10239. And Aaron and his sons shall wash from it. That this signifies a representative of the purification and regeneration of man by the Lord, is evident from the signification of “washing,” as being purification (see above, n. 10237); from the representation of Aaron, as being the Lord as to Divine good celestial (n. 9806, 10068); and from the representation of the sons of Aaron, as being the Lord as to Divine good spiritual (n. 9807, 10068); from which it is evident that by Aaron and his sons “washing from the laver” is signified a representative of the purification of man by the Lord. That it is also a representative of regeneration, is because regeneration also was represented by washing, but by the washing of the whole body, which washing was called “baptizing” (that “baptizing,” or “baptism,” signifies regeneration, see n. 4255, 9088).

[2] But regeneration differs from purification in that regeneration precedes, and purification follows; for no one can be purified from evils and falsities except the man who is being regenerated, and after he has been regenerated; for he who has not been regenerated is indeed withdrawn from evils insofar as he allows; but he is not purified from them, for he is always impure. It is otherwise with the regenerate man, who is being purified from day to day, which is meant by the Lord’s words to Peter:

He that hath been washed needeth not save to be washed as to his feet, and so is wholly clean (John 13:10).

“He who hath been washed” signifies one who is regenerate.

[3] That the washing of everything was called “baptizing,” is evident in Mark 7:4; and the washing of the whole body, in Matthew 3:13-16; Mark 1:9; an. 2 Kings 5:10, 14. The Jordan, in which the washings took place, which were baptizings (Matthew 3:6-13; Mark 1:5; 2 Kings 5:10, 14), signified the natural (n. 1585, 4245). By the washing of baptism is also signified temptation (Matthew 20:21-23), because all regeneration is effected by means of temptations (n. 5036, 5773, 8351, 8958, 8959).

[4] A few words shall be added to say why the Lord, when He was in the world, Himself also wished to be baptized, when yet by baptizing is signified the regeneration of man by the Lord. It was because the baptizing of the Lord Himself signified the glorification of His Human; for in the Word that which signifies the regeneration of man signifies also the glorification of the Human in the Lord, because the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the the Lord, (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4401, 5688). Therefore when the Lord suffered John to baptize Him, He said:

Thus it becometh us to fulfil all the righteousness of God (Matthew 3:15).

“To fulfill all the righteousness of God” denotes to subdue the hells by His own power, and reduce them and the heavens into order, and at the same time glorify His Human; which things were done by means of temptations admitted into Himself, thus by means of continual combats with the hells, even to the last on the cross. (That this is the “righteousness” which the Lord fulfilled, see n. 9486, 9715, 9809, 10019, 10152) The like things are also signified by “all things being fulfilled which were written concerning the Lord in the Law and the Prophets” (Luke 18:31; 22:37; 24:44); and by the Lord’s coming “to fulfill all things of the law” (Matthew 5:17-18).

[5] He who does not know the arcana of the Word believes that the Lord became righteousness by fulfilling all things of the Law, and that by this fulfillment He set free the human race from the yoke of the Law, thus from damnation. But this is not the meaning of these words; but that He became righteousness through the subjugation of the hells, the reduction of the heavens into order, and the glorification of His Human; for by this He introduced Himself into power, so that He could, from His Divine Human, eternally subjugate the hells, and keep the heavens in order, and so regenerate man, that is, deliver him from the hells, and save him.

4976. And he ministered unto him. That this signifies that the memory-knowledge was appropriated to its good, is evident from the signification of “ministering,” as being to be of service by supplying that which another needs, here to be appropriated, because the subject treated of is natural good to which memory-knowledge was to be appropriated. Moreover, “to minister” is predicated of memory-knowledges; for in the Word by a “minister” and by a “servant” is signified memory-knowledge or natural truth, because this is subordinate to good, as to its lord. Memory-knowledge relatively to the delight of the natural man, or what is the same thing, natural truth relatively to its good, is circumstanced exactly as is water to bread, or drink to food. Water or drink causes bread and food to be diluted, so that they may be conveyed into the blood, and thence into all parts of the body, to nourish them; for without water or drink, bread or food is not resolved into its minute particles, nor is it distributed for use.

[2] The same is true of memory-knowledge relatively to delight, or of truth relatively to good; and therefore good has an appetite for and desires truth, and this for the sake of its use in ministering to and being of service to itself. Moreover, they correspond in a similar way, for in the other life man is not nourished by any natural food and drink, but by spiritual food and drink. Spiritual food is good, and spiritual drink is truth; and therefore when “bread” or “food” is mentioned in the Word, the angels understand spiritual bread or food, that is, the good of love and of charity; and when “water” or “drink” is mentioned, they understand spiritual water or drink, that is, the truth of faith. From this we can see what the truth of faith is without the good of charity, and also in what way the former without the latter can nourish the internal man, that is to say in the same way as water or drink alone can nourish without bread and food, for it is known that the result of this is emaciation and death.