314. Stood a Lamb. That this signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human, is evident from the signification of a lamb, when predicated of the Lord, as denoting Himself as to the Divine Human. The Lord as to the Divine Human is called a lamb, because a lamb signifies the good of innocence, and the good of innocence is the very good of heaven which proceeds from the Lord; and in proportion as the angels receive this good, in the same proportion they are angels. This good reigns with the angels who are in the third or inmost heaven; therefore those who are in that heaven appear as infants before the eyes of other angels. What the good of innocence is, and that the angels of heaven are in that good, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, in the article which treats concerning the State of Innocence of the Angels of Heaven (n.276-283, also n. 285, 288, 341, 382). It is believed in the world that the Lord is called a lamb from this, that the continual burnt-offering, or what was offered every day, evening and morning, was that of lambs; and especially on the days of the passover, when a lamb was also eaten; and that the Lord suffered Himself to be sacrificed. But this reason of His being so called is for those in the world who do not think beyond the sense of the letter of the Word; nevertheless, in heaven no such thing is perceived by a lamb when it is predicated of the Lord; but when a lamb is named or read of in the Word, the angels, because all of them are in the spiritual sense of the Word, perceive the good of innocence; and when the Lord is thus called, they perceive His Divine Human, and at the same time the good of innocence which is from Him. I know that it will be believed with difficulty that it is so, but yet it is the truth.

[2] That the lamb, in the Word, signifies the good of innocence, and, when predicated of the Lord, signifies His Divine Human, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

"Behold, the Lord Jehovih cometh in might. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs into his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead the sucklings" (40:10, 11).

This is spoken of the Lord's advent; by the flock which He shall feed like a shepherd, are signified those who are in the good of charity; and by the lambs which He shall gather into His arm, are signified those who are in love to Him. This love is that which strictly regarded, is innocence, therefore all those who are in it are in the heaven of innocence, which is the third heaven; and because that love is signified by lambs, it is therefore said also, "He shall gently lead the sucklings." By sucklings and infants in the Word are meant those who are in innocence, as may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 277, 280, 329-345).

[3] In the same:

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy shall lead them. And the she-calf and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den" (11:6-8).

These things are said concerning the Lord's advent, and concerning His kingdom, also concerning those therein who are in the good of innocence, that they shall have nothing to fear from the hells and the evils thence, because guarded by the Lord. The Lord's kingdom is here described, by innocences of various kinds, and by their opposites from which they shall be defended; the lamb denotes innocence of the inmost degree, its opposite is the wolf: the kid denotes innocence of the second degree, of which the opposite is the leopard: the calf denotes innocence of the last degree, of which the opposite is the young lion. (That a lamb, a ram or sheep, and a calf, signify three degrees of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 10132.) Innocence of the inmost degree is such as belongs to those who are in the third or inmost heaven, and the good thereof is called celestial good; innocence of the second degree is such as belongs to those who are in the second or middle heaven, and the good thereof is called spiritual good; and innocence of the last degree is such as belongs to those who are in the first or ultimate heaven, and the good thereof is called natural-spiritual good. (That all those who are in the heavens are in some good of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 4797.) Because as the goods of innocence are described by these, it is therefore also said, "And a little boy shall lead them," also, "the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder the weaned child shall put his hand upon the cockatrice' den." By a boy, a suckling a weaned child, are in like manner signified those degrees of innocence. (That a boy [signifies a degree of innocence], Arcana Coelestia 430, 5236; that a suckling or infant of the first age, and a weaned child or an infant of the second age, see n. 3183, 4563, 5608, 6740, 6745.)

[4] Because the lamb signifies innocence or those who are innocent, and a wolf those who are opposed to innocence, therefore it is said elsewhere in the same prophet:

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; they shall not do evil in the whole mountain of holiness" (65:25).

The mountain of holiness denotes heaven, specifically the inmost heaven; and therefore the Lord said to the seventy whom He sent forth,

"I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves" (Luke 10:3).

[5] Because lambs signify those who are in love to the Lord, which love is one with innocence, and because sheep signify those who are in love towards the neighbour, which love is charity, therefore the Lord said to Peter,

"Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs; and afterwards, Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).

These things were said to Peter, because by him was meant truth from good, or faith from charity, and truth from good teaches; to feed denoting to teach.

[6] In Ezekiel:

"Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of thy hand, in lambs, rams, and goats" (27:21).

This is said concerning Tyre, by which are meant those who are in the knowledges of truth and good. By Arabia and the princes of Kedar, who are the merchants of her hand, are signified those who are in truths and goods from knowledges; and by merchants are signified those who communicate and teach them; by lambs, rams, and goats, are signified three degrees of the good of innocence, similarly as by lambs, rams, and calves. That by these are signified the three degrees of the good of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 10042, 10132.

[7] Also in Moses:

"He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed him with the produce of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the stone of the rock; butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou drinkest the pure blood of the grape" (Deuteronomy 32:13, 14).

These things are said concerning the establishment of the Ancient Church, which was the first church after the flood, and by all these things are described its various kinds of good; but because without explanation scarcely any one will understand them, a few words will be said. To ride on the high places of the earth, signifies that the intelligence of those who belonged to that church was interior; he fed him with the produce of the fields, signifies that they were instructed in every truth and good; He made him to suck honey out of the rock, signifies that by means of truths they had natural good; oil out of the stone of the rock, signifies that they had also spiritual good by means of truths; honey and oil signify those goods, and a rock, a flinty rock, and a stone signify truths. Butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, signify the good of external and internal truth; the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats, signifies the goods of innocence of three degrees (as mentioned above); the fat of the kidneys of wheat, and the blood of the grape, signify that thus they had genuine good and genuine truth.

[8] In Isaiah:

"The sword of Jehovah is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and of goats, and with the fat of the kidneys of rams" (34:6).

Here also by lambs, rams, and goats, are signified the three degrees of the good of innocence (mentioned above); but the subject here treated of is concerning their destruction by the falsities of evil; for a sword signifies falsity destroying truth and good; the blood with which it shall be filled signifies destruction.

[9] Because by lamb is signified innocence, which, strictly regarded, is love to the Lord, therefore by lamb, in the highest sense, is signified the Lord as to the Divine Human, for the Lord as to that was Innocence itself; as may be seen in the following passages. In Isaiah:

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter" (53:7).

In the same:

"Send ye the lamb of the ruler of the land from the rock toward the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion" (16:1).

In John:

"John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." And afterwards seeing Jesus walking, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God" (1:29, 36).

In the Apocalypse:

"The Lamb [which is] in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters" (7:17).

And in another place:

"They have overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of the testimony" (12:11),

besides also elsewhere in the Apocalypse (as chap. 13:8; 14:1, 4; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:22, 23; 22:1, 3).

[10] Because the burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified all representative worship from the good of love and from the truths thence, burnt-offerings from the good of love, and sacrifices specifically from the truths thence, therefore,

Every day, evening and morning, a burnt-offering was made of lambs (Exodus 29:38-43; Num. 28:1-9).

On every Sabbath, of two lambs, besides the continual burnt-offering of them (Num. 28:9, 10).

In the beginnings of the months, of seven lambs (Num. 28:11-15).

In like manner, on the day of the first-fruits (Num. 28:26 to end).

In like manner in the seventh month, when there was a holy convocation (Num. 29:1-7).

In like manner of seven lambs on each day of the passover, besides of two calves, one ram, and one goat (Num. 28:16-24).

[The burnt-offering was] of seven lambs, because by seven is signified all and full, and it is said of what is holy; and because by burnt-offerings in general was signified the worship of the Lord from the good of love, and the good of love to the Lord from the Lord is the essential good of innocence; and by lamb, in the highest sense, was signified the Lord as to the Divine Human. (That burnt-offerings signified all worship grounded in the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, may be seen, n. 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042.) Because of this representation the supper of the passover of lambs or kids was also instituted (Exodus 12:1-29); for by the feast of the passover was represented the glorification of the Lord's Human (as may be seen, n. 10655). Because infants signified innocence, it was therefore also commanded, that

After a birth, on the day of purification, they should sacrifice a lamb, a young pigeon, or a turtle dove; or, instead of a lamb, two young pigeons or two turtle doves (Leviticus 12:6, 8).

By young pigeons and by turtle doves is signified the same as by lambs, namely, innocence.

10132. 'Lambs, the sons of a year, each day' means the good of innocence in every state. This is clear from the meaning of 'lambs' as the good of innocence, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'the sons of a year' as a form of it that is child-like but has truths implanted in it, also dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'each day' as in every state. For 'a day' means a state, and 'the morning' and 'the evening' of a day, when the burnt offerings of lambs were presented, mean every state.

'A day' means a state, see 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 7680.

Changes of states are like the changes in a day of morning, midday, evening, night, and morning again, 5672, 5962, 6110, 8426.

[2] The fact that the good of innocence is meant by 'lambs' is clear from places in the Word where 'lambs' are mentioned, as in Isaiah,

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child will lead them. A suckling will play over the viper's hole, and a weaned child will put out his hand onto the basilisk's den. They will not corrupt themselves on all My holy mountain. And it will happen on that day, that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who is standing as an ensign of the peoples; and His rest will be glory. Isaiah 11:6, 8-10.

These words describe the state of peace and innocence in the heavens and in the Church after the Lord came into the world. And because a state of peace and innocence is being described the lamb, kid, and calf are mentioned, also a little child, suckling, and weaned child, every one of which means the good of innocence. Inmost good of innocence is meant by 'the lamb', interior good of innocence by 'the kid', and exterior good of innocence by 'the calf'; and these three degrees of good are likewise meant by 'a child', 'a suckling', and 'a weaned one'. 'The holy mountain' is heaven and the Church where the good of innocence resides; 'the nations' are those who have that good within them; and 'the root of Jesse' is the Lord, who is the source of that good. For the good of love coming from Him and offered back to Him, also called celestial good, constitutes the good of innocence.

[3] 'The lamb' means the good of innocence in general, and the inmost good of innocence in particular. This is clear from the fact that it is mentioned first, and also from the fact that the Lord Himself is referred to as the Lamb, as will be seen below.

'The kid' means the interior good of innocence, see 3519, 4871.

'The calf (or young bull)' means the exterior good of innocence, 430, 9391.

'A child' means innocence, 5236, as do 'a suckling', 'a weaned child', that is, an infant, 430, 2280, 3183, 3494, 5608.

'The holy mountain' is where the good of love to the Lord resides, 6435, 8758.

'The nations' means those who have that good within them, 1416, 6005.

That the good of love to the Lord, called celestial good, constitutes the good of innocence is clear from those who are in the inmost heaven. Because they have that good within them they appear naked, as young children; they do so because nakedness depicts innocence, as does early childhood, see the places referred to in 9277, and what has been stated in 3887, 9680.

[4] It says that 'the wolf will dwell with the lamb' because 'the wolf' means those who are opposed to innocence, as also in the same prophet,

The wolf and the lamb will feed together. They will not do evil nor destroy on all My holy mountain. Isaiah 65:25.

And in Luke,

Jesus said to the disciples whom He sent out, Behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Luke 10:3.

[5] Since the Lord when He was in the world was - as to His Human - Innocence itself, and since for this reason innocence emanates wholly from Him, the Lord is called the Lamb, and the Lamb of God, as in Isaiah,

Send the Lamb of the Ruler of the land from the rock towards the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. Isaiah 16:1.

In the same prophet,

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He is led like a lamb to the slaughter. Isaiah 53:7.

In John,

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming; he said, Behold, the Lamb of God who bears away the sin of the world. John 1:29, 36.

In Revelation,

The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will guide them to living springs of water. Revelation 7:17.

And elsewhere in the same book,

These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were bought from men (homo), being the firstfruits to God and the Lamb. Revelation 14:4.

And many times elsewhere in Revelation besides these two places, such as Revelation 5:6, 8, 12-13; 6:1, 16; 7:9-10, 14; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:9, 14, 22-23, 27; 22:1, 3.

[6] It was because those who possess innocence are meant by 'lambs' that the Lord first told Peter Feed My lambs, then afterwards Feed My sheep, and again, Feed My sheep, John 21:15-17. 'Lambs' in this instance are those who are governed by the good of love to the Lord, for they possess the good of innocence more than all others, whereas 'sheep' are those governed by the good of charity towards the neighbour and those governed by the good of faith.

[7] The word 'lambs' is used with a similar meaning in Isaiah,

Behold, the Lord Jehovih comes with might, and His arm exercises dominion for Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs into His arm, He will carry them in His bosom, He will gently lead the sucklings ¹ . Isaiah 40:10-11.

These verses refer, it is evident, to the Lord. Since those who are governed by love to Him and who for this reason possess the good of innocence are meant by 'lambs' it is said that 'He will gather them into His arm' and 'He will carry them in His bosom'. For these people are joined to the Lord through love, and love is spiritual togetherness. And this also is why those verses go on to say, 'He will gently lead the sucklings', for sucklings and young children are those who possess the good of innocence, 430, 2280, 3183, 3494.

[8] From all this one may now see what the burnt offerings and sacrifices of lambs mean, why they were offered each day, on each sabbath, at each new moon, at each feast, and every day during the feast of Passover, and why at the feast of Passover the lamb called the Passover lamb was eaten, spoken of as follows in Moses,

This month shall be for you the head of months; the first shall it be for you in respect of months of the year. You shall take a member of the flock, a male, from the lambs or from the kids. And they shall take some of the blood and put it onto the [two] doorposts and onto the lintel, and onto the houses in which they will eat it. They shall not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted with fire. Exodus 12:1ff.

The feast of Passover was a sign of the deliverance from damnation of those who receive the Lord in love and faith, 9286-9292, thus who possess the good of innocence; for the good of innocence is inmostly present in love and faith and is their soul. This is why it says that they were to put the animal's blood onto doorposts, lintel, and houses; for where the good of innocence is, hell cannot come in. The reason why they were to eat it roasted with fire was that this was a sign of the good of celestial love, which is the good of love to the Lord received from the Lord.

[9] Because a lamb was a sign of innocence, when the days [of purification] after giving birth had been fulfilled a lamb, the son of a year ² was offered as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or else a turtledove was offered as a sacrifice, Leviticus 12:6. The young pigeon or the turtledove was a sign of innocence, just as the lamb was. By 'giving birth' is meant in the spiritual sense the Church's giving birth, giving birth to the good of love; for no other kind of birth is thought of in heaven. And by the burnt offering and sacrifice of those creatures is meant purification from evils by means of the good of innocence; for this good is what the Divine flows into and uses to effect such purification.

[10] The reason why someone who sinned through error had to offer a lamb or a a female kid, or two turtledoves, or two young pigeons as a guilt-offering, Leviticus 5:1-13, was that 'sin through error' is sin owing to lack of knowledge, and if the lack of knowledge has innocence within it purification takes place. Regarding a Nazirite also it says that when he had completed his Naziriteship he had to offer a lamb, the son of a year ² , as a burnt offering, a ewe lamb, the daughter of a year ² , as a sin-sacrifice, and one ram as a eucharistic sacrifice, and also a basket of unleavened bread, cakes mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, Numbers 6:13-15. All these - the lamb, ewe lamb, ram, unleavened bread, cakes, wafers, and oil - mean celestial things, that is, aspects of love to the Lord received from the Lord. The reason why they were offered as a sacrifice by a Nazirite after the days of his Naziriteship had been fulfilled was that a Nazirite represented the celestial man, or the Lord in respect of the Divine Celestial, 3301, the Divine Celestial being what is Divine and the Lord's in the inmost heaven, and what is Divine there being innocence.

[11] From all this it may be recognized that 'a lamb' means the good of innocence, for all beasts that were sacrificed meant some aspect of the Church. It may be recognized primarily from the fact that the Lord Himself is called the Lamb, as is clear from the places referred to above; also that those people are called 'lambs' who love the Lord, as in Isaiah 40:10-11, and in John 21:15; and in addition that upright people are called 'sheep', for example in Matthew 15:21-29; 25:31-41; 26:31; John 10:7-16, 26-31; 21:16-17, and elsewhere, while bad people are called 'goats', Matthew 25:32; Zechariah 10:3; Daniel 8:5-11, 25. All useful and gentle beasts mean good affections and inclinations, while useless and savage ones mean evil affections and inclinations, see the places referred to in 9280.

[12] The good of innocence is meant not only by 'a lamb' but also by 'a ram' and by 'a young bull'. But the difference is that the inmost good of innocence is meant by 'a lamb', interior or middle good of innocence by 'a ram', and external good of innocence by 'a young bull'; for a person has an external level, an internal level, and an inmost level, on each of which the good of innocence must be present if the person is to be regenerate, the good of innocence being the very essence of all good. Because those three degrees of innocence are meant by a young bull, a ram, and a lamb, these three animals were offered as a sacrifice and a burnt offering whenever purification by means of that good was represented. That is, they were offered at each new moon, at feasts, on the day of firstfruits, and when the altar was consecrated, as is evident in Numbers 7:15, 21, 27, 33ff; 28:1-end; 29:1-end. For the meaning of 'a young bull' as the external good of innocence, 29:see9391, 9990, and that of 'a ram' as the internal good of innocence, 10042. As regards what innocence is, what it is like with young children, what it is like with the simple lacking in knowledge, and what it is like with the wise, see the places referred to in 10021(end).

[13] When it says that the lamb to be offered as a burnt offering had to be 'the son of a year', the meaning was that then it was a lamb; for when it was more than a year old it was a sheep. And since a lamb was so to speak an infant sheep, the kind of good that belongs to infancy or early childhood, which is the good of innocence, was meant by it. This also was why lambs were offered as a burnt offering in the first month of the year, when the Passover was celebrated, Exodus 12:2ff, Numbers 28:16, 19; on the day of firstfruits, Numbers 28:26-27; and on the day on which the sheaf was waved, Leviticus 23:11-12. For by the first month of the year, the day of firstfruits, and the day of waving the sheaf the state of early childhood, and so the state of innocence, was also meant.

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