10137. And a drink-offering of the fourth of a hin of wine. That this signifies spiritual truth sufficient for conjunction, is evident from the signification of “wine,” as being truth (see n. 1071, 1798, 6377); here spiritual truth corresponding to spiritual good from celestial, which is signified by “fine flour mingled with oil” (of which just above, n. 10136); for in the Word where good is treated of, truth also is treated of, and indeed truth of the same kind as the good, for the reason that each and all things in heaven and also in the world bear relation to good and to truth, and to both in order to be anything; for good without truth is not good, and truth without good is not truth (see the (9263) plac es cited in n. 9263, 9314). Hence it was that when the meat-offering was offered, which was bread, a drink-offering also was offered, which was wine; and in like manner in the Holy Supper. From this it is that by the “drink-offering of wine” is here meant truth corresponding to the good which is signified by the meat-offering, spoken of just above. And from the signification of “the fourth of a hin,” as being as much as is sufficient for conjunction (see just above, n. 10136).

[2] Everyone can see that by the meat-offering, which was bread, and by the drink-offering, which was wine, are not meant merely bread and wine, but something of the church and of heaven, thus spiritual and celestial things that belong to heaven and the church. Otherwise what purpose could have been served by putting bread and wine upon the fire of the altar? Could this have been grateful to Jehovah? Or could this have been to Him, as is said, an odor of rest? And could this make expiation for man? He who thinks in a holy way about the Word cannot think that anything so earthly would be pleasing to Jehovah, unless some deeper and more interior Divine thing were contained in it. He who believes that the Word is Divine and spiritual throughout, must necessarily believe that some secret of heaven lies hidden in every detail of it. But the reason why it has not hitherto been known wherein this secret lies, is that it has not been known that there is an internal sense which is spiritual and Divine in every detail of the Word; and that there are angels with every man, who perceive his thoughts, and who apprehend the Word spiritually while he is reading it, and that through them what is holy then flows in from the Lord, and thus that through them there is conjunction of heaven with man, consequently conjunction of the Lord through the heavens with him. This is the reason why a Word of this nature was given to man, by means of which, and not in any other way, his salvation can be provided for by the Lord.

[3] That the “meat-offering,” which was bread, signifies the good of love, and that the “drink-offering,” which was wine, signifies the good of faith, and that they are so perceived by the angels, can be seen from all that is said in the Word about the meat-offering and the drink-offering; as in Joel:

The meat-offering and the drink-offering are cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, have mourned. The field is laid waste, the land hath mourned because the grain hath been laid waste, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. The vine is withered, and the fig-tree languisheth. Howl, ye ministers of Jehovah, because the meat-offering and the drink-offering have been forbidden from the house of our God, for the day of Jehovah is near, and as a devastation from Shaddai doth it come (Joel 1:9-15).

The subject here treated of is the last time of the church, when there is no longer in it the good of love and the truth of faith, which is signified by “the day of Jehovah being near,” and “coming as devastation from Shaddai.”

[4] From this it is plain that by “the meat-offering and drink-offering which were cut off from the house of Jehovah,” by “the field which was laid waste,” by “the ground which mourneth,” by “the grain which was also laid waste,” by “the new wine which was dried up,” by “the oil which languisheth,” and by “the vine” and “the fig-tree,” are signified such things as belong to the church and heaven; but the internal sense teaches what these signify. From this it is evident that by “the field” is signified the church as to the reception of truth (see n. 3766, 4982, 7502, 7571, 9295); by “the land,” the church as to good (see the places cited in n. 9325); by “grain,” all the good of the church (n. 5295, 5410, 5959); by “new wine,” all the truth of the church (n. 3580); by “oil,” the good of love (n. 4582, 4638, 9780); by “vine,” the interior good of the spiritual church (n. 5113, 6376, 9277); and by “fig-tree” its exterior good (n. 217, 4231, 5113). From all this it is evident that “the meat-offering and the drink-offering” denote worship from the good of love and from the good of faith.

[5] In Malachi:

The meat-offering I will not accept from your hands; for from the rising of the sun even to its going down, the name of Jehovah shall be great among the nations; and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a clean meat-offering (Malachi 1:10-11).

That in this passage by a “meat-offering” is not meant a meat offering, nor by “incense” incense, is plain, for the subject treated of is the church among the nations (with whom however there was no meat-offering); for it is said, “from the rising of the sun to its going down the name of Jehovah shall be great among the nations, and in every place is a clean meat offering and incense” (that “incense” denotes adoration from the good of faith, see n. 9475).

[6] So in David:

My prayers have been accepted as incense before Thee, the lifting up of my hands as the evening meat-offering (Psalms 141:2);

“the evening meat-offering” denotes the good of love in the external man.

[7] In Isaiah:

Ye have become heated with gods under every green tree. Even to them hast thou poured out a drink-offering, thou hast made a gift to go up, thou offerest a gift to the king in oil, and dost multiply thy spices, and dost abase thyself to hell (Isaiah 57:5-6, 9);

worship from evils and falsities which are from hell is the subject here treated of; in the internal sense “gods” denote falsities, for they who worshiped other gods did indeed call them by name, but still it was falsities from evils which they worshiped. (That in the Word “strange gods” denote falsities, see n. 4402, 8941; also that a “green tree” denotes all the capability of the perception, knowledge, and confirmation of falsity, n. 2722, 2972, 4552, 7692; and that “green” denotes sensitivity, see n. 7691.) “To become heated” denotes the ardor of worship; for the fire from which the heating comes denotes love in both senses (n. 5215, 6832, 7575). “To pour out a drink-offering” denotes worship from the falsities of evil; “to offer a gift to the king in oil” denotes to worship Satan from evils; “a gift in oil” is a meat-offering; “to multiply spices” is to multiply incense, by which are signified adorations (n. 9475); and therefore it is also said that he “abased himself to hell.”

[8] From all this it can be seen that the meat-offering which was bread, and the drink-offering which was wine, signify such things as are of the church and heaven, namely, heavenly food and drink, like what is signified by the bread and wine in the Holy Supper, for the purpose above mentioned-that heaven may conjoin itself with man by means of the Word, consequently the Lord through heaven by means of the Word as a medium. As the Divine of the Word consists in such things, it nourishes not only human minds, but also angelic minds, and causes heaven and the world to be one.

[9] From all this it can also be seen that each and all of the things said and commanded in the Word concerning the meat-offering and the drink-offering, or concerning bread and wine, contain Divine arcana within them, as that the meat-offering was to be fine flour, on which was to be oil, and also frankincense, and that it was to be wholly salted, and that it was to be without leaven, or ferment; and that there was to be one rule for its composition when a lamb was sacrificed, another when a ram, another when a bullock, and also a different one in the sacrifices of guilt and sin from that used in the other sacrifices; so too with the rule for the wine in the drink-offering. Unless each detail had involved arcana of heaven, they would never have been commanded for application to the various acts of worship.

[10] But that these various things may be presented under one view, they may be presented in their order. In the eucharistic sacrifices and burnt-offerings there was for every lamb a meat-offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the fourth of a hin of oil; and wine for a drink-offering the fourth of a hin. For every ram there was a meat-offering of two tenths of fine flour, and a third of a hin of oil; of wine for a drink-offering the third of a hin. For every bullock there was a meat-offering of three tenths of fine flour mingled with oil, the half of a hin; and of wine for a drink-offering the half of a hin (Numbers 15:4-12; 28:10-29; 29:3-37). The reason why for a lamb there was a different proportion of the quantity of fine flour, oil, and wine than for a ram and a bullock, was that a “lamb” signified the inmost good of innocence, a “ram” the middle good of innocence, and a “bullock” the ultimate or external good of innocence; for there are three heavens, the inmost, the middle, and the ultimate, from which there are also three degrees of the good of innocence. Its increase from first to last is signified by the increasing proportion of fine flour, oil, and wine. Be it known that the good of innocence is the very soul of heaven, because this good is alone receptive of love, charity, and faith, which make the heavens. (That a “lamb” denotes the inmost good of innocence, see n. 3994, 10132; and a “ram,” the middle or interior good of innocence, see n. 10042; and a “bullock,” the ultimate or external good of innocence, n. 9391, 9990.)

[11] But in the sacrifices for confession there was a meat-offering of unleavened cakes mixed with oil, of unleavened wafers anointed with oil, of fine flour sodden for the cakes mixed with oil; besides fermented cakes of bread (Leviticus 7:11-12); and in the sacrifices of guilt and sin there was a meat-offering of the tenth of an ephah of fine flour, but no oil and frankincense upon it (Leviticus 5:11). That no oil and frankincense were to be put upon the meat-offering of the sacrifice of sin and guilt, was because by “oil” is signified the good of love, and by “frankincense” the truth of this good, and by the sacrifices of sin and guilt is signified purification and expiation from evils and the derivative falsities, which on this account were not to be mingled with good and the derivative truth.

[12] Further, in respect to the meat-offering of Aaron and of his sons on the day in which they were anointed (see Leviticus 6:13-15); and the meat-offering of the firstfruits of the harvest (2:14, 15; 23:10, 12-13, 17); the meat-offering of the Nazirite (Numbers 6); the meat-offering of jealousy (Numbers 5); the meat-offering of one who was cleansed from leprosy (Leviticus 14); the meat-offering baked in an oven; and the meat-offering of the frying pan and the baking pan (Leviticus 2:3-7). That there was to be no ferment in the meat-offering, nor any honey; and that the meat-offering was to be salted, may be seen in verses 10-12, of the same chapter. The reason why there was to be no ferment and no honey in the meat-offering was because in the spiritual sense “ferment” denotes falsity from evil, and “honey” external delight thus commingled with the delight of the love of the world, by means of which also heavenly goods and truths ferment and thus are dispersed; and the reason why it was to be wholly salted was because “salt” signified truth longing for good, thus conjoining both. (That “ferment” denotes falsity from evil, see n. 2342, 7906, 8051, 9992; also that “honey” denotes external delight, thus the delight of love in both senses, n. 5620; and that “salt” denotes truth longing for good, n. 9207.)

3994. And every black one among the lambs. That this signifies an own that is innocent that belongs to the good signified by “Laban,” is evident from the signification of “black,” as being what is man’s own (concerning which just above, n. 3993); and from the signification of a “lamb,” as being innocence (concerning which below). As regards an own that is innocent, signified by the “black among the lambs,” the case is this. In all good there must be innocence in order that it may be good. Charity without innocence is not charity; and still less is love to the Lord possible without innocence. For this reason innocence is the very essential of love and charity, consequently of good. An own that is innocent is to know, acknowledge, and believe, not with the mouth but with the heart, that nothing but evil is from one’s self, and that all good is from the Lord; and therefore that what is man’s own is nothing but blackness; that is to say, not only the own of his will, which is evil, but also the own of his understanding, which is falsity. When man is in this confession and belief from the heart, the Lord flows in with good and truth, and insinuates into him a heavenly own, which is white and lustrous. No one can ever be in true humility unless he is in this acknowledgment and belief from the heart; for he is then in annihilation of self, nay, in the loathing of self, and thus in absence from self; and in this manner he is then in a state capable of receiving the Divine of the Lord. It is by this means that the Lord flows in with good into a humble and contrite heart.

[2] Such is the own that is innocent, which is here signified by the “black among the lambs” that Jacob chose for himself; but the white among the lambs is the self-merit that is placed in goods. (That “white” is merit has been shown above, n. 3993.) This Jacob did not choose, because it is contrary to innocence; for he who places self-merit in goods, acknowledges and believes that all good is from himself; because in the goods he does he has regard to himself, and not to the Lord, and accordingly demands recompense on account of his merit. Such a one therefore despises others in comparison with himself, and even condemns them, and consequently in the same proportion recedes from heavenly order, that is, from good and truth. From all this it is now evident that charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord are impossible unless there is innocence within them; consequently that no one can come into heaven unless there is something of innocence in him; according to the Lord’s words:

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17);

by a “little child” here and elsewhere in the Word is signified innocence. (See what has been said before on this subject, namely, That infancy is not innocence, but that innocence dwells in wisdom, n. 2305, 3494: What the innocence of infancy is, and what the innocence of wisdom, n. 2306, 3183: also, What man’s own is when vivified by the Lord with innocence and charity, n. 154: That innocence causes good to be good, n. 2526, 2780)

[3] That “lambs” signify innocence may be seen from many passages in the Word, of which the following may be adduced in confirmation.

In Isaiah:

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6); where the subject treated of is the Lord’s kingdom, and the state of peace and innocence therein. The “wolf” denotes those who are against innocence; and the “lamb,” those who are in innocence. Again in the same Prophet:

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s bread. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all the mountain of My holiness (Isaiah 65:25); where the “wolf” as above denotes those who are against innocence; and the “lamb,” those who are in innocence. As the “wolf” and the “lamb” are opposites, the Lord also said to the seventy whom He sent forth:

Behold I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3).

In Moses:

He maketh him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the sons of Bashan (Deuteronomy 32:13-14);

here in the internal sense the celestial things of the Ancient Church are treated of, and the “fat of lambs” denotes the charity of innocence.

[4] In the original language “lambs” are expressed by various names, by which are signified the different degrees of innocence; for as before said, in all good there must be innocence to make it good; consequently there must be the same in truth. “Lambs” are here expressed by the same word that is used for “sheep” (as in Leviticus 1:10; 3:7 5:6; 17:3; 22:19; Numbers 18:17); and it is the innocence of the faith of charity that is signified. Elsewhere they are expressed by other words, as in Isaiah:

Send ye the lamb of the ruler of the land from the rock toward the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion (Isaiah 16:1).

By still another word in the same prophet:

The Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and his arm shall rule for him; he shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that give suck (Isaiah 40:10-11); where to “gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom,” denotes those who are in charity in which there is innocence.

[5] In John:

When Jesus showed Himself to the disciples, He said to Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith to him a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep (John 21:15-16).

“By Peter” here and elsewhere is signified faith (see the preface to Genesis 18, and the preface to chapter 22, and n. 3750); and as faith is not faith unless it is from charity toward the neighbor, and thus from love to the Lord; and as charity and love are not charity and love unless they are from innocence, for this reason the Lord first asks Peter whether he loves Him, that is, whether there is love in the faith, and then says, “Feed My lambs,” that is, those who are in innocence. And then, after the same question, He says, “Feed My sheep,” that is, those who are in charity.

[6] As the Lord is the innocence itself which is in His kingdom, the all of innocence being from Him, He is called the “Lamb”; as in John:

The next day John the Baptist seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36).

And in the Revelation:

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they that are with Him are called, and chosen (Revelation 17:14, and elsewhere, in Revelation 5:6; 6:1, 16; 7:9, 14, 17; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1, 4; 19:7, 9; 21:22-23, 26-27; 22:1, 3).

That in the supreme sense the paschal lamb is the Lord is well known; for the passover signified the Lord’s glorification, that is, the putting on of the Divine in respect to the Human; and in the representative sense it signifies man’s regeneration; and the paschal lamb signifies that which is the essential of regeneration, namely, innocence; for no one can be regenerated except by means of the charity in which there is innocence.

[7] As innocence is the primary thing in the Lord’s kingdom, and is the celestial itself there, and as the sacrifices and burnt-offerings represented the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord’s kingdom, therefore the very essential of the Lord’s kingdom, which is innocence, was represented by lambs. For this reason a perpetual or daily burnt-offering was made of lambs, one in the morning, and another in the evening (Exodus 29:37-39; Numbers 28:3-4), and a double one on the sabbath days (Numbers 28:9-10), and of still more lambs on stated festivals (Leviticus 23:12; Numbers 28:11, 14, 19, 27; 29:1 to the end). The reason why a woman who had given birth, after the days of her cleansing were accomplished, was to offer a lamb for a burnt-offering, and the young of a pigeon or a turtle-dove (Leviticus 12:6), was that the effect of conjugial love might be signified (for that conjugial love is innocence may be seen above, n. 2736); and also because innocence is signified by “infants.”