The Mystery of
The Prehistoric Predator
Joseph S. David
L
ately I have been paging through my copies of the Writings looking for any
marginal notes I may have made in the past, or trying to remember why
I underlined or highlighted a particular word, line or paragraph. Sometimes
I find a comment like, “that’s hard to swallow,” or maybe “Ouch” or “I don’t
understand that.”
One of the teachings that drew such comments comes up several times in
different books: that the Lord did not create evil animals but that they come
from hell, and therefore could not have been around before men came into
being to create hell. This would mean that all the prehistoric creatures that
have any similarities to the creatures listed as being evil in the places where
such lists are given, could not have existed. Also, this would directly seem to
contradict the teachings that the Lord created everything.
This presents us with a contradiction with the science of Paleontology
regarding prehistoric life all the way back to the very first appearance of
creatures that were fossilized at the start of what is called the Cambrian
age (about 540 million years ago). And even worse, a contradiction within
the Writings themselves, because we are also taught that the Lord created
everything that was or is.
I don’t believe that either one of these contradiction s can truly be there. I
am also convinced of the findings of paleontologists that, long before mankind
came into existence, there existed animals that were predators and animals
that were prey.
Swedenborg knew that animals represented human affections, and that
the domesticated or tamed animals represented good and charitable affections,
while fierce or predatory animals represented evil or selfish affections. He states
in many places the good correspondences of flocks, and herds, and beasts of
burden. But he also gives the teaching that the fierce animals were created
from the hellish affections that men developed and which were prevalent in
hell. (See references below)
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