864. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. That this signifies those who are adjoined to the Lord by the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, and by a life according to His precepts, is evident from the signification of the Lamb, as denoting the Lord as to the Divine Human, concerning which see above (n. 314); and from the signification of following Him whithersoever He goeth, as denoting to acknowledge His Divine, and to do His precepts. By following the Lord is signified the same as by going and walking after Him. That to go and walk after the Lord signifies to acknowledge, to obey, to act, and live from Him and with Him, may be seen above (n. 787).

The reason why these things are signified by following the Lord is, that no one can follow the Lord of himself, but from the Lord Himself. For the Lord draws that man after Him, who from freedom wills to follow; but He cannot draw any one who does not will to follow Him. For the Lord works this in him, so that the man follows Him of himself; thus He flows into his freedom, and effects this for the sake of the reception and implantation of truth and good in him, and thence reformation and regeneration. For unless it appeared to a man that he followed the Lord as of himself, that is, acknowledged His Divine, and did His precepts as of himself, there would be no appropriation and conjunction, and consequently no reformation and regeneration. For every thing enters man, and becomes as it were his own, which he receives in freedom, that is, as of himself, both as to thought and speech, and also as to willing and doing. But still man ought to believe, as the thing really is, that he does not do these things of himself, but from the Lord. Therefore it is not said that he is to act of himself, but as of himself. The reason why this is the case is also, that a man does not perceive the Lord's operation into his will, and into the thought therefrom; for a man knows nothing of his conjunction with the angels. He supposes therefore that whatever he wills and thinks, he wills and thinks from himself; and hence he cannot but know that he acts from himself; when, nevertheless, all good flows in, both what he thinks and what he wills, and thence does. And because he knows this from the doctrine of the church, that is, that all good is from God, therefore he ought to believe that he does not do good of himself, although he does it as of himself. This is meant by what the Lord taught in Mark:

"So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth, and should afterwards sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how" (4:26, 27).

In John:

"No man can receive any thing except it be given him from heaven" (3:27).

And in the same:

"He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing" (15:5).

[2] That to acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human, and to do His precepts is to follow Him, is because such only can be conjoined to the Lord. That every one is conjoined to the Lord according to the acknowledgment and confession of Him from the heart, and according to the life, is evident from this fact, that all the angels of heaven acknowledge no other Divine than the Divine of the Lord; and that they all live according to the laws of order, which are His precepts, that is, they live in the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, which is called Divine truth. And because they live thus, they live in a heavenly aura, or in a heavenly ether, into which no one can be admitted except him who is in life from the Lord. If any other should enter into that ether, it would be like mice being put into a syphon from which the air had been exhausted.

[3] From these things it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by following the Lord whithersoever He goeth. The like is signified by following Him, in these passages.

As in John:

"Jesus said, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (8:12).

I am the Light of the world, signifies that He is Divine truth itself; he that followeth me, signifies he that acknowledges His Divine, and does His precepts; shall not walk in darkness, signifies that he shall not be in falsities; but shall have the light of life, signifies that he shall be in Divine truths, which teach man eternal life, and lead to heaven. That by following the Lord is not here meant to follow Him, but to acknowledge His Divine, and obey Him, is evident.

[4] Again:

The shepherd of the sheep, "when he leadeth out his own sheep, goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice; but a stranger they do not follow, but flee from him, because they know not the voice of strangers. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (10:4, 5, 27).

Here, also, by following the Lord is meant, to acknowledge His Divine, and to obey Him; for it is said, He goeth before His own sheep, and the sheep follow Him, and know and hear His voice. To know and hear the voice of the Lord, signifies to do His precepts.

[5] Again:

"Whosoever desireth to come after me, let him deny himself, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).

That to go after the Lord, and to follow Him, is to deny self, is evident. And for a man to deny himself, is not to be led of himself but of the Lord; and he denies himself who shuns and turns away from evils because they are sins; which when a man turns away from, he is led of the Lord; for he then does His precepts, not from himself, but from the Lord. Similar things are also signified elsewhere by following the Lord:

As in Matthew 19:21, 28; Mark 2:14, 15; 3:7, 8; 10:21, 28, 29; Luke 18:22, 28; John 12:26; 13:36, 37; 21:19-22.

[6] From these things it is evident that to follow the Lord is to be led by Him, and not by oneself; and no other can be led by the Lord except him who is not led by himself; and every one is led by himself who does not shun evils because they are opposed to the Word, and thus to God; consequently, because they are sins and from hell. Every one who does not thus shun and turn away from evils, is led of himself. The reason is, that the evil which is in man hereditarily constitutes his life, because it is his proprium; and before [the evils of his proprium] are removed, he does every thing from them, thus of himself. But it is otherwise when evils are removed, which is effected when he shuns them because they are infernal. Then the Lord enters with truths and goods from heaven, and leads him. The chief cause of this is, that every man is his own love; and a man as to his spirit, which lives after death, is nothing but the affection of a man's love; and all evil is from his love, and thus belongs to his love. Consequently it follows, that a man's love or affection can be reformed only by spiritually shunning and turning away from evils; and this is a shunning and turning away from them because they are infernal. From these things it is now evident what it is to follow the Lord whithersoever He goeth.

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.