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Numbers Chapter 11

Summary of the Spiritual Sense

1. A state of temptation is described, causing aversion from the Lord, and the predominance of lusts in the external man; but intercession is made and deliverance follows, vers. 1-3.
2. Another state of temptation succeeds, in which there is a desire, externally, to return into the delights of the merely natural man, and a want of confidence in the Lord internally, resulting in a state of despair, vers. 4-6, and 10-15.
3. The good of truth is described, with which, in the temptation, the man of the church is disgusted, vers. 7-9.
4. Concerning the orderly arrangement of truths by the Lord, revelation, the conjunction of truth with good, and the appropriation of good, vers. 16-18.
5. But the corrupted man desires only natural delights; while the truly spiritual man is in doubt and distress, and consequently receives consolation, vers. 19-23.
6. And now, therefore, a new arrangement of truths actually occurs, and consequently revelation, and the power to teach, vers. 24-30.
7. Besides which, there is an abundant supply of natural delight, which, with the true man of the church, is good legitimately appropriated; but the wicked pervert this good by application to lusts, and, therefore, suffer the destruction of remains, and total vastation. But the good experience a change of state, coming into peace and tranquillity in externals, vers. 31-35.

1.  The people being as murmurers, denotes that now the man of the Spiritual Church enters into temptation, and consequently into complaint, 8351; it being evil in the ears of the Lord, denotes that: evils are predominant, and opposed to the Divine Providence, 4839, 3869; when the Lord heard it His anger being kindled, denotes that the influx of the Divine Life causes aversion on the part of man, 3869, 5798, 6997; the fire of the Lord burning among them, denotes that evil passions are excited, 5071, 6832; and the fire devouring to the uttermost parts of the camp, denotes that the natural man is overcome by lusts, 10283, 2187, 10533, 1718, 4236.

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2.  The people crying to Moses, denotes that there is a conflict between the falsity of evil and the Divine Truth of the Word, 1259, 2240, 7010; Moses praying to the Lord, denotes a strong desire for deliverance, 2535, 8179, 2001; and the fire.abating, denotes that evil passions are restrained, 10283, 5071.

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3.  The name of that place being called Taberah, that is burning, because the fire of the Lord burnt among them, denotes that, therefore, the quality of that state of temptation, and, generally, of every state of temptation, is known from the love of evil, which is excited, and which is directly opposed to the love of good, 145, 2625, 5071, 6832.

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4.  By the mixed multitude falling a lusting, is denoted that in every state of temptation, falsities and truths, with the man of the church, appear to be in confusion, because evil is predominant, 2006, 4574, 3993, 8409⁴; by the children of Israel weeping again, is denoted grief, 2910; and by saying "Who shall give us flesh to eat?" is denoted on account of the desire for merely natural delights on the one hand, and the restraining power of the truth on the other, 8409⁴, ver. 2. In the literal sense, the grief of the children of Israel was for the loss of natural delight, but in the internal sense the grief or weeping and the crying to Moses denote grief during the conflict between evil and good.

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5.  Remembering what happened in Egypt, denotes the memory of pleasures freely enjoyed in the merely natural state before regeneration, 3336², 5276; fishes denote scientifics, 991; cucumbers, and melons, and leeks and onions, denote the affections of worldly and selfish love, external and internal; and garlic denotes what stimulates those affections. This is shown by considering that all these things were enjoyed in Egypt, 5276, and that the series is from the scicntifics denoted by the fishes. It may be observed also, by a careful perusal of the articles under each Hebrew term, here translated cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic, in the Biblical Encyclopedias, that there is little or no doubt that the rendering is correct, and also that the correspondence of each term is grounded in the specific character and use of each thing named; the oily nature of the allii, indicating a more interior state, than the juicy nature of the cucurbitacice, 4581.

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6.  Their soul being dried away because there is nothing at all, denotes that, in the state of temptation, there is a strong aversion from truth and its affections, 8185; and nought but the manna to look to, denotes that the good of truth is entirely distasteful, 8464.

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7.  The manna being like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium, denotes that yet this good is from the pure truth of the Word, and is celestial truth from good with the spiritual man, 8521, no.

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8.  The people going about and gathering it, denotes that man must procure the good of truth, as it were by his own exertions, 7115, 9273; grinding it in mills, or beating it in mortars, denotes arrangement into heavenly order by the Lord both as to the understanding and will, 10303; seething it in pots, denotes adaptation to the state of man, 8496; making cakes of it, denotes so as to lead to the conjunction of goodness and truth, 2177; and the taste of it being as the taste of fresh oil, denotes that the affection of this good with the spiritual man is similar to the love of good with the celestial man, 4793, 4581. The Hebrew word, here translated "fresh" in the A.V. and R.V., with a note in the margin of the latter suggesting "cakes baked with oil," is in the Lexicon, said to mean "moisture"; and "fluid oil" is proposed instead of "fresh oil." Hence there is evidently a difficulty in the rendering; but since the cakes clearly denote the good of truth as appropriated by the spiritual man, and oil denotes the celestial principle of love and charity, 886, the word translated "fresh," or "fluid," evidently implies, in the internal sense, the derivation of the good peculiar to the Spiritual from that peculiar to the Celestial, and the similarity of the former to the latter.

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9.  When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna falling upon it, denotes that the good of truth is given when man is in a state of transition, the peace of this state being the interior of which the good of truth is the exterior, 8456, 3579.

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10.  Moses hearing the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent, denotes that the state of temptation continues, all the powers of the mind being affected by it from the internal which constitutes the ruling principle to the external as to every particular, 7010, 2641, 3654, 1259, 2910, 10549; and the anger of the Lord being kindled greatly, while Moses also was displeased, denotes that there is aversion from the Lord exceedingly, and also from the Divine Truth which proceeds from Him, 6997, 10431.

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11.  By Moses saying to the Lord, is denoted the thought of him who is in temptation concerning the Divine Gocd, and also concerning the Divine Truth, because, in this case, Moses evidently puts on the representation of the people whom he governed, 7041, 2506, 2001; and because, "Wherefore have you evil intreated your servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in your sight that you lay the burden of all this people upon me?" denotes the thought of him in temptation that Divine Good and Divine Truth are opposed to him and are the cause of all his suffering. For by the Lord evil intreating any one is signified his opposition to Divine Good, 2001, 10618; by not finding favour in the Lord's sight, is denoted opposition to Divine Truth, 10563, 10560; and by the Lord laying a burden upon people, is denoted the thought of those in temptation that their suffering is from Him, 7104, 7105.

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12.  By Moses saying, "Have I conceived all this people, and have I brought them forth? " is denoted doubt as to the power of the Lord in man's regeneration as to truth and as to good, 3860, ver. 11; by "that you should say, Carry them in your bosom as a nursing-father carrieth the sucking child," is denoted doubt as to the Divine Providence in the church by influx from within, and by instruction from without, 6960, 10087, 6740, 6745; and by "to the land which you swarest to their fathers," is denoted that he who is in the innocence which belongs to the beginning of regeneration, 6745⁶, may proceed into the state of celestial life, which has been promised to him by irrevocable confirmation, 3705, 6098, 2842. It is said above, "by influx from within and by instruction from without through the Word," because to carry in the bosom denotes love, 6960, and love flows into man from the Lord; and because suckling denotes the reception of good and truth by an external way, that is, by instruction, 6745, 3513.

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13.  "Whence should I have flesh to give to all this people? For they weep to me saying, Give us flesh that we may eat," denotes that he doubts also the possibility that the man of the church can enjoy legitimate natural delight, perceiving the tendency in himself to despise what is heavenly, and to return into the delights of the merely natural man, 8409⁴, 2187, 2910, 7010.

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14.  "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me," denotes that neither does the spiritual man conceive, in that state, that he can be preserved from evil, according to order, as from himself, feeling so strongly his tendency to gravitate to lower things, because by not being able to bear all this people alone, is denoted that man cannot by himself resist evil, evil being signified by the desire of the people for flesh, ver. 13, and because yet, in temptations, he must resist as from himself, 8179; and by its being too heavy for him, is denoted that man feels his tendency to lapse into evil apart from Divine help, 8279.

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15.  "And if you deal thus with me," denotes that, indeed, in that state man is also disposed to fall into utter despair of salvation altogether, as appears from the affection involved in the expression, and from the implication that the Lord is the cause of the temptation, 8165, 8166 "kill me, I pray you, out of hand," denotes the disposition to reject the truth, because the Lord does not kill or destroy, but man himself rejects the Lord, 7043; "if I have found favour in your sight," denotes that the Lord in mercy provides consolation for the tempted, 5043: and "let me not see my wretchedness," denotes that He removes the evil which is the cause of their misery, because by the miserable are meant those in temptations, 5042, and by the Lord not letting the tempted see their misery, is denoted that he removes, or remits the evil which is the cause of temptation, 8174.

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16.  By the Lord saving to Moses, is denoted further revelation from the Lord by Divine Truth giving perception, 2001, 7010, 1822; by seventy men of the elders of Israel, are denoted holy truths grounded in good, 728, 158, 6524; by Moses knowing that they were elders of the people and officers over them, is denoted that they were acquired by the spiritual man and adopted as ruling principles, 7200, 6524, 8211⁵; by their being gathered to the Lord, and brought to the tent o^f meeting, is denoted arrangement by the Lord into order under the heavenly affections of love, charity, and obedience, 6712, 3540³; and by their standing with Moses, is denoted that they are in subordination to Divine Truth in general, 3136, 7010.

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17.  By the Lord coming down, and talking with Moses there, is denoted that thence there is orderly influx from the Lord, and revelation, 3084, 2951, 7010; by taking the spirit that was in Moses and putting it upon the elders and officers, is denoted that these truths are filled with good through the medium of Divine Truth in general, 9818, 7010; by their bearing the burden of the people with Moses, is denoted that thus the spiritual man may be able to endure temptations, 7104, 7105; and by Moses not bearing the burden himself alone, is denoted that the Lord is with him in all his trials, because, although the literal sense is that Moses would not be alone since he would have the help of the elders, the internal sense is that the spiritual man is continually helped by the Lord, Who indeed enables him to make a proper use of his subordinate powers, as He enabled Moses to select the elders, 139.

    Observe in the reference the sense in which it was not good for the man to be alone, namely, that he should ascribe his life to himself only.

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18.  By saying to the people, "Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow," is denoted the perception that truth must be conjoined with good, in man, to eternity, 1822, 1259, 8042, 3908; by "you shall eat flesh," is denoted that he shall have natural delight corresponding to what is spiritual as the result of victory in his temptations, 8431: by their having wept in the ears of the Lord, saving, "Who shall give us flesh to eat?" and "it was well with us in Egypt," is denoted that, in the state of temptation, man is opposed to the Divine life, and is brought into merely natural delight through the excitement of former states of such delight, 2910, ver. 2, 8409⁴, 10283; and by the Lord giving them flesh and their eating, is denoted, in the best sense, that the natural man indeed enjoys legitimate natural delights from the Lord, 8431, 2187.

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19.  But, in the opposite sense, by eating, is denoted that the corrupted man of the church, who desires natural delights from selfish love, confirms such delights in himself successively, 10283; by eating one day, is denoted a state of voluntary indulgence, 4149², 3986³, 487; by eating two days, is denoted the conjunction of evil with falsity, 5194; by eating five days and ten days, is denoted the destruction of remains in himself as to truth and as to good, 5201, 683; and by eating twenty days, is denoted resistance to the conjunction of truth with good, and of good with truth, 5194, 5291.

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20.  By eating a whole month of days, is denoted the rejection of all truth and good to eternity, 3814; by "until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome to you," is denoted the rejection of even the slightest perception of truth, this becoming utterly distasteful, and the least influence of good, which becomes entirely loathsome, 4624, 4625; by "because you have rejected the Lord which is among you," is denoted that good from the Lord cannot abide with evil, 2001; by "because you have wept before Him," is denoted that truth from the Lord cannot abide with falsity, 2010, 2001; and by their saying, "Why came we forth out of Egypt? " is denoted that merely natural loves only are desired, 5276.

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21.  By Moses is here denoted the man of the church who is in temptation, 7041 ; by the people among whom he was being six hundred thousand footmen, is denoted abundance as to natural truths and their affections, 1259, 7973, 2162; it is said, "for the time being overcome with doubt," because what Moses says involves and impresses a state of doubt; and by the Lord saying, "I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month," is denoted the perception that the natural man shall have legitimate natural delight even in eternity, 2001, 1822, 8431, 3814.

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22.  By "Shall flocks and herds be slain for them to suffice them?" is denoted that he who is in temptation thinks that it is impossible for the natural man to appropriate charity and natural good from the Lord, 5913, 6126; and by "Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together to suffice them?" is denoted that he also thinks it impossible for him to be supplied with natural truths in all their fullness, 991.

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23.  The Lord saying to Moses, "Is the Lord's hand waxed short? now shall them see whether my word shall come to pass to you or not," denotes that the man of the church receives consolation from the thought that the Divine Omnipotence is constant and that the spiritual man cannot fail, 2001, 2506, 878, 2150, 5075, 4979.

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24.  Moses going out, and telling the people the words of the Lord, denotes the result, namely, that the external man is instructed in Divine Truths, 7010, 5337, 1259, 4250; and gathering seventy men. of the elders of the people, and setting them round about the tent, denotes that truths grounded in good in the external man, have conjunction with the Lord through the heavens, 6112, 728, 158, 6524, 2973, 3540³.

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25.  The Lord coming down in the cloud and speaking to Moses, denotes revelation adapted to the state, and the influx of good through Divine Truth, 3084, 8106, 2951, 7010; taking of the spirit that was in Moses and putting it upon the seventy elders, denotes influx with the man of the church who is in holy states through regeneration, 9818, 7010, 728, 6524; and it coming to pass that when the spirit rested upon them they prophesied, but did so no more, denotes that the spiritual man has the full power of teaching heavenly truths from good, but not from himself, 4979, 2534.

    It is to be noticed here, however, that the Hebrew words translated "but they did so no more," mean that they added no more, this being the rendering of the similar expressions in Deut 5:22. But by not adding any more, is meant, in the literal sense, that they did not add to what they then uttered, and in the internal sense, that man is forbidden to add anything from himself to the Divine Truth, or to the Word, as we read in Rev 22:18, which is explained in AR 957.

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26.  There remaining two men in the camp, the name of the one being Eldad and the name of the other Medad, denotes the natural love of good and truth having a new quality, for two men signify the conjunction of good and truth in the Spiritual Church, 5194, 7120, name signifies quality, 145, Eldad means loved of God and therefore signifies good, 2001, and Medad means he that measures, or the water of love, and therefore signifies truth, 3104, 2702; the spirit of the Lord resting upon them, denotes the influence of interior good, ver. 25; their being of the seventy that were written, denotes the confirmation of good, ver. 25, 9386; their not going out to the tent, denotes the natural love of good and truth as distinguished from the spiritual, 3540³, because both the camp and the tent represented heavenly order, 4236; and the two men prophesying in the camp, denotes that the natural love of good and truth is also endowed with the power to teach, 2534.

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27.  A young man running and telling Moses that Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp, denotes that the eager affection of truth in the natural man, being brought into correspondence with the internal, there is thence the perception that the regenerated natural man also has the power to teach truths, 7668, 3804, 7010, 2534, ver. 26.

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28.  Joshua the son of Nun the minister of Moses, and one of his chosen men, here denotes the natural reason separated from the Internal, although designed to minister thereto from good, 10454, 10557, 7051; and his answering and saying, "My lord Moses, forbid them," denotes indignation from the consideration that only the interior must teach truths, 6943, 7010, 5725, 2534.

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29.  Moses saying to Joshua, "Art you jealous for my sake?" denotes that the internal man perceives both the ardour and the error of the natural Rational, 1822, 3839; would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, denotes the communication of the perception that Divine Truth is freely given to the natural as well as the spiritual man, 7010, 2001, 1259, 2534; and the Lord putting His spirit upon them, denotes in proportion to the reception of Divine Good, 2001, 9818, 728, 6524.

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30.  Moses and the elders going into the camp, denotes that therefore as the result of victory in temptations, good becomes present in the natural man as to the understanding and will, 7010, 6524, 4236, 3540³.

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31.  By a wind going from the Lord, is denoted the spirit of the Lord freely given to the regenerating man, 97; by quails from the sea falling on the camp, is denoted natural delight which is the good of truth, 8452, 4236; by a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, denotes according to the states of instruction as to faith and charity, 1457, 410; and by two cubits above the face of the earth, is denoted as to conjunction with the interiors, 5194, 872, 358.

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32.  The people rising up all that day and all that night, and all the next day and gathering the quails, denotes that the man of the church, generally, is elevated by this gift appropriating good in every state of brightness as to truths, in every state of obscurity, and in every state of the conjunction of truth with good, 2401, 487, 709, 5092, 2091, 9273, 8452; he that gathered least gathering ten homers, denotes that every one is supplied with remains, 576, 8540; and spreading them all abroad for themselves round about the camp, denotes freely acting, as from self, in the acquisition of good, 4035, 2973, 4236.

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33.  While the flesh was yet between their teeth ere it was chewed, denotes those who pervert natural delight by making it lust through selfishness, 8409⁴, 4424³, 2187; the anger of the Lord being kindled against the people, denotes aversion from the Lord on the part of the wicked, 5798; and smiting the people with a very great plague, denotes that they cause in themselves the destruction of remains, 10219.

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34.  The name of that place being called Kibroth-hattaavah, or the graves of lust, denotes that thus the wicked induce upon themselves the quality of the infernals, 145, 2625, 8452; and because they buried the people that lusted, denotes because they reject all good and truth through lust, 4564.

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35.  The people journeying from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth, and abiding there, denotes that he who, in the course of regeneration, is delivered from such a state is brought into one of temporary peace and tranquillity as to externals, ver. 34, 1259, 1457, 3271, 7407, 3613. By Hazeroth are meant courts, and therefore it signifies what is external, 7407.

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Discussion

The first section of this chapter, as in some other cases, is evidently a summary of the whole, both in the literal and spiritual senses, the general subject being the temptations of the spiritual man, who has advanced from a state of instruction into a state of light, described in the last chapter by the wilderness of Paran. Let us, therefore, carefully reflect upon these temptations, and notice first that they commence with a state of discontent, advance to a state of complaining, and culminate in the activity of the lusts of selfish and worldly love.

Now although it may seem somewhat paradoxical, yet it is a fact that all temptations take place in a state of more or less spiritual enlightenment, and in a state of freedom, wherein there is a conflict between man's selfishness on the one hand, and the truth which enlightens on the other. Hence, then, in temptations a man's very life is at stake, and he must decide, whether he will yield to the suggestions of his selfishness, or confirm in himself the truth. And because the truth appears to him to be the cause of his misery in that state, therefore he is dissatisfied with it; and because his sufferings seem to proceed from the Lord, therefore the evils which tempt are called the fire of the Lord which burns. But it is said to burn in the first instance only in the uttermost part of the camp, because the temptation is light. But also, it is said, that when the Lord heard the murmurings of the Israelites, His anger was kindled; and it is necessary to understand what this really means in connection with our spiritual conflicts. For the Lord is never angry, nor does He listen and hear just as we hear and are angry, because He is unchangeable love, and is also omniscient. Hence, therefore, when, in the Word, it is said that the Lord hears, thereby is meant His infinite perception of man's states, and the influx of His love for man's relief; and when it is said that He is angry, thereby is meant that the evils of man's life are excited and are the cause of sufferings. Thus the literal sense of the Word often speaks according to appearances, in accommodation to our imperfect states. But still it is very natural that, in our distress, we should appeal to others who can help us, and that they should appeal to the Lord; and it is a fact that every one who prays to the Lord for deliverance from evil, and thus outwardly, and inwardly for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:10) certainly receives it, since the effect of true prayer is to cause a state of receptivity in ourselves, by which evil is repelled, the earnestness of the prayer involving determined resistance to the evil; and this is from the Lord. And consequently, in the case before us, it is said, that the fire abated, which evidently signifies that evil is restrained; and that a distinct temptation and victory is here described appears from the special name being given, although that name describes a quality which belongs to all temptations. These remarks, therefore, illustrate our first section.

In the first part of the second section, which states that a mixed multitude fell a lusting, denoting spiritually that, in states of temptation falsities and truths are mixed with man for the time being, we have an aspect of the subject very interesting, as the study of it: will enable us to consider how this is the case with ourselves. For we know how very much perplexed we are many a time, as to what is true and as to what is false, and more than this, as to what it is right to do, or not to do, under certain circumstances, because conflicting feelings cause obscurity. And thus it is when former delights of the merely natural life are excited in us by the evil spirits who tempt us, as here described, and represented by the longing of the Israelites for the food they had enjoyed in Egypt, and by the manna provided for them in the wilderness becoming distasteful. And what person who is in the course of regeneration, has not experienced temptations of this kind, arising from mixed states of good and evil? Not, indeed, that these can really be mixed, but that they appear to be so under certain circumstances. And if we read attentively what is said on this very point in the references given, particularly 399; we shall be helped greatly in our present study. But now, coming to the second part of this section, we cannot but notice that this second conflict affects the internal as well as the external man, all the words of Moses indicating this. And two things are here prominent, which may be understood clearly by a reference to human experience, namely, the indignation of the spiritual man that he should be required to control and guide the natural as of himself, and his state of despair in consequence. But, indeed, it is these two things that may be called the essence of the conflict; for unless every one was required to contend against his evils as from himself, he would fail to acquire his own distinct individuality, and to form his own character; and unless he were reduced to a state of despair from which he is afterwards delivered by the Lord, he would not be able to acknowledge with all his heart that all his power to conquer is from the Lord. And it is remarkable that just in proportion as he is able to be in genuine humility, just in the same proportion does he become conscious that, from the Lord, he has a function that no one else can perform but himself. And this, too, is involved in the internal sense of ver. 15, because "Kill me, I pray you, out of hand," taken in the best sense, signifies the desire of him who is tempted to reject the life of selfishness, and thus to come into humility; and "let me not see my wretchedness," signifies that he earnestly desires to become fully conscious of the heavenly life, in which he has the "new name which no man knows, but he that receives it" (Rev 2:17), and no wretchedness.

With regard to the third section, which describes the manna, and, spiritually, the good that man receives from the Lord by means of truth, we have some interesting particulars; and, first of all, the very name given to this food miraculously, supplied to the Israelites, means "what is it?" And this at once suggests the thought that man of himself is entirely ignorant of the quality of that good which comes from the Lord and properly nourishes his soul during regeneration. But still he knows from the Word that it involves three things in their order, namely, obedience, charity, and love, for these really are the manifestation and the essence of "all the law and the prophets" (Matt 22:40). But, again, the manna is said to be like coriander seed. And in this connection, spiritually, there are two remarkable things; first, the seed corresponds to the Word, or the truth of the Word (Matt 13:19; Luke 8:11), and, secondly, the Hebrew word for coriander is gad, which is also the name of one of the sons of Jacob, and at the same time of an idolatrous worship. It signifies works both good and evil, and thus, obedience to the truth in the best sense, and also in the opposite sense, for we read: "They who are in external works from the non-truth which they believe to be truth, are signified by Gad also in Isaiah, 'You are they who forsake Jehovah, who forget the mountain of my holiness, who spread out a table for Gad, and offer a drink offering to Meni,' where spreading out a table for Gad, stands for being in works alone (Is. lxv. n)," 6404-6405. But it may be thought that this word, which means "fortune," or "a troop," or "chance" and corresponds to works, cannot be identical with that which means the seed of coriander, and cannot have the same correspondence; yet this difficulty disappears, when we remember that the seed was also, the fruit of this plant, and that although, as a seed, it signifies truth still, as a fruit it signifies works, and thus, as we have said, obedience to the truth. See, however, the articles on the word Gad in Kitto's Encyclopedia, and also 1873, 7690.

And now, also, there is another consideration. The text does not say that the manna was coriander seed, but that it was like it; and there is a reason for this. It was in order to emphasize the fact that it was a miraculous provision and not some natural production; and concerning this, too, we have the following positive instruction: "From these passages it is also evident, that to eat, in the spiritual sense, signifies to receive in the will and to do, whence comes conjunction. For the Lord by doing the Divine will, conjoined the Divine which was in Him with His Human, so that He appropriated the Divine to His Human. It was for the same reason also that the Lord fed five thousand men, besides women and children, with live loaves and two fishes, and that after they had eaten, and were filled, they took up twelve baskets of fragments (Matt 14:15-21; John 6:5, 13, 23); and that He fed four thousand men from seven "loaves and a few fishes (Matt 15:32 and the following verses). This miracle was performed because the Lord had previously been teaching them, and because they received and appropriated to themselves His doctrine. This was what they spiritually ate, from this the natural eating followed, that is, it flowed in with them out of heaven unknown to themselves, as the manna with the children of Israel. For at the will of the Lord, spiritual food, which is also real food, but only for spirits and angels, is turned into natural food, just as it was turned into manna every morning" (AE 617⁴). Here, therefore, we see how the manna was produced; it was created by the Lord, instantaneously, according to the law of correspondence; and that this instantaneous creation can, at any time, take place, according to the laws of Divine Order, is shown in DLW 312, 340-342, and in TCR 78. But with regard to the other particulars in this section, what is said in connection with the references, and what the passages referred to themselves teach may be sufficiently illustrative.

The fourth section concerns four things, which are often occurring in the internal sense, because they enter so much into every state of regeneration, and are, of course, varied in every state, and with every individual. And they naturally follow states of temptation as in this case. We call attention, however, to the expressions of the literal sense, which describes the Lord as if He were like an ordinary governor giving directions to his subordinates and talking with them, and moving from place to place, when yet He does not require to do so; and this alone may convince us that the holy Word contains a spiritual sense, which, so to speak, falls into the literal sense, and is presented under appearances. But a great deal more is also involved; for it is the arrangement made by the Lord, as to our inner states, and without our knowledge, which produces subordinations, not only in heaven, but on earth, and, indeed, order could not be maintained without such subordinations; and if we reflect carefully, we shall discern that order in heavenly societies has very much to do in producing the happiness of the angels; for perfect associations must contribute very greatly to the increase and extension of heavenly delights, where the external is completely conjoined with the internal man, and where revelation is therefore full and complete.

Hut the fifth section is exceedingly interesting, because it not only presents us with a contrast between those who confirm themselves in evil, and those who are fully regenerated by temptations, but it also shows that even the wicked are brought into their final condition by an orderly process, as we see particularly from vers. 19-20, and that the good, having experienced the extreme of temptation, also by a gradual process, afterwards receive adequate satisfaction and convolution, as is evident from vers. 21-23.

And now it follows, therefore, that in the sixth section is described the complete arrangement of truths that is the result of victory in temptation, and the full power given to the natural man as well as to the spiritual to understand and teach truths. And the particular points here to be noticed are of great practical value. We must acknowledge that all revelation is from the Lord through Divine

Truth, or the Word; that it operates through the heavens; that it is they who are in holy good and truth interior, who first receive it, and are arranged into order; that the highest principles of life descend in an accommodated form; that good as well as truth becomes active in the lower spheres, when acknowledged to be from the Lord alone; and that both good and truth, therefore, may fully possess the natural degree of man's life. Nor can we fail to see here, how wonderfully the names of persons mentioned in the Word correspond with the spiritual states which they represent, as in the case of Eldad and Medad; and also that the natural powers, although filled with spiritual life, remain distinguished as natural powers, as represented by these persons, although of the seventy, not going to the tent, but remaining in the camp. And, moreover, what a fine and stimulating picture have we here presented of the unselfishness of the higher life, and of the comparative weakness of the lower life as manifested both in the literal and spiritual senses by the respective actions of the young man, of Joshua, and of Moses! And lastly, how completely is the full regeneration of the Natural represented by Moses and all the elders now coming into the camp! May we, therefore, earnestly endeavour, while in this our probationary state, alike to understand, to love, and to realize all these things, so that at last we may fully enjoy all natural delights in the best sense, as described in our seventh section. But on this we do not here enlarge because the series appears clearly from all that goes before and from the references; and it will be sufficient if we fully reflect, for our own spiritual benefit, on the contrast, here also infernal delights of the unregenerate, and of those who confirm themselves in a life that is merely natural.