617. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up.- That this signifies that he should read, perceive, and explore the Word, as to its interior and exterior qualities, is evident from the signification of He said to me, take the little book, as denoting to impart the power of perceiving the quality of the Word, that is, the quality of the understanding of the Word now in the church (see the preceding article, n. 616); and from the signification of devouring or eating up, as denoting to conjoin or appropriate to one's self, and because the Word is conjoined to man by reading and perception, therefore here eating up signifies reading and perception. The reason why eating up here also signifies to explore, is, that it is afterwards said that the little book would make his belly bitter, and would be in his mouth sweet as honey, which means the exploration of the quality of the Word as to the understanding of its interior and exterior. Its interior quality is signified by the belly and its bitterness, and its exterior, by the mouth where it was perceived to be sweet as honey. It is clear from these things that these words, And he said unto me, Take the little book, and eat it up, signify, that he should read, perceive, and explore the Word, as to its interior and exterior quality.
[2] In the Word, mention is frequently made of eating and drinking, and he who does not know the spiritual sense supposes that these expressions signify nothing more than natural eating and drinking; whereas they signify to nourish oneself spiritually, consequently, the appropriation to oneself of good and truth, eating signifying to appropriate good to oneself, and drinking, to appropriate truth to oneself. Any one, who believes that the Word is spiritual, can see that by eating and drinking, just as by bread, food, wine, and drink, is signified spiritual nourishment; for if this were not meant, the Word would be merely natural and not spiritual, thus merely for the natural man, and not for the spiritual man, much less for angels. That by bread, food, wine, and drink, in the spiritual sense, is meant the nourishment of the mind has been frequently shown above, and also that the Word is everywhere spiritual, although natural in the sense of the letter. To be spiritually nourished is to be instructed and imbued, consequently it is to know, to understand, and to be wise; unless man enjoys this nourishment together with the nourishment of the body, he is not a man, but a beast. This is the reason why those who find all their pleasure in feastings and banquetings, and daily indulge their palates, are stupid as to things spiritual, however well they may be able to reason concerning the things of the world and the body; therefore, after their departure from this world, they live rather a bestial than a human life, for instead of intelligence and wisdom they have insanity and folly. These things are mentioned, in order that it may be known, that here, by devouring or eating up the little book, is signified to read, to perceive, and to explore the Word, for the little book, which was in the hand of the angel coming down out of heaven, means the Word, as stated above. Besides, no one can naturally eat or devour any little book, thus not the Word, and from this also it is evident, that eating here signifies to be spiritually nourished.
[3] That eating and drinking, in the Word, also signify to eat and drink spiritually, which is to be instructed, and by instruction both to infill the life, and appropriate to oneself good and truth, consequently intelligence and wisdom, is further evident from the following passages.
Thus in Jeremiah:
"Thy words shall be found, that I may eat them, and thy word be unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart" (15:16).
Here, eating evidently denotes to eat spiritually, which is to know, to perceive, and to appropriate to oneself, for it is said, "that I may eat thy words, and thy Word be to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." The words of God signify precepts or Divine truths. This is similar in meaning to what the Lord said to the tempter, that man does not live by bread only, "but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:3, 4; Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3).
And again:
"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto eternal life" (John 6:27).
Similarly in regard to the words of the Lord to the disciples:
"His disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. The disciples said one to another, Hath any one brought him anything to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:31-34).
[4] From these passages it is also evident, that to eat, in the spiritual sense, signifies to receive in the will, and to do, whence comes conjunction. For the Lord, by doing the Divine will, conjoined the Divine which was in Him with His Human, so that He appropriated the Divine to His Human. It was for the same reason also, that the Lord fed five thousand men, besides women and children, with five loaves and two fishes, and that after they had eaten and were filled they took up twelve baskets of fragments (Matthew 14:15-21; John 6:5, 13, 23); and that He fed four thousand men, from seven loaves and a few fishes (Matthew 15:32, and the following verses). This miracle was performed because the Lord had previously been teaching them, and because they received and appropriated to themselves His doctrine. This was what they spiritually ate, from this the natural eating followed, that is, it flowed in with them out of heaven unknown to themselves, as the manna with the children of Israel. For at the will of the Lord, spiritual food, which is also real food, but only for spirits and angels, is turned into natural food, just as it was turned into manna every morning.
[5] The same is signified by eating bread in the kingdom of God, in Luke:
"And I appoint unto you a kingdom that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom" (22:28, 29, 30).
In these words also eating and drinking signify to eat and drink spiritually, consequently to eat denotes to receive, perceive, and appropriate to oneself the good of heaven from the Lord, and to drink denotes to receive, perceive, and appropriate to oneself the truth of that good. For to eat is used in reference to good, because bread signifies the good of love, and to drink is used in reference to truth, because water and wine (vinum) signify the truth of that good.
So again, in Luke:
"Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of God" (14:15).
For this reason the Lord there likened the kingdom of God to a great supper, to which those who were invited did not come, and which was attended only by those who were brought in from the streets (verses 16-24).
[6] Spiritual eating, by which the soul is nourished, is also signified by eating in the following passages of the Word.
Thus in Isaiah:
"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat good" (1:19).
Here by eating good is signified spiritual good, hence it is said, "If ye be willing and obedient," that is, if ye act; for spiritual food is given, conjoined, and appropriated, to man, by his willing and therefore by his doing it.
And in David:
"Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah; that walketh in his ways. Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands; blessed art thou, and it is good to thee" (Psalm 128:1, 2).
By eating the labour of his hands is signified the celestial good which man receives by a life according to Divine truths from the Lord, and as it were acquires to himself by his own labour and study, wherefore it is said that "he who feareth Jehovah and walketh in His ways" shall eat, and afterwards, "Blessed art thou, and it is good to thee."
[7] Again, in Isaiah:
"Say ye to the just, that it is good; for they shall eat the fruit of their works" (3:10).
By eating the fruit of their works is signified the same as by eating the labour of their hands, mentioned above.
So in Ezekiel:
"Thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil; whence thou didst become exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper even to a kingdom" (16:13).
This was spoken of Jerusalem, by which the church is signified, in the present case the Ancient Church, which was in truths and in spiritual good, and at the same time in natural good. Fine flour signifies truth, honey, natural good, or the good of the external man, and oil, spiritual good, or the good of the internal man. The reception, perception, and appropriation of these, is signified by eating fine flour, honey, and oil. That she [the church] became intelligent therefrom, is signified by whence thou didst become exceeding beautiful, beauty denoting intelligence; that consequently she became a church, is signified by her prospering into a kingdom, a kingdom denoting a church.
[8] Again, in Isaiah:
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name God-with-us. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child knoweth to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings" (7:14, 15, 16).
That the son whom the virgin should conceive and bring forth, and whose name should be called God-with-us, is the Lord as to His Human, is manifest. The appropriation of Divine Good, spiritual and natural, as to the Human, is meant by "butter and honey shall he eat," spiritual Divine Good, by butter, and natural Divine Good, by honey, and appropriation, by eating. And because so far as it is known how to refuse evil, and choose good, so far Divine Good, spiritual and natural, is appropriated, therefore it is said, "that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good." That the church was rendered destitute and vastated as to all good and truth by means of scientifics falsely applied, and by reasonings therefrom, is signified by, "the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings;" the land signifies the church; its being vastated and rendered destitute is meant by its being abhorred and forsaken. And the two kings, who are the king of Egypt and the king of Assyria, signify scientifics wickedly applied, and reasonings therefrom, the king of Egypt signifies those scientifics, and the king of Assyria, those reasonings. That these are the kings who are here meant, is evident from what presently follows in the same chapter (verses 17, 18), where Egypt and Assyria are named. These are also the things that principally vastate the church. That the Lord came into the world when there was no longer any good and truth in the church, thus when there was nothing of the church remaining, has been several times shown above.
[9] Again, in the same prophet:
"It shall come to pass for the abundance of milk one shall eat butter; for butter and [honey] shall every one eat that is left in the land" (7:22).
The subject here treated of is the new church to be established by the Lord; and by butter and honey is signified spiritual and natural good, and by eating is signified to appropriate to oneself, as above, by milk is signified the spiritual from the celestial, from which those goods are.
[10] So again:
"Ho, every one 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 labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat good, that your soul may be delighted in fatness" (55:1, 2).
That to eat here signifies to appropriate to oneself from the Lord, is very evident, for it is said, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no silver; come ye, buy, and eat." This signifies, that every one who desires truth, and who had not truth before, may procure and appropriate it to himself from the Lord; to thirst signifies to desire, water denotes truth, silver, the truth of good, here one who had no truth of good; to come, denotes to go to the Lord, to buy denotes to procure for oneself, and to eat denotes to appropriate to oneself. Come ye, buy wine and milk without silver and without price, signifies to procure spiritual Divine Truth and natural Divine Truth apart from [one's] own intelligence, wine (vinum) denoting spiritual Divine Truth, and milk, spiritual-natural Divine Truth. Wherefore do ye weigh silver for that which is not bread? and your labour [for that] which satisfieth not? signifies, that it is in vain to endeavour from the proprium to procure to oneself the good of love, and that which nourishes the soul, silver here denoting truth (verum) from the proprium, or from [man's] own intelligence; similarly labour. Bread denotes the good of love, and that which satisfies denotes that which nourishes the soul, in the present case, that which does not nourish. Hearken diligently unto me, signifies, that those things are from the Lord alone; and eat good, that your soul may be delighted in fatness, signifies, that they may appropriate to themselves celestial good from which all the delight of life proceeds, to delight in fatness denoting to be delighted from good, while "soul" signifies life.
[11] Again, in the same prophet:
"For the merchandize" of Tyre "shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, to eat to satiety, and to him that covereth himself with what is ancient" (23:18).
By the merchandize of Tyre are signified the cognitions of good and truth of every kind. To dwell before Jehovah, signifies to live from the Lord; to eat to satiety signifies to receive, perceive, and appropriate to oneself the cognitions of good sufficiently for the nourishment of the soul. To cover oneself with what is ancient, signifies to drink in the cognitions of genuine truth; for to cover, is used in reference to truths, because garments signify truths clothing good, while ancient, is used in reference to what is genuine, because there were genuine truths with the ancients. The same is signified in Moses by eating to the full, and by eating the old store long kept (Leviticus 26:5, 10).
Again:
"Thou shalt eat and be satisfied in a good land" (Deuteronomy 11:15).
And again:
They should eat, and not be satisfied (Leviticus 26:26).
[12] And in Isaiah:
"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat" (65:21, 22).
Everyone knows what is signified by these words in the sense of the letter, but because the Word in its bosom is spiritual, therefore spiritual things are also meant by them, that is, such things as pertain to heaven and the church, for these are spiritual things. By building houses and inhabiting them, is signified to fill the interiors of the mind with the goods of heaven and the church, and to enjoy celestial life by means of them, houses denoting the interiors of the mind, and to inhabit denoting celestial life therefrom. Planting vineyards and eating the fruit of them, signifies to enrich themselves with spiritual truths, and to appropriate to themselves the goods thence, vineyards denoting spiritual truths, fruit the goods resulting therefrom, and to eat denotes to receive, perceive, and appropriate to oneself; for all good is appropriated to man by means of truths, namely, by a life according to them. The signification of the words, "They shall not build and another inhabit, they shall not plant and another eat," is therefore now evident. Another signifies the falsity and evil which destroy truth and good; for when truths and goods perish with man, falsities and evils enter.
Thus also in Jeremiah:
"Build ye houses, and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them" (29:5, 28).
The signification of these words is similar to that of those which precede.
[13] Again, in Moses:
There shall be given in the land great and goodly cities, which they built not, and houses full of every good thing, which they filled not, and wells digged, which they digged not, vineyards and olive trees, which they planted not; they shall eat to satiety" (Deuteronomy 6:10, 11).
The natural man understands these things only according to the sense of the letter, but if there were not a spiritual sense in every detail, the Word would be merely natural, and not spiritual, and consequently it might be supposed that it is only worldly riches and abundance that are freely given to those who live according to the Divine precepts; but what would it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Indeed what would it profit him if houses full of every kind of good thing, and also wells, olive trees, and vineyards, were given to him and he were to eat of them to satiety? But the fact is, these worldly riches are mentioned to denote spiritual riches, from which man has life eternal. The great and goodly cities to be given [to them], signify doctrinals from genuine truths and goods; houses full of every good thing, signify the interiors of the mind full of love and wisdom; wells digged, signify the interiors of the natural mind full of the knowledges of good and truth; vineyards and olive gardens, signify all things both as to truths and goods pertaining to the church, a vineyard denoting the church as to truth, and an olive garden the church as to good; for wine (vinum) signifies truth, and oil good; to eat to satiety, signifies full reception, perception, and appropriation.
[14] Again, in Isaiah:
Delight shall be found in Jehovah, "and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob" (58:14).
By causing them to ride upon the high places of the earth, is signified to give them the understanding of higher or interior truths concerning the things of the church and heaven; and by feeding them with the heritage of Jacob, is signified to endow them with everything pertaining to heaven and the church. For the heritage of Jacob means the land of Canaan, and by that land is meant the church, and, in a higher sense, heaven.
[15] Since eating signifies to appropriate to oneself, the signification of eating of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise (Apoc. 2:7), is evident, namely, the appropriation to oneself of celestial life. Also the signification of eating of the tree of knowledge in Genesis, is evident:
"Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (2:16, 17).
The tree of the knowledge (scientia) of good and evil, signifies the knowledge of natural things, by means of which [knowledge] it is not allowable to enter into things celestial and spiritual which pertain to heaven and the church, for this is to enter from the natural man into the spiritual, which is an inverted way, and does not therefore lead to wisdom, but destroys it. By Adam and his wife is meant the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church. Because the men of that church were in love to the Lord, they had Divine Truths inscribed upon them, and therefore they knew from influx the correspondences in the natural man, which are called scientifics. In a word, the men of that church enjoyed spiritual influx, which is from the spiritual mind into the natural, and consequently into the things that are therein; these things they saw, according to their quality, as in a mirror, from correspondence.
[16] Spiritual things with them were quite distinct from natural things, the former being in their spiritual mind, and the latter in their natural mind, and therefore they did not immerse anything spiritual in their natural mind, as spiritual-natural men are in the habit of doing. If therefore they had committed spiritual things to the natural memory, and had thus appropriated them to themselves, that which was implanted in them would have perished, and they would have begun to reason from the natural man concerning spiritual things, and have formed their conclusions therefrom, which [the celestial] never do. This also would have resulted in a desire to be wise from [their] own intelligence, and not from Divine intelligence, as previously, and by this means they would have extinguished all their celestial life, and also formed natural ideas concerning spiritual things. That they should not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and if they did eat, that they should surely die, has therefore this signification. The case in regard to the most ancient people, meant by Adam, is similar to what it is with those who are in the celestial kingdom of the Lord, who, if they imbue the natural man and its memory with the cognitions of spiritual truth and good, and desire to be wise therefrom, become stupid, although they are the wisest of all in heaven. More may be seen on this subject in Heaven and Hell 20-28), where the two kingdoms, called celestial and spiritual, into which heaven is in general distinguished, are treated of.
[17] Again, it is said in David:
He who "did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 41:9).
This is said of the Jews, who were in possession of Divine truths because they had the Word, as is evident from John 13:18, where the words are applied to the Jews; therefore by eating the bread of the Lord, is signified the appropriation of Divine Truth, but in this case the communication of it, because it could not be appropriated to them, bread signifying the Word, from which spiritual nourishment is derived. To lift up the heel against Him, signifies the perversion of the sense of the letter of the Word, even to the denial of the Lord, and the falsification of every truth. For the Divine Truth is exhibited in an image as a man; therefore heaven in its whole compass is called the Grand Man, and corresponds to all things pertaining to man; for heaven is formed according to Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord. And since the Word is Divine Truth, therefore this also, before the Lord, is in an image as a Divine Man; hence its ultimate sense, which is simply the sense of the letter, corresponds to the heel. The perversion of the Word, or the Divine Truth, by the application of the sense of the letter to falsities, such as the traditions of the Jews were, is signified by lifting up the heel against the Lord. That the whole heaven is in an image as a man, and consequently corresponds to all things pertaining to man, and that heaven is such because created and formed from the Lord by means of Divine Truth proceeding from Him, which is the Word, from which all things were made (John 1:1, 2, 3), may be seen in Heaven and Hell 59, 102, also n. 200-212).
[18] Thus also in Luke:
"They shall begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity" (13:26, 27).
By their saying when brought to judgment, that they had eaten and drunk in the presence of the Lord, is signified that they had read the Word, and received therefrom the cognitions of good and truth, supposing that they should thereby be saved, therefore the words follow; "thou hast taught in our streets," denoting that they were instructed in truths from the Word, thus from the Lord. But that to read the Word and receive instruction from it could avail them nothing as to salvation, without a life according to it, is signified by the answer which He gave, "I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity"; for it is of no avail to salvation to enrich the memory from the Word, and from the doctrinals of the church, unless these things are committed to life.
[19] In Matthew:
The King said unto them on his right hand, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink." And to them on the left hand, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink" (Matthew 25:34-42).
These words also signify spiritual hunger and thirst, also spiritual eating and drinking. Spiritual hunger and thirst are the affection and desire for good and truth and spiritual eating and drinking are instruction, reception, and appropriation. It is here said of the Lord, that He hungered and thirsted, because from Divine Love He desires the salvation of all; and of men it is said that they gave Him to eat and to drink; which is the case when, from affection, they receive and perceive good and truth from the Lord, and appropriate them to themselves by means of the life. It will be said in like manner of the man who, from his heart, loves to instruct man, and desires his salvation; it is therefore charity, or the spiritual affection for truth, which is described by these words, and also by those which follow.
[20] From what has been said, the signification of eating bread and drinking wine, in the spiritual sense, in the holy supper (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22) is now evident; where it is also said, that the bread is the Lord's body, and the wine (vinum) His blood. That bread there signifies the good of love, and wine the truth from that good, which is also the good of faith, and that the same is signified by flesh and blood, also that by eating are signified conjunction with the Lord and appropriation, is evident from what is said and shown in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 210-222). That such things are signified by bread and wine, and by body and blood, also by eating, is still further evidenced from the following words of the Lord in John:
"Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 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. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven. He that eateth of this bread shall live for ever" (6:49-58).
That neither flesh and blood, nor bread and wine, are here meant, but the Divine proceeding from the Lord, can be seen only by one who enjoys the power of thinking interiorly; for it is the proceeding Divine, which is Divine Good and Divine Truth, that imparts eternal life to man, and causes the Lord to abide in man, and man in the Lord. For the Lord is in man in his own Divine, and not in the proprium of man, this being nothing but evil; and the Lord is in man, and man in the Lord, when the proceeding Divine is appropriated to man by a right reception thereof. The appropriation itself is signified by eating; the proceeding Divine Good, by flesh and by bread, and the proceeding Divine Truth, by blood and by wine. Similarly in the sacrifices, in which the flesh and the meat-offering, which was bread, signified the good of love, and the blood and the wine, which were the drink-offering, signified the truth from that good, both from the Lord. Since by flesh and bread is signified the proceeding Divine Good, and by blood and wine, the proceeding Divine Truth, therefore, bread and flesh mean the Lord Himself as to Divine Good, and blood and wine the Lord Himself as to Divine Truth. The reason why the Lord Himself is meant by those things, is, that the proceeding Divine is the Lord Himself in heaven and in the church; therefore the Lord says concerning Himself, "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven;" also, "He who eateth and drinketh these, dwelleth in me, and I in him."
[21] Since bread signifies the Lord as to Divine Good, and to eat it signifies appropriation and conjunction, therefore when the Lord showed Himself to His disciples after death and when He broke bread and gave to them, "their eyes were opened, and they knew him" (Luke 24:30, 31). From this fact it is also evident that to eat bread given by the Lord, signifies conjunction with Him, in consequence of which the disciples, being enlightened, knew Him. For eyes in the Word correspond to, and therefore signify, the understanding, and it is this which is enlightened; hence it is said their eyes were opened. By breaking bread, in the Word, is signified to communicate one's good to another.
[22] The reason why the Lord ate with publicans and sinners, at which the Jews murmured and were offended (Mark 2:15, 16; Luke 5:29, 30; 7:33-35), was, that the Gentiles, meant by the publicans and sinners, received the Lord, drank in His precepts, and lived according to them, and in consequence the Lord appropriated to them the goods of heaven, which is signified in the spiritual sense by eating with them.
[23] Since eating signified to be appropriated, therefore it was granted to the sons of Israel to eat of the holy things, or the sacrifices; for the sacrifices signified celestial and spiritual Divine things, and therefore eating of them signified the appropriation of them. And because the appropriation of holy things was signified by such eating, therefore various laws were given concerning who should eat and where they should eat, and of what sacrifices. Thus what Aaron and his sons should take from the sacrifices and eat (Exodus 29:31-33; Leviticus 6:16-18; 7:6, 7; 8:31-33; 10:13-15); that they should eat the shewbread in the holy place (Leviticus 24:5-9); that the daughter of a priest, being married to a stranger, should not eat of things sanctified, but that the daughter of a priest, being a widow, or divorced, who had no offspring and had returned to the house of her father, might eat of them (Leviticus 22:12, 13); that certain of the people should eat (Num. 18:10, 11, 13, 19); that a stranger, a sojourner or hired servant of a priest should not eat of them, but that he who was bought with silver should eat (Leviticus 22:10-12); that the unclean should not eat (Leviticus 7:19-21; 21:16 to end; 22:2-8); that they should not eat any part of the burnt offerings, but of the peace sacrifices, and should rejoice before Jehovah (Deuteronomy 12:27; 27:7).
In these and many other statutes and laws concerning the eating of things sanctified, there are contained interior truths concerning the appropriation of Divine Good and Divine Truth, and of conjunction thence with the Lord; but this is not the place to explain the details; only let it be understood from the passages quoted, that to eat signifies to be appropriated and conjoined. Therefore also when the sons of Israel were conjoined to the Lord by the blood of the covenant, and after Moses had read the book of the law before them, and they soon after saw the God of Israel, it is said, "They did eat and drink" (Exodus 24:6-11).
[24] That to eat flesh and drink blood signifies the appropriation of spiritual good and truth, is evident from the following passages in Ezekiel:
"Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, 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. And ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood to drunkenness, of my sacrifice which I sacrifice for you. Ye shall be satiated at my table with horse and with chariot, with the mighty man, and with every man of war. So will I give my glory among the nations" (39:17-21).
The subject here treated of is the gathering together of all to the kingdom of the Lord, and specifically concerning the establishment of the church with the Gentiles, for it is said, "So will I give my glory among the nations." Eating flesh and drinking blood, mean that they should appropriate to themselves Divine Good and Divine Truth, flesh denoting the good of love, and blood the truth of that good. By the mighty, or oxen, are signified the affections for good; by the princes of the earth, the affections for truth. The full fruition of these is signified by eating fat to satiety, and drinking blood to drunkenness. Fat signifies interior goods, and blood, interior truths, which were manifested by the Lord when He came into the world, and were appropriated by those who received Him.
[25] Before the coming of the Lord into the world to eat fat and to drink blood was forbidden, because the sons of Israel were only in externals, for they were natural-sensual men, and not in things internal or spiritual at all, therefore if they had been allowed to eat fat and drink blood, which signified the appropriation to themselves of interior goods and truths, they would have profaned these, and consequently to eat those things signified profanation. The signification of being satiated at the table of the Lord with horse, with chariot, with the mighty man, and every man of war, is similar. By horse is signified the understanding of the Word, by chariot, doctrine from the Word, by the mighty man and the man of war are meant good and truth combating with evil and falsity, and destroying them. By the mountains of Israel, upon which they should eat, is signified the spiritual church, in which the good of charity is the essential. From this it is clear, that eating signifies to appropriate to oneself, and that by flesh, blood, the mighty man, the princes of the earth, the horse, the chariot, and the man of war, are signified spiritual things which are to be appropriated, and by no means natural things, for to eat such things naturally would be wicked and diabolical. Similar things are signified by eating the flesh of kings, of captains of thousands, of horses, and of them that sit on them, both free and bond (Apoc. 19:18).
[26] Since most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so also have eating and drinking, and in that sense they signify to appropriate to oneself evil and falsity, and thence to be conjoined with hell, as is evident from the following passages.
Thus in Isaiah:
"In that day will the Lord Jehovih of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth; behold, joy and gladness in slaying an ox, and killing a sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine; let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die" (22:12, 13).
The vastation of the church, and lamentation over it, are described by being called in that day to weeping, mourning, baldness, and the putting on of sackcloth. Lamentation over the destruction of truth is signified by weeping; lamentation over the destruction of good, by mourning; over the destruction of all affection for good, by baldness, and over the destruction of affection for truth, by sackcloth. By slaying an ox and killing a sheep, is signified, to extinguish natural good and spiritual good. By eating flesh and drinking wine (vinum), is signified to appropriate to oneself evil and falsity, flesh, in this place, denoting evil, and wine, the falsity of evil; while to eat and drink these signifies to appropriate them to oneself.
[27] Again, in Ezekiel:
"It was told the prophet that he should eat food by weight and with solicitude; and drink water by measure, and with astonishment. And should eat a barley cake made with dung. That thus should the sons of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither they should be driven, and lack bread and water, and be desolated a man (vir) and his brother, and consume away on account of their iniquity" (4:10-17).
These words in the prophet represented the adulteration of Divine Truth, or the Word with the Jewish nation. The barley cake made with dung signifies that adulteration, a barley cake denoting natural good and truth, such as is the Word in the sense of the letter, and dung infernal evil; it is therefore said, "Thus shall the sons of Israel eat their defiled bread," bread defiled denoting good defiled with evil, or adulterated. That they should want bread and water amongst the nations whither they should be driven signifies, that they would no longer have any good and truth on account of their being in evils and falsities, nations denoting evils and falsities, while to be driven thither denotes to be delivered up to them. By a man and brother who should be desolated, are signified faith and charity, man (vir) denoting the truth of faith, and brother, the good of charity, and to be desolated denoting the complete extinction of both. Because such things are signified by eating bread, and drinking water, it is therefore said that they shall consume away on account of their iniquity; to consume away is said of spiritual life, when it perishes.
[28] Because beasts signify the affections, some of them good affections, and some evil affections, therefore laws were laid down for the sons of Israel, with whom was the representative church, concerning the beasts that might be eaten and those that might not be eaten (Leviticus 11:1-47). These signified what kind of beasts represented good affections that should be appropriated, and what kind of evil affections that should not be appropriated, for good affections render a man clean, but evil affections unclean. Everything said in that chapter in regard to particular beasts and birds, and in reference to their hoofs, feet, and cud, by which the clean are distinguished from the unclean, is significative.
[29] Again, in Isaiah:
"And if he cut off on the right hand, he shall yet be hungry, and if he eat on the left hand, they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm; Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh" (9:20, 21).
These words describe the extinction of good by falsity, and the extinction of truth by evil. The extinction of all good and truth, however they may be inquired into, is signified by, if he cut off on the right hand, he shall yet be hungry, and if he eat on the left hand, they shall not be satisfied, to cut and to eat in those parts denoting to inquire, and to be hungry and not be satisfied, denoting not to be found, and if found, still not able to be received; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm, signifies, that falsity shall consume the good, and evil consume the truth in the natural man. Manasseh, Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh, signifies, that the will of evil shall consume the understanding of truth, and that the understanding of falsity shall consume the will of good. This is explained also above (n. 386:2, 600:13).
[30] The consumption of all truth and good is also signified by the declaration that they should eat the flesh of their sons and daughters (Leviticus 26:29); also by the words: "The fathers shall eat the sons, and the sons shall eat the fathers" (5:10). The fathers signify the goods of the church, and in the opposite sense, its evils; sons signify the truths of the church, and in the opposite sense, its falsities. By daughters are signified affections for truth and good, and in the opposite sense, desires for falsity and evil; their mutual consumption and extinction are signified by their eating them. It is therefore evident that these things must be understood otherwise than according to the sense of the letter.
[31] Again, in Matthew:
In the consummation of the age it shall be as it was before the flood, "eating and drinking, contracting marriage and giving in marriage" (24:38; Luke 17:26-28).
Eating and drinking, contracting marriage and giving in marriage, do not here mean eating and drinking, and contracting marriage and giving in marriage; but by eating is meant the appropriation of evil to oneself, by drinking, the appropriation of falsity to oneself. Contracting marriage and giving in marriage, signify to conjoin falsity with evil, and evil with falsity; for the subject there treated of is the state of the church when the Last Judgment is at hand, for this is signified by the consummation of the age; that both the good and the evil will then eat and drink, is evident, because there is nothing evil in eating and drinking. They did so before the flood, yet did not die as a consequence; but they perished because they appropriated to themselves evil and falsity, and conjoined these in themselves. This is the signification of eating and drinking, of contracting marriage and giving in marriage.
[32] Again, in Luke, the rich man said to his soul:
"Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink" (12:19).
And again:
"If the servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the servants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken" (12:45).
Also concerning surfeiting and drunkenness in the same:
Jesus said, "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness" (21:34).
It appears as though eating and drinking and surfeiting in these passages mean the luxury and intemperance of those who indulge their appetites only, but this is the literal natural sense of these words, whereas, in the spiritual sense, they denote the appropriation to oneself of evil and falsity, as is evident from the passages quoted above, where eating and drinking have that signification, also from this fact, that the Word in the letter is natural, but interiorly spiritual, the latter sense being for angels, and the former for men.
[33] Many other passages, besides these, might be quoted from the Word, to testify and confirm the signification of eating, as denoting the reception, perception, and appropriation of those things that serve for the nourishment of the soul. For, to eat spiritually is nothing else than supplying the mind with its own food, which is the desire of knowing, understanding, and becoming wise in things pertaining to eternal life. That this is the signification of eating is also evident from the signification of bread and food, of hunger and thirst, of wine and water, which have been treated of above in their proper places. Since eating signifies to perceive the quality of a thing, and this is perceived by its taste, it is therefore from correspondence that in human languages taste (sapor) and to taste (sapere), are used in reference to the perception of a thing, whence also we have the word wisdom (sapientia).
