner meaning.

As noted above [§45], animals are of two kinds: bad (because they are dangerous) and good (because they are harmless). The good ones, such as sheep, lambs, and doves, symbolize positive emotions. Here, where the heavenly person (or the heavenly kind of spiritual person) is the subject, that is their symbolism.

Sections 45, 46 quoted several places in the Word that show that animals in general symbolize feelings, eliminating the need for further demonstration here.