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30. To him that loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in his own blood. That this signifies His love, and regeneration by truths from Him, is evident from the signification of washing from sins, as denoting to regenerate (concerning which see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 202-209); and from the signification of in His own blood, as denoting by truths from Him (concerning this see the same work, n. 210-213; and the, extracts from Arcana Coelestia there, n. 217, 219, 222). That the blood of the Lord signifies truths from good, thus truths from the Lord, call scarcely be perceived and believed by those who have no knowledge of the spiritual sense of the Word. Besides, it appears to be far-fetched to understand, in this case, truths from the Lord instead of His blood, and yet nothing else is meant in heaven by the blood of the Lord, the reason being that the Lord there is Divine truth united to Divine good, therefore no one there thinks of His flesh and blood; thought concerning these they call material, which is not possible with them. They say also, that they do not know that flesh and blood are mentioned in the Word; the reason of which is, that the things of the literal sense of the Word are with them turned into spiritual things, since they themselves are spiritual and not natural; thus flesh, when it is said, of the Lord, is turned into Divine good, and blood into Divine truth, each going forth from the Lord.
[2] The reason why flesh and blood are mentioned in the literal sense of the Word is, that the spiritual things corresponding to them may be perceived in heaven; for all spiritual things terminate in natural things, in which they have their ultimate plane, therefore the Divine passing through the heavens terminates in that plane, and there subsists, comparatively like a house upon its foundation, and then it is in its fulness. This is why the Word in the letter is of such a quality, and flesh and blood are there mentioned. Nevertheless, the angels are astonished that the man of the church, who may also become spiritual from the Word, does not suffer himself to be raised above the literal sense, and thinks not spiritually but materially of the Lord, and of His flesh and blood. But because they wondered at this, and were told that most people, especially the simple, think spiritually concerning those things, they therefore investigated whether it was so; and they discovered that most people, and almost all the simple, when they go to the Holy Supper, do not think of flesh and blood, but only of the holiness which they then have from the Lord. The angels also perceived that this is continually provided by the Lord, in order that the man of the church, at such time, may be in a spiritual, and not a material idea.
[3] The reason why material eating is meant, and is understood in the particular doctrines of the churches is, because they have thought of the Human of the Lord as of the human of another man, and not at the same time of the Divine in His Human, rejecting the expression, "Divine Human." Those who have thus thought of the Human of the Lord, could not but think materially of His flesh and blood. The case would have been different if they had thought of the Lord according to the universal doctrine of the church, that His Divine and Human are one Person, being united as soul and body (as may be seen above, n. 6:12; 7:14; 8:7, 8; 11:6; 12:11; 14:20; 16:3, 4, 6; 18:24; 19:2, 13); therefore I wish, in the following pages, more fully to prove the fact, that by blood is signified truth from the Lord, and in an opposite sense, falsity that offers violence to that truth.
30. Unto Him that loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in His blood, signifies His love, and regeneration by truths that are from Him. This is evident from the signification of "washing from sins," as meaning to regenerate (See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 202-209); and from the signification of "in His blood," as meaning by truths that are from Him (See in the same Doctrine, n. 210-213; and in the extracts from the Arcana Coelestia there, n. 217, 219, 222). That the Lord's "blood" signifies truths from good, thus truths from the Lord, can with difficulty be seen and believed by a man who knows nothing of the internal sense of the Word; moreover, it seems far-fetched to understand truths from the Lord in place of His blood; and yet in heaven nothing else is understood by the Lord's blood. This is because the Lord there is Divine truth united to Divine good, consequently no one there thinks of His flesh and blood. Thought concerning these they call material thought, of which there is none with them. They say, moreover, that they are not aware that flesh and blood are mentioned in the Word; for with them the things belonging to the literal sense of the Word, are changed into spiritual ideas, since they themselves are spiritual and not natural; thus "flesh" when ascribed to the Lord, is changed into Divine good, and "blood" into Divine truth, each proceeding from the Lord.
[2] "Flesh" and "blood" are mentioned in the literal sense of the Word, in order that corresponding spiritual things may be perceived in heaven; for all spiritual things terminate in natural things; in them they have their outmost plane, therefore the Divine passing through the heavens terminates in that plane, and thereon subsists, comparatively like a house on its foundation, and is then in its fullness. This is why the Word is such as it is in the letter, and why "flesh" and "blood" are there mentioned; the angels, however, are astonished that the man of the church, who might also be made spiritual from the Word, does not allow himself to be elevated above the sense of the letter, and thinks not spiritually but materially of the Lord, and of His flesh and blood. But because they so wondered, and it was told them that many, especially the simple, do think spiritually about these things, they explored whether it was so; and they discovered that many, and almost all the simple, when they come to the holy supper do not think at all about flesh and blood, but only of that which is holy which they then have from the Lord. The angels perceived that this is continually provided by the Lord, in order that the man of the church may then be in a spiritual and not in a material idea.
[3] The reason why material eating is understood and adopted in doctrines, is because men have thought of the Human of the Lord as of the human of another man, and have not then thought at the same time of the Divine in His Human, rejecting the expression, "Divine Human;" and they that so thought of the Lord's Human could not think otherwise than materially of His flesh and blood. It would have been different if they had thought of the Lord according to the universal doctrine of the church, which is, that His Divine and Human is one person, the two being united as soul and body (See above, n. Revelation 6:12; 7:14; 8:7-8; 11:6; 12:11; 14:20; 16:3-4, 6; 18:24; 19:2, 13). I purpose, therefore, in the following pages, to confirm fully that by "blood" is signified truth from the Lord, and in an opposite sense falsity that offers violence to that truth.
30. "Amanti nos et lavanti nos a peccatis nostris in sanguine suo." - Quod significet Ipsius Amorem, et regenerationem per vera quae ab Ipso, constat ex significatione "lavare a peccatis", quod sit regenerare (de qua in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 202-209) et ex significatione "in sanguine suo", quod sit per vera quae ab Ipso (de qua in eadem Doctrina, n. 210-213, et ex Arcanis Caelestibus ibi, n. 217, 219, 222).
Quod "sanguis" Domini significet vera ex bono, ita vera ex Domino, aegre potest percipi et credi ab homine qui nihil de sensu spirituali Verbi scit; et praeterea apparet remotum intelligere vera a Domino loco "sanguinis" Ipsius; sed usque non aliud intelligitur per "sanguinem" Domini in caelo, et hoc ex causa, quia Dominus ibi est Divinum Verum unitum Divino Bono; inde nemo ibi de sanguine et carne Ipsius cogitat. Cogitationem de illis vocant materialem, quae non datur apud illos. Dicunt etiam quod nec sciant quod caro et sanguis 1
nominentur in Verbo, ex causa quia illa quae sunt sensus litterae verbi vertuntur apud illos in spiritualia, quoniam illi spirituales sunt et non naturales; ita "caro", ubi dicitur de Domino, in Divinum Bonum, et "sanguis" in Divinum Verum, utrumque procedens a Domino.
[2] Quod "caro" et "sanguis" nominentur in sensu litterae Verbi, est causa ut spiritualia correspondentia percipiantur in caelo: nam omnia spiritualia desinunt in naturalia, et in his habent suum planum ultimum; quare Divinum transiens caelos desinit in id, et ibi subsistit, comparative sicut domus super suo fundamento, et tunc est in suo pleno; inde est quod Verbum in littera tale sit, et quod "caro" et "sanguis" nominentur. Sed usque mirantur angeli quod homo ecclesiae, qui ex Verbo etiam spiritualis fieri potest, non ultra sensum litterae se patiatur elevari, ac de Domino et Ipsius carne et sanguine non spiritualiter sed materialiter cogitare: sed quia mirati sunt, et dictum est illis quod plerique, imprimis simplices, de illis spiritualiter cogitent; quapropter exploraverunt, num aliquis spiritualiter; et comperti sunt quod plerique, et fere, omnes simplices, cum obiverunt Sanctam Cenam, nihil cogitaverint de carne et sanguine, sed solum de sancto quod illis tunc a Domino; et perceperunt quod hoc jugiter provideatur a Domino, ob causam ut homo ecclesiae in spirituali idea tunc sit, et non in materiali.
[3] Quod materialis manducatio intellecta sit et recepta in doctrinis, est causa quia de Humano Domini cogitaverunt sicut de humano alius hominis, et non tunc simul de Divino in Humano Ipsius, rejicientes vocem Divini Humani; et qui ita de Humano Domini cogitaverunt, non potuerunt nisi quam materialiter de carne et sanguine Ipsius cogitare: aliter si cogitavissent de Domino secundum doctrinam universalem ecclesiae, quae est quod Divinum et Humanum Ipsius sit unica Persona, ac utrumque unitum sicut anima et corpus (videatur supra, n. 10 et 26). Praeterea in Verbo multis in locis nominatur "sanguis", ut et quoque in Apocalypsi Ut (cap. 6:12; 7:14; 8:7, 8; 11:6; 12:11; cap. 14:20; cap. 16:3, 4, 6; 18:24; 19:2, 13);
quare velim in sequentibus per plura confirmare quod per "sanguinem" significetur verum quod a Domino, ac in opposito sensu falsum violentiam inferens illi vero.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.