Arcana Coelestia # 142
142. Verses 19-20 And Jehovah God formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every bird of the air, 1 and He brought it to the man to see what he would call it; and whatever the man called it, the living creature, 2 that was its name. And the man gave names to every beast, and to the birds of the air, 1 and to every wild animal of the field; but for man there was not found a help suitable for him.
'Beasts' means celestial affections, 'birds of the air' 3 spiritual ones; that is, 'beasts' means things that belong to the will, and 'birds' those that belong to the understanding. 'Bringing them to the man to see what he would call them' means enabling him to know their nature. 'He gave them names means that he did recognize their nature. But even though he knew the nature of the affections for good and the cognitions of truth which the Lord had granted him, he still set his heart on the proprium, which is expressed in the same way as before - 'there was not found a help suitable for him'.
Сноски:
1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
2. literally, the living soul
3. literally, birds of the heavens (or the skies)
Revelation 13:11-18
11
I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.
12
He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13
He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people.
14
He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.
15
It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16
He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads;
17
and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18
Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
