8006. All the assemblage of Israel shall perform it. That this signifies that this law of order is for all who are in the good of truth and in the truth of good, is evident from the signification of “the assemblage of Israel,” as being all truths and goods in one complex (see n. 7830); thus those who are in the truth through which is good, and those who are in the good through which is truth (n. 7957), consequently those who are of the spiritual church. That all these were to perform the passover, was to represent the liberation of those of the spiritual church who had been detained in the lower earth until the Lord’s coming (n. 6854, 6914, 7091, 7849, 7932); their eating together in one house was to represent the angelic consociations in heaven (n. 7836, 7996, 7997); thus by the whole assemblage of Israel performing it was represented the whole heaven. At that time there was nowhere a church, but only the representative of a church, for which were taken the descendants of Abraham from Jacob. Communication with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, was given by means of the representatives of the church. For this reason it was enjoined upon that nation to strictly observe all the statutes and all the laws, especially the statutes concerning the passover, insomuch that he who was clean and did not perform the passover was to be cut off (Numbers 9:13).

7849. In which they shall eat it. That this signifies enjoyment, is evident from the signification of “eating,” as being appropriation (see n. 3168, 3513, 4745), but here enjoyment, because a state of initiation is treated of. The case herein is this: when those who before the Lord’s coming had been detained in custody in the lower earth (n. 6854, 6914, 7091, 7828) were to be liberated, they had to be prepared to receive the influx of good and truth from the Lord, for they were to pass through the midst of hell; and lest in that passage evils and falsities should flow in from the infernal spirits round about, they had to be prepared, so that they might then be in a full state of truth and good. But of the Lord’s Divine mercy that passage shall be spoken of in what follows. This preparation, or initiation to a state of reception of good and truth, is described by the things which were to be done between the tenth day of the month and the fourteenth day, and which were to be observed in respect to the eating of the paschal lamb.