773. 'They' means in general the member of the Church or everything that belonged to that Church. This is clear from the fact that 'they' refers to the characters who have just been mentioned by name, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Although there are four of them, they nevertheless together constitute a single whole. For Noah, who is used in general to mean the Ancient Church, includes, as the parent or seed, the Churches that sprang from it. Hence 'they' means the Ancient Church. All of the Churches which are called Shem, Ham, and Japheth, together constitute the Church called the Ancient Church.

143. Nowadays it may seem strange that 'beasts' and 'animals' in ancient times meant affections and similar things residing with man. But because people had heavenly ideas then, and because such things are also represented in the world of spirits by animals - by such animals in fact as resemble those affections - this alone is what they therefore understood when they spoke in this fashion. And this alone is what is meant in the Word whenever beasts are mentioned in general or in particular. The whole prophetical section of the Word is full of things such as these, and therefore anyone who does not know the particular meaning of any beast cannot possibly understand what the Word contains in the internal sense. But as slated already, there are two kinds of beasts - evil ones, because they are harmful, and good ones, because they are harmless. Good beasts, such as sheep, lambs, and doves, mean good affections. Here, because the subject is the celestial man, or the celestial-spiritual man, the same applies. The fact that 'beasts' in general means affections has been confirmed from several places in the Word quoted already in 45, 46. So there is no need of further confirmation.