734. Verse 7. And there was war in heaven, signifies the combat of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity. This is evident from the signification [of "war," as being spiritual war, that is, ¹ ] of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (of which presently). The falsity here meant is falsity from evil, and the truth truth from good; for there exist many kinds of falsities, but those falsities only that are from evil fight against truths from good, since evil is opposed to good, and all truth is of good. All those are in the falsities of evil who in their life have given no thought to heaven and the Lord, but have thought only of self and the world. To think of heaven and the Lord in the life is to think that this or that must be done because the Word so teaches and commands; those who do this, since they live from the Word, live from the Lord and heaven. But to think only of self and the world is to think that this or that must be done because of the laws of the country, and for the sake of reputation, honor and gain; such do not live for the Lord and heaven, but for self and the world. These in respect to life are in evil, and from evil in falsities; and those who are in falsities from this origin fight against truths. But these do not fight against the Word, for they call it holy and Divine, but they fight against the genuine truths of the Word, for they confirm their falsities from the Word, but only from the sense of its letter, which in some passages is such that it may be drawn to confirm the most heretical principles, for the reason that the Word in that sense is adapted to the apprehension of children and the simple, who for the most part are sensual, and they receive only such things as are apparent to the eyes; and as the Word is such in the letter, therefore those who are in falsities from evil of life confirm their falsities from the Word, and thus falsify the Word. Yea, they who separate faith from charity so falsify the Word that wherever mention is made of doing or of deeds and works, such passages, of which there are thousands, are explained as if nothing of doing or of deeds or works were meant, but only believing and faith; and so in other cases. This has been said to make known who are meant by those who are in falsities from evil, who "made war with Michael and his angels," as described in the following article.

[2] That "war" signifies in the Word spiritual war, which is the war of falsity from evil against truth from good, and of truth from good against falsity from evil, or what is the same, which is carried on by those who are in falsities from evil against those who are in truths from good, is evident from many passages in the Word, of which the following only need be cited. In Isaiah:

Many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us of His ways that we may go in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem; that He may judge between the nations, and reprove peoples; and they shall beat their swords into hoes, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah (Isaiah 2:3-5; Micah 4:2-3).

This treats of the Lord's coming, and that those who will be of His New Church are to be instructed in truths, by which they will be led to heaven. "The mountain of Jehovah" and "the house of Jacob" signify the church in which is love to the Lord and worship from that love; a summoning to that church, and thus to the Lord, is signified by "Many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to that mountain;" that they will be instructed in truths by which they will be led is signified by "He will teach us of His ways that we may go in His paths," "ways" meaning truths and "paths" the precepts of life; that they will be led by the doctrine of the good of love and by the doctrine of truth from that good, which are for the church out of heaven from the Lord, is signified by "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word from Jerusalem," "the law" meaning the doctrine of the good of love, and "the Word" truth from that good; that evils of life and falsities of doctrine will then be dissipated is signified by "He will judge between the nations and reprove the peoples," "nations" signifying those who are in evils, and "peoples" those who are in falsities, thus in an abstract sense evils of life and falsities of doctrine.

[3] That by the consent of all, combats will then cease is signified by "they shall beat their swords into hoes and their spears into pruning hooks," "sword" and "spear" meaning falsities from evil fighting against truths from good, and truths from good against falsities from evil; "hoes" meaning the goods of the church which are cultivated by truths, for "a field that is tilled by the hoe" means the church in respect to the good of life; and "pruning hooks" mean truths of doctrine, because trees in gardens signify the perceptions and knowledges of truths. Like things are signified by "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore," "war" signifying combats in the whole complex. That they will live a life of wisdom is signified by "Come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah," "the light of Jehovah" meaning Divine truth, and "to go in it" meaning to live according to it, thus in a life of wisdom. That "war" here signifies spiritual war, which is that of falsities against truths and goods, and conversely, and that "swords and spears," which are arms of war, signify such things as are used in spiritual combats, is clearly evident, for the Lord and the church to be established by Him and doctrine for that church are here treated of, and it is said, "He will teach us of His ways that we may go in His paths;" also "Come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah."

[4] In Hosea:

In that day I will make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and I will break the bow, and the sword, and the war, from the earth; and I will make them to lie down securely (Hosea 2:18).

The signification of "the wild beast of the field, the bird of the heavens, and the creeping thing of the earth," with which Jehovah in that day will make a covenant, may be seen above (n. 388, 701), also that "breaking the bow, the sword, and the war," signifies to cease from all combat between falsity and truth; therefore it is added, "and I will make them to lie down securely," which means security from the infestations from evils and falsities that are from hell.

[5] In Zechariah:

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war shall be cut off; but he shall speak peace to the nations (Zechariah 9:10).

This, too, may be seen explained above (n. 355, 357), from which it is evident that "the bow of war" signifies the doctrine of truth fighting against falsities, for this is said of the Lord. In David:

Jehovah who setteth waste places in the earth, who maketh wars to cease even to the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear asunder, He burneth up the chariots with fire (Psalms 46:8, 9).

Here also "Jehovah maketh wars to cease even to the end of the earth" signifies that He makes combats, understood in the spiritual sense, to cease, which are the combats of falsities against the truths and goods of the church (See above, n. 357).

[6] In the same:

God breaketh the flashes of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war (Psalms 76:3).

This has a like signification, see above, n. 357, 365).

In Isaiah:

Before the swords shall they wander, before the drawn sword and before the bended bow, because of the grievousness of the war (Isaiah 21:15).

What this signifies may be seen above (n. 131, 357), also that the "grievousness of war" signifies because of the strong assault of falsities against the knowledges of good, which are here signified by "Arabia" or "Kedar."

In David:

Jehovah who teacheth my hands war, that a bow of brass may be let down upon his arms ² (Psalms 18:34).

"To teach the hands war" does not mean war against enemies in this world, but against enemies in hell, which is carried on by the combats of truth against falsities and against evils. The appearance is that such a war is there meant as David waged against his enemies, and thus that Jehovah taught him such war, and how to let down a bow of brass upon the arms; nevertheless spiritual war is meant, also a spiritual bow, which is the doctrine of truth, and "the bow of brass" means the doctrine of the good of life, and this because the Word regarded in its essence is spiritual. But on these words also see above n. 357.

[7] In the same:

Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me, fight against them that fight against me, take hold of shield and buckler and rise up for mine help, draw out the spear, and stop the way against my pursuers; say unto my soul, I am thy salvation (Psalms 35:1-3).

Here "to fight," "to take hold of shield and buckler," and "to draw out the spear," does not mean to grasp these arms of war, since this is said of Jehovah, but it is so said because all arms of war signify such things as pertain to spiritual war. A "shield," because it protects the head, signifies protection against the falsities that destroy the understanding of truth; a "buckler," because it protects the breast, signifies protection against the falsities that destroy charity, which is the will of good; and a "spear," because it protects all parts of the body, signifies protection in general. Because such things are signified it is added, "say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. "

[8] Because Jehovah, that is, the Lord, protects man from the hells, that is, from the evils and falsities that continually rise up out of the hells, therefore He is called "Jehovah Zebaoth," that is, Jehovah of Hosts, and "hosts" signify the truths and goods of heaven, and thus of the church in the whole complex, by which the Lord removes the hells in general, and with each one individually; this is why it is attributed to Jehovah that He fights and wages war as a hero and man of war in battles, as can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Jehovah of Hosts shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:4).

In Zechariah:

Jehovah shall go forth and fight against the nations, as on the day of His fighting in the day of battle (Zechariah 14:3).

In Isaiah:

Jehovah shall go forth as a hero, He shall stir up zeal like a man of wars, He shall prevail over his enemies (Isaiah 42:13).

In Moses:

Jehovah hath war against Amalek from generation to generation (Exodus 17:16).

This is said because "Amalek" signifies those falsities of evil that continually infest the truths and goods of the church.

[9] Moreover, the wars that are described in the historicals of the Word, both in the books of Moses and in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, signify spiritual wars; as the wars against the Assyrians, Syrians, Egyptians, Philistines, and, in the beginning, against the idolatrous nations in the land of Canaan beyond and on this side Jordan. What these wars signify becomes evident when it is known what and of what kind are the evil and falsity signified by "the Assyrians," "the Babylonians and the Chaldeans," also by "the Egyptians," "the Syrians," "the Philistines," and the rest; for all nations and peoples that waged war with the sons of Israel represented the hells, which were desirous of doing violence to the church represented by the sons of Israel. Nevertheless, the wars actually took place as they are described, yet they represented and thence signified spiritual wars, since nothing is said in the Word that is not inwardly spiritual, for the Word is Divine, and what proceeds from the Divine is spiritual, and is terminated in what is natural.

[10] That the ancient people also had a Word, both prophetical and historical, that is now lost, is evident from Moses (Numbers 21), where its prophecies are referred to, and are there called "Enunciations;" also the historical books, which are called "The Wars of Jehovah" (Numbers 21:14 and 27). Those historical books are called "The Wars of Jehovah" because they signify the wars of the Lord with the hells, as also do the wars in the historical books of our Word. This, then, is why "adversaries," "enemies," "assailants," "pursuers," "those that rise up," as also all the arms of war, as the spear, the buckler, the shield, the sword, the bow, arrows, the chariot, signify in the Word such things as pertain to combats with the hells and protection against them.

[11] In Moses:

When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies and seest the horse and the chariot, a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God is with thee. The priest shall say to them when they draw near to battle, Ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your heart soften, neither fear ye, nor tremble, nor be terrified before them, for Jehovah your God goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you (Deuteronomy 20:1-4).

He who does not know that there is a spiritual sense in every particular of the Word might believe that nothing more interior is here meant than what is meant in the letter; and yet "war" here as elsewhere signifies spiritual war, and therefore "horse," "chariot," and "much people" signify the falsities of religion in which they trust, and from which they fight against the truths of the church, "horse" meaning the falsities of the understanding and reasonings therefrom, "chariot" falsities of doctrine, and "much people" falsities in general. Whether you say falsities or those who are in falsities it amounts to the same. They were not to be afraid of these nor tremble because they were in the truths of the church from the Lord and because the Lord is in these truths with man, and thus from them fights for man against the hells, which are the enemies in the spiritual sense; therefore it is said, "for Jehovah God is with you, and goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." These two senses, the natural and the spiritual, make one by the correspondences that exist between all things of the world and all things of heaven; consequently there is a conjunction of heaven with man by means of the Word. But the spiritual sense that lies hidden in the historical books of the Word is less easily seen than that in the prophetical things, because the historical facts keep the mind fixed in themselves, and thus prevent its thinking anything except what appears in the letter; and still all the historical facts of the Word are representative of heavenly things, and the words are significative.

[12] That all those who were in the truths of doctrine, and thus had become men of the church, and not those that had not yet so become, were to fight, is signified by the following words in the same chapter:

Afterwards the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house and hath not dedicated it, let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the war and another man dedicate it. Or what man is there that hath planted a vineyard and hath not completed and gathered the fruits of it, let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the war and another man complete and gather the fruits of it. Or what man is there that hath betrothed a wife and hath not taken her, let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the war and another man take her. What man is fearful and soft in heart, let him go and return unto his house, lest the heart of his brethren melt as his heart (Deuteronomy 20:5-8).

That "those that had built new houses and had not yet dedicated them," and "those that had planted vineyards and had not yet gathered the fruits of them," and "those that had betrothed wives and had not yet taken them," should remain at home, lest they should die in the war and other men should dedicate their houses, gather the fruits of their vineyards, and take their wives, was commanded and sanctioned from causes in the spiritual world, which no one can see unless he knows what is signified by "building a house," "planting a vineyard," and "taking a wife," also by "dying in war." "To build a house" signifies to establish the church; the like is meant by "planting a vineyard," but a "house" signifies the church in respect to good, and a "vineyard" the church in respect to truth, for both good and truth must be implanted in man, that the church may be in him. The conjunction of these two, namely, of good and truth, is signified by "betrothing and taking a wife;" and "war" signifies spiritual war, which is combat against evils and falsities from hell; and "to die in the war" signifies to succumb before the church is implanted by these means; this is done also by means of temptations, which are also signified by "wars" in the Word.

[13] From this it can be concluded what these statutes signify in the spiritual sense, namely, that the men of the church, that is, the men in whom the church is, who are signified by "the sons of Israel going out to the war," are the ones to fight against enemies, which are the hells, and not those who have not yet become men of the church or men in whom the church is; therefore it is said that those "that have built houses and have not yet dedicated them," also those "that have planted vineyards and have not yet gathered the fruits of them," also those "that have betrothed wives and have not yet taken them," shall not go out to the war, for all these signify those in whom the church has not yet been implanted, thus who have not yet become men of the church; and it is said that such "should go and return to their house, lest they should die in the war," which means that such will not prevail over their enemies, but their enemies over them, since those only prevail over spiritual enemies who are in truths from good, or in whom truth is conjoined to good. It is also said, "lest another man dedicate the house," "gather the fruit of the vineyard," and "take the wife," which signifies lest falsities and evils conjoin themselves with good, or truth of another kind with the affection of good; for "another man" signifies falsity, and also other truth, thus truth that is not concordant. That "the fearful and soft of heart" should also return home signified such as were not yet in the truths and goods of the church and thereby in confidence in the Lord, for such fear the evil, and also cause others to fear them, which is signified by "lest they cause the heart of their brethren to melt." These then are the interior reasons, or reasons from the spiritual world, why these things were commanded.

[14] That "war" signifies spiritual war, which is against things infernal, is clearly evident from this, that the offices and ministries of the Levites about the Tent of meeting were called "military service," as is evident from these words of Moses:

It was commanded Moses that the Levites should be numbered from a son of thirty years to a son of fifty years, to do military service, to do the work in the Tent of meeting (Numbers 4:23, 35, 39, 43, 47).

And elsewhere:

This is the office of the Levites; from a son of twenty-five years and upward he shall come to do military service in the ministry of the Tent of meeting, but from a son of fifty years he shall cease from the military service of the ministry and shall minister no more (Numbers 8:24, 25).

The works and ministries of the Levites about the Tent of meeting are called "military service" because the Levites represented the truths of the church, and Aaron, to whom the Levites were given and assigned for service, represented the Lord in relation to the good of love and in reference to the work of salvation, and as the Lord from the good of love by means of truths from the Word regenerates and saves men, and also removes the evils and falsities that are from hell, against which He continually fights, therefore the functions and ministries of the Levites were called "military service." The same is evident from this also, that their ministries were called "military service" although the Levites did not war against the enemies of the land. This shows that the priesthood is a military service, but against falsities and evils. For the same reason the church at this day is called the church militant.

[15] In Isaiah:

The voice of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people, the voice of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together; Jehovah of Hosts numbereth the host of war (Isaiah 13:4).

This may be seen explained above n. 453; also that "to number the host of war" signifies to arrange the truths from good against the falsities from evil, which are signified by "the kingdoms of the nations gathered together." In the same:

In that day Jehovah shall be for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth on judgment; and for might to those who turn back the war from the gate (Isaiah 28:5, 6).

This is said in reference to those who are in the pride of self-intelligence, who are meant in verse 1 by "the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim." Of those who are not in that pride this is said; that they shall have intelligence from the Lord is signified by "Jehovah shall be for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth on judgment;" "judgment" signifying the understanding of truth, thus intelligence; "Jehovah shall be for might to those who turn back the war from the gate" signifies that the Lord gives power to those who defend the Word and doctrine from the Word, and who prevent violence being done to them; a "city" meaning doctrine, and "gate" which gives entrance to it meaning natural truths. This was why the elders sat for judging in the gates of the city.

[16] In Jeremiah:

Sanctify ye the war against the daughter of Zion; arise and let us go up at noon, arise and let us go up in the night and let us destroy her palaces. Cast up a mound against Jerusalem. Behold a people cometh from the land of the north, cruel and they have no pity; their voice resoundeth like the sea; they ride upon horses prepared as a man for war, against thee, O daughter of Zion (Jeremiah 6:3-6, 22, 23).

This treats of the falsification of the Word by those who are in self-intelligence; such are meant by "a people coming from the land of the north," for such in the spiritual world dwell in the north, because they are in falsifications from which truths are not seen; but the church that is in genuine truths is meant by "the daughter of Zion." The assault upon truth and the destruction of the church by such is signified by "Sanctify ye the war against the daughter of Zion, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem;" "Jerusalem" meaning the church in respect to doctrine, and thence the doctrine of the church. The effort to destroy truths openly is signified by "arise, let us go up at noon;" and the effort to destroy them secretly is signified by "arise, let us go up in the night;" the effort to destroy the understanding of truth is signified by "let us destroy her palaces;" that they are not at all in the love of truth, but in the love of falsity, is signified by "a cruel people, and they have no pity;" that they reason from knowledges [scientiae] and from self-intelligence is signified by "their voice resoundeth like the sea, they ride upon horses;" that they assault the truth is signified by "they are prepared as a man for war."

[17] In David:

Free me from the evil man, and preserve me from the man of violences, who think evils in the heart; all the day they gather together for war; they have sharpened their tongue like serpents (Psalms 140:1-3).

"Evil man" and "man of violences" signify those who pervert the truths of the Word; he is called "a man of violences" who from a depraved intention offers violence to the truths of the Word by perverting them. The depraved intention is further described by "thinking evils in the heart;" and perverting the truths of the Word is meant by "gathering themselves together all the day for war;" the reasonings by which they prevail are signified by "wars," and therefore it is added, "they have sharpened their tongue like serpents."

[18] In Zechariah:

They shall be as the mighty ones treading down the mire of the streets in the war, and they shall fight because Jehovah is with them, and they that ride upon horses shall be ashamed (Zechariah 10:5).

This treats of the Lord's coming and of those who are in truths from good from Him; of these it is said that "they shall be as the mighty ones treading down the mire of the streets in the war," which signifies that they will dissipate and wholly destroy the falsities of doctrine; "the mire of the streets" signifying that falsity, because a "city" signifies doctrine, "the streets of a city" its truths, and the "mire" in them falsity from truth falsified; "and they shall fight because Jehovah is with them" signifies that from the Lord they will attack and overcome those falsities; "and they that ride upon horses shall be ashamed" signifies that everything of self-intelligence will succumb; "to be ashamed" means to succumb because it is said of those who are overcome, and "to ride upon horses" signifies to trust in self-intelligence.

[19] In Hosea:

I will have pity on the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God; and I will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by war, nor by horses, nor by horsemen (Hosea 1:7).

"The house of Judah" signifies the celestial church; "to have pity and to save them by Jehovah their God" signifies salvation from the Lord; "I will not save them by the bow, the sword, war, horses, and horsemen," signifies not by such things as are of self-intelligence; what "bow," "sword," "horses" and "horsemen" signify has been shown above in various places; "war" signifies combat from such things.

[20] In Ezekiel:

Ye have not gone up into the breaches, neither fenced with a fence for the house of Israel, that ye might stand in the war in the day of Jehovah (Ezekiel 13:5).

This was said of "the foolish prophets," that signify the falsities of doctrine from the Word falsified; that they were not able to correct the backslidings of the church, or amend anything of it, is signified by "Ye have not gone up into the breaches, neither fenced with a fence for the house of Israel;" "the breaches of the house of Israel" meaning the backslidings of the church, and its "fence" what wards off the invasion of falsity, and thus amends; "not to stand in the war in the day of Jehovah" signifies not to fight against the falsities of evil, which are from hell, in the day of the Last Judgment.

[21] In Jeremiah:

How is the city of glory not forsaken, the city of my joy? Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day (Jeremiah 49:25, 26; 50:30).

The doctrine of truth from the Word is meant by "the city of glory," and by "the city of the joy of Jehovah;" that this is turned into the doctrine of falsity by falsifications of truth is signified by "being forsaken or deserted;" that all understanding of truth and thus all intelligence would perish is signified by "therefore her young men shall fall in her streets;" "young men" meaning the understanding of truth, and the "streets of that city" the falsities of doctrine. That there will no longer remain any truths combating against falsities is signified by "all the men of war shall be cut off;" "the men of war" meaning those who are in truths and who fight from them against falsities, and in an abstract sense truths fighting against falsities.

[22] In Isaiah:

Thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they killed in the war (Isaiah 22:2).

This is said of "the valley of vision," which signifies the sensual man that sees all things from the fallacies of the senses of the body; because it does not understand truths, and therefore seizes upon falsities instead, it is said "thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they killed in the war," which signifies that the truths have not been destroyed by reasonings from falsities, neither by any combats of falsity against truths, but from themselves, because from fallacies from which truths are not seen.

[23] In the same:

I will commingle Egypt against Egypt, that a man may fight against his brother, and a man against his companion, city against city, kingdom against kingdom (Isaiah 19:2).

This is said of the natural man separated from the spiritual; this is signified by "Egypt;" the crowd of falsities in the natural man reasoning and fighting against the truths and goods of the spiritual man is signified by "I will commingle Egypt against Egypt, that a man may fight against his brother and a man against his companion;" "man and brother" signifying truth and good, and in the contrary sense falsity and evil; and "man and companion" signifying truths among themselves, and in the contrary sense falsities among themselves; this division and combat take place when falsities prevail, since falsities continually contend with falsities, but truths do not contend with truths; that there will be like contentions of doctrines among themselves, that is, of the churches among themselves, is signified by "city shall fight against city, and kingdom against kingdom;" "city" meaning doctrine, and "kingdom" the church therefrom.

[24] From this the signification of the Lord's words in the Gospels can be seen:

Many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and shall lead many astray. But ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for nation shall be stirred up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes (Matthew 24:5-7; Mark 13:6-8; Luke 21:8-11).

This was said by the Lord to the disciples respecting the consummation of the age, which signifies the state of the church at its end, which is described in these chapters; so, too, it means the successive perversion and falsification of the truth and good of the Word until there is nothing but falsity and the evil thence. Those who "shall come in His name and shall call themselves Christ, and shall lead many astray," signify those who will come and say that this is divine truth, when yet it is truth falsified, which in itself is falsity; "Christ" meaning the Lord in relation to Divine truth, but here in the contrary sense Divine truth falsified. "They shall hear of wars and rumors of wars" signifies that there shall be disputes and contentions about truths, and consequent falsifications; "nation shall be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," signifies that evil will fight with evil and falsity with falsity, for evils never agree among themselves nor falsities among themselves; this is why churches are divided, and so many heresies have arisen; "nation" signifies those who are in evils, and "kingdom" those who are in falsities, of whom the church consists. "There shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes" signifies that there will no longer be any knowledges of truth and good, and that the state of the church will be changed on account of the falsities that will corrupt it; "famine" meaning a deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good; "pestilences" corruptions by falsities, and "earthquakes" the changes of the church.

[25] Since "wars" signify in the Word spiritual wars, which are the combats of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity, therefore these combats are described by "the war between the king of the north against the king of the south," and by "the battle of the he-goat against the ram," in Daniel; the war between the king of the north and the king of the south in chapter eleven, and the battle of the he-goat against the ram in chapter eight; and there "the king of the north" means those who are in falsities, and "the king of the south" those who are in truths; the "he-goat" signifies those who are in the falsities of doctrine because they are in the evil of life, and the "ram" those who are in the truths of doctrine because they are in the good of life.

[26] From this it is clear what is signified by "war" in other passages of Revelation, as in the following:

When the witnesses shall have finished their testimony the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them and kill them (Revelation 11:7).

Again:

The spirits of demons doing signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth and of all the countries of the world, to gather them together unto the war of that great day of God Almighty (Revelation 16:14).

And elsewhere:

Satan shall go forth to lead astray the nations, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to war (Revelation 20:8).

In these passages also "war" signifies spiritual war, which is a war of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity. It is called a war of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity, but it is to be known that those who are in falsities fight against truths, but not so those who are in truths against falsities, for it is always those who are in falsities who attack, while those who are in truths only defend; but in reference to the Lord, He never even resists, but merely protects truths. But more elsewhere respecting this.

V:

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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