8409. As “flesh” signifies one’s own in both senses, in the supreme sense the Lord’s Divine own, which is His Divine Human, thus the good of His love toward the universal human race; therefore “flesh” in the sense which has reference to man denotes one’s own made alive by the Lord’s own, that is, it denotes the Lord’s own with man, thus the good of love to Him. (On the signification of “flesh” in this sense, see n. 3813, 7850.) But in the opposite sense, “flesh” denotes man’s own, thus the evil of the love of self, and from this the cupidities or concupiscences of this love (n. 999, 3813). (That man’s own is nothing but evil, see n. 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1023, 1044, 1047, 3812, 5660, 5786) That “flesh” denotes man’s own, thus evil of every kind, is further evident from the following passages in Isaiah:

I will feed thine oppressors with their flesh, and they shall be drunken with their blood, as with new wine (49:26);

“to feed with flesh” denotes to be gorged with their own evil.

[2] In Jeremiah:

Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, but his heart departeth from Jehovah (17:5);

“to make flesh his arm” denotes to trust in his own power; and therefore in Isaiah 9:20, “to eat the flesh of his arm” denotes to trust in himself. Again in Isaiah:

Egypt is a man, and not God; and his horses flesh, and not spirit (31:3);

“the horses of Egypt” denote memory-knowledges from a perverted understanding (n. 6125); “flesh” denotes what is dead; “spirit,” what is alive; therefore the sons of Egypt are said to be “great in flesh” (Ezekiel 16:26). What is “dead” is so called from evil, for spiritual death is from evil; and what is alive is so called from good, for spiritual life is from good.

[3] Hence it is that “flesh” and “spirit” in the Word are opposed to each other, as in John:

That which is born from the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit (John 3:6).

It is the spirit that maketh alive, the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life (John 6:63).

Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not reprove man forever, for that he is flesh (Genesis 6:3);

here “flesh” denotes man’s own. In like manner in Matthew:

Jesus said, Blessed art thou, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it, but My Father who is in the heavens (Matthew 16:17).

As many as received, to them gave He power to be sons of God, to them that believe on His name; who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (1:12-13);

“the will of the flesh” denotes one’s own of the will; “the will of man,” one’s own of the understanding; “sons of God” denote the regenerate, and they who are being regenerated are all made alive from the Lord’s own, which is “the flesh and body of the Lord,” and is the Divine good itself.

[4] As “flesh” in the opposite sense denotes man’s own, thus evil, it also denotes concupiscence, for the life of the flesh, which is the body’s own life, is nothing but the pleasure of the senses, the delight of the appetites, and concupiscence. That “flesh” denotes concupiscence, is evident from these words in Moses:

The rabble that was in the midst of the people lusted a lust, whence the sons of Israel wept again, and said, Who shall feed us with flesh? our soul is now dry, our eyes have nothing to turn to but the manna: and Jehovah said unto Moses, Say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves for the morrow, that ye may eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of Jehovah, saying, who shall feed us with flesh? for it was better with us in Egypt; Jehovah will give you flesh to eat, for a month of days, even until it come out from your nose, and it shall be a loathing to you. The flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was swallowed, when the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague, whence he called the name of that place “the graves of lust,” because there they buried the people that lusted (Numbers 11:4, 6, 16, 18, 20, 33-34).

From all this it is now evident what is signified by “sitting by the flesh-pot in the land of Egypt,” namely, a life according to what they like and as they had desired, thus a life of their own.

7850. And they shall eat the flesh. That this signifies the enjoyment of good, is evident from the signification of “to eat,” as being enjoyment (of which just above, n. 7849); and from the signification of “flesh,” as being what is man’s own vivified by the Divine Human of the Lord, thus all celestial and spiritual good with man (see n. 3813, 6968). That “flesh” has this signification was well known among the ancients, and yet at this day it is so unknown that everyone would be surprised on being told that “flesh” has such a signification. If it is said that it is a spiritual correspondent, this is not understood. If it is said that it is a significative, this is indeed understood, but in another sense than that in which it is a significative correspondent, namely, as something quite separate; when yet a spiritual or significative correspondent is conjoined with that to which it corresponds as is a man’s sight with his eye; his hearing with his ear; his thought, which is spiritual, with the form of his interiors, and through this form with the little organs of speech; or as the will, which also is spiritual, is conjoined with the muscular fibers by which action is produced. Such is the case with every spiritual correspondent or significative relatively to its natural, with which there is correspondence.

[2] Who cannot see that by “flesh” is not meant flesh, nor by “blood” blood, by the Lord in John:

Verily, verily, I say to you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you; he that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day; for My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed (John 6:53-55).

That by “flesh” is meant the Divine good of the Divine love of the Lord, which is from His Divine Human, and by “blood” the Divine truth proceeding from His Divine good, and also the man’s reciprocity, is at this day known to few, and they who can know, will not. The reason why they are unwilling to know is that they are in no affection of truth for the sake of truth, but only for the sake of worldly reasons, and also because natural men desire to apprehend all things naturally.

[3] These things have been said in order that it may be known what is signified by “eating flesh” at the paschal supper, consequently what at the Holy Supper, which was then instituted. (Concerning the bread and the wine which in the Holy Supper signify the same as the flesh and the blood, see n. 2165, 2177, 2187, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915) That in the spiritual sense of the Word “flesh” does not mean flesh, besides being manifest from other passages, is also very evident from this in Revelation:

Come and be ye gathered together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all both free and bond, both small and great (Revelation 19:17-18); where by “flesh” are signified goods of various kinds.