9992. And bread of unleavened things. That this signifies the purification of the celestial in the inmost of man, is evident from the signification of “bread,” as being what is celestial (see n. 2165, 2177, 3478, 9545); and from the signification of “unleavened,” as being what has been purified (of which below). That it denotes the inmost of man, is because the celestial is the good of love, and the good of love is inmost. There are three things with man which follow on in successive order. These three are called “the celestial,” “the spiritual,” and “the natural.” The celestial is the good of love to the Lord; the spiritual is the good of charity toward the neighbor; and the natural thence derived is the good of faith, which, being from the spiritual, is called “the spiritual natural.” For the case with man is similar to what it is in the heavens. In the inmost heaven, which is also called the third, is the celestial; in the second or middle heaven is the spiritual; and in the first or ultimate heaven is the natural thence derived, or the spiritual natural. That the case with man is similar to what it is in the heavens, is because a man who is in good is a heaven in the least form (see the places cited in n. 9279). Concerning the threefold division of heaven or of the heavenly kingdom, more will be told below when treating of the cakes and wafers of fine flour of wheat.

[2] That “unleavened” signifies purified, is because “fermented” signifies falsity from evil (n. 2342, 7906); hence “unleavened” or “unfermented” signifies pure, or without this falsity. That “fermented” signifies falsity from evil, is because this falsity defiles good, and also truth, and also because it excites fighting; for on the approach of this falsity to good a burning heat is excited, and on its approach to truth, collision. For this reason a meat-offering of unleavened bread was employed in the burnt-offerings and in the sacrifices. Therefore it was ordered that “no meat-offering which they should bring to Jehovah should be made leavened” (Leviticus 2:11); that they “should not sacrifice the blood of the sacrifice upon what was leavened” (Exodus 23:18); and that on the feast of the passover, they “should eat nothing leavened,” and that he who did eat “should be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:15, 18-20). That he was to be cut off from Israel who ate what was leavened on the feast of the passover, was because the feast of the passover signified liberation from damnation, and specifically liberation from falsities from evil, with those who suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord (see n. 7093, 9286-9292); hence also this feast was called “the feast of unleavened things.”

7906. Shall no leaven be found in your houses. That this signifies that nothing whatever of falsity shall come near good, is evident from the signification of “leaven,” as being falsity (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “house,” as being good (see n. 3652, 3720, 4982, 7833-7835). That “leaven” denotes falsity can be seen from those passages where “leaven” and “leavened” and also “unleavened” are mentioned, as in Matthew:

Jesus said unto them, See ye and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Afterward the disciples understood that He had not said that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:6, 12); where “leaven” manifestly means false doctrine. As “leaven” signified falsity, it was forbidden to sacrifice upon what was leavened the blood of the sacrifice (Exodus 23:18; 34:25); for by the “blood of the sacrifice” was signified holy truth, thus truth pure from all falsity (n. 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7846, 7850). It was also ordained that the meat-offering which was to be offered upon the altar was not to be baked leavened (Leviticus 6:17); and that the cakes and wafers also should be unleavened (Leviticus 7:11-13).

[2] As further regards what is leavened and what is unleavened, be it known that the purification of truth from falsity with man cannot possibly exist without fermentation so called, that is, without the combat of falsity with truth and of truth with falsity; but after combat has existed, and truth has conquered, then falsity falls down like dregs, and the truth comes forth purified, like wine which grows clear after fermentation, the dregs falling to the bottom. This fermentation or combat exists chiefly when the state with man is being changed, that is, when he begins to act from the good that is of charity, and not as before from the truth that is of faith; for the state has not as yet been purified when the man acts from the truth of faith, but it has been purified when he acts from the good which is of charity; for then he acts from the will; previously only from the understanding.

[3] Spiritual combats or temptations are fermentations in the spiritual sense; for then falsities are desirous to conjoin themselves with truths; but truths reject them, and finally cast them down as it were to the bottom, consequently they purify. In this sense is to be understood what the Lord teaches about leaven in Matthew:

The kingdom of the heavens is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened (Matthew 13:33);

“meal” denotes the truth from which is good. Also in Hosea:

They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker; the stirrer ceaseth from the kneading of the dough until it be leavened (Hos. 7:4).

Because, as before said, such combats as are signified by fermentations arise with man in the state previous to newness of life; therefore it was also ordained that when the new meat-offering on the feast of the first-fruits was offered, the bread of waving was to be baked leavened, and was to be the first-fruits to Jehovah (Leviticus 23:16-17).