9391. And they offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace sacrifices of bullocks to Jehovah. That hereby is signified a representative of the worship of the Lord from good and from the truth which is from good, is evident from the representation of burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as being worship of the Lord in general (see n. 922, 6905, 8936); specifically by burnt-offerings is meant the worship of the Lord from the good of love, and by sacrifices is meant the worship of the Lord from the truth of faith which is from good (n. 8680); and from the signification of “bullocks,” as being the good of innocence and of charity in the external or natural man (of which below). (That beasts that were sacrificed signified the quality of the good and truth from which was the worship, see n. 922, 1823, 2180, 3519.) (That gentle and useful beasts signify the celestial things of the good of love, and the spiritual things of the truth of faith, and that on this account they were employed in the sacrifices, see n. 9280.) That “a bullock” signifies the good of innocence and of charity in the external or natural man, is because animals of the herd signified affections of good and truth in the external or natural man, and those of the flock, affections of good and truth in the internal or spiritual man (n. 2566, 5913, 6048, 8937, 9135). The animals of the flock were lambs, she-goats, sheep, rams, he-goats; and those of the herd were oxen, bullocks, and calves. “Lambs” and “sheep” signified the good of innocence and of charity in the internal or spiritual man; consequently “calves” and “bullocks,” being of a more tender age than oxen, signified the like in the external or natural man.

[2] That “bullocks” and “calves” signify this good, is evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned; as in Ezekiel:

The feet of the four living creatures, a straight foot; and the sole of their feet as the sole of a calf’s foot; and they glittered like the appearance of burnished brass (Ezekiel 1:7);

speaking of the cherubs, which are described by the four living creatures. (That the “cherubs” denote the guard or providence of the Lord to prevent any approach to Himself except through good, see n. 9277.) External or natural good was represented by the straight foot, and by the sole of the foot being like the sole of a calf’s foot; for the “feet” signify the things of the natural man; the “straight foot” those which are of good, and the “sole of the feet” those which are ultimate, in the natural man. (That the “feet” have this signification, see n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 5327, 5328; also that the “heels,” “soles,” and “hoofs” denote the ultimate things in the natural man, n. 4938, 7729.) The reason why the soles of the feet glittered like the appearance of burnished brass, was that “brass” signifies natural good (n. 425, 1551), and “brass glittering as though burnished,” signifies good resplendent from the light of heaven, which is truth Divine proceeding from the Lord. From what has been said it is evident that by “a calf” is signified the good of the external or natural man.

[3] In like manner in John:

Round about the throne were four animals full of eyes before and behind. And the first animal was like a lion, and the second animal like a calf, and the third animal had a face like a man, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle (Revelation 4:6-7);

here also by the “four animals” which are cherubs, is signified the guard and providence of the Lord to prevent His being approached except through the good of love; the guard itself is effected by means of truth and its derivative good, and by means of good and its derivative truth. Truth and its derivative good, in the external form, are signified by the “lion” and the “calf;” and good and its derivative truth, in the internal form, are signified by the “face of a man” and by the “flying eagle.” (That “a lion” denotes truth from good in its power, see n. 6367, consequently the “calf” denotes the good itself thence derived.)

[4] In Hosea:

Return ye unto Jehovah; say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and accept good, and we will repay the bullocks of our lips (Hos. 14:2);

no one can know what is meant by “repaying the bullocks of the lips” unless he knows what is signified by “bullocks” and by “lips.” That it denotes confession and thanksgiving from a good heart, is evident; for it is said, “return ye unto Jehovah, say unto Him accept good,” and then, “we will repay the bullocks of our lips,” denoting to confess Jehovah from the goods of doctrine, and to give thanks to Him; for the “lips” denote the things of doctrine (see n. 1286, 1288).

[5] In Amos:

Ye draw the dwelling of violence; they lie upon beds of ivory, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall (Amos 6:3-4);

here are described those who are in abundance of the knowledges of good and truth, and yet live an evil life; “eating the lambs out of the flock” denotes to learn and appropriate to oneself the goods of innocence that belong to the internal or spiritual man; “eating the calves out of the midst of the stall” denotes to learn and appropriate to oneself the goods of innocence that belong to the external or natural man. (That “eating” denotes to appropriate see n. 3168, 3513, 3596, 3832, 4745; and that “lambs” denote the goods of innocence, n. 3519, 3994, 7840.) And as “lambs” denote the interior goods of innocence, it follows that “calves out of the midst of the stall” denote the exterior goods of innocence; for in the Word, especially in the prophetic Word, it is usual to treat of truth wherever good is treated of, on account of the heavenly marriage (n. 9263, 9314); and also to speak of external things where internal things are spoken of. Moreover, the “stall” [used for fattening] and “fat” signify the good of interior love (n. 5943).

[6] In like manner in Malachi:

Unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; that ye may go forth, and grow like calves of the stall (Malachi 4:2).

The father said of the prodigal son who had returned repentant in heart, Bring forth the chief robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be glad (Luke 15:22-23).

One who apprehends only the sense of the letter, will believe that nothing deeper is hidden here; when yet each particular infolds heavenly things; as that they should put on him the chief robe; that they should put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and should bring the fatted calf, and kill it, so that they might eat and be glad. By the “prodigal son” are meant those who have been prodigal of heavenly riches, which are the knowledges of good and truth; by his “return to his father,” and his confession that he was “not worthy to be called his son,” is signified repentance of heart and humiliation; by the “chief robe” which was to be put upon him are signified general truths (n. 4545, 5248, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917, 9093, 9212, 9216); and by the “fatted calf” general goods corresponding to these truths. The like is signified by “calves” and “bullocks” in other passages (as Isaiah 11:6; Ezekiel 39:18; Psalms 29:6; 69:31), also in the burnt-offerings and sacrifices (Exodus 29:11-14; Leviticus 4:3-12 and 13-21; 8:14-17; 9:2; 16:3; 23:18; Numbers 8:8-12; 15:24-26; 28:19-20; Judges 6:25-28; 1 Samuel 1:25; 16:2; 1 Kings 18:23-26, 33).

[7] The reason why the sons of Israel made for themselves a golden calf, and worshiped it instead of Jehovah (Exodus 32), was that the Egyptian idolatry remained in their hearts, although they confessed Jehovah with their mouths. Chief among the idols of Egypt were heifers and bull-calves of gold, for the reason that a female calf signified memory-truth, which is the truth of the natural man; and a bull-calf the good of this truth, which is the good of the natural man; and also because gold signified good. This good and this truth were effigied there by male and female calves of gold. But when the representatives of heavenly things there had been turned into idolatries, and at last into magic, then in Egypt, as in other places, the very effigies which had been representative became idols, and began to be worshiped. Hence came the idolatries of the ancients, and the magical arts of Egypt.

[8] For the Ancient Church, which succeeded the Most Ancient Church, was a representative church, all the worship of which consisted in rites, statutes, judgments, and commandments that represented Divine and heavenly things, which are the interior things of the church. After the flood this Ancient Church was spread through much of the Asiatic world, and was also in Egypt. But in Egypt the memory-knowledges of this church were cultivated, whereby the Egyptians excelled all others in the knowledge of correspondences and representations, as can be seen from the hieroglyphics, and from the magical arts and idols there; and also from the various things related about Egypt in the Word. Hence it is that by “Egypt” in the Word is signified memory-knowledge in general, both as to truth and as to good; also the natural, for memory-knowledge belongs to the natural man. The same was signified also by a female and a male calf.

[9] (That the Ancient Church, which was a representative church, was spread through many kingdoms, and was also in Egypt, see n. 1238, 2385, 7097; that the memory-knowledges of the church were especially cultivated in Egypt, and that therefore by “Egypt” in the Word is signified memory-knowledge in both senses, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 5702, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6693, 6750, 7779, 7926; and as memory-truth and its good are the truth and good of the natural man, therefore by “Egypt” in the Word is also signified the natural, n. 4967, 5079, 5080, 5095, 5160, 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301, 6004, 6015, 6147, 6252.)

[10] From all this it is now evident that female and male calves were among the chief idols of Egypt, for the reason that female and male calves signified memory-truth and its good, which belong to the natural man, in like manner as does Egypt itself; so that “Egypt” and “a calf” had the same signification, wherefore it is said of Egypt in Jeremiah:

Egypt is a very beautiful she-calf; destruction is come out of the north. Also her hired men in the midst of her are like he-calves of the stall (Jeremiah 46:20-21);

a “she-calf” denotes the memory-truth of the natural man; the “hired men” who are “he-calves” denote those who do what is good for the sake of profit (n. 8002); thus “he-calves” denote such good as in itself is not good, but is the delight of the natural man separate from the spiritual. This is the delight in which were the sons of Jacob, being in itself idolatrous; and therefore they were permitted to make this known and testify it by the adoration of a calf (Exodus 32).

[11] This is also described in David:

They made a calf in Horeb, and bowed themselves to a molten image; and they changed their glory into the effigy of an ox that eateth the herb (Psalms 106:19-20);

by “making a calf in Horeb and bowing themselves to a molten image” is signified idolatrous worship, which is that of rites, statutes, judgments, and commandments, in the external form only; and not at the same time in the internal. (That that nation was in external things without anything internal, see n. 9320, 9373, 9377, 9380, 9382; and that therefore they were idolatrous in their hearts, n. 3732, 4208, 4281, 4825, 5998, 7401, 8301, 8871, 8882) By their “changing their glory into the effigy of an ox that eateth the herb” is signified that they estranged themselves from the internal things of the Word and of the church, and worshiped what is external, which is mere memory-knowledge devoid of life; for “glory” denotes what is internal of the Word and of the church (see the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 5922, 8267, 8427); “the effigy of an ox” denotes a semblance of good in the external form, for “an effigy” denotes a semblance, thus that which is devoid of life; and “an ox” denotes good in the natural, thus good in the external form (n. 2566, 2781, 9134); “to eat the herb” denotes to appropriate this to oneself as a mere matter of memory; for “to eat” denotes to appropriate (n. 3168, 3513, 3596, 4745); and “the herb” denotes memory-knowledge (n. 7571).

[12] As such things were signified by the “golden calf,” that was worshiped by the sons of Israel instead of Jehovah, therefore Moses proceeded with it in the following manner:

Your sin, the calf which ye made, I took, and burnt it with fire, and crushed it, grinding it well, until it was as fine as dust; and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that came down from the mountain (Deuteronomy 9:21).

No one knows why the golden calf was so dealt with, unless he knows what is signified by being “burned with fire,” “crushed,” “ground,” and “made as fine as dust;” and what by “the brook that came down from the mountain,” into which the dust was cast. There is here described the state of those who worship external things without anything internal; namely, that they are in the evils of the loves of self and of the world, and in the falsities thence derived, in respect to what is from the Divine, thus in respect to the Word. For the “fire” by which the calf was burned denotes the evil of the love of self and of the world (n. 1297, 1861, 2446, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7324, 7575); the “dust” into which it was crushed, denotes the consequent falsity confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word; and the “brook from Mount Sinai” denotes truth Divine, thus the Word in the letter, for this comes down from it. For those who are in external things without anything internal explain the Word in favor of their own loves, and see therein earthly things, and nothing of heavenly things, like the Israelites and Jews of old, and also of this day.

[13] Similar things were also represented by the calves of Jeroboam in Bethel and in Dan (1 Kings 12:26, tothe end; 2 Kings 17:16), of which we read in Hosea:

They have made a king, but not by Me; they have made princes, and I knew it not; their silver and their gold have they made into idols, that they may be cut off. Thy calf, O Samaria, hath deserted, for this also is from Israel, the workman made it, and it is no God, for the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces (Hos. 8:4-6).

The subject here treated of is the perverted understanding and distorted unfolding of the Word by those who are in external things without anything internal; for they remain in the sense of the letter of the Word, which they wrest so as to favor their own loves and the principles taken from them.

[14] “Making a king, but not by Me; and making princes, and I knew it not” denotes to hatch truth and primary truths from their own light, and not from the Divine, for in the internal sense “a king” denotes truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148); and “princes” denote primary truths (n. 1482, 2089, 5044); “making their silver and their gold into idols” denotes to pervert the memory-knowledges of truth and good from the literal sense of the Word, in favor of their own cupidities, and still to worship them as holy, although, being from their own intelligence, they are devoid of life; for “silver” denotes the truth, and “gold” the good, that are from the Divine, thus that belong to the Word (n. 1551, 2954, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932); and “idols” denote doctrinal things from man’s own intelligence which are worshiped as holy, and yet have no life in them (n. 8941) from which it is evident that by a “king” and “princes,” and also by “silver” and “gold,” are signified falsities from evil; for those things which are from man’s own are from evil, and consequently are falsities, although outwardly they appear like truths, because taken from the literal sense of the Word. From this it is evident what is signified by the “calf of Samaria which the workman made,” namely, good in the natural man and not at the same time in the spiritual man; thus that which is not good, because applied to evil. “The workman made it, and it is no God,” denotes that it is from man’s own, and not from the Divine; to be “broken in pieces” denotes to be dispersed.

[15] Similar things are meant by “calves” in Hosea:

They sin more and more, and make them a molten image of their silver, even idols in their own intelligence, wholly the work of the craftsmen; talking to them, sacrificing men, kissing calves (Hos. 13:2).

From all this it is now evident what is signified by a “calf,” and a “bullock,” in the following passages, in Isaiah:

The unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with strong ones, and their land shall be drunken with blood, and their dust shall be made fat with fatness (Isaiah 34:7).

The defensed city is solitary, the habitation is abandoned and forsaken like a wilderness; there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof; the harvest thereof shall wither (Isaiah 27:10).

From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, a she-calf of three years old; for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolations (Jeremiah 48:34).

My heart crieth out for Moab; her fugitives are even unto Zoar, a she-calf of three years old; for in the ascent of Luhith with weeping he shall go up (Isaiah 15:5).

Ephraim is a she-calf that is taught, that loveth to thresh (Hos. 10:11).

Rebuke the wild beast of the reed, the congregation of the strong ones, among the calves of the peoples, trampling under foot the fragments of silver; He hath scattered the peoples, they desire wars (Psalms 68:30).

[16] The subject here treated of is the arrogance of those who wish to enter from memory-knowledges into the mysteries of faith, and who are not willing to acknowledge anything but that which they themselves hatch therefrom. As they do not see anything from the light of heaven which is from the Lord, but only from the light of nature which is from man’s own, they seize on shadows instead of light, on fallacies instead of realities, and in general on falsity instead of truth. As they think insanely, because from the lowest things, they are called “the wild beast of the reed;” and as they reason with vehemence, they are called “the congregation of the strong ones;” and as they disperse the truths that are still remaining and scattered among the goods of those who are in the truths of the church, it is said of them that “they trample under foot the fragments of silver among the calves of the peoples,” and further that “they scatter the peoples,” that is, the church itself with its truths; the lust of attacking and destroying these truths is meant by “desiring wars.” From all this it is again evident that “calves” denote goods.

[17] In Zechariah 12:4 it is said, “I will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness;” and by the “horse of the peoples” are signified the intellectual things of truth with those who are of the church, because a “horse” denotes the understanding of truth (see n. 2761). But it is here said, “trampling under foot the fragments of silver, and “scattering the peoples among the calves of the peoples;” and by “trampling under foot” and “scattering” is signified to cast down and disperse (see n. 258). (By “silver” is signified truth, n. 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999, 8932; and by “peoples” those of the church who are in truths, n. 2928, 7207, therefore the truths of the church, n. 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581.) Thus by “the calves of the peoples” are signified the goods of the will with those who are of the church.

[18] Moreover, that “calves” signify goods, is evident in Jeremiah:

I will give the men that have transgressed My covenant, who have not established the words of the covenant which they have made before Me, of the calf which they cut in twain, that they might pass between the parts thereof; the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the royal ministers and the priests, and all the people of the land, who have passed between the parts of the calf; I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, that their carcass may be for food to the bird of the heavens, and to the beast of the earth (Jeremiah 34:18-20).

No one can know what is meant by “the covenant of the calf,” and what by “passing between the parts thereof,” unless he knows what is signified by a “covenant,” by a “calf,” by its being “divided into two parts;” also what is signified by “the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem,” by “the eunuchs,” “the priests,” and “the people of the land.” It is evident that some heavenly secret is infolded. Nevertheless this secret can appear to the understanding when it is known that a “covenant” denotes conjunction, a “calf” good, a “calf cut in twain” good proceeding from the Lord on the one side, and good received by man on the other; and that “the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem, with the royal ministers and the priests, and the peoples of the land,” denote the truths and goods of the church from the Word; and that “to pass between the parts” denotes to conjoin. From all these things, when they are known, it is evident that the internal sense of these words is, that there was no conjunction of the good proceeding from the Lord with the good received by man through the Word, consequently through the truths and goods of the church with that nation; but that there was disjunction, for the reason that they were in external things without anything internal.

[19] The like was involved in the covenant of the calf with Abram, of which we read in the book of Genesis:

Jehovah said unto Abram, Take thee a she-calf of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. And he took him all these and divided them in the midst, and laid each part of it over against the other; and the birds he did not divide. And the fowls came down upon the bodies, and Abram drove them away. And it was when the sun was setting, that a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and behold a terror of great darkness falling upon him. And in that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:9-12, 18).

“A terror of great darkness falling upon Abram” signified the state of the Jewish nation, in that they were in the greatest darkness in respect to the truths and goods of the church from the Word, because they were in external things without anything internal, and consequently were in idolatrous worship. For one who is in external things without anything internal is in idolatrous worship, because when he is in worship, his heart and soul are not in heaven, but in the world; and he does not worship the holy things of the Word from heavenly love, but from earthly love. This state of that nation is what is described in the prophet by “the covenant of a calf which they had cut into two parts,” and “between which they passed.”

4735. Shed no blood. That this signifies that they should not do violence to what is holy is evident from the signification of “blood” as being what is holy-of which in what follows; hence “to shed blood” is to do violence to what is holy. All the holy in heaven proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human, and therefore all the holy in the church; wherefore that violence might not be done to it, the Holy Supper was instituted by the Lord, in which it is expressly said that the bread is His flesh, and the wine His blood, thus that it is his Divine Human from which the holy then comes. With the ancients, flesh and blood signified the human own, because the human consists of flesh and blood; thus the Lord said to Simon, “Blessed art thou, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father who is in the heavens” (Matthew 16:17). The flesh and the blood, therefore, signified by the bread and the wine in the Holy Supper, denote the Lord’s Human Own. The Lord’s Own Itself, which He acquired to Himself by His own power, is Divine. His Own from conception was what He had from Jehovah His Father, and was Jehovah Himself. Hence the Own which He acquired to Himself in the Human was Divine. This Divine Own in the Human is what is called His flesh and blood; “flesh” is His Divine good (n. 3813), and “blood” is the Divine truth of Divine good.

[2] The Lord’s Human, after it was glorified or made Divine, cannot be thought of as human, but as the Divine love in human form; and this so much the more than the angels, who, when they appear (as seen by me), appear as forms of love and charity under the human shape, and this from the Lord; for the Lord from Divine love made His Human Divine; just as man through heavenly love becomes an angel after death, so that he appears, as just said, as a form of love and charity under the human shape. It is plain from this that by the Lord’s Divine Human, in the celestial sense is signified the Divine love itself, which is love toward the whole human race, in that it wills to save them and to make them blessed and happy to eternity, and to make its Divine their own so far as they can receive it. This love and the reciprocal love of man to the Lord, and also love toward the neighbor, are what are signified and represented in the Holy Supper-the Divine celestial love by the flesh or bread, and the Divine spiritual love by the blood or wine.

[3] From these things it is now evident what is meant in John by eating the Lord’s flesh and drinking His blood:

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eat of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood abideth in Me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven (John 6:51-58).

As “flesh and blood” signify as before said the Divine celestial and the Divine spiritual which are from the Lord’s Divine Human, or what is the same, the Divine good and the Divine truth of his love, by “eating and drinking” is signified making them one’s own; and this is effected by a life of love and charity, which is also a life of faith. (That “eating” is making good one’s own, and “drinking” making truth one’s own, may be seen above, n. 2187, 3069, 3168, 3513, 3596, 3734, 3832, 4017, 4018.)

[4] As “blood” in the celestial sense signifies the Divine spiritual or the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord’s Divine Human, it therefore signifies the holy proceeding; for the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord’s Divine Human is the holy itself.

[5] Holiness is nothing else, nor from any other source. That “blood” signifies this holy is evident from many passages in the Word, of which we may adduce the following:

Son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovih, Say to every bird of the heaven, to every wild beast of the field, Assemble yourselves and come; gather yourselves from every side upon My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, [of bullocks,] all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. And ye shall be sated at My table with horse and chariot, with the strong, and with every man of war. And I will set My glory among the nations (Ezekiel 39:17-21).

The subject here treated of is the calling together of all to the Lord’s kingdom, and specifically the setting up again of the church among the Gentiles; and by their “eating flesh and drinking blood” is signified making Divine good and Divine truth their own, thus the holy which proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human. Who cannot see that by “flesh” is not meant flesh, nor by “blood” blood, where it is said that they should eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, and that they should be sated with horse and chariot, with the strong, and with every man of war?

[6] So likewise in Revelation:

I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven, Come and gather yourselves unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of the strong, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great (Revelation 19:17-18);

who would ever understand these words unless he knew what is signified in the internal sense by “flesh,” and what by “kings,” “captains,” “the strong” “horses,” “those that sit thereon,” and “free and bond?”

[7] Further in Zechariah:

He shall speak peace to the nations; and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. As for thee also, through the blood of Thy covenant I will send forth thy bound out of the pit (Zech. 9:10-11); where the Lord is spoken of; the “blood of Thy covenant” is the Divine truth proceeding from his Divine Human, and is the holy itself which, after He was glorified, went forth from Him. This holy is also what is called the Holy Spirit, as is evident in John:

Jesus said, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. Whosoever believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:37-39).

That the holy proceeding from the Lord is the “spirit,” may be seen in John 6:63.

[8] Moreover, that “blood” is the holy proceeding from the Lord’s Divine Human, in David:

Bring back their soul from deceit and violence; and precious shall their blood be in His eyes (Psalms 72:14);

“precious blood” denotes the holy which they would receive.

In Revelation:

These are they who come out of great affliction, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14).

And again:

They overcame the dragon by the blood of the lamb, and by the Word of their testimony; and they loved not their soul even unto death (Revelation 12:11).

[9] The church at this day does not know otherwise than that the “blood of the lamb” here signifies the Lord’s passion, because it is believed that they are saved solely by the Lord having suffered, and that it was for this that He was sent into the world; but let this view of it be for the simple, who cannot comprehend interior arcana. The Lord’s passion was the last of His temptation, by which He fully glorified His Human (Luke 24:26; John 12:23, 27-28; 13:31-32; 17:1, 4-5); but the “blood of the lamb” is the same as the Divine truth, or the holy proceeding from the Lord’s Divine Human; thus the same as the “blood of the covenant” spoken of just above, and of which it is also written in Moses:

[10] Moses took the book of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people; and they said, All that Jehovah hath spoken will we do, and hear. Then Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which Jehovah hath made with you upon all these words (Exodus 24:7-8).

The “book of the covenant” was the Divine truth which they then had, which was confirmed by the blood testifying that it was from His Divine Human.

[11] In the rituals of the Jewish Church blood had no other signification than the holy proceeding from the Lord’s Divine Human, wherefore when they were sanctified, it was done by blood-as when Aaron and his sons were sanctified, blood was sprinkled upon the horns of the altar, the remainder at the bottom of the altar, also upon the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot, and upon his garments (Exodus 29:12, 16, 20; Leviticus 8:15, 19, 23, 30). And when Aaron entered within the veil to the mercy-seat, blood was also to be sprinkled with the finger upon the mercy-seat eastward seven times (Leviticus 16:12-15). So also in the rest of the sanctifications, and also in the expiations and cleansings (in regard to which see the following passages, Exodus 12:7, 13, 22; 30:10; Leviticus 1:5, 11, 15; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:6-7, 17-18, 25, 30, 34; 5:9; 6:27-28; 14:14-19, 25-30; 16:12-15, 18-19; Deuteronomy 12:27).

[12] As by “blood” in the genuine sense is signified the holy, so in the opposite sense by “blood” and “bloods” are signified those things which offer violence to it, because by shedding innocent blood is signified doing violence to what is holy. For this reason wicked things of life and profane things of worship were called “blood.” That “blood” and “bloods” have such a signification, is evident from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

When the Lord shall have washed the excrement of the daughters of Zion, and shall have washed away the bloods of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of expurgation (Isaiah 4:4).

The waters of Dimon are full of blood (Isaiah 15:9).

Again:

Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity (Isaiah 59:3, 7).

In Jeremiah:

Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor (Jeremiah 2:34).

[13] Again:

It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of Jerusalem. They have wandered blind in the streets, they are polluted with blood; those which they cannot [pollute] they touch with their garments (Lam. 4:13-14).

In Ezekiel:

I have passed by thee, and saw thee trodden down in thy bloods, and I said unto thee, Live in thy bloods, and I said unto thee, Live in thy bloods. I washed thee with waters, and washed away thy bloods from upon thee, and I anointed thee with oil (Ezekiel 16:6, 9).

Again:

Thou son of man, Wilt thou debate with a city of bloods? Make known to her all her abominations. Thou art become guilty through thy blood that thou hast shed, and art defiled through thine idols which thou hast made. Behold the princes of Israel, everyone according to his arm, have been in thee and have shed blood; men of slander have been in thee to shed blood; and in thee they have eaten at the mountains (Ezekiel 22:2-4, 6, 9).

In Moses:

If anyone shall sacrifice elsewhere than upon the altar at the tent, it shall be blood; and as if he had shed blood (Leviticus 17:1-9).

[14] Falsified and profaned truth is signified by the following passages concerning blood.

In Joel:

I will set wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day come (Joel 2:30-31).

In Revelation:

The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood (Revelation 6:12).

Again

The second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood (Revelation 8:8).

Again:

The second angel poured out his vial into the sea; and it became blood as of a dead man, and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial into the rivers, and into the fountains of waters, and there became blood (Revelation 16:3-4).

[15] Similar is what is said in Exodus (7:15-22), about the rivers, ponds, and pools of water in Egypt being turned into blood; for by “Egypt” is signified the memory-knowledge which from itself enters into heavenly mysteries, and hence perverts, denies, and profanes Divine truths (n. 1164, 1165, 1186). All the miracles in Egypt, being Divine, involved such things. The “rivers which were turned into blood” are the truths of intelligence and wisdom (n. 108, 109, 3051); “waters” have a similar signification (n. 680, 2702, 3058), and also “fountains” (n. 2702, 3096, 3424); “seas” are truths in the complex which are a matter of memory-knowledge (n. 28); the “moon” of which it is also said that it should be “turned into blood,” is Divine truth (n. 1529-1531, 2495, 4060). It is evident from this, that by the moon, the sea, fountains, waters, and rivers, being turned into blood, is signified truth falsified and profaned.