5579. When they had finished the eating of the produce. That this signifies when truths failed, is evident from the signification of “produce,” as being truth (see n. 5276, 5280, 5292, 5402); that truth failed is signified by their “finishing the eating of it.” Those who are in the spiritual world are sated with things true and good, for these are their food (n. 5576); but when these have served their purpose, they come again into want. This is as with the nourishment of man by material food when this has fulfilled its use, hunger comes on again. The hunger that is a need of spiritual things, in the spiritual world is evening or the twilight of their day; but after it comes daybreak and morning. Thus there are alternations there. They come into that evening or into spiritual hunger, in order that they may feel hungry and long for truths and goods, which yield them more nourishment when they are hungry, just as does material food to one who is famishing. From all this it is evident what is meant by the need of spiritual things when truths failed.

8788. And sanctify them today and tomorrow. That this signifies the veiling over of the interiors that they may appear in the holy of faith now and afterward, is evident from the signification of “sanctifying,” as being to dispose that they appear to be in holiness in respect to what is external; and as this is effected by means of a veiling over of the interiors, therefore this is also understood by “sanctifying;” that “today and tomorrow” denote now and afterward is evident. How the case herein is may be briefly explained. The church instituted with the Jews was not a church in respect to them, but was only the representative of a church; for in order that there may be a church, there must be with the man of the church faith in the Lord, and also love to Him, and likewise love toward the neighbor. These make the church. But these were not with the people which was called “Jacob,” for it did not acknowledge the Lord, and thus was not willing to hear about faith in Him, still less about love toward Him, nor even toward the neighbor; for it was in the love of self and the love of the world, which loves are utterly opposed to love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor. This disposition is inrooted in that people from their first parents. For this reason it is, that with that people no church could be set up, but only a representation of the things which are of the church.

[2] The church is represented when the man makes worship consist in external things, but in such as correspond to heavenly things. Then internal things are represented by the external ones, and the internal things are open in heaven, with which there is thus conjunction. In order therefore that the Israelitish people might be representative, although their interiors were devoid of the faith and love of heaven, and were even full of the love of self and of the world, these interiors were veiled over, and thus their external things could be communicated to spirits, and through them to the angels, without their internal things; whereas if their internal things had not been veiled over, these would have lain open, and then the representation would have perished, because unclean things would have burst forth and caused contamination. The Israelitish people above all others could be thus veiled over, because it, more than others, adored external things, and made holiness, and even what is Divine, consist in them. From this it can be seen what is meant by “sanctifying,” namely, the veiling over of the interiors so that they may appear to be in the holiness of faith; yet not to themselves, but to the angels with them. (See what has been already shown concerning this people and concerning the institution of the church with it, n. 4208, 4281, 4288, 4289, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444, 4459, 4500, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4899, 4911, 4912, 7048, 7051, 8588.) That sanctifications with them were nothing else than appearances of holiness in external things, and yet without anything holy appertaining to them, can be seen from the rites by means of which they were sanctified, namely, the sacrifices, the washings, the sprinklings of blood, the anointings, which do not touch internal things in the slightest degree.