706. The Lord's "blood" means His Divine truth and the truth of the Word, because His "flesh," spiritually understood, means the Divine good of love, and in Him these two are united. It is known that the Lord is the Word, and there are two things to which everything in the Word has relation, Divine good and Divine truth, if therefore, instead of "the Lord" we say "the Word," it is clear that these two are meant by His flesh and blood. That "blood" means the Lord's Divine truth or the truth of the Word is evident from many passages, as, for example, where blood is called "the blood of the covenant," "covenant" meaning conjunction, which is effected by the Lord by means of His Divine truth; as in Zechariah:
By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth the bound out of the pit (9:11). And in Moses:
When Moses had read the book of the law in the ears of the people, he sprinkled half of the blood upon the people and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which Jehovah hath concluded with you upon all these words (Ex. 24:3-8). And Jesus took the cup and gave to them, saying, This is My blood of the new covenant (Matt. 26:27, 28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20). [2] By the blood of the new covenant or testament nothing is meant but the Word, (which is called the covenant or testament, old and new), thus Divine truth in the Word. As this is the significance of "blood," the Lord gave His disciples the wine, saying, "This is My blood," "wine" signifying Divine truth, and therefore wine is called:
The blood of grapes (Gen. 49:11 Deut. 32:14). This is still further evident from the Lord's words: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you; for My flesh is truly meat, and My blood is truly drink. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood abideth in Me and I in him (John 6:53-58). That "blood" here means the Divine truth of the Word, is very manifest for it is said, that he who drinks it hath life in himself, and abideth in the Lord and the Lord in him; that this is effected by Divine truth and a life according to it, and that the holy supper confirms it, may be known in the church. [3] As "blood" signifies the Lord's Divine truth, which is also the Divine truth of the Word, (and this is the real covenant or testament, old and new), therefore among the children of Israel blood was the holiest representative of their church, wherein each thing and all things were correspondences of natural with spiritual things. For example. They were to take of the paschal blood and put it on the two side posts and on the upper door-posts of the houses, lest the plague should come upon them (Ex. 12:7, 13, 22). And the blood of the burnt-offering was to be sprinkled upon the altar on the bottom of it, on Aaron and his sons, and on their garments (Ex. 29:12, 16, 20, 21; Lev. 1:6, 11, 16; 3:2, 8, 19; 4:26, 30, 34; 8:16, 24; 17:8; Num. 18:17; Deut. 12:27). Also on the veil over the ark, on the mercy-seat there, and on the horns of the altar of incense (Lev. 4:8, 7, 17, 18; 16:12-15). in the Apocalypse the blood of the Lamb has a similar significance:
These have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (7:14). Also in this passage:
There was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb and through the word of their testimony (12:7, 11). [4] For it cannot be imagined that Michael and his angels overcame the dragon by any other means than the Lord's Divine truth in the Word, for the angels of heaven cannot think of any kind of blood, nor do they think of the Lord's passion, but only of Divine truth and of the Lord's resurrection. So when man thinks of the Lord's blood, the angels have a perception of the Divine truth of His Word; and when men think of the Lord's passion, they have a perception of His glorification, and then of His resurrection only. This I have been permitted to learn from much experience. [5] That "blood" signifies Divine truth is clear also from the following passages in David:
God shall save the souls of the needy, and precious shall their blood be in His eyes; and they shall live, and He will give them of the gold of Sheba (Ps. 72:13-16);
"blood precious in the eyes of God" meaning the Divine truth in them; and "the gold of Sheba" wisdom therefrom. And in Ezekiel:
Gather yourselves to the great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel that ye may eat flesh and drink blood; ye shall drink the blood of the princes of the earth, and ye shall drink blood even to drunkenness, and I will set My glory among the heathen (39:17-21). This treats of the church which the Lord was about to establish among the nations. That "blood" here cannot mean blood, but the truth from the Word which they had may be seen just above.
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