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Ezekiel 16

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1 Kaj aperis al mi vorto de la Eternulo, dirante:

2 Ho filo de homo, montru al Jerusalem gxiajn abomenindajxojn;

3 kaj diru:Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, al Jerusalem:Via deveno kaj via naskigxlando estas en la lando Kanaana; via patro estas Amorido, kaj via patrino estas HXetidino.

4 CXe via naskigxo, kiam vi estis naskita, oni ne detrancxis vian umbilikon, oni ankaux ne lavis vin purige per akvo, ne frotis vin per salo, kaj ne vindis per vindajxoj.

5 Nenies okulo favoris vin, por fari al vi pro kompato unu el tiuj faroj, sed oni eljxetis vin sur la kampon pro abomeno kontraux vi en la tago, kiam vi estis naskita.

6 Mi preteriris preter vi, kaj Mi vidis, ke vi baraktas en via sango, kaj Mi diris al vi en via sango:Vivu; jes, Mi diris al vi en via sango:Vivu.

7 Mi grandigis vin, kiel kampan kreskajxon; vi farigxis plena kaj granda, vi farigxis tute bela; viaj mamoj formigxis, viaj haroj abunde kreskis; sed vi estis nuda kaj nekovrita.

8 Mi preteriris preter vi kaj ekvidis vin, kaj Mi vidis, ke estas via tempo, la tempo de amo; kaj Mi etendis Mian mantelon sur vin kaj kovris vian nudecon; kaj Mi jxuris al vi, kaj Mi faris interligon kun vi, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, kaj vi farigxis Mia.

9 Mi lavis vin per akvo. Mi forlavis de vi vian sangon, kaj Mi sxmiris vin per oleo.

10 Mi vestis vin per brodita vesto, sur viajn piedojn Mi metis delikatledajn sxuojn, Mi zonis vin per bisino, kaj Mi kovris vin per silka kovrotuko.

11 Mi ornamis vin per ornamajxoj, Mi metis braceletojn sur viajn manojn, kaj kolcxenon sur vian kolon.

12 Mi metis nazringon sur vian nazon, kaj orelringojn sur viajn orelojn, kaj belan kronon sur vian kapon.

13 Vi ornamigxis per oro kaj argxento, viaj vestoj estis el bisino, silko, kaj broditajxo; plej delikatan farunon, mielon, kaj oleon vi mangxis; kaj vi farigxis tre kaj tre bela kaj atingis regxecon.

14 Kaj disvastigxis via renomo inter la nacioj pro via beleco, cxar gxi estis perfekta per la ornamajxo, kiun Mi metis sur vin, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

15 Sed vi fidis vian belecon, kaj vi komencis malcxasti, apogante vin sur via renomo, kaj vi malcxastis kun cxiu pasanto, fordonante vin al li.

16 Vi prenis viajn vestojn kaj faris al vi mikskolorajn oferaltajxojn, kaj sur ili vi malcxastis, kiel neniam estis kaj neniam estos.

17 Vi prenis viajn ornamajxojn el oro kaj el argxento, kiujn Mi donis al vi, kaj vi faris al vi bildojn de virseksuloj kaj malcxastis kun ili.

18 Vi prenis viajn broditajn vestojn kaj kovris per tio ilin, kaj Mian oleon kaj Mian incenson vi donis al ili.

19 Mian panon, kiun Mi donis al vi, la plej delikatan farunon, oleon, kaj mielon, per kiuj Mi nutris vin, vi metis antaux ilin kiel agrablan odorajxon. Jes, tiel estis, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

20 Vi prenis viajn filojn kaj viajn filinojn, kiujn vi naskis al Mi, kaj vi bucxis ilin al ili kiel mangxajxon. CXu malgranda estas via malcxasteco?

21 Vi bucxis Miajn infanojn kaj pasigis ilin tra fajro por ili.

22 Kaj en cxiuj viaj abomenindajxoj kaj malcxastajxoj vi ne rememoris la tagojn de via juneco, kiam vi estis nuda kaj nekovrita, baraktanta en via sango.

23 Kaj post cxiuj viaj malbonagoj (ho ve, ve al vi! diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo)

24 vi konstruis al vi malcxastejon, kaj faris al vi fialtajxojn sur cxiu strato.

25 En la komenco de cxiu vojo vi konstruis viajn fialtajxojn, vi abomenindigis vian belecon, vi etendis viajn piedojn al cxiu pasanto, kaj vi malcxastis.

26 Vi malcxastis kun la filoj de Egiptujo, viaj grandkorpaj najbaroj, kaj vi multe malcxastis, kolerigante Min.

27 Kaj jen Mi etendis Mian manon kontraux vin kaj malgrandigis vian destinitajxon, kaj Mi transdonis vin al la volo de viaj malamikinoj, la filinoj de Filisxtujo, kiuj hontis pri via malvirta konduto.

28 Kaj vi malcxastis kun la filoj de Asirio, ne povante satigxi; vi malcxastis kun ili, kaj tamen ne kontentigxis.

29 Vi multigis viajn malcxastajxojn gxis la lando de komercado, HXaldeujo, sed ankaux tio vin ne kontentigis.

30 Per kio Mi povas purigi vian koron, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, se vi faras cxion cxi tion, farojn de plej senhonta malcxastistino?

31 Kiam vi arangxis viajn malcxastejojn cxe la komenco de cxiu vojo kaj faris viajn fialtajxojn sur cxiu strato, vi estis ne kiel malcxastistino, kiu sxatas donacojn;

32 sed kiel malcxastanta virino, kiu anstataux sia edzo akceptas fremdulojn.

33 Al cxiuj malcxastistinoj oni donas donacojn, sed vi mem donas viajn donacojn al cxiuj viaj amantoj, kaj vi subacxetas ilin, ke ili de cxiuj flankoj venu malcxasti kun vi.

34 CXe via malcxastado farigxas kun vi la malo de tio, kion oni vidas cxe aliaj virinoj:oni ne postkuras vin por malcxastado, sed vi mem pagas, kaj al vi oni ne donas pagon; tiamaniere vi estas la malo de aliaj.

35 Tial, ho malcxastistino, auxskultu la vorton de la Eternulo:

36 Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Pro tio, ke vi malsxparas vian metalon kaj via nudeco estas malkovrata en via malcxastado al viaj amistoj kaj al cxiuj viaj abomenindaj idoloj, kaj pro la sango de viaj infanoj, kiujn vi fordonas al ili-

37 pro tio Mi kolektos cxiujn viajn amistojn, kun kiuj vi gxuis, kaj cxiujn, kiujn vi amis, kaj cxiujn, kiujn vi malamis, kaj Mi kolektos ilin kontraux vi de cxirkauxe, kaj Mi malkovros antaux ili vian nudecon, kaj ili vidos vian tutan hontindajxon.

38 Kaj Mi jugxos vin laux la jugxoj kontraux adultulinoj kaj kontraux sangoversxantinoj, kaj Mi transdonos vin al sangoversxo kruela kaj severa.

39 Mi transdonos vin en iliajn manojn, kaj ili detruos vian malcxastejon kaj disbatos viajn fialtajxojn, ili deprenos de vi viajn vestojn, prenos viajn ornamajxojn, kaj restigos vin nuda kaj nekovrita.

40 Kaj ili venigos kontraux vin homamason, kiu mortigos vin per sxtonoj kaj dishakos per siaj glavoj.

41 Kaj ili forbruligos viajn domojn per fajro, kaj faros al vi jugxon antaux la okuloj de multaj virinoj; kaj Mi cxesigos vian malcxastadon, kaj vi ne plu donos donacojn.

42 Mi kontentigos sur vi Mian koleron, kaj Mia severeco trankviligxos sur vi tiel, ke Mi trankviligxos kaj ne plu koleros.

43 Pro tio, ke vi ne rememoris la tagojn de via juneco, sed incitis Min per cxio tio, Mi ankaux metos vian konduton sur vian kapon, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, por ke vi ne plu faru la malcxastajxon kun cxiuj viaj abomenindajxoj.

44 Jen cxiu proverbisto diros pri vi proverbon:Kia la patrino, tia la filino.

45 Vi estas filino de via patrino, kiu malsxatis sian edzon kaj siajn infanojn, kaj vi estas fratino de viaj fratinoj, kiuj malsxatis siajn edzojn kaj siajn infanojn. Via patrino estas HXetidino, kaj via patro estas Amorido.

46 Via pli maljuna fratino estas Samario kun siaj filinoj, kiu logxas maldekstre de vi; kaj via pli juna fratino, kiu logxas dekstre de vi, estas Sodom kun siaj filinoj.

47 Sed ecx ne laux ilia vojo vi iris, kaj ne iliajn abomenindajxojn vi faris; tio estis malmulta por vi, kaj vi malbonigxis pli ol ili en cxiuj viaj agoj.

48 Kiel Mi vivas, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, via fratino Sodom kaj sxiaj filinoj ne faris tion, kion faris vi kaj viaj filinoj.

49 Jen kio estis la kulpo de via fratino Sodom:malmodesteco, trosatigxo per mangxado, kaj senzorgeco, kiun havis sxi kaj sxiaj filinoj; kaj la manon de malricxulo kaj senhavulo sxi ne subtenis.

50 Kaj ili fierigxis kaj faris abomenindajxon antaux Mi, kaj Mi forpusxis ilin, kiam Mi tion vidis.

51 Samario ne faris ecx duonon de viaj pekoj; vi faris pli da abomenindajxoj, ol ili; per cxiuj viaj abomenindajxoj, kiujn vi faris, vi faris viajn fratinojn preskaux virtulinoj.

52 Tial ankaux vi nun portu vian malhonoron, kiun vi kondamnis en viaj fratinoj, pro viaj pekoj, per kiuj vi abomenindigxis pli ol ili; ili estas virtulinoj en komparo kun vi; hontu kaj portu vian malhonoron, cxar vi kvazaux pravigis viajn fratinojn.

53 Tamen kiam Mi revenigos iliajn forkaptitojn, la forkaptitojn de Sodom kaj de sxiaj filinoj kaj la forkaptitojn de Samario kaj de sxiaj filinoj, tiam Mi revenigos ankaux viajn forkaptitojn kune kun ili,

54 por ke vi portu vian malhonoron kaj hontu pri cxio, kion vi faris, estante konsolo por ili.

55 Viaj fratinoj, Sodom kaj sxiaj filinoj revenos al sia antauxa stato, kaj Samario kaj sxiaj filinoj revenos al sia antauxa stato; ankaux vi kaj viaj filinoj revenos al via antauxa stato.

56 CXu via fratino Sodom ne estis objekto de rezonado en via busxo en la tempo de via fiereco,

57 antaux ol elmontrigxis via malboneco, kiel en la tempo de la malhonoro de la filinoj de Sirio kaj cxiuj gxiaj cxirkauxajxoj, kaj de la filinoj de Filisxtujo, kiuj malestimis vin cxirkauxe?

58 Suferu do pro via malcxasteco kaj pro viaj abomenindajxoj, diras la Eternulo.

59 CXar tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Mi agos kun vi tiel, kiel vi agis, malsxatante la jxuron kaj rompante la interligon.

60 Tamen Mi rememoros Mian interligon kun vi en la tempo de via juneco, kaj Mi restarigos kun vi interligon eternan.

61 Kaj vi rememoros vian konduton, kaj hontos, kiam vi akceptos al vi viajn plej maljunajn kaj plej junajn fratinojn; kaj Mi donos ilin al vi kiel filinojn, sed ne pro via interligo.

62 Mi restarigos Mian interligon kun vi, kaj vi ekscios, ke Mi estas la Eternulo;

63 por ke vi memoru kaj hontu, kaj por ke vi ne plu povu malfermi vian busxon pro honto, kiam Mi pardonos al vi cxion, kion vi faris, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

   

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Apocalypse Explained #655

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655. Where also our Lord was crucified.- That this signifies by means of which He was rejected and condemned, namely, by means of evils, and falsities therefrom springing from infernal love, is evident from this consideration, that evils themselves and their consequent falsities arising from infernal love are what reject and condemn the Lord, and these evils and the falsities therefrom are signified by Sodom and Egypt, therefore it is said concerning the city of Jerusalem that it is called so spiritually, for to be spiritually called signifies evil itself, and the falsity therefrom.

[2] The hells are separated into two kingdoms opposite the two kingdoms in the heavens; the kingdom opposite the celestial kingdom is at the back, and those who are there are called genii, and this kingdom is what is understood in the Word by "devil." But the kingdom opposite the spiritual kingdom is in front, and those who are there are called evil spirits; this kingdom is what is meant in the Word by "Satan." These hells, or these two kingdoms into which the hells are separated, are meant by Sodom and Egypt. Whether it is said evils and falsities therefrom, or those hells, it is the same thing, since from these all evils and falsities ascend.

[3] The Jews of Jerusalem crucifying the Lord signifies that the evils and the falsities therefrom which they loved crucified Him; for all things recorded in the Word concerning the Lord's passion represented the perverted state of the church with that nation. For although they accounted the Word holy, yet they perverted all things therein by their traditions until there was no longer any Divine Good and Truth remaining with them, and, when the Divine Good and Truth that are in the Word no longer remain, then evils and falsities from infernal love succeed in their place, and these are what crucify the Lord. That such things are signified by the Lord's passion, may be seen above (n. 83, 195:21, 627:16, at the end). The Lord is said to be slain because it signifies His being rejected and denied, as may be seen above (n. 328). Concerning the nature and quality of the Jews, see above (n. 122, 433:28, 619), and in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).

[4] Since it is here said "where our Lord was crucified," it shall be explained what crucifixion, or suspension upon wood, signified with the Jews. There were two punishments of death with them, crucifixion and stoning; and by crucifixion was signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of good in the church, and by stoning was signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of truth in the church. Crucifixion signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of good in the church, because wood, upon which they were suspended, signified good, and, in the opposite sense, evil, both pertaining to the will. Stoning signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of truth in the church, because stone, with which stoning was effected, signified truth, and, in the opposite sense falsity, both pertaining to the understanding. For all things instituted with the Israelitish and Jewish nation were representative, and thence significative. That wood signifies good, and, in the opposite sense, evil, and that stone signifies truth, and, in the opposite sense, falsity, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 643, 3720, 8354). But because it has been hitherto unknown whence the punishment of the cross and of stoning came to the Jews and Israelites, and since it is nevertheless important that this should be known, I will also adduce confirmations from the Word to show that these two punishments also were representative.

[5] That suspension upon wood, or crucifixion, was inflicted on account of the destruction of good in the church, and that thus was represented evil from infernal love, from which comes condemnation and a curse is evident from the following passages.

In Moses:

"If there be a stubborn and rebellious son, obeying not the voice of his father and mother, all the men of the city shall stone him with stones that he die. And if there be in a man sin and judgment of death, and he be slain, thou shalt hang him upon wood; his carcase shall not remain all night upon wood, but burying thou shalt bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is the curse of God, and thou shalt not defile thy land." (Deuteronomy 21:18, 20-23.)

Not obeying the voice of father and mother, signifies in the spiritual sense, to live contrary to the precepts and truths of the church; the punishment for it was therefore stoning. The men of the city who shall stone him signify those who are in the doctrine of the church, a city denoting doctrine. If there be in a man sin and judgment of death, thou shalt hang him upon wood, means if one has done evil against the good of the Word and of the church. Because this was a capital crime, he was to be hung upon wood, for wood, in the Word, signifies good, and in the opposite sense evil. His carcase shall not remain all night upon the wood, but thou shalt bury him the same day, signifies lest there be a representative of eternal damnation. Thou shalt not defile thy land, signifies that it would be a scandal to the church.

[6] In Lamentations:

"Our skins are become black as an oven, because of the storms of famine; they ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah; their princes were hanged up by the hand, the faces of the elders are not honoured, the young men they have led away to grind, and the boys stumble under wood" (5:10-13).

Zion means the celestial church, which is in the good of love to the Lord; was represented by the Jewish nation. The virgins in the cities of Judah signify the affections for truth from the good of love; the perishing of truths from good by falsities from evil is signified by, their princes were hanged up by the hand. The faces of the elders which are not honoured signify the goods of wisdom; the young men who are led away to grind signify truths from good; and grinding signifies to acquire falsities and to confirm them from the Word; the boys who stumble under wood signify goods just springing up and perishing through evils.

[7] Since a baker, just as bread, signifies the good of love, and a butler, just as wine, signifies the truth of doctrine, therefore the baker was hanged on account of his crime against king Pharaoh. (Genesis 40:19-22; 41:13.) This may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 5139-5169). Since Moab means those who adulterate the goods of the church, and Baalpeor signifies the adulteration of good, therefore it came to pass, that all the chiefs of the people were hung up before the sun, because the people committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and bowed themselves down to their gods, and joined themselves to Baalpeor (Numbers 25:1-4). To commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab signifies to adulterate the goods of the church; and to be hung up before the sun signifies condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of the good of the church.

[8] Because Ai signified knowledges of good and in the opposite sense, confirmations of evil, therefore the king of Ai was hanged on wood, and afterwards thrown down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and the city itself was burned (Joshua 8:26-29). And because the five kings of the Amorites signified evils and falsities therefrom, destroying the goods and truths of the church, therefore those kings were hanged by Joshua, and afterwards cast into the cave of Makkedah (Joshua 10:26, 27). The cave of Makkedah signifies direful falsity from evil.

[9] To be hung upon wood, or crucified, signifies the punishment of evil destroying the good of the church, in Matthew Jesus said,

"I send unto you prophets, wise men, and scribes; some of them ye will kill, crucify, and scourge in the synagogues, and persecute them from city to city" (23:34).

All things which the Lord spoke He spoke from the Divine, but the Divine things from which He spoke fell into the ideas of natural thought and the resulting expressions according to correspondences, like those here and elsewhere in the Evangelists; and as all the words have a spiritual sense, therefore in that sense, prophets, wise men, and scribes, are not meant, but instead of them the truth and good of doctrine and of the Word. For spiritual thought and speech therefrom, like that of the angels, is without the idea of person, therefore by a prophet is signified the truth of doctrine, by wise men the good of doctrine, and by scribes the Word from which is doctrine. It therefore follows, that to kill has reference to the truth of the doctrine of the church, which is meant by a prophet, to crucify has reference to the good of doctrine, which is meant by a wise man, and to scourge has reference to the Word, which is meant by a scribe and that thus "to kill" signifies to extinguish, "to crucify" to destroy, and "to scourge" to pervert. That they will wander from one falsity of doctrine to another is signified by persecuting them from city to city, a city denoting doctrine. This is the spiritual sense of the above words.

[10] In the same,

Jesus said unto the disciples that He must suffer at Jerusalem, and that the Son of Man must be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and that "they shall condemn him, and deliver him up to the nations to be mocked, to be scourged, and to be crucified, and that on the third day he shall rise again" (Matthew 20:18, 19; Mark 10:32-34).

The spiritual sense of these words is, that Divine Truth, in the church where mere falsities of doctrine and evils of life reign, shall be blasphemed, its truth perverted, and its good destroyed. The Son of Man signifies Divine Truth, which is the Word, and Jerusalem signifies the church where mere falsities and evils reign. The chief priests and scribes signify the adulterations of good and falsifications of truth, both of them from infernal love. By condemning and delivering Him to the nations is signified to relegate Divine Truth and Divine Good to hell, and to deliver them to the evils and falsities which are therefrom, the nations signifying the evils which are from hell and which destroy the goods of the church. To be mocked, to be scourged, and to be crucified, signifies to blaspheme, falsify, and pervert the truth, and to adulterate and destroy the good of the church and of the Word (as above). And the third day He shall rise again, signifies the complete glorification of the Lord's Human.

[11] From these things it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by the crucifixion of the Lord, also what is signified by the various mockings on that occasion, as that they set a crown of thorns upon His head; that they smote Him with a reed, and that they spat in His face, besides other things related in the Evangelists, signifying that the Jewish nation thus impiously treated the Divine Truth and Good itself, which the Lord was. For the Lord suffered the impious state of that church to be represented in Himself; this also was signified by His bearing their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11). For it was a common thing for a prophet to take upon himself the representation of the impious states of the church. Thus the prophet Isaiah was commanded to go naked and barefoot three years, in order to represent the church as destitute of good and truth (Isaiah 20:3, 4). The prophet Ezekiel bound in cords laid siege against a tile, on which Jerusalem was portrayed, and ate a cake of barley made with the dung of an ox, to represent that the truth and good of the church were thus besieged by falsities and polluted by evils (Ezekiel 4:1-13). The prophet Hosea was commanded to take to himself a harlot for a woman, and children of whoredoms, in order to represent what was then the quality of the church (Hosea 1:1-11); besides other things of a similar nature. That this was bearing the iniquities of the house of Israel or the church is openly declared in Ezekiel (chap. 4:5, 6). From these things it is evident that everything recorded concerning the Lord's passion was representative of the state of the church with the Jewish nation at that time.

[12] Thus much concerning the punishment of suspension upon wood, or crucifixion. It does not belong to this place to confirm from the Word that the other punishment of death, which was stoning, signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of the truth of the church, still it is evident from the passages in the Word where stoning is mentioned, as in Exodus 21:28-33; Leviticus 24:10-17, 23; Numbers 15:32-37; Deuteronomy 13:10; 17:5-7; 22:20, 21, 24; Ezekiel 16:39-41; 23:45-47; Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; 20:6; John 8:7; 10:31, 32; and elsewhere.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Arcana Coelestia #1462

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1462. 'Egypt' means, in reference to the Lord, knowledge comprised of cognitions, but in reference to all others, knowledge in general. This becomes clear from the meaning of that country in the Word, dealt with already in several places, and specifically in 1164, 1165. Indeed the Ancient Church existed in Egypt, as it did in many other places, 1238, and while the Church was in that region all kinds of knowledge flourished there more than anything else; and this explains why 'Egypt' came to mean knowledge. But after those people desired to penetrate the mysteries of faith by means of all this knowledge, and so to inquire into the truth of Divine arcana from their own power, Egypt became a place of magic, and so came to mean factual knowledge which perverts, and which gives rise to falsities and derivative evils, as is clear in Isaiah 19:11.

[2] That 'Egypt' means all kinds of knowledge that serve a use, thus at this point knowledge comprised of cognitions which is able to serve as vessels for celestial and spiritual things, becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,

They have led Egypt astray, the corner-stone of the tribes. Isaiah 19:13.

Here it is called 'the corner-stone of the tribes', which was to serve as the base on which the things of faith meant by 'the tribes' were to rest. In the same prophet,

On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lip of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. Each will be called Ir Heres. On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to Jehovah; and it will be a sign and a witness to Jehovah Zebaoth in the land of Egypt, for they will cry to Jehovah because of the oppressors, and He will send a savior and a prince to them, and he will deliver them. And Jehovah will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know Jehovah on that day and will offer sacrifice and minchah, and will make vows to Jehovah and perform them. And Jehovah will smite Egypt, smiting and healing, and they will return to Jehovah; and He will be entreated by them, and He will heal them. Isaiah 19:18-22.

Used in a good sense here, 'Egypt' stands for people who possess facts, or natural truths, which are the vessels for spiritual truths.

[3] In the same prophet,

On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur. 1 On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. Isaiah 19:23-25.

Here 'Egypt' means knowledge consisting of natural truths, 'Asshur' reason or rational things, and 'Israel' spiritual things, which follow one another in that order. Hence the statement that 'on that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur'.

[4] In Ezekiel,

Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign. Ezekiel 27:7.

This refers to Tyre, which means the possession of cognitions. 'Fine linen with embroidered work' stands for the truths contained in all kinds of knowledge which are of service; belonging as they do to the external man facts ought to be of service to the internal man. In the same prophet,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, At the end of forty years I will gather Egypt from the peoples among whom they were scattered, and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt. Ezekiel 29:13-14.

Here also 'Egypt' has much the same meaning, as is also said of Judah and Israel in many other places that they were to be gathered from the peoples and brought back from captivity. In Zechariah,

And it will be that whoever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah Zebaoth, there will be no rain upon them And if the family of Egypt does not go up, and does not come . . . Zechariah 14:17-18.

Here also 'Egypt' is used in a good sense to have a similar meaning.

[5] That knowledge or human wisdom is meant by 'Egypt' becomes clear also in Daniel 11:43 where knowledge of celestial and of spiritual things is called 'the secret hoards of gold and silver' and also 'the precious things of Egypt'. And of Solomon it is said that his wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of the Egyptians, 1 Kings 4:30. And the house built by Solomon for Pharaoh's daughter had no other representation, 1 Kings 7:8 and following verses.

[6] The Lord's being taken into Egypt when He was an infant had no other meaning than that which here is meant by Abram, though He was also taken there so that He might fulfill all things that had taken place and were representative of Himself. The passage of Jacob and his sons down into Egypt represented in the inmost sense nothing other than the Lord's initial instruction in cognitions from the Word, as is also evident from what follows. In reference to the Lord the following is said in Matthew,

The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Rise, take the boy and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I tell you. He rose and took the boy and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, so that what had been said by the prophet might be fulfilled, when he said, Out of Egypt have I called My son. Matthew 2:13-15, 19-21.

This promise is stated in Hosea as follows,

When Israel was a boy I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. Hosea 11:1.

From this it is clear that 'the boy Israel' is used to mean the Lord, His instruction when a boy being expressed by the words, 'Out of Egypt have I called My son'.

[7] In the same prophet,

By a prophet Jehovah brought Israel up out of Egypt and by a prophet he was preserved. Hosea 12:12-13.

Here similarly 'Israel' is used to mean the Lord. 'A prophet' means one who teaches, thus teaching consisting of cognitions. In David,

Turn us back, O God Zebaoth, cause Your face 2 to shine and we shall be saved. You caused a vine to set out from Egypt, You drove out the nations and planted it. Psalms 80:7-8.

This too refers to the Lord, who is called 'the vine out of Egypt' as regards the cognitions in which He was receiving instruction.

Бележки под линия:

1. The Hebrew of his text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.

2. literally, Faces

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.