10079. 'And one wafer' means lowest celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'wafer' as celestial good in the external man, dealt with in 9994, thus that which is lowest. In the heavens there are two distinct and separate kingdoms; one is called the celestial kingdom, the other the spiritual kingdom. Each kingdom has three parts; each has an inmost part, a middle part, and a lowest part. The inmost good of the celestial kingdom is meant by 'bread', middle good by 'cakes', and lowest good by 'wafers', see above in 9993. It says that they were to take one loaf of bread, one cake, and one wafer, and after these had been waved they were to be burned with the burnt offering, and that Aaron and his sons were to eat the bread left over in the basket at the door of the tent of meeting. These things served to mean the transmission of the good of love from the Lord and the reception of it in the higher heavens, that is, in the celestial kingdom. The transmission of that good was meant by the bread which, after it had been waved, was burned on the altar, and the reception of it was meant by the bread that was eaten. It says 'one' loaf of bread, 'one' cake, and 'one' wafer because Good from God is essentially one.

[2] Next it must be stated why it was decreed that not only the ram's fat and right flank had to be burned on the altar but also offerings of bread, which were called minchahs, when yet good is meant equally by the bread or minchahs as it is by the fat and flank. Without knowledge of why it had to be done offering bread as well would seem to be superfluous. But the reason was that sacrifices and burnt offerings were not demanded, only permitted, and that they were therefore unacceptable in the heavens. Therefore minchahs as well, or offerings of bread, were presented, and also drink offerings of wine, which were acceptable; for 'bread' means all celestial good and 'wine' all the truth that goes with it. This also explains why sacrifices and burnt offerings were called bread, and in addition minchahs or gifts; for minchahs in the original language denotes gifts. But see what has been shown previously on these matters,

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were first introduced by Eber and came down from him to the descendants of Jacob, 1128, 1343, 2818, 4874, 5702.

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were not demanded, only permitted, 2180.

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were called bread, 2165.

'Bread' means celestial good and 'wine' the truth that goes with it, 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3735, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6377, 8410, 9323, 9545.

The like is meant by 'minchah' and 'drink offering', 4581.

From this it is evident that it was for the same reason also that the Lord abolished the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and retained the bread and wine. But it should be recognized that the flesh of a sacrifice or burnt offering served in particular to mean spiritual good, whereas the bread of a minchah served to mean celestial good, and that this was why not only flesh but also bread had to be offered.

276. That 'eating bread with sweat on the brow' means strong dislike of what is celestial becomes clear from the meaning of 'bread'. Bread is used to mean everything spiritual and celestial, which is the food of angels, and if they were deprived of it they would cease to live, as a person deprived of bread or food ceases to do. That which is celestial and spiritual in heaven also corresponds to bread on earth, and is also represented by bread, as is clear from many places [in the Word]. That the Lord is Bread, because He is the source of everything celestial and spiritual, He Himself teaches in John,

This is the Bread which came down from heaven; anyone who eats this Bread will live forever John 6:58.

This also is why bread and wine are the symbols used in the Holy Supper. This same celestial [or spiritual) was also represented by the manna. That what is celestial and spiritual is the food of angels is clear also from the Lord's own words,

Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4, that is, from the life of the Lord, who is the source of everything celestial and spiritual.

[2] The final generation of the Most Ancient Church which came immediately before the Flood and which is the subject here was so perverse and immersed in sensory and bodily interests that they did not wish to hear what the truth of faith was, nor what the Lord's coming to save them would be. And if these matters were ever mentioned they did not like it at all. This strong dislike is described as 'eating bread with sweat on the brow'. It was similar with the Jews; being people who did not acknowledge heavenly things, and who wished for a purely earthly Messiah, they inevitably found the manna distasteful, since it was a ration of the Lord; and they called it worthless bread. This was why serpents were sent among them, Numbers 21:5-6. Furthermore the heavenly things, which they obtained in adversity, in affliction, and with tears, were called by them the bread of adversity, the bread of affliction, and the bread of tears. ¹ Those things which men obtained but strongly disliked are described in the present verse as 'the bread of the sweat on his brow'.

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