601. And cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth.- That this signifies testification of grievous lamentation on account of the desolation of Divine Truth in the church, is evident from the signification of crying with a great voice, as denoting testification of grievous lamentation, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of as a lion roareth, as denoting, on account of the desolation of Divine Truth in the church. For a lion signifies Divine Truth in its power, as may be seen above (n. 278), and roaring signifies the effect of grief, on account of the desolation thereof.

[2] That this is the signification of crying with a great voice as a lion roareth, is also evident from that which follows in this chapter, in which the desolation of Divine Truth in the church is treated of. For the strong angel coming down out of heaven, means the Lord as to the Word, which is Divine Truth, and it is afterwards said of him that he lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth unto the ages of the ages, that there should be time no longer. By there being time no longer is signified, that there should be no longer any understanding of Divine Truth, nor, consequently, any state of the church.

[3] And it is afterwards said, "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the mystery of God shall be consummated," which signifies the last judgment, which takes place when there is no longer any faith of Divine Truth, because there is not any good of charity. It is evident from these things, that by crying with a loud voice as when a lion roareth, signifies testification of grievous lamentation on account of the desolation of Divine Truth in the church.

[4] Moreover, in the Word, mention is frequently made of a lion; and a lion, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth, and also heaven and the church as to the same from the Lord, whence a lion also signifies the Divine Truth as to power. Concerning this signification of lion, see above (n. 278). It is therefore evident, that roaring, or the roaring of a lion, signifies ardent affection to defend heaven and the church, and thus save the angels of heaven and the men of the church, which is effected by destroying the falsities of evil by means of Divine Truth and its power. But in the opposite sense roaring, and the roaring of a lion, signify burning desire to destroy and devastate the church, which is effected by destroying Divine Truth by means of the falsities of evil. These things are signified by the roaring of a lion, because a lion roars when it is hungry and seeks its prey, and also when it is enraged against its enemies.

[5] That such things are signified in the Word by to roar and roaring, is evident from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Thus hath Jehovah spoken unto me, Like as the lion roareth and the young lion over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds runneth forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them; so shall Jehovah of hosts come down to fight upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof" (31:4).

Jehovah is compared to a lion roaring, because a lion signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth and its power, and roaring signifies the ardour of defending the church against evils and falsities, wherefore it is said, "so shall Jehovah of hosts come down to fight upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof." Mount Zion denotes the celestial church, and the hill thereof, or Jerusalem, the spiritual church; the prey over which the lion roareth, signifies deliverance from hell.

[6] So in Joel:

"Jehovah shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall tremble; but Jehovah will be a refuge for his people, and a defence of the sons of Israel" (3:16).

The defence of the faithful by the Lord, by means of Divine Truth, is described by Jehovah roaring out of Zion, and uttering His voice from Jerusalem. The vehement power of Divine Truth, and the terror arising therefrom, are described by the heavens and earth trembling; while salvation and defence are described by Jehovah being a refuge for His people, and a defence to the sons of Israel; the people of Jehovah and the sons of Israel denote the faithful who are of the church.

[7] And in Hosea:

"I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall go after Jehovah; he shall roar like a lion, because he shall roar, and with honour shall the sons from the sea draw near, with honour shall they come as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will cause them to dwell upon their houses, saith Jehovah" (11:9-11).

Ephraim signifies the church as to the understanding of truth, concerning which what follows is therefore said. To walk after Jehovah signifies to worship the Lord, and to live from Him. He shall roar like a lion, because he shall roar, signifies their defence by Divine Truth. With honour shall the sons from the sea draw near, signifies that those who are in natural good shall draw near to the church; with honour shall they come as a bird out of Egypt, signifies their natural thought from scientific truths (ex scientificis veris), a bird denoting thought, and Egypt what is scientific, which is natural truth. And as a dove out of the land of Assyria, signifies that they shall have rational good and truth, a dove denoting rational good, and the land of Assyria, the church as to rational truth. For with man there are both natural and rational good and truth; the Natural is lower or exterior, and looks to the world, the Rational is higher or interior, conjoining the Natural with the Spiritual. The Natural is signified by Egypt, the Rational by Assyria, and the Spiritual by Israel. And I will cause them to dwell upon their houses, signifies life from the will of good and from the understanding of truth; the human mind, which consists of these, is meant by house, and to live is signified by dwelling.

[8] Again, in Amos:

"The Lord Jehovih will not do a word without revealing his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy?" (3:7, 8).

Here by the Lord Jehovih not doing a word without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets, is signified, that the Lord opens the interior things of the Word and of doctrine to those who are in truths from good. By revealing His secret is signified to enlighten and to open the interior things of the Word; His servants the prophets signify those who are in the truths of doctrine and who receive. "The lion hath roared, who will not fear?" signifies a powerful revelation and manifestation of Divine Truth. "The Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy?" signifies the reception thereof, and manifestation. The Lord is called Lord Jehovih, when good is treated of.

[9] Again, in Zechariah:

"The voice of the howling of the shepherds because their magnificence is laid waste; a voice of the roaring of [young] lions because the pride of Jordan is laid waste" (11:3).

The voice of the howling of the shepherds because their magnificence is laid waste, signifies the grief of those who teach, because the good of the church has perished. Those who teach truth and by means of it lead to good of life, are called shepherds, and magnificence denotes the good of the church. The voice of the roaring of the young lions because the pride of Jordan is laid waste, signifies grief on account of the desolation of Divine Truth in the church. Those who are in Divine truths are called lions; roaring signifies grief; the pride of Jordan which is laid waste, signifies the church as to the Divine Truth introducing.

[10] Thus also in Job:

God "roareth with his voice, he thundereth with the voice of his majesty; nor yet doth he overthrow when his voice is heard. God thundereth marvellously with his voice" (37:4, 5).

By roaring and thundering with the voice is signified the power and efficacy of Divine Truth or the Word.

[11] In the passages quoted, roaring, in an extended sense, signifies the ardent affection to defend heaven and the church, or the angels of heaven and the men of the church which is effected by destroying the falsities of evil by means of Divine Truth, and its power. But by roaring, in the opposite sense, is signified the burning desire to ruin and destroy the church, which is done by destroying Divine Truth by means of the falsities of evil. In this sense "to roar" is mentioned in the following passages.

Thus in Jeremiah:

"Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place of dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing. They shall roar together like lions; they shall growl as lions' whelps; when they have become warm I will set their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may exult, and may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake" (51:37, 38, 39).

The destruction of Babylon, so that truth or good shall be no longer found in her, is signified by, Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place of dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing. Babylon signifies those who abuse holy things for the purpose of ruling by them. Their burning desire to destroy Divine Truth by means of the falsities of evil, is signified by, they shall roar together like lions; they shall growl as lions' whelps. The ardour of those banded together to effect this wickedness is signified by the words "when they have become warm I will set their feasts"; that such shall become insane from the falsities of evil is signified by, I will make them drunken that they may exult. That they will never understand any truth, and therefore will not see life, is signified by, that they may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake.

[12] Again, in the same prophet:

"Is Israel a servant? Is he born of the house? Why has he become a prey? The young lions roar against him, they utter their voice, and make his land waste; his cities are burned, so that there is no inhabitant" (2:14, 15).

Is Israel a servant? Is he born of the house, signifies, the church which had been in truths and goods, and that hitherto it is not. Israel signifies the church; a servant, those who are in truths, and born of the house, those who are in goods. Why has he become a prey? signifies the devastation thereof. The young lions roar against him, and utter their voice, signifies the desolation of Divine Truth in the church by the falsities of evil; they make his land waste, signifies the destruction of the church itself by evils. His cities are burned so that there is no inhabitant, signifies the destruction of its doctrinals also by evils, so that no good of the church remains.

[13] And in Ezekiel:

"One of the cubs, a lioness, rose up; it became a young lion, but it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men, defiled widows, and laid waste the cities, and the land was laid waste, and the fulness thereof, by the voice of his roaring" (19:3, 7).

These things are said of the Jewish church, which is here meant by the mother of lions. The young lion signifies the falsity of evil eager to destroy the truth of the church. By catching the prey, is signified the destruction of the truth and good of the church. It devoured men, and defiled widows, and devastated the cities, signifies the destruction of all understanding of truth, and of good that desires truth, and also of doctrinals. Men signify the understanding of truth, widows, good desirous of truth, and cities, doctrinals. The land was laid waste and the fulness thereof, by the voice of his roaring, signifies the devastation of the church, and the extinction of all truth from the Word by the falsity of evil; land denoting the church, fulness denoting the truths thereof from the Word, and the voice of roaring denoting the destroying falsity of evil.

[14] Again, in Jeremiah:

"I call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth. Therefore say unto them, Jehovah shall roar from on high and utter his voice from the habitation of his holiness; in roaring he shall roar against their dwellings. A tumult shall come even to the end of the earth; for the strife of Jehovah is against the nations, judgment shall enter with all flesh; he will give the wicked to the sword" (25:29-31).

Here the vastation of the church is attributed to Jehovah, although men themselves are the cause of it. I call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, signifies falsity destroying every truth in the whole church. Jehovah shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from the habitation of his holiness, signifies testification of grief in heaven on account of the vastation of Divine Truth. In roaring he shall roar against their dwellings, signifies grievous sorrow and lamentation over all things of the church. A tumult shall come even to the end of the earth, signifies the disturbance of all things of the church from primaries to its ultimates. For the strife of Jehovah is against the nations, judgment shall enter with all flesh, signifies visitation and judgment upon all who are in evils. He will give the wicked to the sword, signifies their destruction from falsities.

[15] And in Amos:

"Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; so that the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither" (1:2).

By roaring from Zion, is signified grievous sorrow, and a voice from Jerusalem signifies lamentation. The mourning of the habitations of the shepherds, and the withering of the top of Carmel, signifies on account of the vastation of all the goods and truths of the church, the habitations of the shepherds signify all the goods of the church, the top of Carmel signifies all the truths thereof, and the mourning and withering denote vastation. The reason why the top of Carmel signifies the truths of the church is, that there were vineyards on Carmel, and the truth of the church is signified by wine (vinum).

[16] Again, in Isaiah:

"The anger of Jehovah is kindled against his people. He hath lifted up an ensign to the nations from far, and hath hissed unto them from the end of the earth. His roaring is like that of a lion, he roareth as the young lions; yea, he rageth and layeth hold of the prey, he seizeth and none taketh from him; and he rageth against them like the raging of the sea; and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and anxiety, and the light is darkened in the ruins thereof" (5:25-30).

Here also His roar like that of a lion, and as of young lions, signifies grief and lamentation over the vastation of Divine Truth in the church by the falsities of evil. By laying hold of the prey and none taking it from Him, is signified the liberation and salvation of those who are in truths from good. The vastation itself is described by, Behold darkness and anxiety, and the light is darkened in the ruins thereof. Darkness denotes falsities, anxiety evil, the darkening of the light denotes the disappearance of Divine Truth, and ruins signify total subversion.

[17] So in David:

"The enemy hath destroyed everything in the sanctuary. Enemies roared in the midst of the feast" (Psalm 74:3, 4).

Enemy signifies evil from hell, the sanctuary signifies the church, and the feast, worship. The signification of these words in a series is therefore evident. That roaring signifies grievous lamentation from grief of heart, is clear from these passages in David:

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long (Psalm 32:3).

And again:

"I am feeble and sore broken; I have roared by reason of the roaring of my heart" (Psalm 38:8).

And in Job:

"My sighing cometh before my bread, and my roarings are poured out like the waters" (3:24).

279. And the second animal like a calf. That this signifies the appearance in ultimates of the Divine good as to defence is evident from the signification of a calf, or young bullock, as being the good of the natural man, and specifically his good of innocence and charity; and because it denotes this good, it also denotes the good of the ultimate heaven, for this heaven is spiritual-natural (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell. n. 29-31). And because this good is in the ultimate heaven, therefore it is a guard, or defence, to prevent the higher heavens from being approached except by the good of love and of charity; this is why one cherub was like a calf. That this appearance was in ultimates, may be seen just above (n. 278). The reason why a calf or young bullock signifies the good of the natural man, is that those animals which belonged to the herd signified the affections of good and truth in the external or natural man, and those which belonged to the flock signified the affections of good and truth in the internal or spiritual man. Those animals which belong to the flock are lambs, she-goats, sheep, rams, and he-goats; and those which belong to the herd are oxen, calves, young bullocks.

[2] That young bullocks and calves signify the good of the natural man is evident from the passages of the Word where they are mentioned. And first from the description of the feet of the cherubim, in Ezekiel:

"Their right foot and the soles of their feet, as it were the soles of a calf's foot, and they were shining, as the colour of polished brass" (1:7).

The reason their right foot was thus seen was that the cherubim represented the Divine guardianship of the Lord, and the feet and soles of the feet represented the same in ultimates, or in the spiritual-natural heaven and in the natural world. For by the feet is signified in general the Natural; by the right foot is signified the Natural as to good; by the sole of the foot the ultimates therein, and similarly polished brass signifies good in the Natural. It is therefore evident that good in the Natural is signified by a calf, and that here is the ultimate good which guards and defends lest the heavens should be approached except by the good of love and of charity. (That the feet signify the Natural may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 5327, 5328; that that which is on the right signifies good from which is truth, n. 9604, 9736, 10061: hence the right foot signifies the Natural as to good. That the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and hoofs, signify the ultimates in the Natural, may be seen, n. 4938, 7729; and that polished brass signifies natural good, may be seen above, n. 70).

[3] In Hosea:

"Return ye to Jehovah; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and accept good, and we will render the bullocks of our lips" (14:2).

What is meant by rendering the bullocks of the lips, no one can know unless he understands what bullocks, and what the lips signify. That confession and thanksgiving from a good heart is here denoted, is evident; but it is thus expressed because bullocks signify external good, and the lips signify doctrine; hence by rendering the bullocks of the lips, is signified to confess and give thanks from the goods of doctrine. (That the lips signify doctrine, may be seen,Arcana Coelestia 1286, 1288.)

[4] In Amos:

"Ye draw the habitation of violence; they lie upon beds of ivory, and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall" (6:3, 4).

The subject here treated of is those who possess in abundance the knowledges of good and truth, and yet lead an evil life. To eat the lambs out of the flock signifies to drink in the knowledges of internal good or of the spiritual man; and to eat the calves out of the midst of the stall signifies to drink in the knowledges of external goods or of the natural man; and to draw the habitation of violence is to live a life contrary to charity.

[5] In Malachi:

"But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise and healing in his wings; that ye may go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall" (4:2).

The sun of righteousness which shall arise to them that fear the name of Jehovah, signifies the good of love; and healing in his wings, signifies the truth of faith; hence, to go forth, and to grow up as calves of the stall, signifies an increase of all good; fatted, and also fat, signifying good.

[6] In Luke:

The father said to his servants concerning the prodigal son who returned penitent in heart, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry" (15:22, 23).

He who understands only the sense of the letter might suppose that this passage contains nothing deeper than appears in that sense, when nevertheless every particular involves something heavenly; as that they should put on the returning prodigal the best robe, that they should put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, that they should bring forth the fatted calf, that they should kill it, and eat and be merry. By the prodigal son are meant those who are prodigal of spiritual riches, which are knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good; by his return to his father, and his confession that he was not worthy to be called his son, are signified penitence of heart and humiliation. By the best, or chief (primarium) robe being put on him, are signified general and primary truths; by a ring upon the hand is signified the conjunction of truth and good in the internal or spiritual man; by shoes upon the feet is signified the same in the external or natural man; and by both these, regeneration. By the fatted calf is signified the good of love and of charity; and by their eating and being merry are signified association and heavenly joy.

[7] In Jeremiah:

"I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not established the words of my covenant which they made before me, the covenant of the calf which they cut into two pieces that they might pass between the parts thereof, the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the royal ministers and priests, and all the people of the land, passing between the parts of the calf, I will even give them into the hands of their enemies, that their carcass may be for food to the bird of the heavens" (34:18-20).

What is meant by the covenant of the calf, and by passing between the parts thereof, no one can know unless he knows what is signified by covenant, what by calf, what by its being cut into two parts; also, what is meant by the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem, by the royal ministers, the priests, and the people of the land. That there is some heavenly arcanum herein is evident. Nevertheless it can be understood, when it is known that a covenant denotes conjunction; a calf, good; a calf cut into two parts, the good proceeding from the Lord on one part, and the good received by man on the other, whence there is conjunction; and that the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem, the royal ministers, the priests, and the people of the land, denote the goods and truths which pertain to the church; and that to pass between the parts denotes to conjoin. When these things are known the internal sense of the passage may be known, which is, that there was no conjunction by the goods and truths of the church with that nation, but disjunction.

[8] Similar things are involved in the covenant of the calf with Abram, concerning which it is thus written in Genesis:

Jehovah said to Abram, "Take to thee a calf of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto himself all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each part one against another; and the birds divided he not. And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And in that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram" (15:9-12, 18).

The horror of great darkness which fell upon Abram signified the state of the Jewish nation, which was in the greatest darkness as to the truths and goods of the church; this state of that nation is what is described in the Prophet by the covenant ratified by dividing the calf into two parts, between which they passed. Because by a calf is signified the good of the natural man and its truth, which is scientific truth (scientificum); and since the natural man and the scientific thereof is signified by Egypt, therefore Egypt in the Word is called a she-calf, and also a he-calf; therefore, also, after they applied the scientifics (scientifica) of the church to magical and idolatrous purposes they turned the calf into an idol. This is why the sons of Israel made to themselves a calf in the wilderness, and worshipped it, and also why they had a calf in Samaria.

[9] That Egypt is thus designated is evident in Jeremiah:

"A very fair she-calf is Egypt; destruction cometh out of the north, and her mercenaries in the midst of her as calves of the stall" (46:20, 21).

(Concerning the calf which the sons of Israel made to themselves in the wilderness, see Exodus 32; and concerning the calf of Samaria, 1 Kings 12:25-32).

Again, in Hosea:

"They have made a king, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew it not; of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that it may be cut off. Thy calf, O Samaria, hath forsaken thee. For from Israel was it also; the workman made it, not God; the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces" (8:4-6).

The subject here treated of is the corrupt explanation of the Word, the sense of the letter of which is turned to favour their own loves and the principles of religion thence conceived. To make a king but not by Jehovah, and to make princes and I have not known, signifies doctrinals from man's own intelligence, which are essentially falsities, but which they make to appear as truths. For a king signifies truth, and, in an opposite sense, falsity; princes signify primary truths, and, in the opposite sense, falsities which are called principles of religion. To make idols of their silver and gold signifies their perversion of the truths and goods of the church, and worshipping them as holy, although, being derived from their own intelligence, they are destitute of life. Silver denotes the truth, and gold the good, which are from the Lord. Idols signify worship from doctrine which is from man's own intelligence; "the workman made it, and not God," signifies, that it is from man's proprium and not from the Divine; to be broken in pieces, signifies to be dissipated; hence it is evident what is signified by the calf of Samaria. Because calves signified the good of the natural man, therefore also calves were sacrificed, concerning which see Exodus 29:11, 12 and following verses; Leviticus 4:3, 13 and following verses; 8:15 and following verses; 9:2; 16:3; 23:18; Numbers 8:8 and following verses; 15:24; 28:19, 20; Judg. 6:25-29; 1 Sam. 1:25; 16:2; 1 Kings 18:23-26, 33. For all the animals which were sacrificed signified various classes of the goods of the church.