Arcana Coelestia #2187
2187. And they did eat. That this signifies communication in this manner, is evident from the signification of “eating,” as being to be communicated and to be conjoined; as is also evident from the Word. The fact that Aaron, his sons, the Levites, and also the people, ate the hallowed things of the sacrifices in the holy place, signified nothing else than communication, conjunction, and appropriation, as above said at the explication of the passage from Leviticus 6:9-10 (see n. 2177), for it was celestial and spiritual food that was signified by the hallowed things which they ate, consequently the appropriation of it. The hallowed things were the parts of the sacrifices which were not burned upon the altar, and were eaten either by the priests, or by the people that made the offering; as is evident from many passages where the sacrifices are treated of (what should be eaten by the priests, Exodus 29:32-33; Leviticus 6:9, 16, 18, 26; 7:6, 15-16, 18; 8:31; 10:12-13; Numbers 18:9-11; what should be eaten by the people, Leviticus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 12:27; 27:7; and elsewhere; and that the unclean should not eat of them, Leviticus 7:19-21; 22:4-7). These feastings were made in a holy place near the altar, either at the door, or in the court of the tabernacle, and they signified nothing else than the communication, conjunction, and appropriation of celestial goods; for by them were represented celestial foods (concerning which food see n. 56-58, 680-681, 1480, 1695), and they were all called “bread,” the signification of which may be seen above (n. 2165). The like was represented by Aaron and his sons eating the showbread or “bread of faces,” in a holy place (Leviticus 24:9).
[2] The law given for the Nazirite-that in the days of his Naziriteship he should not eat of anything from the grape, whence wine is made, from the seeds even to the skin (Numbers 6:4)—was because the Nazirite represented the celestial man, and the celestial man is such that he is not willing even to mention spiritual things (as may be seen in Part First,n. 202, 337, 880, 1647); and as wine and the grape, and also whatever is from the grape, signified what is spiritual, it was therefore forbidden the Nazirite to eat of them; that is, to have communication with them, to conjoin himself with them, and to appropriate them to himself.
[3] The like is meant by “eating” in Isaiah:
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? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and your soul shall be deliciated in fatness (Isaiah 55:1-2).
As also in John:
To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).
The “tree of life” is the celestial itself, and in the supreme sense is the Lord Himself, because from Him is all the celestial, that is, all love and charity. Thus to “eat of the tree of life” is the same as to eat the Lord, and to eat the Lord is to be gifted with love and charity, and thus with those things which are of heavenly life. This the Lord Himself says in John:
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eat of this bread, he shall live to eternity; he that eateth Me shall live by Me (John 6:51, 57).
But they said, This is a hard saying. And Jesus said, The words that I speak unto you are spirit, and are life (John 6:60, 63).
[4] Hence it is manifest what is meant by eating in the Holy Supper (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-23; Luke 22:19-20); namely, to have communication, to be conjoined, and to appropriate to oneself. Hence also it is clear what is meant by the Lord’s saying that:
Many shall come from the east and the west, and shall recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matthew 8:11),
not that they are to eat with them in the kingdom of God, but that they will enjoy the celestial goods which are signified by “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” namely, the celestial things of love; not only the inmost, which are “Abraham,” but also the lower that are intermediate, as are those of the rational, which are “Isaac;” and the still lower, which are the celestial natural, such as are in the first heaven, and which are meant by “Jacob.” Such is the internal sense of these words. (That these things are meant by “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” may be seen in n. 1893, and wherever else they are treated of.) For whether we speak of enjoying those celestial things, or of enjoying the Lord, who is represented by those men, it is the same thing; for all those things are from the Lord, and the Lord is the all in all of them.
Leviticus 8
1
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2
"Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;
3
and assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting."
4
Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
5
Moses said to the congregation, "This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded to be done."
6
Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.
7
He put the coat on him, tied the sash on him, clothed him with the robe, put the ephod on him, and he tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod on him, and fastened it to him with it.
8
He placed the breastplate on him; and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim.
9
He set the turban on his head; and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
10
Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and sanctified them.
11
He sprinkled it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the basin and its base, to sanctify them.
12
He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.
13
Moses brought Aaron's sons, and clothed them with coats, and tied sashes on them, and put headbands on them; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
14
He brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering.
15
He killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it.
16
He took all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat; and Moses burned it on the altar.
17
But the bull, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
18
He presented the ram of the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
19
He killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
20
He cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat.
21
He washed the innards and the legs with water; and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
22
He presented the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
23
He killed it; and Moses took some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot.
24
He brought Aaron's sons; and Moses put some of the blood on the tip of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
25
He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right thigh;
26
and out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before Yahweh, he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat, and on the right thigh.
27
He put all these in Aaron's hands and in his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before Yahweh.
28
Moses took them from their hands, and burned them on the altar on the burnt offering. They were a consecration for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
29
Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
30
Moses took some of the anointing oil, and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, and on his sons, and on his sons' garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
31
Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, "Boil the flesh at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.'
32
What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire.
33
You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration are fulfilled: for he shall consecrate you seven days.
34
What has been done this day, so Yahweh has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.
35
You shall stay at the door of the Tent of Meeting day and night seven days, and keep Yahweh's command, that you don't die: for so I am commanded."
36
Aaron and his sons did all the things which Yahweh commanded by Moses.
