702. When We Know Correspondences, We Realize What "the Lord's Flesh" and "the Lord's Blood" Mean; We See That They Mean the Same Thing as "Bread" and "Wine" Do. That Is, "the Lord's Flesh" and "Bread" Mean the Divine Goodness That Comes from His Love and Also All the Goodness Related to Goodwill, and "the Lord's Blood" and "Wine" Mean the Divine Truth That Comes from His Wisdom and Also All the Truth Related to Faith; "Eating" Them Means Making Them Our Own

Because the spiritual meaning of the Word has been disclosed today, and correspondences have been disclosed as well, since they are what convey that meaning, all that is required here is to quote passages from the Word that allow us to see clearly what "flesh" and "blood" and the bread and the wine in the Holy Supper mean. First, however, I will present passages that show how this sacrament was originally instituted by the Lord, and passages in which the Lord himself teaches about his flesh and blood and about bread and wine.

264. 12. Before the Word That Exists in the World Today, There Was a Word That Has Been Lost

Before the Word existed that was given through Moses and the prophets among the Israelite nation, people knew a form of worship through sacrifices, and their prophets spoke the word of Jehovah. This is clear from things mentioned in the books of Moses.

The following is evidence that people knew a form of worship through sacrifices: The children of Israel were commanded to overturn the altars of other nations, shatter their statues, and cut down their groves (Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:3). "At Acacia, Israel began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab; they invited the people to sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate" (Numbers 25:1-3). Balaam, who was from Syria, built altars and sacrificed oxen and sheep (Numbers 22:40; 23:1-2, 14, 29-30). Balaam also gave a prophecy about the Lord saying, "A star will rise out of Jacob and a scepter out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17); and Balaam spoke the word of Jehovah in prophecy (Numbers 22:13, 18; 23:3, 5, 8, 16, 26; 24:1, 13).

The passages just given make it clear that a divine worship existed among other nations that was virtually the same as the worship instituted by Moses among the Israelite nation. From words in Moses (Deuteronomy 32:7-8) it appears that this worship existed even before the time of Abraham. This is still clearer from Melchizedek, king of Salem, who brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram, and Abram in turn gave Melchizedek tithes of all he possessed (Genesis 14:18-20). Melchizedek represented the Lord - he is called a priest to God the Highest (Genesis 14:18). In David it says of the Lord, "You are a priest forever on the order of Melchizedek" (Psalms 110:4). This is why Melchizedek brought out bread and wine as the holiest things in the church, just as bread and wine are holy in the Holy Supper also. Besides many others, these things are outstanding indications that before the Israelite Word there was a Word that gave these revelations.