EXODUS [N. 9992]

[Evi]dent from the signification In this work, "signification" refers to the symbolic or spiritual meaning behind literal words in the Bible. of “bread,” as being what is celestial The "celestial" refers to the highest level of the human spirit or heaven, where love to the Lord is the primary motivation. (see n. 2165, 2177, 3478, 9545); and from the signification of “unleavened,” as being what has been purified (of which below). That it denotes the inmost of man, is because the celestial is the good of love, and the good of love is inmost. There are three things with man which follow on in successive order. These three are called “the celestial,” “the spiritual,” and “the natural.”

• The celestial is the good of love to the Lord;
• The spiritual is the good of charity toward the neighbor;
• And the natural thence derived is the good of faith, which, being from the spiritual, is called “the spiritual natural.”

For the case with man is similar to what it is in the heavens. In the inmost heaven, which is also called the third, is the celestial; in the second or middle heaven is the spiritual; and in the first or ultimate heaven is the natural thence derived, or the spiritual natural. That the case with man is similar to what it is in the heavens, is because a man who is in good is a heaven in the least form (see the places cited in n. 9279). Concerning the threefold division of heaven or of the heavenly kingdom, more will be told below when treating of the cakes and wafers of fine flour of wheat.

[2] That “unleavened” signifies purified, is because “fermented” Also translated as "leavened." In this spiritual context, the chemical process of fermentation represents the agitation caused by false ideas. signifies falsity from evil (n. 2342, 7906); hence “unleavened” or “unfermented” signifies pure, or without this falsity. That “fermented” signifies falsity from evil, is because this falsity defiles good, and also truth, and also because it excites fighting; for on the approach of this falsity to good a burning heat is excited, and on its approach to truth, collision.

For this reason a meat-offering Despite the modern name, a "meat-offering" (minchah in Hebrew) in the Bible refers to a grain or flour offering, never animal flesh. of unleavened bread was employed in the burnt-offerings and in the sacrifices. Therefore it was ordered that “no meat-offering which they should bring to Jehovah should be made leavened” (Leviticus ii. 11); that they “should not sacrifice the blood of the sacrifice upon what was leavened” (Exodus xxiii. 18); and that on the feast of the passover, they “should eat nothing leavened,” and that he who did eat “should be cut off from Israel” (Exodus xii. 15, 18–20). That he was to be cut off from Israel who ate what was leavened on the feast of the passover, was because the feast of the passover signified liberation from damnation, and specifically liberation from falsities.