9993. 'And unleavened cakes mixed with oil' means purification of the mid-celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'cakes' as the mid-celestial, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'oil' as the good of love, dealt with in 886, 4582, 4638. From this it is evident that 'cakes mixed with oil' means the celestial that springs directly from the inmost part, for 'oil' is the good of love, which is inmost. The situation is that the heavens are divided into two kingdoms, one of which is called spiritual, the other celestial. The understanding part of the human mind corresponds to the spiritual kingdom in the heavens and the will part of it to the celestial kingdom there, 9835. In each kingdom there is an internal part and an external, as there is also in the human understanding and will. For the human understanding has an internal part and an external, and so does the human will. The internal part of the understanding forms the spiritual life of the internal man, and the external part of the understanding forms the spiritual life of the external man. But the internal part of the will forms the celestial life of the internal man, while the external part of the will forms the celestial life of the external man. The existence in the human mind of an internal part and an external may be recognized by anyone who stops to reflect. It may be recognized in particular in hypocrites, cheats, crafty types, and villains. What all these think deep within themselves is contrary to the truths of faith, and also what they will is the opposite of the good deeds of heavenly love; but on the surface their thought and will are in line with those truths and good deeds, which they also consequently declare and perform for all the world to see.

[2] In addition it should be recognized that each kingdom in the heavens, the spiritual kingdom and the celestial, has three parts; each has an inmost part, a middle, and an outward, see 9873. The inmost part of the celestial kingdom consists in the good of love to the Lord; the middle part there consists in the good of mutual love, which is good emanating from that of love to the Lord; and the outward part consists in delight emanating from the good of mutual love. The first two reside in the internal man of inhabitants of the Lord's celestial kingdom, whereas the third resides in their external man. These three were represented by unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil; and purification of them is represented by the offering of the three on the altar together with a burnt offering or else a sacrifice. The fact that those kinds of good in their proper order are meant can be recognized solely from the consideration that these three types of cereal offering were commanded and also their preparation described in the Books of Moses. This would never at all have been done if those things had not embodied arcana of heaven and the Church. What other use could such things have had?

[3] But I realize that those arcana are intelligible to scarcely anyone at the present day, because what is worldly permeates everything that people understand and will at the present day, and those who think of heaven and wish to be there do not have, and do not wish to have any other notion of it apart from a natural and earthly one. And where that kind of notion and wish exist, thus where that kind of love is present, there is no room for the mysteries of heaven. It would be altogether different if the human mind delighted in heavenly more than in worldly things. For the things which a person delights in are the ones he finds intelligible, as for instance when he delights in the intricacies of countries' public affairs, or in the intricacies of people's moral attitudes. By moral attitudes is meant what constitutes their loves and affections, and consequently their thoughts. Such are easily discovered by a crafty person, because he takes delight in leading others by means of those he discovers, to the end that he may acquire important positions or monetary gain, or earn reputation on account of these.

[4] That which is celestial in the internal man is meant by 'cakes', the reason being that they are second in order; for first in order is the unleavened bread, second the cakes mixed with oil, and third the wafers anointed with oil. These three were called minchahs, and they were offered on the altar along with burnt offerings and sacrifices. How they were to be made is described in Leviticus 2, and how they were to be offered is described in various places, how for example they were to be offered by Aaron on the day of his anointing in Leviticus 6:20-23.

[5] The term 'cakes' is also used in the Word to mean the good of love in general. So it is that the loaves of the Presence or the showbread are called 'cakes' in Moses,

You shall take fine flour and bake it into twelve cakes, two-tenths [of an ephah] shall there be in one cake. And you shall place them on the table before Jehovah. And you shall put pure frankincense on each row. Leviticus 24:5-9.

'Pure frankincense' that was put on the cakes was a sign of truth springing from celestial good, which is the lowest or outermost of the celestial kingdom.

[6] The good of love in general is again meant by 'cakes' in Jeremiah,

The sons gather pieces of wood, and the fathers kindle fire, the women knead dough to make cakes for Melecheth ¹ of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 7:18; 44:19.

'Making cakes for Melecheth of heaven' means offering worship to the devil with the good of celestial love, and 'pouring out drink offerings to other gods' means offering worship to Satan with the truths of faith. For 'Melecheth of heaven' means those who are in the hell of genii, and 'other gods' those who are in the hell of evil spirits, about whom see 5977, 8593, 8622, 8625. Those in the hell of genii taken all together are called the devil, and those in the hell of evil spirits are called Satan.

[7] The good of spiritual love however is meant by 'cakes' in Hosea,

Ephraim has become a cake not turned. Hosea 7:8.

But here 'a cake' is expressed by a different word in the original language, which means the good of spiritual love. 'A cake not turned' is a situation in which the external man rules the internal. When this situation comes about in a person it is an inversion of order, for then the external is the master and the internal the servant. 'Ephraim' is the Church's power of understanding, which receives light and is stirred with affection when truths and forms of the good of faith are accepted, 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267.

Footnotes:

9277. 'In like manner you shall do with your vineyard, with your olive grove' means that this is to be so with spiritual good and with celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'vineyard' as the spiritual Church, dealt with in 1069, 9139, and so spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, since this good constitutes the spiritual Church; and from the meaning of 'olive grove' as the celestial Church, and so celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, since this good constitutes the celestial Church. What the spiritual Church and its good are, and what the celestial Church and its good are, and also what the difference is, see 2046, 2227, 2669, 2708 (end), 2715, 2718, 2935, 2937, 2954, 3166, 3235, 3236, 3240, 3246, 3374, 3833, 3887, 3969, 4138, 4286, 4493, 4585, 4938, 5113, 5150, 5922, 6289, 6296, 6366, 6427, 6435, 6500, 6647, 6648, 7091, 7233, 7474, 7977, 7992, 8042, 8152, 8234, 8521.

[2] The fact that 'olive grove' means the celestial Church and so celestial good is clear from places in the Word in which 'the olive tree' is mentioned, such as in Moses,

You will plant and dress vineyards, but you will not drink wine or gather [the fruit], for the worm will devour it. You will have olive trees within all your borders, but you will not anoint yourself with oil, because your olive tree will be shaken bare. Deuteronomy 28:39-40.

This describes the curse if other gods were worshipped and if statutes and judgements were not kept. 'Olive trees within all the borders' are forms of the good of celestial love within the whole Church, which come from the Lord through the Word. 'Not being anointed with oil' stands for nevertheless remaining untouched by that good. 'The olive tree will be shaken bare' stands for a warning that this good will perish. Something similar occurs in Micah,

You will tread olives but not anoint yourself with oil, and tread the new wine but not drink wine. Micah 6:15.

[3] In Amos,

I struck you with blight and mildew; your very many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig trees, and your olive trees the caterpillar devoured. Yet you did not return to Me. Amos 4:9.

'Vineyards' stands for forms of the good of faith, 'olive trees' for forms of the good of love. Being punished for not welcoming those forms of good is meant by the caterpillar devouring the olive trees. In Habakkuk,

The fig tree will not blossom, neither will there be any produce on the vines; the olive crop will fail, ¹ and the field will not produce food. Habakkuk 3:17.

'The fig tree' stands for natural good, 'the vine' for spiritual good, 'the olive' for celestial good, and 'the field' for the Church. In Zechariah,

Two olive trees are beside the lampstand, one on the right of the bowl and one on the left of it. These are the two sons of pure oil, standing beside the Lord of the whole earth. Zechariah 4:3, 11, 14.

'Two olive trees beside the lampstand' stands for celestial and spiritual good, which are to the right and to the left of the Lord. 'The lampstand' means the Lord in respect of Divine Truth.

[4] In the Book of Judges,

Jotham said to the citizens of Shechem who made Abimelech king, The trees went out to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us. But the olive tree said to them, Shall I stop producing my oil ² which God and men honour in me, and go to sway ³ over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, You come [and] reign over us. But the fig tree said to them, Shall I stop producing ⁴ my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway ³ over the trees? Then the trees said to the vine, You come [and] reign over us. But the vine said to them, Shall I stop producing ⁴ my new wine, cheering God and men, and go to sway ³ over the trees? And all the trees said to the thornbush, You come [and] reign over us. And the thornbush said to the trees, If you are in truth anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge ⁵ in my shade. But if not, let fire come out of the thornbush and devour the cedars of Lebanon. Judges 9:7-16.

None can know what is implied specifically by the things said here unless they know what 'the olive tree', 'the fig tree', 'the vine', and 'the thornbush' mean. 'The olive tree' means the internal good of the celestial Church, 'the fig tree' the external good of that Church, 4231, 5113, 'the vine' the good of the spiritual Church, but 'the thornbush' spurious good. The things that are said therefore imply that the people, who are 'the trees' here, did not want celestial good or spiritual good to 'reign over them', but spurious good, and that the people chose the spurious in preference to celestial or spiritual good. The 'fire' coming out of the spurious good is the harmfulness of evil cravings, 'the cedars of Lebanon' which it would devour being the truths of good.

[5] Since 'the olive tree' was a sign of the good of love received from the Lord and offered to the Lord, the cherubs in the middle of the house or temple were made of olive wood, as were the doors to the sanctuary, 1 Kings 6:23-33. For 'the cherubs', and also 'the doors of the sanctuary', were signs of the Lord's protection and providence, guarding against access to Him except through the good of celestial love. This was why they were made of olive wood. All this shows why it was that the tabernacle and the altar were anointed with oil, also the priests, and at a later time the kings, and why it was that olive oil was used in lamps. For 'oil' was a sign of the good of love from the Lord, see 886, 3728, 4582, 4638, and 'anointing' was a sign that they should accordingly represent the Lord.

Footnotes: