10087. 'And you shall take the breast' means the Divine Spiritual in the heavens, which those in heaven make their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'the breast' as the good of charity, and in the highest sense as the Divine Spiritual, dealt with below. The reason why its being made their own by those in the heavens is meant is that the subject in what follows next is the flesh from the ram and the bread from the basket which were not burned on the altar but were left as a portion for and were eaten by Moses, Aaron, and his sons. By this is meant making it their own, the process of which is described in what follows next. The origin of the meaning of 'the breast' as the good of charity, and in the highest sense as the Divine Spiritual, lies in correspondence. For the human head corresponds to the good of love to the Lord, which is the good of the inmost heaven and is called the Divine Celestial, whereas the breast corresponds to the good of charity, which is the good of the middle or second heaven and is called the Divine Spiritual; and the feet correspond to the good of faith, thus to the good of obedience, which is the good of the lowest heaven and is called the Divine Natural. Regarding this correspondence, see what has been shown above in 10030.

[2] Since the breast because of its correspondence means the good of charity, and the good of charity results from the will to do good, John - who represented that good - leaned on the Lord's breast or in His bosom, John 13:23, 25, by which the Lord's love of that good is meant. For 'leaning on the breast' or 'in the bosom' means loving. Anyone who knows this may also know what the meaning is of the following words which the Lord addressed to Peter and to John,

Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me? He said, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him again, Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me? He said, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My sheep. He said to him a third time, Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me? Peter was grieved, therefore he said, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep. Truly I say to you, When you were younger you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands and another will gird you and lead you where you do not wish. When He had said this He said to him, Follow Me. Having turned round Peter saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper. Seeing him Peter said, Lord, what about him? Jesus said to him, If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me. John 21:15-22.

None can know what these words mean except through the internal sense. This teaches that the Lord's twelve disciples represented all aspects of faith and love in their entirety, just as the twelves tribes of Israel did, and that Peter represented faith, James charity, and John the works or good deeds that flow from charity.

The Lord's twelve disciples represented all aspects of faith and love in their entirety, see 3488, 3858 (end), 6397.

The twelve tribes of Israel had the same representation, 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335, 6640.

Peter represented faith, James charity, and John the works that flow from charity, Prefaces to Genesis 18, 22, and 3750, 4738, 6344 (end).

'The rock', as Peter is also called, means the Lord in respect of faith, 8581.

[3] Faith without charity does not love the Lord; nevertheless it is able to teach about things connected with faith and love, and the things that are the Lord's. This was why the Lord said three times, 'Do you love Me?', and then, 'Feed My lambs' or 'Feed My sheep'. For the same reason He says, 'When you were younger you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands and another will gird you and lead you where you do not wish', meaning that in its early stages the Church's faith had possessed the good of innocence, like a young child; but when it was in decline, which is the final phase of the Church, faith would not possess that good any longer nor the good of charity, at which point evil and falsity would lead it. All this is what is meant by 'when you are old you will stretch out your hands and another will gird you and lead you where you do not wish', that is, you will pass from freedom into bondage. 'Girding' means being acquainted with and seeing truths in light that flows from good, 9952, and 'walking' leading a life in accord with those truths, 8417, 8420, so that 'girding himself and walking where he wished' means acting in freedom; and people act in freedom when an affection for truth springing from good governs their actions, 2870-2893, 9585-9591, and they are led by the Lord, 9096, 9586, 9589-9591. But 'being girded by another and being led where he did not wish' means being in bondage, and people are in bondage when evil governs their actions, and so they are led by hell, 9096, 9586, 9589-9591. 'Lambs', which the Lord mentions first, are those in whom the good of innocence is present, see 3994; 'sheep', which the Lord mentions the second and third times, are those in whom the good of charity, and faith springing from this, are present, 4169, 4809. Also three means the whole period from beginning to end, 2788, 4495, 7715, 9198; consequently, since the Lord spoke to Peter regarding the Church from its early stages to when it was in decline, He said three times, Do you love Me?

[4] As regards John's following the Lord, this was a sign of the truth that those who perform the good deeds of charity follow the Lord, are loved by the Lord, and do not leave Him, whereas those whose faith is separated from charity not only fail to follow the Lord but are also angered by that truth, as Peter was then; not to mention many more arcana within the words contained in that passage.

From all this it is evident also that leaning on the Lord's breast or in His bosom means being loved by Him, and that this expression is used in reference to those who perform the good deeds of charity. Much the same is meant by carrying in the bosom, Isaiah 40:10-11, and lying in the bosom, 2 Samuel 12:3.

8581. 'behold, I [will be] standing before you there on the rock in Horeb' means the Lord in respect of the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the rock' as faith, in this instance faith received from the Lord, or the Lord in respect of faith, for Jehovah - that is, the Lord - says 'Behold, I [will be] standing on the rock'; and from the meaning of 'Horeb' as God's law. Consequently the words used here mean the Lord in respect of the truths of faith, which come from His law or the Word. The fact that 'the rock' means the Lord in respect of faith, and on man's side the faith he receives from the Lord, is clear from very many places in the Word, as in Moses,

Ascribe ¹ greatness to our God, the Rock, whose work is perfect. He caused him to ride on ² the heights of the land, and fed him with the produce of the fields; He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. But when Jeshurun became fat he kicked; he forsook God who made Him, and despised the Rock of his salvation. You have been unmindful of ³ the Rock who begot you, and have forgotten the God who formed you. Their Rock sold them, and Jehovah shut them up. For their rock is not like our Rock. When it is said, Where are their gods, the rock in which they trusted? ... Deuteronomy 32:3-4, 13, 15, 18, 30-31, 37.

From these verses it is evident that Jehovah, that is, the Lord, is the One who is called 'the Rock'. The fact that 'the Rock' is Jehovah or the Lord in respect of faith is made plain by every detail there in the internal sense.

[2] In Daniel,

You were watching, until a stone was cut out, not by means of hands; and it struck the statue on its feet, which were iron and clay, and smashed them to pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold together were smashed to pieces, and became like chaff from the summer threshing-floors; so that the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them. But the stone that struck the statue became a great rock and filled the whole earth. The God of heaven will cause a kingdom to arise that will never be destroyed, and also His kingdom will not be left to other people; it will crush and consume all those kingdoms, but will itself stand for ever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the rock, not by means of hands, and it smashed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold... Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45.

The subject here is the Lord and His kingdom, 'a stone' being used to mean faith, and 'a rock' the Lord in respect of faith. The fact that these things are meant by 'a stone' and 'a rock' is evident to anyone who gives thought to the matter. 'A stone' also means in the Word the truth that composes faith, see 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426; therefore also the Lord in respect of Divine Truth is called 'the stone of Israel', 6426. The reason why 'a rock' means the Lord in respect of the truth of faith is that 'a rock' is also used to mean a fortress that withstands falsities. The actual fortress is the truth of faith, for this is what the battle against both falsities and evils is waged from.

[3] All this also makes it clear that in the following words in Matthew which the Lord addressed to Peter 'rock' is used to mean the Lord in respect of faith, and also faith received from the Lord,

I tell you, You Are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:18-19.

As regards 'rock' here, that it means the Lord in respect of faith, and faith received from the Lord, and that 'Peter' represents that faith, see Preface to Genesis 22, and also 3750, 4738, 6000, 6073 (end), 6344 (end). It is also evident to anyone who thinks properly that the power to open heaven and close hell for the good, and to open hell and close heaven for the wicked, is the Lord's alone, and that the reason why such power accompanies faith is that faith comes from the Lord, and so likewise is the Lord's; that is, the Lord Himself is within faith. All power in the next life too comes through the truth of faith springing from good, 4931, 6344, 6423, 8200, 8304. One who thinks properly may also conclude that the Lord's Church has not been built on some person, thus not on Peter, but on the Lord Himself, that is, on faith in Him.

[4] From all this one can see what kind of errors they are, and how great, which those people slip into who adhere strictly to the sense of the letter of the Word. One can see why leaders of the Church are all too ready to seize on the idea that such power was given to Peter and consequently to those who call themselves his successors, for that idea lends support to what is in their heart. One can see how difficult it is for them to let themselves be convinced that this passage has any other meaning, for each wishes to gain supreme power. All this also shows how vital it is to know what 'rock', 'the keys', 'the gates of hell', and very many other things mean in the internal sense.

[5] The fact that Jehovah is called 'the Rock', and that when He is called this the Lord in respect of faith is meant, many other places in the Word also go to prove, such as the following, which will be quoted without further explanation. In Isaiah,

Send the lamb of the ruler of the land from the Rock towards the wilderness, to the mountain [of the daughter] of Zion. Isaiah 16:1.

In the same prophet,

You have forgotten [the God] of your salvation, and have not called to mind the Rock of your refuge. Isaiah 17:10.

In the same prophet,

Asshur will fall by the sword, not of man (vir). Also his rock will pass away by reason of terror. Isaiah 31:8-9.

In the same prophet,

Let the inhabitants of the Rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Isaiah 42:11.

In the same prophet,

Pay attention to Me, you who are pursuing righteousness, who are seeking Jehovah. Look to the Rock from which you were hewn. Isaiah 51:1.

In Jeremiah,

Leave the cities and dwell in the Rock, O inhabitants of Moab. Jeremiah 48:28.

In the same prophet,

I am against you, O destroying mountain, destroying the whole earth. And I will stretch out My hand against you, and roll you down from the rocks, and make you into a mountain of burning. Nor will they take from you a stone for a corner, or a stone for foundations. Jeremiah 51:25-26.

This refers to Babel. In David,

He caused me to come up out of the pit of devastation, out of the muddy clay, and He set my feet upon a rock. Psalms 40:2.

In the same author,

From the end of the earth I cry to You, when my heart fails; You lead me to the Rock high up from me. Psalms 61:2.

In the same author,

I fed them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock I satisfied them. Psalms 81:16.

[6] Since 'a rock' meant the Lord in respect of faith, and faith received from the Lord, also the wondrous things spoken of in the Book of Judges took place on a rock,

The Angel of Jehovah told Gideon to take the flesh and unleavened bread and peace them on the rock, and pour out the broth. And fire went up from the rock and consumed the flesh and unleavened bread. Judges 6:20-21.

And elsewhere in the same book,

Manoah, Samson's father, took the kid of the she-goats and offered it on the rock. Then the Angel acted in a wondrous manner and ascended in the flame. Judges 13:19-20.

What meaning these things had becomes clear if what 'Gideon' and what 'Manoah, Samson's father' represented is discovered from the internal sense, also what was meant by 'the flesh and unleavened bread' and 'the broth', 'the kid of the she-goats' as well, and 'the fire'. For every single one of these was representative and had a spiritual meaning.

[7] Knowing that 'the Rock' means faith may lead also to an understanding of the reference to Moses' being pieced in the cleft of the rock when he was to see Jehovah, Exodus 33:20-23; for 'the cleft of the rock' means obscurity of faith. It is well known in the Churches that the rock in Horeb from which the water came out means the Lord; but now it has been shown that it means the Lord in respect of faith, and also that it means faith received from the Lord. A meaning similar to that which 'the rock in Horeb' possesses is also meant in the following words in Isaiah,

Say, Jehovah has redeemed His servant Jacob. At that time they will not thirst; in waste places He will lead them. He will make water flow for them from the rock, when He cleaves the rock so that water flows out. Isaiah 48:20-21.

The reason why the people were given the water from no other rock than the one in Horeb is that 'Horeb' means God's law; and the reason why God's law is meant by 'Horeb' is that the law was proclaimed from there. And faith which is received from the Lord is acquired from God's law, that is, from the Word; for through the Word the Lord teaches what faith is and also imparts faith.

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