Chapter Three

Healing on the Sabbath

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1. And He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand.

2. And they watched Him closely, whether He would cure him on the Sabbaths, that they might accuse Him.

3. And He says to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise in the midst.”

4. And He says to them, “Is it permitted to do good on the Sabbaths or to do evil? To save a soul or to kill?” But they were silent.

5. And looking around at them with anger, being with sorrow at the hardness of their hearts, He says to the man, “Stretch out thy hand.” And he stretched [it] out; and his hand was restored, well like the other.

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In previous episodes, Jesus showed that it is not a violation of God’s commandments to touch a leper, or eat with sinners, or pluck grain on the Sabbath. When He sat at the table with sinners, eating and drinking with them, He was teaching that repentance from sin begins with hearing the Word of God. This was followed by His disciples plucking ears of corn so that they could eat. Spiritually seen, natural hunger corresponds to spiritual hunger — the desire to learn from the Lord. For this reason, the Sabbath is properly observed when it is regarded as a day for instruction in holy things. ¹

But there is more to it than that. The Sabbath should also be a day to exercise love towards the neighbor. In the very next episode Jesus illustrates this by going directly into the synagogue, on the Sabbath, where there is a man with a withered hand. Familiar with Jesus’ attitude about the Sabbath, and hating Him for it, the religious leaders are eager to see what Jesus will do. If He heals the man on the Sabbath, it will be further evidence that Jesus is a wicked blasphemer who must be punished. As it is written, “They watched Jesus carefully, to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse Him” (Mark 3:3).

It is sadly ironic that the religious leaders had little interest in witnessing the miraculous healing of a withered hand; instead, their greater interest is in gathering evidence against Jesus. And yet, Jesus was about to teach a lesson of supreme importance. He was about to show that the Sabbath is not only about receiving instruction in holy things, but also about doing the Lord’s will. Both are necessary. At the simplest level, there are only two aspects to religion. The first is receiving truth from God’s Word; the second, even more important than the first, is putting that truth to use in one’s life. This, of course, should be done every day, but this is especially how the Sabbath is honored. To demonstrate this in an object lesson, Jesus says to the man with the withered hand, “Rise up in the midst of everyone” (Mark 3:3). ²

This is the first command. Literally, the words of the command are Ἔγειρε (Egeire) which is an exhortation “to awaken” or “rise up” and μέσον (meson) which means “among us.” In other words, Jesus is asking the man do something, to take some initiative, and to do it right there in the presence of the religious leaders who would certainly see this as some sort of “activity” done by the man with the withered hand, and therefore in violation of their idea of the Sabbath.

Next, turning to the religious leaders in the synagogue, Jesus says, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil? To save life or to kill? (Mark 3:4). They cannot answer; they are not prepared to hear this new understanding of the Sabbath, nor do they want to. As Jesus looks around, He is simultaneously angered and grieved by their unreceptive, hardened hearts, but He is not deterred. Turning again to the man with the withered hand, Jesus says, “Stretch out your hand” (Mark 3:5).

This is the second command. The words “stretch out your hand” contain a divinely given lesson about personal effort. Along the journey of spiritual development, we must do our part. We must strive; we must struggle; we must stretch. And even though the power to do so comes from the Lord alone, we must exert personal effort, allowing the Lord to work through the truth He has given us. This is how we “rise up” and step forward in the midst of the synagogue, holding out our hand to the Lord. Insofar as we do this, making the first effort, the Lord empowers us to keep His commandments. This is how we are healed — by compelling ourselves to stretch at the command of the Lord. As it is written, “And he stretched out his hand, and it was restored as whole as the other” (Mark 3:5).

As the man with the withered hand drew near to Jesus and stretched out his hand, Jesus drew near to him. The same takes place in each of our lives. To the extent that we draw near to God, God draws near to us. Whenever this happens, allowing the Lord to heal us from within, it is the Sabbath. ³

Jesus Silences the Unclean Spirits, Again

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6. And the Pharisees came forth straightway and took counsel with the Herodians against Him, so that they might destroy Him.

7. And Jesus departed with His disciples to the sea; and a multitude of many from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea,

8. And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and [from] across the Jordan; and those around Tyre and Sidon, a numerous multitude, having heard how many things He did, came to Him.

9. And He said to His disciples that a boat should wait on Him on account of the crowd, lest they should throng Him;

10. For He had cured many, insomuch that they fell on Him to touch Him, as many as had scourges.

11. And the unclean spirits, when they beheld Him, fell before Him, and cried out, saying, “Thou art the Son of God!”

12. And He rebuked them much that they should not make Him manifest.

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Jesus has introduced several new ways to look at religious life. He has shown that that there is a new way to look at sinners, there is a new way to practice repentance, and a new way to keep the Sabbath holy. This is the new wine that can’t be put into old wineskins and the new cloth that can’t be sewn onto old garments. In brief, it is the new views of religious life (wine) and the new ways of doing good (cloth) that Jesus has come to teach and demonstrate. But the religious leaders, whose thoughts and attitudes are represented by the “old wineskins” and “old garments,” cannot bear it. As it is written, the religious leaders “immediately went out and conspired with the supporters of Herod to plot how they might destroy Jesus” (Mark 3:6).

Jesus, therefore, withdraws and heads for the sea, followed by multitudes of people who have, by now, heard about His miraculous healings. Wherever He goes, the crowds press in upon Him, and many people reach out to touch Him, especially those who have plagues. Somehow, they know and believe that they could be healed if only they could touch Jesus. Even unclean spirits fall down before Him, crying out, “You are the Son of God” (Mark 3:11).

When the unclean spirits cry out in this way, calling Jesus “the Son of God,” He warns them to not make this known. As it is written, “He earnestly charged them, that they should not make Him manifest (Mark 3:12). This has been a continuous theme in this gospel. Over and over again, Jesus has told unclean spirits and demons, and, in one case, a leper, to be quiet and say nothing.

Why was Jesus so opposed to people speaking about His nature and His miracles? One of the most frequently mentioned explanations is that Jesus wanted His identity as the Messiah to be kept secret until after the resurrection. According to this theory, Jesus knew that too much publicity would incite the religious authorities to come after Him before He had accomplished His mission on earth. Therefore, it was important to carry out His mission under the cloak of secrecy for as long as possible.

Another explanation involves the fact that Jesus did not want people to get the wrong idea of His Messianic role. The people had long expected and hoped for a temporal king who would lead them to victory over their physical enemies, alleviate their hunger, and cure their illnesses. But Jesus’ special mission was to be a spiritual king who came to subdue the forces of evil, feed their spiritual hunger, and cure their spiritual sickness. This would necessarily involve a radical idea of the Messiah. Jesus, therefore, was reluctant to have people talk about Him as an external miracle worker, for this was not His primary mission.

This helps to explain some of the reasons why Jesus so often told demons and people to be quiet about what He had done. But there were other times when Jesus neither forbade nor encouraged people to speak. For example, in the previous episode, when Jesus healed the man’s withered hand, He did not forbid the man from speaking. Nor did He encourage Him to do so. In order to understand why Jesus sometimes says, “tell no one” and sometimes says nothing, we will be taking a closer look at each occurrence as it arises in this gospel.

The Danger of Hypocrisy

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13. And He goes up into the mountain, and calls to [Himself] whom He willed, and they came away to Him.

14. And He made twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach,

15. And to have authority to cure diseases, and to cast out demons.

16. And He put on Simon the name Peter;

17. And James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and He put on them [the] names Boanerges, which is, the sons of thunder;

18. And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Kananite,

19. And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

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Who is equipped to share the gospel? What special preparation, qualifications, and character traits are necessary? When is it best to speak and when is it best to be silent? While we might expect that those who share the gospel are good people, this is not always the case. Selfish, egotistical people can also understand and share the gospel. This is because the Lord has designed the universe in such a way that the understanding of anyone can be elevated into the light of heaven. From that height, even self-centered people can understand the gospel and share the good news almost as well as an angel of heaven. As we have seen, even the devils of hell referred to Jesus as the “Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24) and the “Son of God” (Mark 3:11). ⁴

These elevated states of enlightenment are provided to help us see the ways in which we have been selfish, self-centered, and inconsiderate. These flashes of insight, in which our understanding is opened, are “mountaintop moments.” They are times of inner illumination when we are separated from our lower nature long enough to gain a clearer view of what is below, and a more elevated understanding of God’s will. If we use these moments wisely, looking to the Lord for the strength to shun the evils that we see in ourselves, a new will can be born in us. ⁵

Such moments are represented in the next episode where we find that Jesus has gathered His twelve disciples on the mountaintop so that “He might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14). The disciples have all been personally selected by Him. As it is written, “He called to Him those He Himself wanted” (Mark 3:13). And He has given to them “power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out demons” (Mark 3:15). On a more interior level, the gathering together of the twelve disciples on the mountaintop represents the gathering together of our highest thoughts and emotions. These are the “mountaintop moments” when we feel closest to God and empowered to “heal sicknesses” (remove evil lusts) and “cast out demons” (get rid of false beliefs that arise from evil). ⁶

Unfortunately, these inspired moments do not last as long as we might like. For example, in a “mountaintop moment,” someone might say, “I know I should not get angry or be anxious.” But when the person’s lower nature is stirred up, the higher truth has no resting place. There is no good earth for that seed of truth to take root.

These are the times when the person must, as if of oneself, exert effort — called “will power” — so that a new will might be created. Unless evils are shunned, and the person looks to the Lord for the strength to do so, the higher state of consciousness cannot be sustained. In brief, the truth can be beautiful to behold, but it must also be put to use when needed. It is one thing to experience a change of mind. This is where we all must start. But unless this leads to a change of heart, it will do us no good. The old nature will reassert itself and drag us back down to its level again and again. ⁷

This episode, which began on a mountain, ends with a descent. As each of the disciples is named, the last of the disciples to be mentioned is Judas Iscariot, who, it is said “betrayed Him” (Mark 3:19). This is an image of how the human mind descends from the mountaintop heights of faith to the terrible depths of betrayal.

A House Divided

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20. And a crowd comes together again, so that they could not even eat bread.

21. And when those with Him heard [of it], they came out to take hold of Him, for they said, He is stupefied.

22. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzeboul; and, By the prince of the demons He casteth out demons.”

23. And calling them, He said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

24. And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26. And if Satan stand up against himself and be divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.

27. No one having entered into the house of a strong [one] can plunder his vessels, unless he first bind the strong [one], and then he will plunder his house.

28. Amen I say to you, All sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and blasphemies, whatever they shall blaspheme,

29. But whoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit does not have forgiveness to eternity, but is subject to eternal judgment”

30. Because they said, He has an unclean spirit.

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The scriptures are clear that the Lord longs to feed us with heavenly bread. These are the good and true things that come from Him. As we learned in Matthew, we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Although Jesus longs to feed us spiritually, a multitude of lower desires get in the way, preventing the reception of spiritual nourishment. We therefore read, as the next episode begins, that “the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread” (Mark 3:20).

This is a picture of each of us at those times when our minds are overwhelmed. A boisterous crowd of worries, concerns, and doubts prevent us from focusing on the voice of the Lord and the things that proceed from Him. The voices of “the multitude” that prevent us from hearing Him are not just the cares of the world and the worries that press into our minds like an aggressive crowd. Seen at a more interior level, these cares and worries are the thoughts and feelings that flow in through evil spirits, filling us with a spirit of denial concerning the divinity of Jesus. “He is out of His mind,” they cry out (Mark 3:21). “He has Beelzebub,” they say. And, “by the ruler of the demons He casts out demons,” they insist (Mark 3:22). ⁸

But Jesus answers: “How can Satan cast out Satan?” (Mark 3:23). Jesus’ logic is unassailable. Satan and Beelzebub, in this passage, represent the false thoughts that arise from hell and invade our minds. Falsity cannot cast out falsity; rather, false beliefs support and reinforce each other. Those who choose to deny the divinity of Jesus, for example, or the necessity of keeping the commandments can amass, in a moment, hundreds of false ideas to support their position.

Similarly, whenever people are upset with someone, they can summon up numerous examples to support their negative state. Demonic influences flow in with falsity upon falsity, like flies on putrid matter, ready for a feeding frenzy. Memories of actual events arise in the mind and are presented as evidence. But they are distorted, blown out of proportion, and twisted to support the negative state that one is in.

As Jesus continues His analogy, He compares a divided mind to a divided kingdom. He says, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:23-26). In other words, Jesus is saying that false beliefs must work together to accomplish their end. Satan does not cast out Satan, just as false beliefs do not cast out false beliefs. Instead, they band together to accomplish their hellish purposes in the same way that members of a mob cooperate in order to attain their evil ends.

Only truth — divine truth — has the power to cast out falsity. If, however, the power of divine truth is denied, or not accessed, it is as though the human mind has been captured by the enemy and bound up in ropes. Jesus puts it this way: “No one can enter into a strong man’s house and plunder his property, unless he first binds the strong man; then, indeed the house can be plundered” (Mark 3:27). When truth is “bound,” the mind is tied up in false ideas; the inner house — which should be the Lord’s dwelling place — is ransacked. ⁹

On a more interior level, however, the “divided kingdom” that Jesus mentions is the danger of having a divided mind. This is a mind that pretends to believe what is good and true, and even acts in accordance with that belief, but has darker motives within. For example, the mind of a hypocrite is divided because it appears to be agreeable and flattering on the external level, while, more deeply, it is thinking only of how it can satisfy its selfish desires. ¹⁰

The sin of hypocrisy is so serious that Jesus calls it the “unforgivable sin.” We might be inclined to think that there are worse sins than hypocrisy. Sins such as murder and rape come to mind. But hypocrisy is especially diabolical because it invades and destroys the interiors of the mind. And the very worst form of hypocrisy is practiced by those who use the things of religion for their own advantage, twisting truth to serve their own ends, and pretending to be pious to enhance their reputation.

Jesus knows that this was exactly what is going on among the religious leaders who accuse Him of being in league with the devil. But He sees through their pious exteriors to the corruption and hypocrisy within. Therefore, He says to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (Mark 3:28-29).

This is a strong warning, not only to the religious leaders of Jesus’ time, but to each of us today. If we are to confess that Jesus is “the Son of God,” if we are to give our personal testimonies about His healing love in our lives, we need to be sure we are doing so from a heart purified of selfish ambition. We need to be sure our testimonies are focused on worshipping God, and not on glorifying our own egos. Otherwise, the admonition directed at the unclean spirits who said, “You are the Son of God,” also applies to us: “He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.” ¹¹

As this episode comes to an end, we read that Jesus has said all these things to the religious leaders because they had accused Him of having an “unclean spirit” (Mark 3:29). Even at the most literal level, that which is unclean cannot eradicate that which is unclean; dirt cannot remove dirt; and filth cannot wash away filth. We need clean water (truth), a scouring agent (the Lord’s power), and personal effort to remove the dirt and filth from our lives. Jesus has already demonstrated His power to cast out unclean spirits. This is the power than can only come from God. To accuse Jesus of having an “unclean spirit” is an unforgiveable sin, not because the Lord is unforgiving, but because it represents the denial of Jesus’ divinity and the refusal to receive the forgiveness He freely offers to everyone.

A practical application:

Hypocrites may pretend to be pious, and even believe in God, while, at heart, thinking only of themselves and what they can gain. In this regard, we need to observe our words and actions, noting to what extent they might appear to be moral, ethical, and “righteous,” while internally they could be motivated by selfish desires and egotistical concerns. Do our inner thoughts align with our good behavior? If not, we may have an “unclean spirit” that must be cast out. ¹²

On the Inside

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31. Then came His brothers and mother and, standing outside, [they] sent to Him, calling Him.

32. And the crowd sat around Him; and they said to Him, “Behold, Thy mother and Thy brothers outside seek Thee.”

33. And He answered them saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?”

34. And looking all around at those that sat around Him, He says, “See, My mother and My brothers!

35. For whoever shall do the will of God, this is My brother, and My sister, and mother.”

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The warnings about hypocrisy given in the previous episode open the way for understanding the final episode in this chapter. Jesus is somewhere “inside” while His brothers and mother are calling Him to come “outside.” The multitude, who are standing outside, are calling to Him, saying: “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You” (Mark 3:32). Jesus looks around at those who are inside, with Him, and responds, “Here are my mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of God is My brother, and My sister and My mother” (Mark 3:34-35).

Jesus’ whole life on earth was an effort to overcome the evils that He inherited at birth. These evils are represented by the mother and brothers who were on the “outside” — the external nature that He inherited. On the “inside,” however, is His Divine soul: the very Infinite which He called “the Father.” ¹³

Similarly, we have an exterior nature (the multitude of self-serving emotions and thoughts) and an interior nature (our higher, nobler, and more spiritual inclinations). The exterior nature, which is attached to the delights of the natural world, is constantly calling for our internal, spiritual nature to come out and serve it. This represents the inversion of order characteristic of the merely natural person. Such a person will indeed acknowledge the spiritual, but only insofar as it will serve selfish, worldly interests.

As we have just seen in the previous episode, this kind of hypocrisy is called “the sin against the Holy Spirit.” It amounts to using the higher — God and the Word of God — to serve the lower, the love of one’s self and the love of possessing the things of the world. When this is the case, the higher becomes the servant of the lower, which is the reverse of heavenly order. Self is worshipped above God, and things are valued above people.

Jesus, of course, refuses to allow the “higher self” to become the servant of the “lower self.” Our inherited inclinations to selfishness should never be allowed to rule over or exploit the holy things of religion. Rather, the holy things of religion should govern our lower “hereditary” nature, and this can only come about through a sincere desire to do the Lord’s will. In this context, Jesus looks around at the disciples and the others who are with Him on the inside and says, “Here are My mother and My brothers” (Mark 3:34). And just to be clear that He does not pick favorites, Jesus adds, “Whoever does the will of God is My brother, sister, and mother” (Mark 3:35).

If we are to remain close to the Lord, we must hear His Word and do His will. To the extent that we do this, our mind will no longer be “a house divided against itself.” Instead, it will be a heavenly dwelling where truth and goodness are united, where inner thoughts and outer actions are aligned, and where there is a sacred alliance of good desire, holy truth, and noble endeavor. The disciples, who represent our highest thoughts and aspirations are there with us on the inside, supporting us as we strive to do the will of God.

Note a piè di pagina:

617. And he said unto me, Take and eat it up, signifies that he should read, perceive, and explore the Word, of what quality it is within and what it is without. This is evident from the signification of "he said unto me, Take the little book," as being the faculty given to perceive of what quality the Word is, that is, what the understanding of the Word now is in the church (See the preceding article, n. 616; and from the signification of "to eat up" (or devour), as being to conjoin and appropriate to oneself, and as the Word is conjoined to man by reading and perception, here "to eat up" or "to devour" signifies to read and perceive. "To eat up" here signifies also to explore, because it is added that "the little book made his belly bitter," and was perceived to be "in his mouth sweet as honey," and by this it was ascertained what the Word, as regards its understanding, is within and without; what it is within is signified by "the belly and its bitterness," and what it is without by the "mouth" in which it was perceived to be sweet as honey. From this it can be seen that "he said unto me, Take and eat it up," signifies that he should read, perceive, and explore the Word, of what quality it is within and of what it is without.

[2] "To eat" and "to drink" are often mentioned in the Word, and those who have no knowledge of the spiritual sense can have no other idea than that natural eating and drinking are thereby meant; but "to eat" and "to drink" signify to nourish oneself spiritually, consequently to appropriate to oneself good and truth, "to eat" signifying to appropriate to oneself good, and "to drink" to appropriate to oneself truth. Anyone who believes that the Word is also spiritual may know that "to eat" and "to drink," likewise "bread," "food," "wine," and "drink" mean spiritual nourishment; if they did not mean this the Word would be merely natural and not at the same time spiritual, thus merely for the natural man and not for the spiritual man, much less for angels. That "bread," "food," "wine," and "drink" mean in the spiritual sense the nourishment of the mind, has been frequently shown above; also that the Word is spiritual throughout, although in the sense of the letter it is natural. To be nourished spiritually is to be instructed and imbued, consequently to know, to understand, and to be wise. Unless a man enjoys this nourishment together with the nourishment of the body, he is not a man but a beast; and this is why those who place all delight in feastings and banquetings and daily indulge their palates are dull in spiritual things, however they may be able to reason respecting the things of the world and of the body; therefore after death they live a life that is beastly rather than human, for instead of intelligence and wisdom they have insanity and folly. This has been said to make known that here "to devour or eat up the little book" signifies to read, to perceive, and to explore the Word, for "the little book" that was in the hand of the angel coming down from heaven means the Word, as has been said above. Moreover, one cannot eat or devour a book naturally, thus not the Word; and this, too, makes clearly evident that "to eat" here signifies to be spiritually nourished.

[3] That "to eat" and "to drink" signify in the Word to eat and drink spiritually, which is to be instructed, and by instruction and living to imbue oneself with good and truth and to appropriate this, consequently intelligence and wisdom, can be seen from the following passages. In Jeremiah:

Thy words shall be found, that I may eat them, and Thy Word be to me for joy and for the gladness of my heart (Jeremiah 15:16).

Here "to eat" manifestly stands for spiritual eating, which is to know, to perceive, and to appropriate to oneself, for it is said, "that I may eat Thy words, and Thy Word be to me for joy and for the gladness of my heart;" the "words of God" signify His precepts or Divine truths. This is similar to what the Lord said to the tempter:

That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:3, 4; Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3).

Again:

Work not for the food that perisheth, but for the food that abideth unto eternal life (John 6:27).

So, too, with the words of the Lord to the disciples:

The disciples said, Rabbi, eat. But He said, I have food to eat that ye know not. The disciples said one to another, Hath anyone brought Him aught to eat? Jesus said unto them, My food is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to accomplish His work (John 4:31-34).

[4] From this, too, it is evident that "to eat" signifies in the spiritual sense to receive in the will and to do, from which is conjunction; for the Lord by doing the Divine will conjoined the Divine that was in Him with His Human, and thus appropriated the Divine to His Human. To this may be referred:

The Lord's feeding the five thousand men, besides women and children, with five loaves and two fishes, and when they had eaten and were filled they took up twelve baskets of fragments (Matthew 14:15-22; John 6:5, 6, 13, 23).

Also His feeding four thousand men from seven loaves and a few fishes (Matthew 15:32, et seq .).

This miracle was done because previously the Lord had been teaching them, and they had received and appropriated to themselves His doctrine; this is what they ate spiritually; therefore natural eating followed, that is, flowed in out of heaven with them as the manna did with the sons of Israel, unknown to them; for when the Lord wills, spiritual food which also is real food but only for spirits and angels, is changed into natural food, just as it was turned into manna every morning.

[5] The like is signified by "eating bread in the kingdom of God" in Luke:

I appoint unto you a kingdom that ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom (Luke 22:27, 29, 30).

Here also "to eat" and "to drink" signify to eat and drink spiritually, therefore "to eat" there signifies to receive, to perceive; and to appropriate to oneself the good of heaven from the Lord, and "to drink" signifies to receive, to perceive, and to appropriate to oneself the truth of that good; for "to eat" is predicated of good because "bread" signifies the good of love, and "to drink" is predicated of truth because "water" and "wine" signify the truth of that good. The like is signified elsewhere in Luke:

Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of God (Luke 14:15).

This is why the Lord there likened the kingdom of God:

To a great supper, to which those invited did not come, and to which only those came who were brought in from the streets (verses Luke 14:16-24).

[6] Spiritual eating, by which the soul is nourished, is also signified by "eating" in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

If ye will be willing and obedient ye shall eat good (Isaiah 1:19).

"To eat good" signifies spiritual good, therefore it is said, "If ye will be willing and obedient," that is, if ye will do; for spiritual food is given, conjoined, and appropriated to man by his willing and his doing therefrom.

In David:

Blessed is everyone that feareth Jehovah, that walketh in His ways. Thou shalt eat the labor of thy hands; blessed art thou, and it is good with thee (Psalms 128:1, 2).

"To eat the labor of his hands" signifies the celestial good that man receives from the Lord by a life according to Divine truths, and acquires as it were by his own labor and zeal, therefore it is said that he shall eat "who feareth Jehovah and walketh in His ways," and it is added "Blessed art thou, and it is good with thee."

[7] In Isaiah:

Say to the righteous that it is good, for they shall eat the fruit of their works (Isaiah 3:10).

"To eat the fruit of their works" has a similar signification as "eating the labor of their hands," mentioned above.

In Ezekiel:

Thou didst eat fine flour, honey, and oil; whence thou didst become exceeding beautiful, and didst prosper even to a kingdom (Ezekiel 16:13).

This was said of Jerusalem, which signifies the church, here the Ancient Church, which was in truths and in spiritual good, and at the same time in natural good; "fine flour" signifies truth, "honey" natural good, or the good of the external man; and "oil" spiritual good, or the good of the internal man; the reception, perception, and appropriation of these goods is signified by "eating fine flour, honey, and oil;" that from these the church became intelligent is signified by "whence thou didst become exceedingly beautiful," "beauty" signifying intelligence; that from these it became a church is signified by "thou didst prosper even to a kingdom," "kingdom" signifying the church.

[8] In Isaiah:

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name God-with-us; butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to reject the evil and to choose the good. For before the boy knoweth to reject the evil and to choose the good the land which thou abhorrest shall be forsaken from before its two kings (Isaiah 7:14-16).

It is evident that the "Son" whom the virgin shall conceive and bear, and whose name shall be called "God-with-us," is the Lord in respect to His Human; the appropriation, in respect to the Human, of spiritual and natural Divine good is meant by "butter and honey shall He eat," spiritual Divine good by "butter," natural Divine good by "honey," and appropriation by "eating;" and because so far as it is known how to reject evil and to choose good, so far spiritual and natural Divine good is appropriated, therefore it is said, "that He may know to reject the evil and to choose the good." That the church was deserted and vastated in respect to all good and truth by knowledges [scientifica] falsely applied, and by reasonings therefrom, is signified by "the land which thou abhorrest shall be forsaken from before its two kings," "land" signifying the church; the desertion and devastation of it are meant by "it shall be forsaken and abhorred;" and "the two kings," who are the king of Egypt and the king of Assyria, signify knowledges wrongly applied, and reasonings therefrom, "the king of Egypt" such knowledges, and "the king of Assyria" reasonings therefrom. That these kings are meant is evident from what follows in verses 17 and 18, where Egypt and Assyria are mentioned; moreover, these things also are what chiefly devastate the church. That the Lord came into the world when there was no longer any truth and good in the church, thus when there was nothing of the church remaining, has been said several times above.

[9] In the same prophet:

It shall come to pass by reason of the abundance of milk that one shall eat butter; for butter and honey shall everyone eat that remains in the land (Isaiah 7:22).

This is said of a new church to be established by the Lord; and "butter and honey" signify spiritual good and natural good, and "to eat" signifies to appropriate (as above); "milk" signifies the spiritual from the celestial, from which these goods are.

[10] In the same:

Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no silver; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without silver and without price. Wherefore do ye weigh silver for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? In hearkening hearken unto Me, ¹ and eat good, that your soul may delight itself in fatness (Isaiah 55:1, 2).

It is very clear that "to eat" signifies here to appropriate to oneself from the Lord, for it is said, "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no silver; come ye, buy and eat," which signifies that everyone who desires truth, and who had not truth before, may acquire and appropriate it from the Lord; "one that thirsts" signifies one who desires, "water" truth, "silver" the truth of good, here one who has no truth of good is meant; "to come" means to come to the Lord, "to buy" means to acquire for oneself, and "to eat" to appropriate. "Come ye, buy wine and milk without silver and without price," signifies that spiritual Divine truth and natural Divine truth may be acquired without self-intelligence, "wine" signifying spiritual Divine truth, and "milk" spiritual-natural Divine truth. "Wherefore do ye weigh silver for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?" signifies that it is useless to endeavor to acquire from what is one's own [proprium] the good of love and that which nourishes the soul; "silver" as well as "labor" means here truth from what is one's own [proprium], or from self-intelligence, "bread" means the good of love, and "that which satisfies" that which nourishes the soul, here that which does not nourish; "In hearkening hearken unto Me" signifies that these things are from the Lord alone; "and eat ye good, that your soul may delight itself in fatness," signifies that they may appropriate to themselves celestial good, from which is every enjoyment of life, "to delight in fatness" signifying to have enjoyment from good, and "soul" signifying life.

[11] In the same:

The merchandise of Tyre shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, to eat to satiety and for a covering with what is ancient (Isaiah 23:18).

"The merchandise of Tyre" signifies the knowledges of good and truth of every kind; "to dwell before Jehovah" signifies to live from the Lord; "to eat to satiety" signifies to receive, perceive, and appropriate to oneself knowledges of good sufficient for nourishing the soul; "for a covering with what is ancient" signifies to be imbued with knowledges of genuine truth; for "to cover" is predicated of truths, because "garments" signify truths clothing good, and "ancient" is predicated of what is genuine, since there were genuine truths with the ancients. The signification is similar in Moses:

That they should eat to the full, and should eat the old store long kept (Leviticus 26:5, 10).

In the same:

That they should eat and be full in the good land (Deuteronomy 11:15).

Then also that they should eat and not be satisfied (Leviticus 26:26).

[12] In Isaiah:

They shall build houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build that another may inhabit, they shall not plant that another may eat (Isaiah 65:21, 22).

Everyone knows what is signified by these words in the sense of the letter; but as the Word in its bosom is spiritual, spiritual things also are meant, that is, such things as belong to heaven and the church, for these are spiritual things. "To build houses and to inhabit them" signifies to fill the interiors of the mind with the goods of heaven and the church, and thereby to enjoy celestial life, "houses" signifying the interiors of the mind, and "to inhabit" celestial life therefrom. "To plant vineyards and to eat the fruit of them" signifies to enrich themselves with spiritual truths, and to appropriate to themselves goods therefrom; "vineyards" mean spiritual truths, "fruits" goods therefrom; and "to eat" to receive, perceive, and appropriate to themselves, for every good is appropriated to man by means of truths, that is, by a life according to them. This that has been said makes evident what is signified by "they shall not build that another may inhabit, they shall not plant that another may eat," "another" signifying falsity and evil destroying truth and good; for when truths and goods perish with man falsities and evils enter. In Jeremiah:

Build ye houses and inhabit them, and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them (Jeremiah 29:5, 28).

These words have a similar meaning as those just explained.

[13] In Moses:

That there shall be given in the land great and good cities which they builded not, houses full of every good thing which they did not fill, cisterns hewed out which they did not hew, vineyards and olive gardens which they did not plant; they shall eat to satiety (Deuteronomy 6:10, 11).

The natural man understands these things only according to the sense of the letter, but if the particulars contained no spiritual meaning the Word would be merely natural and not spiritual, and thus it might be believed that merely worldly opulence and abundance are promised to those who live according to the Divine commandments. "But what would it profit a man if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" In other words, what would it profit a man to be given houses full of every good thing, likewise cisterns, and to have vineyards and olive gardens given him from which he might eat to satiety? But these riches enumerated are worldly riches by which are meant spiritual riches, from which man has eternal life. The "great and good cities to be given" signify doctrinals from genuine goods and truths; "houses full of every good thing" signify the interiors of the mind full of love and wisdom; "cisterns hewn" signify the interiors of the natural mind full of the knowledges of good and truth; "vineyards and olive gardens" signify all things of the church, both its truths and its goods, "vineyards" meaning the church in respect to truths, and "olive gardens" the church in respect to goods, since "wine" signifies truth, and "oil" good; "to eat to satiety" signifies full reception, perception, and appropriation.

[14] In Isaiah:

He shall delight in Jehovah; and I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob (Isaiah 58:14).

"To make to ride upon the high places of the earth" signifies to give an understanding of higher or interior truth respecting the things of the church and of heaven; and "to feed with the heritage of Jacob" signifies to bestow all things of heaven and the church; for "the heritage of Jacob" means the land of Canaan, and that land signifies the church, and in a higher sense heaven.

[15] As "to eat" signifies to appropriate to oneself, it can be seen what is signified by:

Eating of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise (Revelation 2:7);

namely, to appropriate to oneself celestial life; also what is signified by "eating of the tree of knowledge" in Genesis:

Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden eating thou shalt eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of this thou shalt not eat, for in the day that thou shalt eat of it dying thou shalt die (Genesis 2:16, 17).

The "tree of the knowledge (scientia) of good and evil" signifies the knowledge of natural things, through which it is not permitted to enter into the celestial and spiritual things which belong to heaven and the church, thus to enter from the natural man into the spiritual, which is the inverse way, and therefore does not lead to wisdom, but destroys it. "Adam and his wife" mean the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church. Because the men of that church were in love to the Lord they had Divine truths inscribed on them, and thence they knew from influx the corresponding things in the natural man, which are called knowledges [scientifica]; in a word, there was with them spiritual influx, that is, influx from the spiritual mind into the natural, and thus into the things that are in it, and what these were they saw by correspondence as in a mirror.

[16] With them spiritual things were entirely distinct from natural things; spiritual things had their seat in their spiritual mind, and natural things in their natural mind, and thus they did not immerse what is spiritual in their natural mind, as spiritual-natural men are wont to do. For this reason, if they had consigned spiritual things to the natural memory, and had appropriated them to themselves in that way, that which was implanted with them would have perished, and they would have begun to reason about spiritual things from the natural man, and thus to form conclusions, which celestial men never do. This, moreover, would have been wishing to be wise from self-intelligence, and not from Divine intelligence, as before, and by this they would have extinguished all their celestial life, and they would have entertained natural ideas even about spiritual things. This, therefore, is what is signified by their "not eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," and if they did eat, "dying they should die." The like is true of those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom as of these most ancient people meant by "Adam." If these were to imbue the natural man and its memory with knowledges of spiritual truth and good, and should wish to be wise from these, they would become stupid, while yet they are the wisest of all in heaven. (On this more may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28, where the Two Kingdoms, Celestial and Spiritual, into which Heaven is in general distinguished, are treated of.)

[17] In David:

He that did eat of My bread hath lifted up his heel against Me (Psalms 41:9).

This is said of the Jews, who had Divine truths because they had the Word, as can be seen in John (John 13:18), where these words are applied to the Jews; therefore "to eat the Lord's bread" signifies the appropriation of Divine truth, but here a communication of it, for the Jews could not appropriate it. "Bread" signifies the Word, from which is spiritual nutrition. "To lift up the heel against Him" signifies to pervert the sense of the letter of the Word even to denial of the Lord, and the falsification of every truth. For the Divine truth is presented in image as a man; this is why heaven in its whole complex is called the Greatest Man, and corresponds to all things of man; for heaven is formed according to the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; and as the Word is the Divine truth, this, too, before the Lord is in image like a Divine Man; for this reason its ultimate sense, which is the mere sense of the letter, corresponds to the heel. The perversion of the Word, or of the Divine truth, by applying the sense of the letter to falsities, such as were the traditions of the Jews, is signified by "lifting up the heel against the Lord." The whole heaven is in image like a man, and thence corresponds to all things of man, and heaven is such because it was created and formed by the Lord by means of the Divine truth proceeding from Him, which is the Word by which all things were made (John 1:1-3), as may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 59-102, and n. 200-212).

[18] In Luke:

They shall begin to say, We did eat before Thee and drink before Thee, and Thou didst teach in our streets. But He shall say, I know you not whence ye are; depart, ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:26, 27).

Their saying, when presented for judgment, that they "ate and drank before the Lord," signifies that they had read the Word and drawn from it the knowledges of good and truth, supposing that this would save them; therefore it follows, "Thou didst teach in our streets," which signified that they had been instructed in truths from the Word, thus by the Lord. But that reading the Word and being instructed from it is of no avail for salvation, without at the same time a life according to it, is signified by the answer, "He shall say, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity;" for it is of no avail for salvation to enrich the memory from the Word and from the doctrinals of the church, unless they are committed to life.

[19] In Matthew:

The king said to them on his right hand, I was an hungered and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty and ye gave me to drink. And to those on the left hand, I was an hungered and ye gave me not to eat; I was thirsty and ye gave me not to drink (Matthew 25:34, 35, 41, 42).

By these words also spiritual hunger and thirst and spiritual eating and drinking are signified; spiritual hunger and thirst are the affection and desire for good and truth, and spiritual eating and drinking are instruction, reception, and appropriation. It is said here that the Lord hungered and thirsted, because from His Divine love He desires the salvation of all; and it is said that men gave Him to eat and to drink; which is done when from affection they receive and perceive good and truth from the Lord, and by means of the life appropriate them to themselves. The like may be said of a man who from his heart loves to instruct man and desires his salvation; therefore it is charity, or the spiritual affection of truth, that is described by these words and those that follow.

[20] From what has been said it can now be seen what is signified in the spiritual sense by eating bread and drinking wine in the Holy Supper, Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; where it is also said, that the bread is the Lord's body, and the wine is His blood. There "bread" signifies the good of love, and "wine" truth from that good, which is the good of faith, and "flesh and blood," have a similar signification, also "eating" signifies appropriation and conjunction with the Lord, as can be seen from what is said and shown in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 210-222). That such is the signification of "bread and wine," and "body and blood," also of "eating," becomes still more evident from the Lord's words in John:

Your ² fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness, and they are dead. This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven; if anyone shall eat of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Verily I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood ye have not life in you. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood abideth in Me and I in him. This is that bread that came down out of heaven. He that eateth of this bread shall live forever (John 6:49-58).

Anyone who has the ability to think interiorly can see that neither flesh nor blood nor bread nor wine, are here meant, but the Divine proceeding from the Lord; for it is the Divine proceeding, which is Divine good and Divine truth, that gives eternal life to man, and causes the Lord to abide in man, and man in the Lord; for the Lord is in man in His own Divine and not in what is man's own [proprium], for this is nothing but evil; and the Lord is in man, and man in the Lord, when the Divine proceeding is appropriated to man by a right reception. The appropriation itself is signified by "eating," the Divine good proceeding, by "flesh" and "bread," and the Divine truth proceeding, by "blood" and "wine." It was similar in the sacrifices, in which the "flesh" and the "meal-offering," which was bread, signified the good of love, and the "blood" and "wine," which were the drink-offering, signified truth from that good, both from the Lord. Since "flesh" and "bread" signify the Divine good proceeding, and "blood" and "wine," the Divine truth proceeding, "flesh" and "bread" mean the Lord Himself in relation to Divine good, and "blood" and "wine," the Lord Himself in relation to Divine truth. The Lord Himself is meant by these, because the Divine proceeding is the Lord Himself in heaven and in the church; therefore the Lord says of Himself, "This is the bread that cometh down out of heaven;" also "He that eateth and drinketh these abideth in Me, and I in him."

[21] Because "bread" signifies the Lord in relation to Divine good, and "to eat it" signifies appropriation and conjunction:

When the Lord manifested Himself to the disciples after His death, when He brake bread and gave to them, their eyes were opened and they knew Him (Luke 24:30, 31).

This, too, shows that "to eat bread" given by the Lord signifies conjunction with Him. Enlightened by this the disciples knew Him; for "eyes" in the Word correspond to the understanding and thence signify it, and this is what is enlightened; and thence "their eyes were opened." "To break bread" signifies in the Word to communicate one's good to another.

[22] The Lord ate with publicans and sinners:

At which the Jews murmured and were offended (Mark 2:15, 16; Luke 5:29, 30; 7:33-35);

because the Gentiles that are meant by "publicans and sinners" received the Lord, imbibed His precepts, and lived according to them, and by this means the Lord appropriated to them the goods of heaven, and this is signified in the spiritual sense by "eating with them."

[23] Because "to eat" signifies to be appropriated, it was granted to the sons of Israel to eat of the sanctified things or of the sacrifices, for the "sacrifices" signified Divine celestial and spiritual things, and thus "eating" of them signified their appropriation. Because the appropriation of holy things was signified by such "eating," various laws were given, prescribing who should eat and where they should eat and of what sacrifices, thus:

What Aaron and his sons should receive and eat of the sacrifices (Exodus 29:31-33; Leviticus 6:16-18; 7:6, 7; 8:31-33; 10:13-15);

That they should eat the shew-bread in the holy place (Leviticus 24:5-9);

That the daughter of a priest married to a stranger should not eat of the holy things, but that the daughter of a priest being a widow or divorced, who had no child, but was returned to the house of her father, might eat (Leviticus 22:12, 13);

Who of the people might eat (Numbers 18:10, 11, 13, 19);

That a stranger, a sojourner, a hired servant of a priest, should not eat of them, but that one bought with silver might eat (Leviticus 22:10-12);

That one who was unclean must not eat (Leviticus 7:19-21; 21:16-24 end; Leviticus 22:2-8);

That they should eat no part of the burnt-offerings, but of the eucharistic sacrifices they should eat and be glad before Jehovah (Deuteronomy 12:27; 27:7).

In these and many other statutes and laws respecting the eating of things sanctified are contained arcana respecting the appropriation of Divine good and Divine truth, and thus of conjunction with the Lord; but this is not the place to unfold the particulars, only let it be known from the passages cited, that "to eat" signifies to be appropriated and conjoined. So again:

When the sons of Israel were joined to the Lord by the blood of the covenant, and when Moses had read the book of the law before them, and they presently saw the God of Israel, it is said that they did eat and drink (Exodus 24:6-11).

[24] That "to eat flesh and drink blood" signifies the appropriation of spiritual good and truth, can be seen in Ezekiel:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Gather yourselves from every side to My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth. And ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood even to drunkenness, of My sacrifice which I sacrifice for you. Ye shall be satiated at My table with horse and with chariot, with the mighty man and with every man of war. So will I give My glory among the nations (Ezekiel 39:17-21).

This treats of the calling together of all to the Lord's kingdom, and in particular the establishment of the church with the Gentiles, for it is said, "so will I give My glory among the nations." "To eat flesh and drink blood" means to appropriate to oneself Divine good and Divine truth, "flesh" signifying the good of love, and "blood" the truth of that good; "the mighty" (or oxen) signify the affections of good, "the princes of the earth" the affections of truth. The full fruition of these is signified by "eating fat to satiety, and drinking blood to drunkenness," "fat" signifying interior goods, and "blood" interior truths, which were disclosed by the Lord when He came into the world, and were appropriated by those who received Him.

[25] Before the Lord's coming into the world, to eat fat and drink blood was forbidden, because the sons of Israel were in externals only, for they were natural-sensual men, and not at all in things internal or spiritual, consequently if they had been permitted to eat fat and blood, which signifies the appropriation of interior goods and truths, they would have profaned them, therefore "eating fat and blood" signified profanation. "To be satiated at the Lord's table with horse and with chariot, with the mighty man and with every man of war" has a similar signification; "horse" signifying the understanding of the Word; "chariot," the doctrine from the Word; "the mighty man and the man of war," good and truth fighting against evil and falsity and destroying them, and "the mountains of Israel upon which they should eat," the spiritual church in which the good of charity is the essential. All this makes very clear that "to eat" signifies to appropriate to oneself, and that "flesh," "blood," "mighty man," "princes of the earth," "horse," "chariot," and "man of war," signify the spiritual things that are to be appropriated, and by no means natural things, for to eat such things naturally would be abominable and diabolical. Similar things are signified by:

Eating the flesh of kings, of commanders of thousands, of horses, and of them that sit upon them, free and bond (Revelation 19:18).

[26] As most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so have "to eat" and "to drink;" and in that sense they signify to appropriate evil and falsity, and thus to be conjoined to hell; as can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

In that day will the Lord Jehovih call to weeping and to lamentation, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth; and behold, gladness and joy in slaying an ox and slaughtering a sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine; let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die (Isaiah 22:12-13).

The devastation of the church and lamentation over it are signified by "to be called in that day to weeping, lamentation, baldness, and girding with sackcloth;" lamentation over the destruction of truth is signified by "weeping," over the destruction of good by "lamentation," over the destruction of all affection of good by "baldness," and over the destruction of the affection of truth by "sackcloth;" "to slay an ox and to slaughter a sheep" signifies to extinguish natural good and spiritual good; "to eat flesh and drink wine" signifies to appropriate evil and falsity, "flesh" here signifying evil, "wine," the falsity of evil, and "to eat and drink" these, to appropriate to oneself.

[27] In Ezekiel:

The prophet was told to eat food by weight and with care, and to drink water by measure and with astonishment; and that he should eat a cake of barley made with dung; and that thus shall the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations whither they shall be thrust out, and they shall be in want of bread and water, and be made desolate, a man and his brother, and shall waste away for their iniquity (Ezekiel 4:10-17).

These words in the prophet represented the adulteration of Divine truth, or of the Word, with the Jewish nation; "the cake of barley made with dung" signifies such adulteration, "a cake of barley" meaning natural good and truth, such as the Word is in the sense of the letter, and "dung," infernal evil; therefore it is said, "thus shall the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean," "bread unclean" meaning good defiled with evil, that is, adulterated. That "they would be in want of bread and water among the nations whither they should be driven" signifies that they would no more have good and truth because of being in evils and falsities, "nations" signifying evils and falsities, and "to be thrust out thither," to be delivered up to these; "man and brother" who shall be made desolate, signify faith and charity, "man" signifying the truth of faith, and "brother," the good of charity, and "to be made desolate," the complete extinction of both. This being the signification of "eating bread and drinking water" it is said that "they shall waste away for their iniquity;" "to waste away" is predicated of spiritual life, when it is perishing.

[28] As "beasts" signify affections, some beasts good affections and others evil affections, there were laws established for the sons of Israel, with whom the church was representative, as to what beasts should be eaten and what should not be eaten (Leviticus 11); and these signified what beasts represented good affections that should be appropriated, and what beasts evil affections that should not be appropriated, since good affections render a man clean, while evil affections render him unclean. All things in that chapter relating to particular beasts and birds, and to their hoofs, feet, and cud, by which the clean are distinguished from the unclean, are significative.

[29] In Isaiah:

If he shall cut down ³ on the right hand he shall still be hungry, and if he shall eat on the left hand they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm; Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh (Isaiah 9:20, 21).

This describes the extinction of good by falsity and of truth by evil; the extinction of all good and truth, however it is sought for, is signified by "if he shall cut down on the right hand he shall still be hungry, and if he shall eat on the left hand they shall not be satisfied;" "to cut down and to eat" on the right and left means to search for, "to be hungry and not be satisfied" means not to be found, or if found to have no ability to receive; "they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm" signifies that falsity shall consume good, and evil truth, in the natural man; "Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh," signifies that the will of evil shall consume the understanding of truth, and the understanding of falsity shall consume the will of good. (But this may be seen explained above, n. 386, 600.)

[30] The consumption of all truth and good is signified by:

Their eating the flesh of their sons and daughters (Leviticus 26:29).

Also by:

The fathers shall eat the sons, and the sons shall eat the fathers (Ezekiel 5:10).

"Fathers" signify the goods of the church, and in the contrary sense its evils; "sons" signify the truths of the church, and in the contrary sense its falsities; "daughters," the affections of truth and good, and in the contrary sense the desires for falsity and evil; the consumption and extinction of these one by another are signified by their "eating one another." This makes evident that these things must be understood otherwise than according to the sense of the letter.

[31] In Matthew:

In the consummation of the age it shall be as it was before the flood, eating and drinking, contracting marriage, and giving in marriage (Matthew 24:38; Luke 17:26-28).

"To eat and drink, to contract marriage, and give in marriage" does not mean here to eat and drink, nor to contract marriage, and give in marriage, but "to eat" means to appropriate evil, "to drink" to appropriate falsity, "to contract marriage and give in marriage," to conjoin falsity with evil, and evil with falsity; for this treats of the state of the church when the Last Judgment is at hand; for this is signified by "the consummation of the age." Evidently the good as well as the evil will then be eating and drinking, for there is nothing evil in eating and drinking, and this they also did before the flood, and it was not on this account that they perished, but because they appropriated to themselves evil and falsity, and conjoined these in themselves; this, therefore, is what is here signified by "eating and drinking, and by contracting in marriage and giving in marriage."

[32] In Luke:

The rich man said to his soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thy rest, eat, drink (Luke 12:19).

If that servant shall say in his heart, The Lord delayeth to come; and shall begin to beat the servants, to eat, to drink, and to be drunken (Luke 12:45).

So, too, by surfeiting and drunkenness, in the same:

Jesus said, Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with surfeiting and drunkenness (Luke 21:34).

It seems as if "eating and drinking" and "surfeiting" in these passages mean such luxury and intemperance as those indulge in who follow appetite only; this is indeed the natural literal sense of these words; but in their spiritual sense they mean the appropriation of evil and falsity, as can be seen from the passages cited above, where this is signified by "eating and drinking," also from this, that the Word in the letter is natural, but interiorly is spiritual; the spiritual sense is for the angels, and the natural for men.

[33] Besides these many other passages might be cited from the Word, testifying and confirming that "to eat" signifies to receive, perceive, and appropriate to oneself such things as nourish the soul; for "to eat" spiritually is simply to imbue the mind with its own food, which is to wish to know, understand, and become wise in such things as pertain to eternal life. That this is the signification of "to eat" can be seen also from the signification of "bread" and "food," as also of "famine" and "hunger," and of "wine" and "water," which have been treated of above in their proper places. Since "to eat" means to perceive the quality of a thing, and this is perceived by its taste, it is from correspondence that in human language taste [sapor] and to have a taste [sapere] are predicated of the perception of a thing, and from this comes wisdom [sapientia].

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