Spiritual Meaning of
Spiritual Meaning of |
|
Back to Words index | Back to Food words index |
That baking unleavened bread signifies purification, is evident from the signification of unleavened or unfermented. In the Word bread signifies in general all celestial and spiritual food, thus celestial and spiritual things in general (AC 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177). That these should be free from everything impure was represented by bread without leaven; for leaven signifies that which is evil and false, by which celestial and spiritual things are rendered impure and profane. On account of this representation it was commanded those who were of the Representative Church that in their sacrifices they should not offer any other bread, that is, meat-offering, than that which was unfermented or unleavened; as is evident in Moses:--
No meat-offering which ye shall bring to Jehovah shall be made with leaven (Lev. 2:11).
Again:--
Thou shalt not sacrifice the blood of My sacrifice with what is leavened (Exod. 23:18; 34:25).
[2] And it was therefore also commanded, that on the seven days of the Passover they should not eat any other than unfermented or unleavened bread, as stated in Moses:--
Seven days shall ye eat unleavened (bread) even on the first day ye shall cause leaven to cease from your houses; for whosever eateth what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at even, ye shall eat unleavened (bread), until the one and twentieth day of the month at even seven days shall no leaven be found in your houses; for whosoever eateth what is leavened, that soul also shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner or born in the land (Exod. 12:15, 18-20; Exod. 13:6, 7; 23:15; 34:18; Deut. 16:3, 4).
Hence the Passover is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6; Num. 28:16, 17; Matt. 26:17; Luke 22:1, 7).
from AC 2342
Back to Words index, Back to Food words index
| Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). | Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. | www.BibleMeanings.info |