10303. And thou shalt bruise of it small. That this signifies the disposing of truths into their series, is evident from the signification of “bruising,” when said of frankincense and spices; by which are signified truths, as being the disposing of truths into their series; for “bruising” has a like signification with “grinding,” but “grinding” is said of wheat, barley, and spelt; and “bruising,” of oil, frankincense, and spices.

[2] What is specifically signified by “bruising” and “grinding” cannot be known unless it is known how the case is with man in respect to the goods and truths which are signified by “wheat,” “barley,” “meal,” “fine flour,” “oil,” “frankincense,” and “spices,” when these goods and truths have been disposed for uses; for “grinding” and “bruising” denote so to dispose them that they may be of use. When “grinding” is said of the goods which are signified by “wheat” or “barley,” then by “grinding” is signified the disposing and bringing forth of good into truths, and in this way its application to uses. Moreover, good never puts itself forth into uses except by means of truths. In these it is disposed, and thus qualified, for unless good has been disposed in truths it has no quality; but when it is disposed in truths, it is then disposed, into series in application to things according to uses, into which things good enters as the affection of love, whence comes what is grateful, pleasant, and delightful. The like is here signified by “bruising small,” for “pure frankincense” denotes spiritual good (n. 10296); and the truths which are disposed by this good are denoted by the spices stacte, onycha, and galbanum (n. 10292-10294).

[3] What is meant by disposing into series shall also be briefly told. Truths are said to be disposed into series when they have been disposed according to the form of heaven, in which form are the angelic societies. What this form is may be seen from the correspondence of all the members, viscera, and organs of man with the Grand Man, which is heaven (concerning which correspondence see a t the places cited in n. 10030). In these members, viscera, and organs, each and all things have been disposed into series and series of series. These are formed by the fibers and vessels, as is known to those who from anatomy are acquainted with the textures and contextures of the interiors of the body. Into like series have been disposed the truths from good with man.

[4] From this it is that a regenerated man is a heaven in the least form corresponding to the greatest; and that a man is wholly his own truth and good. (That a regenerated man is a heaven in the least form, see at the places cited in n. 9279; and that a man is his own truth and good, n. 10298; and that the truths with man have been disposed into series according to the angelic societies with the regenerate, n. 5339, 5343, 5530) The series into which truths have been disposed with the good, and the series into which falsities have been disposed with the evil, are signified in the Word by “sheaves” and “bundles” (asin Leviticus 23:9-15; Psalms 126:6; 129:7; Amos 2:13; Micah 4:12; Jeremiah 9:22; Zech. 12:6; Matthew 13:30).

[5] It therefore being evident what is signified by “bruising,” and “grinding,” it can be known what is signified in the internal sense by the statement that:

The sons of Israel ground the manna in mills, or bruised it in a mortar, and baked it into cakes (Numbers 11:8);

for by the “manna” was signified celestial and spiritual good (n. 8464); and by “grinding” and “bruising,” a disposing that it might serve for use; for whatever is said in the Word is significative of such things as are in heaven and the church, for every detail has an internal sense. It can also be known what is signified by the statement that:

They should not take to pledge the mill or the millstone, for he taketh the soul to pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6);

for by “the mill and the millstone” is signified that which prepares good so that it can be applied to uses; by “barley” also and by “wheat” is signified good, and by “meal” and “fine flour” truths; and as before said, good is applied to use by means of its own truths.

[6] From this it can be seen what is signified by the “mill,” by the “millstone,” and by “sitting at the mills,” in the following passages, in Matthew:

Then shall two be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left (Matthew 24:41).

He that shall cause to stumble one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that an ass millstone were hanged on his neck, and he were sunk into the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42).

A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon be thrown down, and the voice of the mill shall be heard no more at all in her (Revelation 18:21-22).

I will cause to cease from them the voice of joy, and the voice of the millstones, and the light of the lamp (Jeremiah 25:10).

O daughter of Babylon, sit on the earth; there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans; take the mill and grind meal (Isaiah 47:1-2).

As in a good sense a “mill,” and “grinding,” signify application to good uses, so in the opposite sense they signify application to evil uses; hence when they are said of Babylon and Chaldea, they signify application in favor of their loves, which are the loves of self and of the world; for by the “barley and wheat” with them is signified good adulterated, and by the “meal” thence, truth falsified. The profanation of good and truth by application in favor of these loves is also signified by the statement that:

Moses ground to powder the golden calf, and scattered it upon the waters that came down from Mount Sinai, and made the sons of Israel drink it (Exodus 32:20; Deuteronomy 9:21).

5343. The food of the field of the city. That this signifies things that belong and are suitable to them, namely, truths adjoined to good in the interiors, is evident from the signification of “food,” as being truths adjoined to good (see n. 5340, 5342). The truths that belong and are suitable to the interiors are signified by the “food of the field of the city” because the field belonged to the city, and made its surrounding compass. Things that do this signify in the internal sense things suitable and belonging thereto; wherefore also it is immediately said, “that which was round about it, put he in the midst thereof.” The reason why those things which make the surrounding compass signify things that belong and are suitable to, is that all truths joined to good are arranged in series; and the series are such that in the midst or inmost of each series there is truth joined to good, and round about this midst or inmost are the truths belonging and suitable thereto, and so on in order to the very outermost, where the series vanishes. The series themselves are also similarly arranged in relation to one another, but are varied according to changes of state.

That there are such arrangements of truths joined to good, is wont to be presented to the very sight in the other life; for in the light of heaven, in which are intelligence and wisdom, such things can be presented to view, though not in the light of the world; nor in the light of heaven with the man whose interiors are not open; and yet they may be acknowledged by him from rational insight, and in this way be rationally seen from the light of heaven. These arrangings originate from the arrangings of the angelic societies in heaven; for as these are arranged, so are the series of truths joined to good arranged in the regenerate; for the latter correspond to the former.