The Bible

 

Hosea 3

Study

   

1 And the Lord said to me, Give your love again to a woman who has a lover and is false to her husband, even as the Lord has love for the children of Israel, though they are turned to other gods and are lovers of grape-cakes.

2 So I got her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley;

3 And I said to her, You are to be mine for a long space of time; you are not to be false to me, and no other man is to have you for his wife; and so will I be to you.

4 For the children of Israel will for a long time be without king and without ruler, without offerings and without pillars, and without ephod or images.

5 And after that, the children of Israel will come back and go in search of the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come in fear to the Lord and to his mercies in the days to come.

   

Commentary

 

Grape, the blood of the

  

'The blood of the grape' signifies spiritual celestial good, which is the name given to the divine in heaven as it goes out from the Lord. Wine is called the 'blood of grapes,' to the extent that each signifies holy truth going out from the Lord. 'Wine' refers to the spiritual church, and 'blood' refers to the celestial church. This being the case, wine was partaken of in the holy supper.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 5118)