405. [verse 9] 'And a third part of the creatures in the sea having souls died' signifies that those who have lived and are living that faith cannot be reformed and accept life. By 'a third part' all of them are signified, as above. By 'creatures' are understood those who can be reformed (n. 290). This is because by 'to create' is signified to reform (n. 254). By 'having souls' is signified to be capable of accepting life by reformation. By 'died' is signified that those who are living that faith alone are not capable. This is because all are reformed by means of faith united to charity, thus by the faith of charity and not any by faith alone, for charity is the life of faith. [2] Since the affections, and consequently the perceptions and thoughts, of spirits and angels appear from afar off in the spiritual world in the forms of animals or creatures upon the land that are called beasts, of creatures in the air that are called birds, and of creatures in the sea that are called fishes, therefore beasts, birds and fishes are so often named in the Word, and yet by them nothing else is understood, as in these [instances]:-
The controversy of Jehovah with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth (veritas), nor mercy, nor recognition of God; and everyone dwelling therein, the beast of the field and the bird of the heavens, even the fishes of the sea shall be assembled Hosea iv 1, 3.
I will consume man and beast, the bird of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, the stumbling blocks with the wicked Zeph. i 3.
There shall be a great earthquake upon the land of Israel, and the fishes of the sea, the bird of the heavens, and the beast of the field shall tremble before Me Ezek. xxxviii 18-20.
Thou hast made Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet, the beasts of the field, the bird of the air, and the fish of the sea, passing through the way of the seas Ps. viii 6-8 [H.B. 7-9].
These [words are said] of the Lord.
Pray ask the beasts and they shall teach thee, or the birds of the air and they shall make known unto thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who does not know by reason of all these that the hand of Jehovah has done this? Job xii 7-9;
besides in many other places. [3] By the fishes, however, or 'creatures of the sea' treated of here are understood the affections and consequently the thoughts of those men who are in general truths, and who therefore take in more out of what is natural than out of what is spiritual. These are understood by the 'fishes' in the preceding quotations, and also in these following:-
By My rebuke I dry up the sea, I set rivers in the wilderness; their fish stinks, and dies for thirst Isa. l 2.
O king of Egypt, the great whale that lies in the midst of thy rivers, thou hast said, The river is mine, I have made it myself; on account of this I will make the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will leave thee stranded in the wilderness, and every fish of thy rivers Ezek. xxix 3-5.
These things were said to the king of Egypt because by 'Egypt' is signified what is natural separated from what is spiritual, and consequently by 'the fishes of its rivers' those [are signified] who are in doctrinal things, and in a separated faith as a result thereof, which faith is only knowledge. On account of this separation, indeed, one of the miracles there was:-
That their waters were turned into blood, and that consequently the fishes died Exod. vii 17-25; Ps. cv 29.
[4] Again:-
Wherefore makest thou man as the fishes of the sea, every one draws out with a hook*, and gathers into a net Hab. i 14-16.
The fishes here [stand] for those who are in general truths and in a faith separated from charity; but in Ezekiel 'fishes' stand for those who are in general truths and in faith conjoined with charity:-
He said unto me, These waters issuing out to the eastern boundary, they are coming to the sea, whence it comes to pass that every soul that creeps is living, and exceeding much fish; the fishers are standing upon it with a spreading out of nets; the fish thereof shall be according to their kind, as the fish of the great sea exceeding many Ezek. xlvii 1, 8-10.
In Matthew:-
Jesus said, The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a net cast into the sea, and they gathered fishes, and the good they put into vessels, but cast the bad away Matt. xiii 47-49.
And in Jeremiah:-
I will bring back the sons of Israel upon their land, and I will send for many fishers who shall fish them Jer. xvi, 15, 16.
[5] He who knows, therefore, that such persons and things (tales ac talia) are signified by 'fishes' is able to see:-
Why the Lord had chosen fishermen for His disciples, and had said, Come unto Me, and I will make you fishers of men Matt. iv 18, 19; Mark i 16, 17.
Why the disciples, by the blessing of the Lord, caught a prodigious multitude of fishes, and the Lord said to Peter, Do not be afraid, from henceforth thou shalt catch men Luke v 2-10.
Why the Lord, when they wanted to exact tribute from Him, said to Peter that he should go to the sea, and draw out a fish, and give the stater found in it for Himself and for him Matt. xvii 24-27.
Why Use Lord after the resurrection gave the disciples a fish and bread to eat John xxi 2-13.
And said to them that they should go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature Mark xvi 15;
for the Gentiles whom they were converting were in general truths only, and in natural things more than in spiritual. * Reading hamo (with a hook) for homo (man).
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