tree, the wild beast, beast, the creeping thing and fowl, which, unless they had signified living [principles] in man, could never have been called upon to praise Jehovah. The prophets carefully distinguish between beasts and wild beasts of the earth, and between beasts and wild beasts of the field. Nevertheless, good [principles] in man are called beasts, just as those who are nearest to the Lord in heaven are called animals,[1] both in Ezekiel and in John: "And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the elders and the four animals[1] and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped the Lamb," (Rev. vii. 11; xix. 4.) Those also who have the gospel preached unto them are called creatures, because they are to be created anew: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," (Mark xvi. 15.)
47. These words contain arcana relating to regeneration as is also manifest from this circumstance, that in the foregoing verse it was said, the earth should produce the living soul, the beast, and the wild beast of the earth; whereas in the following verse the order is changed, and it is said, God made the wild beast of the earth, and likewise the beast; for man in the first stage of regeneration, and afterwards until he becomes celestial, brings forth as of himself; and thus regeneration begins from the external man, and proceeds to the internal; therefore here there is another order, and external things are first mentioned.
48. Hence, then, it appears, that man is in the fifth state of regeneration, when he speaks from a principle of faith, which belongs to the understanding, and thereby confirms himself in the true and in the good. The things then brought forth by him are animate and are called the fishes of the sea and the fowl of the heavens. He is in the sixth state, when from faith in the understanding, and from love thence derived in the will, he speaks what is true, and does what is good; what he then brings forth being called the living soul, and the beast. And because in this state he begins to act from love, as well as from faith, he becomes a spiritual man, which is called, as in the following passages, an image of God.
49. Verse 26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and. over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. In the Most Ancient Church, with the mem- bers of which the Lord conversed face to face, the Lord ap- peared as a man ; concerning which much might be related,
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 This word is here correctly translated animals and not beasts, as in the authorized version, for ζῶον in Greek, and animal in Latin and English, precisely correspond with each other, and properly signify a living creature. Ζῶον is the word used in these passages in the original, and not θὴρ or θηρίον, as would be the case if beast had been intended.
