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.)

9207. And your sons shall be orphans. That this signifies that then at the same time truths will perish, is evident from the signification of “orphans,” as being those who are in truth and not yet in good, and nevertheless long for good (see n. 9199), here those who are in truth but do not long for good, thus those with whom truths are perishing; for it is said of the evil, whose sons shall become orphans. That truths perish with those who do not long for good, is plain from what was said just above (n. 9206) about the conjunction of good and truth. With regard to this conjunction it is to be said further, that truths which are conjoined with good always have within them a longing to do what is good, and at the same time, to thereby conjoin themselves more closely with good; or, what is the same, those who are in truths always long to do what is good, and thus to conjoin good with their truths; and therefore those who believe themselves to be in truths and do not long to do what is good, are not in truths; that is, they are not in the faith of these truths, howsoever they may suppose themselves to be so.

[2] This is described by the Lord by “salt,” where He says in Matthew:

Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men (Matthew 5:13).

These words the Lord says to the disciples and to the people. By “the salt of the earth” is meant the truth of the church which longs for good; by “the salt that has lost its savor” is meant truth without any longing for good; that such truth is profitable for nothing is described by “the salt that has lost its savor being thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot.” To long for good is to long to do what is good, and in this way to be conjoined with good.

[3] So in Mark:

Everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good; but if the salt have lost its saltiness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and cherish peace one with another (Mark 9:49-50);

“to be salted with fire” denotes the longing of good for truth; and “to be salted with salt” denotes the longing of truth for good; “salt that has lost its saltiness” denotes truth without any longing for good; “to have salt in oneself” denotes to have this longing.

[4] So in Luke:

Every one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the land, nor for the dunghill: they cast it out (Luke 14:33-35);

here in like manner “salt” denotes truth longing for good; and “salt that has lost its savor,” truth which is without any longing for good; “it is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill” denotes that it does not conduce to any use, either good or evil. Those who are in such truth are those who are called “lukewarm,” as is plain from the words which precede, that “no one can be a disciple of the Lord who does not renounce all that he has,” that is, who does not love the Lord above all things; for those who love the Lord, and likewise themselves, in an equal degree, are those who are called “lukewarm,” and who are not fit for either a good use or an evil use.

[5] In Moses:

Every offering of thy meat-offering shall be salted with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to cease upon thy meat-offering; upon every offering thou shalt offer salt (Leviticus 2:13).

That “in every offering there should be salt” signified that the longing of truth for good, and of good for truth, should be in all worship. Consequently this “salt” is called “the salt of the covenant of God,” for “a covenant” denotes conjunction (n. 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 2037, 6804, 8767, 8778), and “salt” the longing for conjunction.

[6] When the one longs to be reciprocally conjoined with the other, that is, good with truth and truth with good, they then mutually regard each other; but when truth sunders itself from good, then each turns away from the other, and looks backward, or behind itself. This is signified by Lot’s wife becoming a pillar of salt, as in Luke:

Whosoever shall be upon the house, and his vessels in the house, let him not go down to take them away; and whosoever is in the field, let him likewise not turn back to the things behind him. Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:31-32).

(That this is “to look behind” one’s self, or “backward,” see n. 3652, 5895, 5897, 7857, 7923, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8516).

[7] That “salt” signifies the longing of truth, is because salt renders the earth fertile, and makes food palatable, and because there is in salt something both fiery and at the same time conjunctive; as there is in truth an ardent longing for good and at the same time for conjunction. A “pillar of salt” denotes disjunction from truth; for in the opposite sense “salt” signifies the destruction and vastation of truth (Zeph. 2:9; Ezekiel 47:11; Jeremiah 17:6; Psalms 107:33-34; Deuteronomy 29:23; Judges 9:45; an. 2 Kings 2:19-22). These things have been adduced in order that it may be known what is meant by the longing of truth for good, and the longing of good for truth, which are signified by “an orphan,” and “a widow.”