Arcana Coelestia #46
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.
Fotnoter:
1. literally, I will cause you to inhabit
2. literally, beasts
3. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
4. The Latin means with you; but the Hebrew means with them which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
5. The Latin means the Lamb; but the Greek means God which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
1 Kings 17
1
Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the foreigners of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."
2
The word of Yahweh came to him, saying,
3
"Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
4
It shall be, that you shall drink of the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."
5
So he went and did according to the word of Yahweh; for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
6
The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7
It happened after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8
The word of Yahweh came to him, saying,
9
"Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you."
10
So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, "Please get me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink."
11
As she was going to get it, he called to her, and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
12
She said, "As Yahweh your God lives, I don't have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die."
13
Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son.
14
For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'The jar of meal shall not empty, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.'"
15
She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, ate [many] days.
16
The jar of meal didn't empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to the word of Yahweh, which he spoke by Elijah.
17
It happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in him.
18
She said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!"
19
He said to her, "Give me your son." He took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the room where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed.
20
He cried to Yahweh, and said, "Yahweh my God, have you also brought evil on the widow with whom I stay, by killing her son?"
21
He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to Yahweh, and said, "Yahweh my God, please let this child's soul come into him again."
22
Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23
Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the room into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, "Behold, your son lives."
24
The woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth."
