18. О Тайной Вечере

210. Тайная вечеря установлена Господом, дабы посредством нее существовала связь Церкви с небом и, следовательно, с Господом; поэтому Тайная Вечеря есть самая священная часть богослужения.

211. Но того, каким образом чрез нее создается связь, не понимают те, которые ничего не знают о внутреннем или духовном смысле Слова; потому что их мысли не простираются далее внешнего смысла, который есть смысл буквальный. Из внутреннего или духовного смысла Слова познается, что означают тело и кровь, хлеб и вино, а также ядение.

212. В этом смысле тело или плоть Господа, а также хлеб, суть добро любви; а кровь Господа, а также вино - добро веры, ядение же - усвоение и связь. Ангелы, находящиеся у человека, который приступает к Таинству Причащения, иначе не понимают сего, ибо они все понимают духовно; вследствие этого святое любви и святое веры втекают от ангелов в человека, итак, чрез небо от Господа, благодаря чему создается связь.

213. Из этого ясно, что человек, вкушая хлеб, который есть тело, связуется с Господом чрез добро любви к Нему, от Него происходящее; а вкушая вино, которое есть кровь, связуется с Господом чрез добро веры в Него, от Него происходящее. Должно, однако же, знать, что связь с Господом посредством Таинства Причащения создается только в тех, которые находятся в добре любви и веры в Господа, от Него происходящих.. У этих посредством Тайной Вечери создается связь, у прочих же - лишь присутствие Его, а не связь.

214. Кроме того, Тайная Вечеря заключает и объемлет в себе все богослужение, установленное в Израильской Церкви; ибо всесожжения и жертвы, из которых преимущественно состояло богослужение этой Церкви, были обозначены одним словом "хлеб"; вследствие этого также и Тайная Вечеря есть исполнение сего богослужения.

From the Heavenly Arcana.

Since it is impossible to know what is involved in the Holy Supper, unless the signification of each single thing therein is known - for they correspond to spiritual things - it will be necessary to adduce what is signified by body and flesh, what by bread and wine, and what by eating and drinking; and also to treat of the sacrifices, in which the worship of the Israelitish Church chiefly consisted, because they were called "bread".

215. Concerning the Supper.
Dinners and suppers signified consociation by love, 3596, 3832, 4745, 5161, 7996.
The Paschal meal signified consociation in heaven, 7836, 7997, 8001.
The feast of unleavened things, or of the Passover, signified deliverance by the Lord from damnation, 7093, 7867, 9286-9292, 10655.
And in the inmost sense it signified the remembrance of the glorification of the Lord's Human, because from it is deliverance, 10655.

216. Concerning the Body and Flesh.
The Lord's flesh signifies the Divine Good of His Divine Love, which is that of His Divine Human, 3813, 7850, 9127, 10283.
His body has a like signification, 2343, 2359, 6135.
Flesh in general signifies the Voluntary, and thus the Self, of man, which regarded in itself is evil but which when vivified by the Lord, signifies good, 148, 149, 780, 999, 3813, 8409, 10283.
On this account flesh, in the Word, signifies the whole man, and every man, 574, 1050, 10283.
Here and in what follows, it is said that things signify; the reason is that they correspond; for whatever corresponds, signifies, 2896, 2179, 2987, 2989, 3002, 3225.
The Word was written by pure correspondences, whence comes its internal or spiritual sense; and without a knowledge of correspondences it cannot be known what that sense is, and scarcely that it exists, 3131, 3472-3485, 8615, 10687.
Wherefore through the Word there is a conjunction of heaven with the man of the Church, 10687.
For additional information on this subject see the work on Heaven and Hell, 303-310, where the Conjunction of Heaven with the man of the Church through the Word is treated of.

217. Concerning Blood.
The Lord's Blood signifies the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Divine Good of His Divine Love, 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7846, 7850, 7877, 9127, 9393, 10026, 10033, 10152, 10210.
The blood sprinkled upon the altar round about, and at its base, signified the unition of Divine Truth and Divine Good in the Lord, 10047.
The blood of grapes signifies the truth of faith from the good of charity, 6378.
A grape and a cluster signify spiritual good which is the good of charity, 5117.
Shedding blood means offering violence to the Divine Truth, 374, 1005, 4735, 5476, 9127.
What is signified by blood and water issuing from the Lord's side, 9127.
What by the Lord's redeeming man by His blood, 10152.

218. Concerning Bread.
Where the Lord is treated of, by bread is signified the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, and the principle of reciprocity with the man who eats, 2165, 2177, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 9323, 9545.
Bread involves and signifies all food in general, 2165, 6118.
Food signifies everything that nourishes the spiritual life of man, 4976, 5147, 5915, 6277, 8418.
Thus bread signifies all celestial and spiritual food, 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3478, 6118, 8410.
And consequently, everything that proceeds out of the mouth of God, according to the Lord's words in Matthew iv. 4, 681.
Bread in general signifies the good of love, 2165, 2177, 10686.
Likewise wheat, of which bread is made, 3941, 7605.
Where bread and water are mentioned in the Word, they signify the good of love, and the truth of faith, 9323.
In the ancient Churches, the breaking of bread was a representative of mutual love, 5405.
Spiritual food is knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, and thus good and truth, because from the latter the former are derived, 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 8562, 9003.
And because these nourish the mind, 4459, 5293, 5576, 6277, 8418.
Sustenance by food denotes spiritual nourishment, and the influx of good and truth from the Lord, 4976, 5915, 6277.
The loaves of bread on the table in the tabernacle, signified the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, 3478, 9545.
The meat-offerings in the sacrifices, which consisted of cakes and wafers, signified worship from the good of love, 4581, 10079, 10137.
What was signified by the various meat-offerings specifically, 7978, 9992-9994, 10079.
The ancients, when mentioning bread, meant all food in general (see Gen. xliii. 16, 31; Exod. xviii. 12; Judges xiii. 15, 16; 1 Sam. xiv. 28, 29; xx. 24, 27; 2 Sam. ix. 7, 10; 1 Kings iv. 22, 23; 2 Kings xxv. 29).

219. Concerning Wine.
Where the Lord is treated of, by wine is signified the Divine Truth which proceeds from His Divine Good, even as is the case with blood, 1071, 1798, 6377.
Wine in general signifies the good of charity, 6377.
Must signifies truth from good in the natural man, 3580.
Wine was called the blood of grapes, 6378.
A vineyard signifies the Church with respect to truth, 3220, 9139.
The drink-offering in the sacrifices, which consisted of wine, signified spiritual good, which is holy truth, 1072.
The Lord alone is holy, wherefore everything holy is from Him, 9229, 9680, 10359, 10360.
The Divine Truth which proceeds from the Lord is called in the Word the Holy, 6788, 8302, 9229, 9820, 10361.

220. Concerning Eating and Drinking.
Eating signifies being appropriated and conjoined through love and charity, 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513, 5643.
Hence it signifies being consociated, 8001.
Eating is predicated of the appropriation and conjunction of good, and drinking of the appropriation and conjunction of truth, 3168, 3513, 3832, 9412.
What is signified by eating and drinking in the Lord's kingdom, 3832.
Hence it is, that by being hungry and desiring to eat, in the Word, is signified desiring good and truth from affection, 4958, 10227.
What has here been mentioned the angels do not understand otherwise than according to the internal or spiritual sense, because they are in the spiritual world, 10521.
Hence it is that holiness flows in from heaven with the members of the Church, when they partake of the sacrament of the Supper in a holy manner, 6789.
And hence there is conjunction with the Lord, 3464, 3735, 5915, 10519, 10521, 10522.

221. Concerning Sacrifices.
Burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified all things pertaining to worship from the good of love, and from the truths of faith, 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042.
Burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified the Divine-celestial things, which are the internal things of the Church, from which is worship, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519.
With a variety and a distinction according to the various things of worship, 2805, 6905, 8936.
Wherefore there were many kinds of sacrifices and various procedures therein; and also various animals were made use of, 2830, 8936, 9990.
The various thing signified thereby in general, may appear from an unfolding of each single thing by the internal sense, 10042.
What was signified specifically by the animals which were sacrificed, 10042.
Arcana of heaven are contained in the rituals and procedures of the sacrifices, 10057.
In general there are contained therein arcana of the glorification of the Lord's Human; and in a respective sense, arcana of man's regeneration and purification from evils and falsities; wherefore they were appointed for various sins, crimes, and purifications, 9990, 10022, 10042, 10053,10057.
What was signified by the imposition of hands on the beasts which were sacrificed, 10023.
What by the lower parts of the slain beasts being put in the burnt-offerings under their upper parts, 10051.
What by the meat-offerings that were burned at the same time, 10079.
What by the drink-offering, 4581, 10137.
What by the salt which was used 10300.
What by the altar and all the things which belonged to it, 921, 2777, 2784, 2811, 2812, 4489, 4541, 8935, 8940, 9388, 9389, 9714, 9726, 9963, 9964, 10028, 10123, 10151, 10242, 10245, 10344.
What by the fire of the altar, 934, 6314, 6832.
What by eating together of the things sanctified, 2187, 8682.
It is shown from the Word, that sacrifices were not commanded, but charity and faith; that sacrifices thus were only permitted, 922, 2180.
Why they were permitted, 2180, 2818.

That the burnt-offerings and sacrifices, in which were offered lambs, she-goats, sheep, kids, be-goats, bullocks, and oxen, were in one word called "bread," may appear from the following passages:

And the priest shall burn it upon the altar; IT IS THE BREAD OF THE OFFERING MADE BY FIRE UNTO THE LORD Levit. iii. 11, 16.
The sons of Aaron shall be holy unto their God; neither shall they profane the name of their God; for the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, the BREAD OF THEIR GOD, they do offer. Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth THE BREAD OF THY GOD. A man of the seed of Aaron, in whom there is a blemish, let him not come nigh to offer the BREAD OF HIS GOD Ibid. xxi. 6, 8, 17, 21.
Command the sons of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, MY BREAD, for my offerings made by fire for an odour of rest, ye shall observe, to offer unto Me in their due season Numb. xxviii. 2.
He that toucheth any unclean thing shall not eat of the things sanctified, but shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, because it is his BREAD Levit. xxii. 6, 7.
Ye offer POLLUTED BREAD upon mine altar Malachi i. 7.

Hence it was said above (214), The Holy Supper includes and comprises the whole of the Divine worship instituted in the Israelitish Church; for the burnt-offerings and sacrifices in which the worship of that Church principally consisted, were termed in one expression 'bread'; and hence, also, the Holy Supper is a summing up of that worship. From all this it can now be seen what is meant by Bread in John vi. 31-35, 47-51,

Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave them not BREAD FROM HEAVEN; but My Father giveth you the TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN; for THE BREAD OF GOD is He that cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. They said unto Him, Lord, evermore give us THIS BREAD. Jesus said unto them, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE: he that cometh to Me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. He that believeth on Me, hath eternal life. I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE. THIS IS THE BREAD which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I AM THE LIVING BREAD which came down from heaven; if any one shall eat OF THIS BREAD, he shall live for ever.

From the latter and the former passages it is evident, that bread means all the good that proceeds from the Lord; for the Lord Himself is in His own good; and therefore the bread and wine in the Holy Supper mean all the worship of the Lord from the good of love and faith.

222. To the above shall be added some things from the Heavenly Arcana, 9127:

I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying unto all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains of thousands, and the flesh of the strong ones, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit upon them, and the flesh of all both free and bond, both small and great.

Who can possibly understand these words, unless he knows what is meant in the internal sense by flesh, and what by kings, captains of thousands, strong ones, horses, them that sit on them, freemen and bondmen? And in Ezekiel xxxix. 17-21,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Say to, every bird of heaven, to every wild beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves from every side to My sacrifice that I sacrifice for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel; that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the strong ones, and drink the blood of the primes of the earth; and ye: shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood even to drunkenness, of My sacrifice which I shall sacrifice for you. Ye shall be filled at My table, with the horse and the chariot, and with the strong one, and with every man of war; thus will I set My glory among the nations.

Here the calling together of all to the kingdom of the Lord, and specifically the establishment of the Church among the gentiles, are treated of; and eating flesh and drinking blood signify appropriating to one's self Divine Good and Divine Truth, thus the Holy which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human. Who cannot see, that flesh does not mean here flesh, nor blood, blood? as when it is said, that they should eat the flesh of the strong ones, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth; and that they should drink blood even to drunkenness; also that they should be filled with the horse, with the chariot, with the strong one, and with every man of war? What is meant by the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the field in the spiritual sense, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, 110 and in the notes there (l). Let us now examine what the Lord said concerning His flesh and His blood, in John vi. 51-58,

The bread that I will give, is My flesh. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye shall not have life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day; for My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven.

That the Lord's flesh denotes the Divine Good, and His blood the Divine Truth, both proceeding from Him, may be seen from the fact, that these nourish a man's spiritual life. Hence, also, it is said, My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed: and since a man is conjoined with the Lord through the Divine Good and Truth, it is further said, Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and, He abideth in Me, and I in him; and in the former part of the chapter (ver. 27),

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto eternal life;

that abiding in the Lord means being in the love to Him, the Lord Himself teaches in John xv. 2-12.