10079. 'And one wafer' means lowest celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'wafer' as celestial good in the external man, dealt with in 9994, thus that which is lowest. In the heavens there are two distinct and separate kingdoms; one is called the celestial kingdom, the other the spiritual kingdom. Each kingdom has three parts; each has an inmost part, a middle part, and a lowest part. The inmost good of the celestial kingdom is meant by 'bread', middle good by 'cakes', and lowest good by 'wafers', see above in 9993. It says that they were to take one loaf of bread, one cake, and one wafer, and after these had been waved they were to be burned with the burnt offering, and that Aaron and his sons were to eat the bread left over in the basket at the door of the tent of meeting. These things served to mean the transmission of the good of love from the Lord and the reception of it in the higher heavens, that is, in the celestial kingdom. The transmission of that good was meant by the bread which, after it had been waved, was burned on the altar, and the reception of it was meant by the bread that was eaten. It says 'one' loaf of bread, 'one' cake, and 'one' wafer because Good from God is essentially one.

[2] Next it must be stated why it was decreed that not only the ram's fat and right flank had to be burned on the altar but also offerings of bread, which were called minchahs, when yet good is meant equally by the bread or minchahs as it is by the fat and flank. Without knowledge of why it had to be done offering bread as well would seem to be superfluous. But the reason was that sacrifices and burnt offerings were not demanded, only permitted, and that they were therefore unacceptable in the heavens. Therefore minchahs as well, or offerings of bread, were presented, and also drink offerings of wine, which were acceptable; for 'bread' means all celestial good and 'wine' all the truth that goes with it. This also explains why sacrifices and burnt offerings were called bread, and in addition minchahs or gifts; for minchahs in the original language denotes gifts. But see what has been shown previously on these matters,

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were first introduced by Eber and came down from him to the descendants of Jacob, 1128, 1343, 2818, 4874, 5702.

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were not demanded, only permitted, 2180.

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were called bread, 2165.

'Bread' means celestial good and 'wine' the truth that goes with it, 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3735, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6377, 8410, 9323, 9545.

The like is meant by 'minchah' and 'drink offering', 4581.

From this it is evident that it was for the same reason also that the Lord abolished the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and retained the bread and wine. But it should be recognized that the flesh of a sacrifice or burnt offering served in particular to mean spiritual good, whereas the bread of a minchah served to mean celestial good, and that this was why not only flesh but also bread had to be offered.

4217. 'And Laban went and resumed to his place' means the end of the representation by means of Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'returning to his place' as going back to a previous state - for 'place' means state, see 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 3404 - and therefore the words used here mean the end of the representation by means of Laban. All that has been shown makes it clear that every single part of the Word has an interior content, which is of such a nature that it is suited to the perception of the angels present with man. For example, when the word 'bread' is used in the Word the angels do not call to mind material bread but spiritual bread, and so instead of bread perceive the Lord who, as He Himself teaches in John 6:33, 35, is the Bread of life. And because they perceive the Lord they perceive the things which derive from Him, and therefore His love towards the whole human race. In so doing they perceive at the same time man's reciprocal love to the Lord, for these two kinds of love are knit together within one idea occupying their thought and affection.

[2] Not unlike this are the thoughts of the person who has a holy mind, when he receives the bread in the Holy Supper; for at that time he does not think of the bread but of the Lord and His mercy, and of the things which constitute love to Him and charity towards the neighbour, because he is thinking about repentance and amendment of life. Yet the way people think about these things varies according to the degree of holiness present not only in their thought but also in their affection. From this it is evident that when 'bread' is mentioned in the Word no idea of bread presents itself to angels but the idea of love and of countless things connected with love. It is similar when wine is referred to in the Word and also received in the Holy Supper. In this case angels do not think at all of wine but of charity towards the neighbour. This being so, and since man in this way is linked to heaven and through heaven to the Lord, bread and wine have been made the symbols and unite a person who leads a holy life to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord.

[3] The same applies to every detail within the Word, and therefore the Word is the means by which man is united to the Lord. If that uniting means did not exist heaven would not be able to flow in with man - for without a means no uniting together would be possible - but would remove itself from him. And if heaven were removed it would no longer be possible for anyone to be led to that which is good, not even to physical and worldly good. Instead all restraints, including external ones, would be abolished. For the Lord governs the person in whom good dwells by means of internal restraints, which are those of conscience, whereas the person in whom evil dwells is governed solely by external restraints. If these were abolished everybody governed solely by external restraints would become insane in the way a person is insane who has no fear of the law, no fear for his life, nor any fear of losing position and gain, and so of reputation - for these are the external bonds - and so the human race would perish. This explains why the Word exists, and the true nature of the Word. The Lord's Church where the Word exists is like the heart and the lungs, and the Lord's Church where it does not exist is like all the other internal organs which get their life from the heart and lungs - see 637, 931, 2054, 2853.