832. 19:18 "왕들의 고기와 장군들의 고기와 장사들의 고기와 말들과 그 탄 자들의 고기와 자유한 자들이나 종들이나 무론대소하고 모든 자의 고기를 먹으라 하더라"

"왕들의 고기와 장군들의 고기와 장사들의 고기와 말들과 그 탄자들의 고기와 자유 한, 자들이나 종들이나 무론 대소하고 모든 자의 고기를 먹으라 하더라"는 모든 의미와 등차와 종류 안에 있는 말씀과 거기서 나온 교리의 진리를 거쳐서 주로부터 나온 선을 내 것 삼도록 하시는 것을 뜻한다.

"먹는 것"은 내 것 삼는 것을 뜻하며(89), 그들이 먹는 "고기"는 말씀과 거기서 나온 교회의 선을 뜻하며, "왕들과 군들과 장사들과 말들과 그 탄자들과 자유 한, 자들이나 종들이나 무론 대소하고"는 모든 의미와 등차와 종류 안에 있는 진리를 뜻한다. "왕들"은 말씀에서 나온 교회의 진리 안에 있는 사람들을 뜻하고, 추상적으로는 말씀에서 나온 교회의 진리를 뜻한다(20, 483). "장군들"은 선과 진리의 지식 안에 있는 사람들을 뜻하고, 추상적으로는 그 지식들을 뜻한다(337). "장사들"은 말씀에서 나온 교리로 말미암아 박식한 사람들을 뜻하고, 추상적으로는 거기서 나온 박식을 뜻한다(337). "말들"은 말씀의 이해성을 뜻하고, "말을 탄자들"은 말씀의 이해성에서 나온 지혜안에 있는 사람들을 뜻하고, 추상적으로는 거기서 나온 지혜를 뜻한다(298, 820). "자유 한 자들이나 종들이나"는 그들 스스로 아는 사람들과 남으로 아는 사람들을 뜻한다(337, 604). "대소 간에"는 보다 적고 큰 등차 안에 있는 사람을 뜻한다(527, 810).

이상으로 "그들이 그들의 고기를 먹으리라"는 모든 의미와 등차와 종류 안에 있는 말씀과 거기서 나온 교리에 속한 진리를 거쳐서 주로부터 나온 선을 뜻하는 것이 분명하다. 어떠한 사람도 말씀에서 나온 진리를 거치지 않고 주로부터 어떠한 영적 선을 가질 수 없는 것은 알아두어야 할 것이다. 말씀의 진리는 천국의 빛 안에 있고 말씀의 선은 그의 볕 안에 있기 때문이요, 또 이에 따라서 이해성이 말씀을 거쳐서 천국의 빛 안에 있지 아니하면 그 의지는 천국의 볕 안으로 들어갈 수 없기 때문이다. 사랑과 인정은 말씀에서 나온 진리를 거치지 않고는 형태를 갖출 수 없고, 사람은 말씀에서 나온 진리를 거치지 않고는 다시날 수 없다. 사람으로 구성되는 교회자체도 진리에 의해서 형성된다. 그러나 이해하는 것 만으로서의 진리로서가 아니라, 진리에 의한 생활로 형성된다. 진리는 이리하여 의지 속으로 들어가 선이 된다. 이리하여 진리의 모양은 선의 모양으로 탈바꿈한다. 왜냐하면, 의지 그러므로 사랑에 속한 것은 선이라 부르고, 의지 또는 사랑에 속한 모든 것은 또한 인간 생명에 속하기 때문이다. 이상으로 열거되어 있는 자들의 "고기를 먹는다"는 것은 말씀을 거쳐서 나온 선을 내 것 삼는 것을 여기서 뜻하는 것이 분명할 것이다. "고기"는 여기서 고기를 뜻하지 않는 것을 누가 모르랴? 누가 어리석게도 주께서 큰 잔치에 모든 사람을 부르고 또 모이게 하여 그들에게 왕들과 장군들과 장사들과 말들과 탄자들과 자유 한 자나 종이나 대 소간의 먹을 고기를 주리라 생각할 수 있으랴? 이러한 것들 안에 영적 의미가 있는 것과 그 의미가 없으면 어떠한 사람도 그것들이 뜻하는 것을 알지 못하는 것을 누가 보지 못하랴? 말씀은 그 속 내부가 영적인 것을 누가 굳이 부정 하리오? 만일 이러한 것들을 글자의 뜻으로 이해하여야 하고 영적 의미에 의하지 않는다면 그것은 물질적인 것 밖에 되지 못하지 않으랴? 에스겔서에 나온 아래의 것들은 이 사건들과 비슷하다.

"주 여호와가 이같이 말하노라 너는 각종 새와 들의 각종 짐승에게 이르기를 너희는 모여 오라 내가 너희를 원한 잔치 곧 이스라엘의 산 위에 예비한 큰 잔치로 너희는 사방에서 모여서 고기를 먹으며 피를 마실 지어다 너희가 용사의 고기를 먹으며 세상 왕들의 피를 마실 지라. 내가 너희를 위하여 예비한 잔치의 기쁨을 너희가 배불리 먹으며 그 피를 취토록 마시며 내상에서 말과 기병과 모든 군사를 배불리 먹을지니라 내가 나의 영광을 열국 중에 나타내리라"(에스겔 39:17-21)

여기서 "고기"는 같은 식으로 말씀을 거쳐서 주로부터 나온 교회의 선을 뜻하고, "피"는 교회의 진리를 뜻한다. 피를 취하도록 마시게 주지 않으리라는 것과 그들이 주 여호와의 상에서 말과 기병과 용사와 모든 군사를 배부르도록 먹지 않으리라는 것을 누가 모르랴? 그래서 "고기"는 교회의 선을 뜻하고, "피"는 교회의 진리를 뜻하므로 성찬 때의 주의 "살(고기)과 피"는 주로부터 나온 신성한 선과 진리를 뜻하는 것이 분명하며, 요한복음 6:51-58에 언급한 "떡과 포도주"역시 같은 것을 뜻함이 분명하다. "고기"는 또 아래와 같은 말씀의 많은 구절 안에서는 선을 뜻한다.

"내가 그 고기에서 돌 같은 마음을 제하고 그들에게 고기의 마음을 주리라"(에스겔 11:19; 36:26)

"내 육체(고기)가 마른 땅에서 주를 앙모하니이다"(시편 63:1)

"내 마음과 육체가 생존하시는 하나님께 부르짖나이다"(시편 84:2)

"내 육체도 평안히 거하리니"(시편 16:9)

"벗은 자를 보면 입히며 또 네 골육(고기)을 피하여 스스로 숨지 아니하는 것이 아니겠느냐"(이사야 58:7)

2180. 'And took a young bull, tender and good' means a celestial-natural which the rational took to itself in order that it might join itself to perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a young bull' or 'a son of an ox' in the Word as natural good. And because the subject is the Lord's Rational, it is called 'tender' from the celestial-spiritual, which is truth grounded in good, and 'good' from the celestial itself, which is good itself. Within the genuine rational there is both the affection for truth and the affection for good, but that which is first and foremost there is the affection for truth, as shown already in 2072. This explains why 'tender' is mentioned before 'good'; but even so, as is quite usual in the Word, both are mentioned on account of the marriage of truth and good which is referred to above in 2173.

[2] That 'a young bull' or 'a son of an ox' means the celestial-natural, or what amounts to the same, natural good, becomes especially clear from the sacrifices, which were the principal representatives in the worship of the Hebrew Church and after this of the Jewish Church. Their sacrifices were made either from the herd or from the flock, thus from animals of various kinds that were clean, such as oxen, young bulls, he-goats, sheep, rams, she-goats, kids, and lambs, besides doves and fledgling pigeons. All of these creatures meant the internal features of worship, that is, celestial and spiritual things, 2165, 2177, those from the herd meaning celestial-natural, those from the flock celestial-rational. Because both of these - natural things and rational things - are more and more interior and are various, so many genera and so many species of these creatures were therefore employed in sacrifices. This fact becomes clear also from its being laid down as to which creatures were to be offered in burnt offerings and also which in every kind of sacrifice - the daily sacrifices; those offered on sabbaths and at festivals; those made as free-will, eucharistic, or votive offerings; and those offered in purifications, cleansings, and also in inaugurations. Which creatures were to be used, and how many, in each kind of sacrifice is mentioned explicitly. This would never have been done unless each one had had some specific meaning, as is quite evident from those places where the sacrifices are the subject, as in Chapter 29 of Exodus; Chapters 1, 3, 4, 9, 16, and 23 of Leviticus; and Chapters 7, 8, 15, and 29 of Numbers. But this is not the place to explain what each one meant. The situation is similar in the Prophets where those animals are mentioned, from which it may become clear that young bulls meant celestial-natural things.

[3] That none but heavenly things were meant becomes clear also from the cherubim seen by Ezekiel and from the living creatures before the throne which were seen by John. Regarding the cherubim the prophet says,

The likeness of their faces was the face of a man (homo); and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; and they four had the face of an eagle. Ezekiel 1:10.

Regarding the four living creatures before the throne John says,

Around the throne were four living creatures - the first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a young bull, the third living creature had a face like a man (homo), the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle - saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. Revelation 4:7-8.

Anyone may see that holy things were represented by the cherubim and these living creatures, thus also by the oxen and young bulls in the sacrifices. The same applies in the prophecy of Moses concerning Joseph,

Let it come upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers. The firstborn of his ox has honour, and his horns are the horns of a unicorn; with these he will thrust the peoples together, to the ends of the earth. Deuteronomy 33:16-17.

These words are not intelligible to anyone unless he knows what ox, unicorn, horns, and many other things mean in the internal sense.

[4] As for sacrifices in general they were indeed commanded to the Israelites through Moses. But the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood never knew anything at all about sacrifices, nor did it ever enter their minds to worship the Lord by the slaughtering of animals. The Ancient Church which existed after the Flood knew nothing about it either. Representatives did indeed exist there, but not sacrifices. These were first introduced in the subsequent Church called the Hebrew Church, and from there they spread to the gentile nations, and even to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so to Jacob's descendants. The fact that the gentile nations had sacrificial worship has been shown in 1343, and the fact that Jacob's descendants also had such worship before they left Egypt, thus before sacrifices were commanded through Moses on Mount Sinai, becomes clear from Exodus 5:3; 10:25, 27; 18:12; 24:4-5.

[5] This is especially clear from their idolatrous worship in front of the golden calf, regarding which the following is said in Moses,

Aaron built an altar in front of the calf, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow there will be a feast to Jehovah. And they rose up early the next morning and presented burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Exodus 32:5-6.

This happened while Moses was on Mount Sinai, and so before the command came to them regarding the altar and the sacrifices. That command came to them for the reason that sacrificial worship among them had been turned, as it had among the gentiles, into idolatrous worship, from which they could not be drawn away because they looked upon it as-the chief holy thing. Once something has been implanted in people from their earliest years as being holy, the more so if received from their fathers, and thus is inrooted, the Lord in no way breaks it - provided it is not contrary to order itself - but bends it. This was the reason for its being laid down that the sacrificial system should be established, such as one reads in the books of Moses.

[6] The fact that sacrifices were by no means acceptable to Jehovah, and so were merely permitted and tolerated for the reason just stated, is quite evident in the Prophets. Concerning them the following is said in Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, the God of Israel, Add your burnt offerings on to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. I did not speak with your fathers and I did not command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt on the matters of burnt offering and sacrifice. But this matter I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God. Jeremiah 7:21-23.

In David,

O Jehovah, sacrifice and offering You have not desired; burnt offering and sin-sacrifices You have not sought. I have delighted to do Your will, O my God. Psalms 40:6, 8.

In the same author,

You do not delight in sacrifice that I should give it; burnt offering You do not accept. The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit. Psalms 51:16-17.

In the same author,

I will not take any young bull from your house, nor he-goats from your folds. Sacrifice to God confession. Psalms 50:9, 14; 107:21-22; 116:17; Deuteronomy 23:18.

In Hosea,

I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6.

Samuel said to Saul,

Has Jehovah great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices? Behold, to be submissive is better than sacrifice, to be obedient than the fat of rams. - 1 Samuel 15:22.

In Micah,

With what shall I come before Jehovah and bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does Jehovah require of you but to carry out judgement, and to love mercy, and to humble yourself by walking with your God? Micah 6:6-8.

[7] From these quotations it is now evident that sacrifices were not commanded but permitted, and also that in sacrifices nothing else was regarded except that which was internal, and that it was that which was internal that was pleasing, not that which was external. For this reason also the Lord abolished them, as was also foretold through Daniel in the following words when he was speaking about the Lord's Coming,

In the middle of the week He will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. Daniel 9:27.

See what has been stated about sacrifices in Volume One, in 922, 923, 1128, 1823. As for 'the young bull' which Abraham made ready or prepared for the three men, the meaning is similar to that of the same animals when used in sacrifices. That it had a similar meaning becomes clear also from the fact that he told Sarah to take three measures of fine flour. Regarding the fine flour that went with the offering of a young bull the following is said in Moses - referring to when they were to come into the land,

When you make ready a young bull for a burnt offering or a sacrifice in the declaring of a vow, or for peace offerings to Jehovah, you shall bring with the young bull a minchah of three tenths of fine flour mixed with oil. Numbers 15:8-9.

Here similarly the number 'three' appears, though three 'tenths' here but three 'measures' in Abraham's instruction to Sarah. But only two tenths went with the offering of a ram, one tenth with that of a lamb, Numbers 15:4-6.