Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 10686

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10686. He did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. That this signifies meanwhile there is no appropriation of the good of love and truth of faith, is evident from the signification of "bread," as being the good of love (see n. 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 8410, 9545); from the signification of "water," as being the truth of faith (see the places cited in n. 10238; that by "bread and water" in the Word are meant in general all goods and truths, see n. 9323); from the signification of "eating," as being the conjunction and appropriation of good (n. 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513, 3596, 4745, 5643, 8001); and from the signification of "drinking," as being the reception and appropriation of truth (n. 3069, 3089, 3168, 8562). The case herein is this. When a man is in temptations, the goods of love and truths of faith are not appropriated to him then, but after the temptations. For while the temptations last, the evils and the falsities of evil in the man are excited on the one side, and the goods and the truths of good that are in him are excited on the other. Hence he is in a turbulent state, in which the internal is opened. But the temptations are followed by serenity; and in this state goods and the truths of good are introduced by the Lord into the internal that has now been opened. From this it is evident what is meant by there being no appropriation of the good of love and truth of faith while the temptations last, which is signified by Moses "not eating bread, and not drinking water for forty days and forty nights."


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