Arcana Coelestia #1003
1003. That 'not eating flesh with its soul, its blood' means not mixing together unholy things with holy is now clear from what has been stated above. Unholy things are in no way mixed with holy through somebody's eating blood along with the flesh, as also the Lord clearly teaches in Matthew,
Not what goes into the mouth renders a man unclean, but what comes out of the mouth, this renders the man unclean. For the things which come out of the mouth come out of the heart. Matthew 15:11, 17-20.
It was prohibited in the Jewish Church however because in heaven, as stated, eating blood along with the flesh in those days represented profanation. Everything that took place in that Church was converted in heaven into corresponding representatives. Blood in particular was converted into that which is holy and celestial, while flesh, with the exception of that offered in sacrifices, was converted into that which is unholy, because, as has been shown, it meant evil desires. The mere eating of the two in those times was converted into a mixing together of what is holy and of what is unholy. This was why the practice was so strictly forbidden in those days. But after the Lord's Coming when external rites were abolished and so representatives came to an end, such things ceased after that to be converted in heaven into corresponding representatives. For when a man becomes internal, and has been informed concerning internal things, external things are of no importance to him. He is now aware of what holiness really is, namely, charity and faith deriving from it. Things with him which are external he now regards from the viewpoint of charity and faith, that is to say, he looks to see how much charity and faith in the Lord external things contain. This is why since the Lord's Coming heaven has looked at mankind not from the viewpoint of external things but of internal. And if anyone is looked at from the viewpoint of those things that are external it is because he dwells in simplicity, and in innocence and charity within that simplicity. These are present with him from the Lord in external things, that is, in his external worship, though he himself is not actually aware of this.
Exodus 28:6-30
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"They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman.
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It shall have two shoulder straps joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together.
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The skillfully woven band, which is on it, that is on him, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
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You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:
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six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
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With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: you shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold.
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You shall put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders for a memorial.
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You shall make settings of gold,
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and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them like cords of braided work: and you shall put the braided chains on the settings.
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"You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, you shall make it.
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It shall be square and folded double; a span shall be its length of it, and a span its breadth.
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You shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of ruby, topaz, and beryl shall be the first row;
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and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
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and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
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and the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.
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The stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
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You shall make on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
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You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
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You shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
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The other two ends of the two braided chains you shall put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in its forepart.
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You shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.
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You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its forepart, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
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They shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not swing out from the ephod.
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Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before Yahweh continually.
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You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before Yahweh: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.
