9527. 'And you shall make a table' means a receptacle of heavenly blessings [that belong to the good of love]. This is clear from the meaning of 'a table' as heaven in respect of its reception of such blessings as come from the Lord there, which are the good of love and the good of faith, and the joy and bliss derived from them. These blessings are meant by 'a table' because 'food' means the heavenly blessings that belong to the good of love and faith, and the wisdom and intelligence gained from them, which in everyday language too are called heavenly food and also in the Word are meant by 'food', see 56-58, 680, 681, 1480, 4459, 4792, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562, 9003. What is more, a visual representation of those blessings is now and again made in heaven by means of a table on which all kinds of food are laid. From all this it is evident that 'a table' means a receptacle of heavenly blessings, thus heaven in respect of its reception of such blessings as come from the Lord. These blessings are also meant by 'table' in Luke,

Jesus said, I bestow on you, just as My father bestowed on Me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. Luke 22:29-30.

And in Matthew,

Many will come from the east and the west and will recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11.

Also in David,

I will fear no evil. You will spread a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You will make my head fat with oil; my cup will overflow. Goodness and mercy will follow me. Psalms 23:4-6.

In the contrary sense however 'table' means a receptacle of such things as exist in hell. In Isaiah,

They go astray through strong drink. They err among the seers, they are tottery in judgement. All tables are full of vomit. Whom will He teach knowledge, and whom will He cause to understand what is heard? Isaiah 28:7-9.

In the same prophet,

You who forsake Jehovah, who set a table for Gad, and fill a drink offering for Meni. Isaiah 65:11.

And in David,

They gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Their table before them will become a snare. Psalms 69:21-22.

5915. 'And I will sustain you there' means a constant influx of spiritual life from the internal celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'sustaining', when spoken by Joseph, who represents the internal celestial, as an influx of spiritual life from the internal celestial. In the internal sense 'sustainment' is nothing else than the influx of goodness and truth from the Lord by way of heaven. This is how angels are sustained, and it is how a person's soul, that is, his internal man, is sustained. This sustainment is what the sustaining of the external man by means of food and drink corresponds to; and for this reason good is meant by 'food' and truth by 'drink'. The nature of this correspondence is also such that when a person is eating food the angels present with him think of goodness and truth; and, what is amazing, their ideas vary according to the different kinds of food that he eats. When therefore in the Holy Supper a person receives bread and wine the angels present with him think about the good of love and the good of faith, 3464, 3735, for the reason that 'bread' corresponds to the good of love and 'wine' to the good of faith. And because they correspond to them they also carry the same meanings in the Word.

[2] The fact that a person's soul, that is, his internal man, is sustained by spiritual food and drink, which are goodness and truth, is clear from the Lord's words in Moses,

Man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every utterance of the mouth of Jehovah. Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4.

'Utterance of the mouth of Jehovah' is goodness and truth that go forth from Him. In John,

Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:27.

In the same gospel,

The disciples asked Jesus, saying, Master, eat. He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know. John 4:31-32.

And regarding drink, in the same gospel,

Jesus said, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow out from within him. ¹ John 7:37-38.

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