832.启19:18.“可以吃君王的肉，千夫长的肉，壮士的肉，马和骑马者的肉，并自主的，为奴的，小的大的，众人的肉”表通过圣言、因而教义的各种意义、等级和种类上的真理吸收来自主的良善。
刚才（831节）论述了通过圣言与主的结合；此处则论述通过圣言的真理吸收来自主的良善。“吃”表示吸收（89节）；他们所要吃的“肉”表示圣言、因而教会的良善；“君王、千夫长、壮士、马、骑马者、自主的、为奴的、小的大的”表示各种意义、等级和种类上的真理。“君王”表示那些处于来自圣言的教会真理之人，抽象来说，表示来自圣言的教会的真理（20，483节）。“千夫长”表示那些处于对良善与真理的认知或知识之人，抽象来说，表示这些认知或知识（337节）。“壮士”表示那些因取自圣言的教义而有学问的人，抽象来说，表示由此而来的学问（337节）。“马”表示对圣言的理解；“骑马者”表示那些因对圣言的理解而处于智慧的人，抽象来说，表示由此而来的智慧（298，820节）。“自主的、为奴的”表示那些凭自己知道的人和那些通过其他人知道的人（337，604节）。“小的大的”表示那些处于大大小不同等级中的人（527，810节）。由此明显可知，“他们可以吃这些人的肉”表示通过圣言、因而教义的各种意义、等级和种类上的真理吸收来自主的良善。
要知道，若非通过来自圣言的真理，没有人能从主拥有任何属灵的良善；因为圣言的真理处于天堂之光，其良善处于这光之热，除非理解或认知通过圣言处于天堂之光，否则意愿无法进入天堂之热。爱与仁若不通过来自圣言的真理，就无法得以形成；人若不通过来自圣言的真理，就无法得以改造。人里面的教会本身通过它们得以形成；但不只是通过那些理解或认知上的真理，还通过照之的生活得以形成；真理就这样进入意愿，变成良善。真理的外在形式也以这种方式变成良善的外在形式；因为凡属于意愿、因而属于爱的，都被称为良善；凡属于意愿或爱的也属于人的生命。由此可见，“吃”那些所提及之人的“肉”在此表示通过各种意义、等级和种类上的真理吸收良善。谁看不出此处“肉”不是指肉？谁会如此疯狂，以至于相信主呼召并召集所有人去赴大筵席，给他们吃君王、千夫长、壮士、马、骑马者、自主的、为奴的、小的大的之肉？谁看不出这些话定有灵义，若无灵义，没有人知道它们表示什么？谁会坚持否认圣言的核心是属灵的？若照着字义，而非灵义来理解这些话，圣言岂不比物质还物质？
下列以西结书中的话与此类似：
主耶和华如此说，你要对各种羽族的鸟和田野的各走兽说，你们聚集来吧！要从四围聚集来赴我在以色列山上的大祭筵，好叫你们吃肉喝血；你们必吃勇士的肉，喝地上首领的血，你们吃我为你们所献的祭，必吃饱了脂油，喝醉了血；你们必在我席上饱吃马匹和战车，并勇士和一切的战士；我必显我的荣耀在列族中。（以西结书39:17-21）
此处“肉”同样表示通过圣言来自主的教会的良善，“血”表示教会的真理。谁看不出，血不会给人喝，甚至喝到醉，他们也不会在主耶和华的席上饱吃马匹和战车，并勇士和一切的战士？所以，既然“肉”表示教会的良善，“血”表示教会的真理，那么显而易见，在圣餐中，主的“肉和血”表示来自主的神性良善和神性真理，约翰福音（6:51-58）所提及的“饼和酒”所表相同。在圣言的许多经文中，“肉”表示良善，如以下经文：
我要从他们肉体中除掉石心，赐给他们肉心。（以西结书11:19；36:26）
在干旱之地，我的肉体渴想你。（诗篇63:1）
我的心肠、我的肉体向永生神欢呼。（诗篇84:2）
我的肉身也要安然居住。（诗篇16:9）
你见赤身的给他遮体，不可躲藏避开自己的骨肉。（以赛亚书58:7）
832. 19:18 "That you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." This symbolizes an assimilation of goods from the Lord through the truths in the Word and in doctrine drawn from it, of every level of meaning, degree or kind.
The subject of no. 831 above was conjunction with the Lord through the Word, and now here it is the assimilation of goods from Him through the Word's truths.
To eat symbolically means to assimilate (no. 89). The flesh the people were to eat symbolizes goods in the Word and so in the church. And kings, commanders, mighty men, horses and those who sit on them, and people, free and slave, both small and great symbolize truths of every level of meaning, degree or kind. Kings symbolize people governed by the church's truths from the Word, and abstractly the church's truths from the Word themselves (nos. 20, 483). Commanders symbolize people who possess concepts of goodness and truth, and abstractly those concepts themselves (no. 337). Mighty men symbolize people who are learned in doctrine from the Word, and abstractly the learning gained from there itself (nos. 337). Horses symbolize an understanding of the Word, and those who sit on them symbolize people who are wise owing to their understanding of the Word, and abstractly the wisdom gained from there itself (nos. 298, 820). People free and slave symbolize people who acquire knowledge on their own and people who gain it from others (nos. 337, 604). People small and great symbolize people who do so to a lesser or greater degree (nos. 527, 810).
It is apparent from this that the people's being called to eat the flesh of those listed symbolizes an assimilation of goods from the Lord through the truths in the Word and in doctrine drawn from it, of every level of meaning, degree or kind.
[2] It should be known that no one has any spiritual good from the Lord except through truths from the Word. For the Word's truths exist in the light of heaven, and goods in the warmth of that light. Consequently unless one's intellect is in the light of heaven through the Word, his will cannot enter into the warmth of heaven. Love and charity cannot take form except through truths from the Word. A person cannot be reformed except through truths from the Word. The church itself takes form in a person in consequence of those truths - not in consequence of those truths in the intellect alone, but by living in accordance with them. Only then do truths enter into the will and become goods. The appearance of truth is thus turned into the appearance of good. For what pertains to the will and so to the love is called good, and everything pertaining to the will or love is also part of a person's life.
It can be seen from this that what is meant here by eating the flesh of those listed is an assimilation of goodness through truths of every level of meaning, degree or kind, through the Word, from the Lord.
Who cannot see that flesh here does not mean flesh? Who can be so irrational as to believe that the Lord calls and summons all people to a great supper in order to have them eat the flesh of kings, commanders, mighty men, horses, those who sit on them, and all people, free and slave, both small and great? Who cannot see that there is in this a spiritual meaning, and that apart from that meaning no one knows what is meant here? Who can continue to deny that the Word at its heart is spiritual? Would it not be no more than something material if people were to understand it according to its literal sense and not according to the spiritual sense?
[3] Similar to the passage here is the following one in Ezekiel:
...thus says the Lord Jehovih, "Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: 'Gather yourselves and come; gather together from all sides to My... great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth... You shall eat fat till you are full, and drink blood till you are drunk, at My sacrificial meal which I am sacrificing for you. You shall be filled at My table with horses and chariots and... with all the men of war... (Thus) will I set My glory among the nations." (Ezekiel 39:17-21)
Flesh here likewise symbolizes the church's goodness from the Lord through the Word, and blood the church's truth.
Who does not see that people would not be given blood to drink to the point of drunkenness, and would not eat horses, chariots, mighty men, and men of war till they were full, at the table of the Lord Jehovih?
Accordingly, when flesh symbolizes the church's goodness and blood the church's truth, it is clearly apparent that the Lord's flesh and blood in holy supper symbolize Divine goodness and Divine truth from the Lord, the same as bread and wine, regarding which see John 6:51-58. 1
Flesh symbolizes goodness in many other places in the Word as well, as in the following:
I will... remove the heart of stone from their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh... (Ezekiel 11:19, cf. 36:26)
My flesh longs for You in a dry... land... (Psalms 63:1)
My heart and my flesh shout aloud for the living God. (Psalms 84:2)
My flesh... will dwell secure. (Psalms 16:9)
When you see the naked and cover him, and do not hide yourself from your own flesh... (Isaiah 58:7)
Footnotes:
1. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven - not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."
832. [verse 18] 'That you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of rulers of thousands, and the flesh of strong men, and the flesh of horses and of those sitting upon them, and the flesh [of all] freemen and bondmen, both small and great' signifies the appropriation of goods from the Lord by means of the truths of the Word and the doctrine derived thence, in every sense, degree and kind.
Just above (831) it treats of conjunction with the Lord by means of the Word; here it treats of the appropriation of goods from Himself by means of the truths of the Word. By 'to eat' is signified appropriation (89); by 'the flesh' that they should eat are signified the goods of the Word and of the Church therefrom; and by 'kings,' 'rulers of thousands,' 'strong men,' 'horses,' 'those sitting upon them,' 'freemen and bondsmen lesser and greater' are signified truths in every sense, degree and kind. By 'kings' are signified those who are in truths of the Church out of the Word, and abstractly the truths of the Church out of the Word (20, 483). By 'rulers of thousands' are signified those who are in cognitions of good and truth, and abstractly those cognitions (337). By 'strong men' are signified those who are in erudition out of doctrine derived from the Word, and abstractly the erudition therefrom (337). By 'horses' are signified the understanding of the Word, and by those sitting upon horses are signified those who are in wisdom out of the understanding of the Word, and abstractly the wisdom thence derived (298, 820). By 'freemen and bondmen are signified those who know from themselves and those who know from others (337, 604). By 'small and great' are signified those who are in a lesser and a greater degree (527, 810). It is plain from these things that by 'they should eat the flesh of those' is signified the appropriation of goods from the Lord by means of the truths of the Word and the doctrine thence derived in every sense, degree and kind.
[2] It is to be known that no man has any spiritual good from the Lord except by means of truths out of the Word: for the truths of the Word are in the light of heaven and the goods are in the heat of that light, and therefore unless the understanding is in the light of heaven by means of the Word, the will cannot come into the heat of heaven. Love and charity cannot be formed except by means of truths out of the Word; a man cannot be reformed except by means of truths thence derived. The Church itself with a man is formed by means of them, but not by those truths in the understanding only but by a life in accordance with them. The truths thus enter into the will and become goods. In this way the outward form (facies) of truths is turned into the outward form of good; for that which is of the will and thus of love is called good, and everything that is of the will or love is also of the man's life. From these considerations it can be seen that the appropriation of good by means of truths in every sense, degree and kind by means of the Word from the Lord is understood here by 'to eat the flesh' of those who are named. Who cannot see that flesh is not understood here by 'the flesh'? Who can be so insane as to believe that the Lord calls and assembles all to the great Supper in order to give them to eat the flesh of kings, of rulers of thousands, of strong men, of horses, of those sitting thereon, of freemen and bondmen, small and great? Who cannot see that in these things there is a spiritual sense, and that without that sense no one knows what the things signify? Who ventures to deny that the Word in its bosons is spiritual? Would it not be more than material if those things were understood in accordance with the sense of the letter and not in accordance with the spiritual sense?
[3] Similar to those things are these in Ezekiel:
Thus has the Lord Jehovih said, Say to the bird of every wing and to every beast of the field, Flock together and come; gather yourselves together from round about upon My great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel that you may eat flesh and drink blood; you shall eat the flesh of strong men, and you shall drink the blood of the princes of the land, you shall eat fat to satiety, and you shall drink blood even to drunkenness, of My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you; you shall be satiated at My table with horse and chariot and every man of war. Thus will I give My glory among the nations. Ezekiel 39:17-21.
Here in like manner by 'flesh' is signified the good of the Church from the Lord by means of the Word, and by 'blood' the truth of the Church. Who does not see that blood would not be given for drinking even to drunkenness, and that they would not be satiated at the table of the Lord Jehovih with horse, chariot, the strong, and every man of war? Since, therefore, by 'flesh' is signified the good of the Church, and by 'blood' the truth of the Church, it is quite plain that by the Lord's 'flesh' and 'blood' in the Holy Supper is signified Divine Good and Divine Truth from the Lord, similarly as by the 'bread' and 'wine' of which John 6:51-58 [treats]. 'Flesh' signifies good also in many other places in the Word, as in these:
I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh, and I will give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26.
My flesh longs for Thee in a land of drought. Psalms 63:1; [H.B. 2].
My heart and my flesh are shouting aloud towards the living God. Psalms 84:2; [H.B. 3].
My flesh shall dwell confidently. Psalms 16:9.
When thou seest the naked and coverest him, and dost not hide thyself from thine own flesh. Isaiah 58:7.
832. Verse 18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of commanders of thousands, and the flesh of the mighty, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit upon them, and the flesh of all, free and bond, and small and great, signifies the appropriation of goods from the Lord through the truths of the Word and of doctrine thence, in every sense, degree, and kind. Just above, (831), conjunction with the Lord by the Word is treated of; here it is concerning appropriation of goods from Him through the truths of the Word. By "eating" is signified appropriation, (89); by "the flesh" which they should eat are signified the goods of the Word and thence of the church; and by "kings, commanders of thousands, the mighty, horses, them that sit upon them, free and bond, small and great," are signified truths in every sense, degree, and kind. By "kings" are signified those who are in the truths of the church from the Word, and abstractly the truths of the church from the Word, (20, 483). By "commanders of thousands" are signified those who are in the knowledges of good and truth, and abstractly those knowledges, (337). By "the mighty" are signified they who are in erudition from doctrine from the Word, and abstractly erudition thence, (337). By "horses" the understanding of the Word is signified; and by "them that sit upon horses" are signified they who are in wisdom from the understanding of the Word, and abstractly wisdom thence, (298, 820). By "the free and bond" are signified they who know from themselves and they who know from others, (337, 604). By "small and great" those are signified who are in a lesser and in a greater degree, (527, 810). It is manifest from these things, that by "they may eat their flesh" is signified the appropriation of goods from the Lord through the truths of the Word and of doctrine thence in every sense, degree, and kind.
[2] It is to be known that no man has any spiritual good from the Lord, except through truths from the Word; for the truths of the Word are in the light of heaven, and its goods are in the heat of that light; wherefore, unless the understanding is in the light of heaven through the Word, the will cannot come into the heat of heaven. Love and charity cannot be formed except through truths from the Word; a man cannot be reformed except through truths therefrom. The church itself with man is formed by them; but not by those truths in the understanding alone, but by a life according to them; the truths thus enter into the will, and become goods. Thus the face of truth is turned into the face of good; for that which is of the will and thus of the love is called good, and everything which is of the will or love is also of man's life. From this it may be seen that the appropriation of good through truths in every sense, degree, and kind from the Lord through the Word is here meant by "eating the flesh" of those that are named. Who cannot see that flesh is not here meant by "flesh"? Who can be so insane as to believe that the Lord calls and calls together all to a great supper, that He may give them to eat of the flesh of kings, commanders of thousands, the mighty, horses, them that sit on them, the free and bond, the small and great? Who cannot see that there is a spiritual sense in those things, and that without that sense no one knows what they signify? Who persists in denying that the Word is spiritual in its bosom? Would it not be more than material, if those things should be understood according to the sense of the letter, and not according to the spiritual sense?
[3] Similar to these things are the following from Ezekiel:
Thus said the Lord Jehovah, Say to the bird of every wing, and to every beast of the field, gather yourselves together and come; gather yourselves together from round about unto my great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood; ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood even to drunkenness, of my sacrifice which I sacrifice for you; ye shall be satiated at My table with horse and chariot and every man of war; thus will I give My glory among the nations, (Ezekiel 39:17-21).
Here in like manner by "flesh" is signified the good of the church from the Lord through the Word, and the truth of the church by "blood." Who does not see that blood would not be given to drink even to drunkenness, and that they would not be satiated at the table of the Lord Jehovah with horse, chariot, the mighty, and with every man of war? Since therefore by "flesh" is signified the good of the church, and by "blood" the truth of the church, it is plainly manifest that by the "flesh and blood" of the Lord in the Holy Supper the Divine good and the Divine truth from the Lord are signified, the same as by "the bread and wine" spoken of, (John 6:51-58). "Flesh" also signifies good in many other passages in the Word, as in these:
I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh, (Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26).
My flesh desireth thee in a land of drought, (Psalms 63:1).
My heart and My flesh shout aloud for the living God, (Psalms 84:2).
My flesh shall dwell confidently, (Psalms 16:9).
When thou seest the naked and thou shalt cover him, and thou shalt not hide thyself from thy flesh, (Isaiah 58:7).
832. (Vers. 18.) "Ut comedatis carnes regum, et carnes chiliarchorum, et carnes fortium, et carnes equorum et sedentium Super illis et carnes (omnium) liberorum et servorum, et parvorum et magnorum," significat appropriationem bonorum a Domino per vera Verbi et doctrinae inde, in omni sensu, gradu et genere. - Nunc supra (831) actum est de conjunctione cum Domino per Verbum; hic de appropriatione bonorum ab Ipso per vera Verbi: per "comedere" significatur appropriatio (89); per "carnes" quas comederent, significantur bona Verbi et inde Ecclesiae: ac per "reges, chiliarchos, fortes, equos, sedentes super illis, liberos et servos, minores et majores" significantur vera in omni sensu, gradu et genere; per "reges" significantur qui in veris Ecclesiae ex Verbo sunt, et abstracte vera Ecclesiae ex Verbo (20, 483); per "chiliarchos" significantur qui in cognitionibus boni et veri sunt, et abstracte cognitiones illae (337); per "fortes" significantur qui in eruditione ex doctrina e Verbo sunt, et abstracte eruditio inde (337); per "equos" significatur intellectus Verbi, et per "insidentes super equis" significantur qui in sapientia ex intellectu Verbi sunt, et abstracte sapientia inde (298, 820); per "liberos et servos" significantur qui ex se sciunt et qui ex aliis (337, 604); per "parvos et magnos" significantur qui in minori et majori gradu (527, 810). Ex his patet, quod per "comederent carnes illorum" significetur appropriatio bonorum a Domino per vera Verbi et doctrinae inde in omni sensu, gradu et genere. Sciendum est quod non aliquod bonum spirituale sit ulli homini a Domino quam per vera ex Verbo: vera enim Verbi sunt in luce Caeli, et bona sunt in calore illius lucis; quare nisi intellectus sit in luce Caeli per Verbum, non potest voluntas venire in calorem Caeli. Amor et charitas non potest formari quam per vera ex Verbo; non potest homo reformari quam per vera inde. Ipsa Ecclesia apud hominem formatur per illa, sed non per vera illa in solo intellectu, sed per vitam secundum illa; ita intrant vera in voluntatem, et fiunt bona; vertitur sic facies veri in faciem boni: quod enim est voluntatis et sic amoris, hoc vocatur bonum; et omne quod voluntatis seu amoris est, id etiam vitae hominis est. Ex his videri potest, quod appropriatio boni per vera in omni sensu, gradu et genere, per Verbum a Domino, hic per "comedere carnes" illorum qui nominantur, intelligatur. Quis non potest videre quod non carnes per "carnes" hic intelligantur; quis potest tam insanus esse, ut credat quod Dominus vocet et convocet omnes ad magnam Caenam, ut det illis comedere carnes regum, chiliarchorum, fortium, equorum, insidentium illis, liberorum et servorum, parvorum et magnorum; quis non videre potest, quod in his Sensus spiritualis sit, et quod absque illo Sensu nemo sciat quid haec significant; quis sustinet negare quin Verbum in sinu spirituale sit; annon id plus quam materiale foret, si illa secundum Sensum literae, et non secundum Sensum spiritualem, intelligerentur. Similia illis sunt haec apud Ezechielem:
"Sic dixit Dominus Jehovih, Dic avi omnis alae, et omni bestiae agri, Congregamini et venite; congregate vos a circuitu super sacrificium Meum magnum super montibus Israelis, ut comedatis carnem et bibatis sanguinem: carnem fortium comedetis, et sanguinem principum terrae bibetis, comedetis adipem ad satietatem, et bibetis sanguinem usque ad ebrietatem de sacrificio Meo quod sacrifico vobis; satiabimini super mensa Mea Equo et Curru et omni Viro belli: sic dabo gloriam Meam inter gentes," (39:17-21); 1
per "carnem" hic similiter significatur bonum Ecclesiae a Domino per Verbum, et per "sanguinem" verum Ecclesiae: quis non videt quod non sanguis daretur ad bibendum usque ad ebrietatem, et quod (non) satiarentur super Mensa Domini Jehovih equo, curru, forti et omni viro belli. Cum itaque per "carnem" significatur bonum Ecclesiae, et per "sanguinem" verum Ecclesiae, patet manifeste quod per "Carnem et Sanguinem" Domini, in Sacra Caena, significetur Divinum Bonum et Divinum Verum a Domino; simile quod per "Panem et Vinum" (de quibus, Johannes 6:51-58). "Caro" significat bonum etiam multis aliis in locis in Verbo, ut in his:
"Removebo cor lapidis a Carne eorum, et dabo illis cor Carnis," (Ezechiel 11:19; 36:26);
"Desiderat te Caro mea in terra siccitatis," (Psalm 63:2 (B.A. 1));
"Cor meum et Caro mea jubilant erga Deum vivum," (Psalm 84:3 2(B.A. 2));
"Caro mea habitabit confidenter," (Psalm 16:9);
"Cum videris nudum et obtexeris eum, et a Carne tua non absconderis te," (Esaias 58:7).
Footnotes:
1. xxxix. pro "xxix."
2. lxxxiv. pro "lxxxiii."