9393. 'And Moses took half of the blood' means Divine Truth which has become a matter of life and of worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'the blood' as Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, dealt with in 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7850, 9127. The reason why it is Divine Truth which has become a matter of life and of worship is that it was the blood which Moses sprinkled over the people, verse 8, and this blood means Divine Truth which a person has accepted, thus that which has become a matter of life and of worship; for that Truth is said to have been accepted by a person which becomes a matter of life and so of worship. And it becomes a matter of life and worship when the person has an affection for it or loves it, or what amounts to the same thing, when he wills it, and - in willing it, and so in loving and having an affection for it - does it. Till then it is indeed present with him in his memory, and is at times called forth from there and comes before his inward sight or understanding, from where it passes back into his memory. However, as long as God's truth goes no deeper than this, though it resides with the person it has not been implanted in his life and will; for a person's life consists in his will. Therefore when truth is called forth from the memory into the understanding, then passes from the understanding into the will, and goes out from the will into action, that truth becomes part of the person's life and is called good. All this shows what is meant by Divine Truth which has become a matter of life. The situation is the same with truth which becomes part of worship. Worship springing from truth which does no more than cling in the memory and make its appearance from there in the understanding is not worship. But worship springing from truth that goes out from the will, and so from affection and love, is worship. In the Word this worship is called worship of the heart, but the other, worship of the lips alone.

[2] It has indeed been shown already in the places referred to above that 'blood' means Divine Truth emanating from the Lord. Nevertheless since the majority belonging to the Church at the present day take the blood in the Holy Supper to mean nothing other than the Lord's blood that was shed on the Cross, and in a more general sense His whole Passion of the Cross, let something further be stated briefly to show that blood is not what is meant there but Divine Truth emanating from the Lord. The reason why this is unknown within the Church is that nothing whatever is known at the present day about correspondences, nor consequently about the internal sense of the Word, the sense understood by angels when someone in the world reads the Word.

[3] It becomes clear from many places in the Word that 'blood' does not mean blood but God's truth, and plainly so from the following in Ezekiel,

Say to every bird of the air and to every wild animal of the field, Assemble and come, gather yourselves from all around to My sacrifice which I am sacrificing for you, so that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth. You will eat fat till you are glutted, and drink blood till you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. You will be glutted at My table with horse and chariot, and with every man of war. Thus will I set My glory among the nations. Ezekiel 39:17-21.

It is plainly evident that 'blood' is not used here to mean blood, for it says that they were going to drink the blood of the princes of the earth, and the blood from the sacrifice, till they were drunk, when yet drinking blood, especially the blood of princes, is something abominable and was forbidden to the children of Israel on pain of death, Leviticus 3:17; 7:26; Leviticus 17:1-end; Deuteronomy 12:16-25; 15:23. It also says that they were going to be glutted with horse, chariot, and every man of war. Anyone therefore who does not know that 'blood' means Divine Truth, 'princes' leading truths, 'sacrifice' the things that belong to worship, 'horse' the understanding of truth, 'chariot' doctrinal teachings, and 'man of war' truth engaged in conflict against falsity is bound to be bemused by each of the words used in this passage.

[4] His response would be the same to the Lord's words in John,

Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day. My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. John 6:53-56.

But see what has been shown already regarding these words, in 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7850, 9127. The fact that flesh corresponds to good, as does bread, and that blood corresponds to truth, as does wine, has been told me very many times from heaven. I have likewise been told that angels understand the Word solely according to correspondences, and that as a result of this mankind is joined by means of the Word to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord.

[5] And in like manner I have been told that the Holy Supper was established by the Lord to be the means by which all things of heaven, that is, all things which are the Lord's, might be joined to members of the Church. For in the Holy Supper the flesh or bread is the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love towards the whole human race, and a person's love in return to the Lord, while the blood or wine is the Divine Truth emanating from the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, and in turn the person's acceptance of it. In heaven, furthermore, eating and drinking those gifts implies making them one's own and joining them together. But see what has been shown already regarding these matters in 2165, 2177, 3464, 4211, 4217, 4581, 4735, 5915, 6789, 7850, 9323.

5608. 'Even our young children' means aspects even more internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'young children' as things that are more internal, 5604. The reason more internal things are meant by 'young children' and also by 'boys (or older children)' is that innocence is meant by both these, and innocence is something inmost. The situation in heaven is that the inmost or third heaven consists of those in whom innocence dwells because they are moved by love to the Lord. For the Lord is Innocence itself, so that those who are there because they are moved by love to Him have innocence dwelling within them. And although they are the wisest ones of all in heaven, they look to others there like young children. For this reason, as well as for the reason that innocence dwells in young children, innocence is meant in the Word by 'young children'.

[2] Since innocence is the inmost virtue of heaven, innocence must exist inwardly with all who are in heaven. It is like entities of a consecutive nature in relation to those that come into being simultaneously, that is, entities existing separated from one another in distinct degrees in relation to ones that come into being from these. For everything that comes into being simultaneously has its origin in entities of a consecutive nature. When simultaneous things take rise from consecutive ones they position themselves in the same order as that in which they existed initially, separated into distinct degrees. Take, by way of illustration, end, cause, and effect. These exist consecutively, distinct and separate from one another. When they come into being simultaneously they position themselves in the same order; that is to say, the end takes up the inmost position, the cause the position after this, and the effect the one that comes last. The effect comes into being simultaneously with the others; for unless the cause is present within the effect, and the end within the cause, no effect exists. If you remove the cause from the effect you destroy the effect, and all the more so if you remove the end from the cause. The end enables the cause to be a cause, and the cause enables the effect to be an effect.

[3] The same is so in the spiritual world; just as end, cause, and effect are distinct and separate from one another, so in the spiritual world are love to the Lord, charity towards the neighbour, and the deeds of charity. When these three are made one, that is, when they come forth simultaneously, the first has to be within the second, and the second within the third. Likewise within the deeds of charity: unless charity flowing from affection or the heart is present inwardly in those deeds, they are not the deeds of charity; and unless love to the Lord is present inwardly in charity it is not charity. If therefore you take away the inward substance, the outward form perishes; for the outward form is brought into being and kept in being by the loves existing in order within it. The same is so with innocence. It makes one with love to the Lord. Unless innocence is present inwardly in charity it is not charity. Consequently unless charity that has innocence within it is present inwardly in the deeds of charity, they are not the deeds of charity. This being so, innocence must be present inwardly with all who are in heaven.

[4] The truth of this, as well as the fact that innocence is meant by 'young children', is clear in Mark,

Jesus said to the disciples, Let the young children come to Me and do not hinder them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, Whoever has not received the kingdom of God like a young child will not enter into it. Taking them up therefore in His arms, He laid His hand upon them, and blessed them. Mark 10:14-16; Luke 18:15-17; Matthew 18:3

Here 'the young children' clearly means innocence, for the reason that innocence resides with young children, and for the reason that in heaven forms of innocence are seen as young children. No one can enter heaven unless he possesses some measure of innocence, see 4797.

[5] What is more, young children allow themselves to be governed by angels who are filled with innocence; children do not act independently, the way adults govern personal behaviour by the exercise of their own judgement and will. The fact that young children allow themselves to be governed by angels is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,

See that you do not despise any one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father. Matthew 18:10.

No one can see God's face except by virtue of having innocence.

[6] Innocence is meant by 'young children' in the following places as well:

In Matthew,

Out of the mouth of young children and sucklings You have perfected praise. Matthew 21:16; Psalms 8:1.

In the same gospel,

You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21.

The innocence meant by 'young children' is true wisdom; for genuine innocence dwells within wisdom, 2305, 2306, 4797. This explains why it is said that 'out of the mouth of young children and sucklings You have perfected praise', and also that such matters 'have been revealed to young children'.

[7] In Isaiah,

The young cow and the bear will feed; their young will lie down together. And a suckling will play over the viper's hole. Isaiah 11:7-8.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom, specifically to the state of peace and innocence there. 'Suckling' stands for innocence. The impossibility that any evil can befall those in whom innocence is present is meant by 'the suckling will play over the viper's hole' - 'vipers' being utterly deceitful persons. This chapter in Isaiah refers quite explicitly to the Lord. In Joel,

Blow the trumpet in Zion; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the young children and those sucking at the breast. Joel 2:15-16.

The elders' stands for the wise ones, 'the young children and those sucking at the breast' for the innocent ones.

[8] In the following places too 'young children' is used to mean innocence, but here innocence that has been destroyed: In Jeremiah,

Why are you committing great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, young child and suckling from the midst of Judah, so that I leave you no remnant? Jeremiah 44:7.

In the same prophet,

Lift up to Him your hands for the soul of your young children who faint through famine at the head of every street. Lamentations 2:19.

In Ezekiel,

Go through Jerusalem and strike; do not let your eye spare, and show no pity. [Utterly slay] old man, young man, virgin, and young child. Ezekiel 9:5-6

In Micah,

The women of My people you cast out from each one's pleasant house; from her young children you take away My honour for ever. Micah 2:9.

[9] As regards the innocence present in young children, this is solely external, not internal; and because it is not internal it cannot be linked to any wisdom and exist together with it. But the innocence in angels, especially in those of the third heaven, is internal, and so exists joined to wisdom, 2305, 2306, 3494, 4563, 4797. Furthermore the human being has been created in such a way that when he grows old and becomes like a young child, the innocence of wisdom links itself to the innocence of ignorance that had been his when he was a young child, and in this condition, as a true young child, he passes over into the next life.