9993. And cakes of unleavened things mixed with oil. That this signifies the purification of the middle celestial, is evident from the signification of “cakes,” as being the middle celestial (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “oil,” as being the good of love (see n. 886, 4582, 4638). From this it is evident that by “cakes mixed with oil” is signified the celestial which is from the inmost, for “oil” denotes the good of love, which is inmost. The case herein is that the heavens have been distinguished into two kingdoms, one of which is called “spiritual,” the other “celestial.” To the spiritual kingdom in the heavens corresponds understanding with man, and to the celestial kingdom corresponds his will (n. 9835). In each kingdom there is an internal and an external, as also with man in his understanding and will; for understanding with man is internal and external, and will is internal and external. Internal understanding makes the spiritual life of the internal man, and external understanding makes the spiritual life of the external man; but internal will makes the celestial life of the internal man, and external will makes the celestial life of the external man. That there is an internal and an external with man, can be seen by everyone who reflects, especially from hypocrites, the deceitful, the cunning, and the malicious, in that interiorly they think contrary to the truths of faith, and also will contrary to the goods of celestial love; but exteriorly they think and will in agreement with them, and also speak and act accordingly, that they may so appear before the world.

[2] Be it known further, that each kingdom in the heavens, namely the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom, is in three divisions, being inmost, middle, and external (see n. 9873). The inmost of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord; the middle there is the good of mutual love, which is the good thence proceeding; and the external is the delight proceeding from this good. The two former are in the internal man with those who are in the Lord’s celestial kingdom; but the third is in the external with the same. These three were represented by the bread of unleavened things, the cakes of unleavened things mixed with oil, and the wafers of unleavened things anointed with oil; and their purification is represented by the offering of these three upon the altar together with the burnt-offering or sacrifice. That such things are signified in order, can be seen merely from the fact that these three were commanded, and their preparation is also described, in the books of Moses, which would by no means have been done unless they had involved arcana of heaven and the church. Otherwise of what use would such things be?

[3] But I know that at the present day scarcely anyone can apprehend these arcana, for the reason that at this day everything in the understanding and the will is worldly, and they who think about heaven, and desire it, have and are willing to have no other idea of it than a natural and earthly one; and where there is such an idea, and such a will, thus such a love, there the arcana of heaven have no place. Very different would it be if the mind were more delighted with heavenly things than with worldly ones, for a man apprehends what delights him; as when he is delighted with the arcana of the civil state in kingdoms, and with those of the moral state with man. By “the moral state” is meant that of the loves and affections, and of the derivative thoughts, the arcana of which a shrewd man easily perceives, because he delights to lead others by them, in order to secure honors, gain, or reputation for the sake of these.

[4] That “cakes” signify the [middle] celestial in the internal man, is because they are in the second rank; for in the first rank is bread of unleavened things; in the second are cakes mixed with oil; and in the third are wafers anointed with oil. These three were called “meat-offerings,” and were offered on the altar together with burnt-offerings and sacrifices. How they were to be prepared is described in Leviticus 2; and how they were to be offered is described in various passages, as by Aaron on the day of his anointing, in Leviticus 6:13-16.

[5] By “cakes” in the Word is also meant the good of love in general; from which it is that the “breads of faces,” or “of setting forth,” are called “cakes” in Moses:

Thou shalt take fine flour, and bake it into twelve cakes; of two tenth parts shall one cake be. And thou shalt set them on the table before Jehovah. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row (Leviticus 24:5-9).

The “pure frankincense put upon the cakes” signified truth from celestial good, which is the ultimate or outermost of the celestial kingdom.

[6] By “cakes” is also signified the good of love in general, in Jeremiah:

The sons gather wood, and the fathers kindle a fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:19);

“to make cakes to the queen of the heavens” denotes to worship the devil from the good of celestial love; and “to pour out drink-offerings to other gods” denotes to worship Satan from the truths of faith. For by “the queen of the heavens” are signified those who are in the hell of genii; and by “other gods,” those who are in the hell of evil spirits (on which see n. 5977, 8593, 8622, 8625). They who are in the hell of genii are collectively called “the devil;” and they who are in the hell of evil spirits are called “Satan.”

[7] But the good of spiritual love is signified by “cakes” in Hosea:

Ephraim hath become a cake not turned (Hos. 7:8);

but “cake” is here expressed by another term in the original tongue, which signifies the good of spiritual love; a cake is “not turned” when the external man rules over the internal. When this is the case with man, the order is inverted; for then the external rules, and the internal serves. “Ephraim” denotes the intellectual of the church, which is enlightened and affected when the truths and goods of faith are received.

4493. And they circumcised every male, all that went out of the gate of his city. That this signifies accession to external things, is evident from the signification of “circumcising every male,” as being to be initiated thereby into the representatives and significatives of the descendants of Jacob in respect to the external alone (see n. 4486); and from the signification of “going out of the gate of the city,” as being to recede from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, concerning which just above (n. 4492). And because recession from their own doctrine and accession to externals are both signified, it is therefore twice said, “all that went out of the gate of his city.” But it is not at the same time said also, as elsewhere, “they that go into it,” because by “going in” is signified accession to doctrine, and recession from externals, whereas here the contrary is signified.

[2] It is necessary to say how the case herein is. The men of the Most Ancient Church, of the remains of which were Hamor and Shechem with their families, were of a totally different genius and native quality from the men of the Ancient Church; for the men of the Most Ancient Church had a will in which there was soundness, but not so the men of the Ancient Church. Therefore with the men of the Most Ancient Church the Lord could inflow through the will, thus by an internal way; but not so with the men of the Ancient Church, in whom the will had been destroyed; but with these He inflowed into the understanding, thus not by an internal way, but by an external way, as before said (n. 4489). To inflow through the will is to inflow through the good of love, for all good is of the will part; but to inflow through the understanding is to inflow through the truth of faith, for all truth is of the intellectual part. When the Lord regenerated the men of the Ancient Church He formed a new will in their intellectual part.

(That goods and truths were implanted in the will part of the men of the Most Ancient Church, may be seen, n. 895, 927, but in the intellectual part of the men of the Ancient Church, n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 2124, 2256, 4328: That a new will is formed in the intellectual part, n. 928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 4328: That there is a parallelism between the Lord and the good that is with man, but not between the Lord and the truth with man, n. 1831, 1832, 2718, 3514 ence the men of the Ancient Church were in comparative obscurity, n. 2708, 2715, 2935, 2937, 3246, 3833.) From all this it is evident that the men of the Most Ancient Church were of a totally different genius and native quality from the men of the Ancient Church.

[3] It was for this reason that the men of the Most Ancient Church were internal men and had no externals of worship, and that the men of the Ancient Church were external men and had externals of worship; for the former saw external things through internal ones as in the light of the sun by day, and the latter saw internal things through external ones as in the light of the moon and stars by night. Therefore also in heaven the Lord appears to the former as a sun, but to the latter as a moon (n. 1521, 1529-1531, 2441, 2495, 4060). In these explications the former are they who are called “celestial,” but the latter “spiritual.”

[4] To illustrate the difference let us take an example: If a man of the Most Ancient Church had read the historic or prophetic Word, he would have seen its internal sense without any previous instruction or explication, and this so fully that the celestial and spiritual things of this sense would have at once occurred to him, and scarcely anything in the sense of the letter; thus the internal sense would have been in clearness to him, but the sense of the letter in obscurity. He would be like one who hears another speaking and gets the meaning without attending to the words. But if a man of the Ancient Church had read the Word he could not have seen its internal sense without previous instruction or explication; thus the internal sense would have been in obscurity to him, but the sense of the letter in clearness. He would be like one who hears another speaking and is intent upon the words while not attending to the meaning, which is thus lost to him. But when a man of the Jewish Church reads the Word, he apprehends nothing beyond the sense of the letter, he is not aware that there is any internal sense, and also denies it; and at the present day the case is the same with a man of the Christian Church.

[5] All this shows what was the difference between those represented by Hamor and Shechem (who being of the remains of the Most Ancient Church were in internals and not in externals), and those signified by the sons of Jacob (who were in externals and not in internals); and it shows further that Hamor and Shechem could not accede to externals and accept those among the sons of Jacob without their internals being closed; thus causing their eternal destruction.

[6] This is the secret reason why Hamor and Shechem with their families were slain, which otherwise would not have been permitted. But this does not exculpate the sons of Jacob from having committed an enormous crime. They knew nothing of this secret reason, and it was not the end they had in view. Everyone is judged according to his end or intention, and that their intention was fraudulent is plainly stated in the thirteenth verse (Genesis 34:13); and when any such crime is permitted by the Lord, it is evil men and their infernal instigators who are the authors of it. Nevertheless all the evil which the evil intend and do to the good is turned by the Lord into good, as in the present instance, in that Hamor and Shechem with their families were saved.