705. That these four, flesh, blood, bread, and wine, mean the spiritual and celestial things that correspond to them, can be seen from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned. That "flesh" means in the Word what is spiritual and celestial can be seen from the following passages:
Come and be gathered together unto the supper of the great God that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of commanders of thousands, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great (Apoc. 19:17, 18).
And in Ezekiel:
Gather yourselves from every side to My sacrifice that I do 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, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth; and ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood even to drunkenness, of My sacrifice; and ye shall be satisfied at my table with horse and with chariot, with the mighty man, and with every man of war; and I will set My glory among the heathen (39:17-21).
Who does not see that in these passages "flesh" and "blood" do not mean flesh and blood, but the spiritual and celestial things which correspond to them? Otherwise, what would these statements be; that they should eat the flesh of kings, commanders of thousands, mighty men, and horses, and of those that sat on them, and that they should be satisfied at the table with horses, chariots, mighty men and all men of war, and that they should drink the blood of the princes of the earth, and should drink blood even to drunkenness, but unmeaning and strange expressions? That these words are applied to the holy supper of the Lord is very clear, for the supper of the great God is mentioned, and also the great sacrifice. As all spiritual and celestial things have relation solely to good and truth, it follows that "flesh" means the good of charity, and "blood" the truth of faith, and in the highest sense, the Lord in respect to the Divine good of love and the Divine truth of wisdom. "Flesh" also means spiritual good in the following passage in Ezekiel:
I will give them one heart, and I will give a new spirit in the midst of you; and I will take away the heart of stone out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh (11:19; 26:26).
In the Word "heart" signifies love; therefore "a heart of flesh" signifies a love of good. That "flesh and blood" mean good and truth, both spiritual, is still further evident from the signification of "bread and wine" in what now follows; for the Lord says that His flesh is bread, and that His blood is the wine that was drunk from the cup.