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Ezekiel 23

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1 The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:

3 and they played the harlot in Egypt; they played the harlot in their youth; there were their breasts pressed, and there was handled the bosom of their virginity.

4 And the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister: and they became mine, and they bare sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.

5 And Oholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians [her] neighbors,

6 who were clothed with blue, governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.

7 And she bestowed her whoredoms upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them; and on whomsoever she doted, with all their idols she defiled herself.

8 Neither hath she left her whoredoms since [the days of] Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they handled the bosom of her virginity; and they poured out their whoredom upon her.

9 Wherefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.

10 These uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters; and her they slew with the sword: and she became a byword among women; for they executed judgments upon her.

11 And her sister Oholibah saw this, yet was she more corrupt in her doting than she, and in her whoredoms which were more than the whoredoms of her sister.

12 She doted upon the Assyrians, governors and rulers, [her] neighbors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.

13 And I saw that she was defiled; they both took one way.

14 And she increased her whoredoms; for she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion,

15 girded with girdles upon their loins, with flowing turbans upon their heads, all of them princes to look upon, after the likeness of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their nativity.

16 And as soon as she saw them she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.

17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them.

18 So she uncovered her whoredoms, and uncovered her nakedness: then my soul was alienated from her, like as my soul was alienated from her sister.

19 Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, remembering the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.

20 And she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.

21 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in the handling of thy bosom by the Egyptians for the breasts of thy youth.

22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy soul is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side:

23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, [and] all the Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and rulers all of them, princes and men of renown, all of them riding upon horses.

24 And they shall come against thee with weapons, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of peoples; they shall set themselves against thee with buckler and shield and helmet round about; and I will commit the judgment unto them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.

25 And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal with thee in fury; they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy residue shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.

26 They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.

27 Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom [brought] from the land of Egypt; so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.

28 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy soul is alienated;

29 and they shall deal with thee in hatred, and shall take away all thy labor, and shall leave thee naked and bare; and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be uncovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

30 These things shall be done unto thee, for that thou hast played the harlot after the nations, and because thou art polluted with their idols.

31 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thy hand.

32 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup, which is deep and large; thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much.

33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.

34 Thou shalt even drink it and drain it out, and thou shalt gnaw the sherds thereof, and shalt tear thy breasts; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah.

35 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

36 Jehovah said moreover unto me: Son of man, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? then declare unto them their abominations.

37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands; and with their idols have they committed adultery; and they have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass through [the fire] unto them to be devoured.

38 Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.

39 For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of my house.

40 And furthermore ye have sent for men that come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent, and, lo, they came; for whom thou didst wash thyself, paint thine eyes, and deck thyself with ornaments,

41 and sit upon a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon thou didst set mine incense and mine oil.

42 And the voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets upon the hands of them [twain], and beautiful crowns upon their heads.

43 Then said I of her that was old in adulteries, Now will they play the harlot with her, and she [with them].

44 And they went in unto her, as they go in unto a harlot: so went they in unto Oholah and unto Oholibah, the lewd women.

45 And righteous men, they shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, and with the judgment of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.

46 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will bring up a company against them, and will give them to be tossed to and fro and robbed.

47 And the company shall stone them with stones, and despatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.

48 Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness.

49 And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols; and ye shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.

   

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In Genesis 19:37; 21:26; 30:32; 40:7; Matthew 6:30; Luke 12:28, this signifies the perpetuity and eternity of a state. (Arcana Coelestia 2838)

In Psalm 2:7, this signifies in time; for with Jehovah the future is present. (True Christian Religion 101)

The expression 'even to this day' or 'today' sometimes appears in the Word, as in Genesis 19:37-38, 22:14, 26:33, 32:32, 35:20, and 47:26. In a historical sense, these expressions have respect to the time when Moses lived, but in an internal sense, 'this day' and 'today' signify the perpetuity and eternity of a state. 'Day' denotes state, and likewise 'today,' which is the current time. Anything related to time in the world is eternal in heaven, and to represent this, 'today' or 'to this day' is added. Although, in the historical sense, this appears as if the expressions only have a literal meaning, just like it says in other parts of the Word, such as Joshua 4:9, 6:25, 7:20, Judges 1:21, 26, etc. 'Today' means something perpetual and eternal in Psalms 2:7, 119:89-91, Jeremiah 1:5, 10, 18, Deuteronomy 29:9-14, Numbers 28:3, 23, Daniel 8:13, 11:31, 12:11, Exodus 16:4, 19, 20, 23, John 6:31, 32, 49, 50, 58, Matthew 6:11, and Luke 11:3.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 2838 [1-4], Genesis 47:26)

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Apocalypse Explained # 827

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827. Saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, signifies an established decree that all in the church should teach and believe nothing whatever except these things. This is evident from the signification of "them that dwell on the earth," as being all who belong to the church (See just above, n. 826; also from the signification of "the image of the beast," as being the doctrine of faith separated from good works, and worship therefrom confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word by means of reasonings from the natural man; consequently "to make that image" signifies to make a decree or to determine that they should teach and believe only in this way; also that this has been done in the churches where the doctrine of faith separate has been accepted. This is the signification of the "image," because in the spiritual world all spiritual things may be exhibited by means of images, also by means of idols; and by these the particulars of doctrine may be portrayed, which I have also seen done. This is why images and idols have this signification in the Word. That idols signify the falsities of doctrine may be seen above (n. 587, 650, 654, 780). So here "saying to them that dwell upon the earth that they should make an image to the beast" signifies an established decree that all in the church should teach and believe nothing whatever except these things. With those who belonged to the ancient churches images were made representative of their doctrine and the worship therefrom; but the sons of Israel, on account of the proclivity of their mind to idolatrous worship, were forbidden to make them, as is evident from the Word.

[2] That it may be known that images have this signification I will cite in confirmation the following passages from the Word. In Moses:

Thou shalt not make to thee any graven image, or any image of that which is in the heavens above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the waters under the earth; thou shalt not bow thyself down to them nor worship them (Exodus 20:4, 5).

Ye shall make no idols to you, neither shall ye rear you up a graven image or a pillar, neither shall ye place the stone of an image in your land to bow yourselves down to it (Leviticus 26:1).

Lest ye make to you a graven image, the image of any likeness, the figure of male or female, the figure of any beast that is on the earth, the figure of any winged bird that flieth under heaven, the figure of anything that creepeth on the ground, the figure of any fish that is in the waters under the earth (Deuteronomy 4:16-18).

The sons of Israel were forbidden to make idols, graven images, and forms or figures of anything in the heavens, on the earth, or in the waters, because the ancient churches which were before the Israelitish Church were representative churches, also because the sons of Jacob were wholly external men, and external men at that time, when all worship was representative, were prone to idolatries, thus to the worship of such things as appeared before their eyes. But as the ancient churches were representative churches, the men of those churches made to themselves graven images and forms of various things which represented and thence signified things heavenly; and the ancients took delight in these on account of their signification, for when they looked upon them they were reminded of the heavenly things they represented; and as these belonged to their religion, therefore they worshiped the images. This is why they had groves and high places, and also sculptured, molten, and painted figures, which were set up either in groves or upon mountains, or in temples, or in their houses. So in Egypt, where the science of representations, which is the same as the science of correspondences, flourished, there were images, idols, and graven images, as also hieroglyphics; and other nations had the like. But when the men of those churches from being internal became external, then the celestial and spiritual things which were represented and thence signified remained as traditions with their priests and wise men, who were called magi and diviners; consequently the common people, because of the religious principle which their fathers saw in these things, began to worship them and to call them their gods. Now as the sons of Jacob were more external men than the others, and thence more prone to idolatries and also to magic, they were strictly forbidden to make to themselves graven images, images and figures of the likeness of anything existing in the heavens, on the earth, or in the sea, because all things that are in the world are representative, as flying things, beasts, fishes, and creeping things, for so far as they worshiped these idolatrously, so far they did not acknowledge Jehovah. And yet, since the church was representative with them also, the tabernacle was built, in which were placed the chief representatives of heavenly things, as the table on which were the loaves, the golden altar on which incense was offered, the lampstand with the lamps, the ark with the mercy-seat. and the cherubim above it, and the altar not far from the door of the tabernacle, on which was the sacred fire; and afterwards the temple was built, in which also all things were representative, as the painting therein, the lavers outside of it, the brazen sea under which were the oxen supporting it, likewise the pillars and porticos, with the vessels of gold, all of which they were permitted to worship as holy, provided they acknowledged the tabernacle, and afterwards the temple, as the dwelling-place of Jehovah. This was granted them to prevent their turning aside to idolatry and magic, which then existed with various nations in Asia; as Egypt, Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Tyre and Sidon, Arabia, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, and especially in and about the land of Canaan.

[3] From this it is clear why "idols" signify in the Word the falsities of religion, and "images" doctrinals. That such things existed with various nations in the countries of Asia is made evident by the gods of Laban the Syrian that Rachel the wife of Jacob carried off (Genesis 31:19, 20); by the calves and other idols in Egypt; by the hieroglyphics there engraved and painted in temples, and upon obelisks and walls; by Dagon the idol of the Philistines in Ekron; by the idols made by Solomon, and afterwards by the kings in the temple of Jerusalem and in Samaria; and by the altars, pillars, images, and groves, among the nations of the land, which the sons of Israel were commanded to destroy, as is evident from various passages in the Word.

[4] Moreover, it was from the science of correspondences and representations:

That the priests and diviners of the Philistines persuaded them to make golden images of the emerods and mice that had laid waste the land, and to place them beside the ark, which they sent back upon a new cart drawn by kine, and that they should thus give glory to the God of Israel (1 Samuel 6 seq.).

For at that time their priests and diviners knew what all these things represented; and that the images of the emerods and mice signified the falsities of their religion, which might be atoned for by these as gifts made of gold.

[5] Doctrinals are also signified by "images" in the following passages.

In Ezekiel:

They shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be an abomination, in that they have turned the gracefulness of their adornment into pride, and have made thereof images of their abominations and their detestable things; therefore I have made it unto them for an abomination (Ezekiel 7:19, 20).

This treats of the devastation of the church by falsities and evils, which is here meant by "the sword, pestilence, and famine" (verse 15), that were to consume them. The "silver that they shall cast into the streets," and the "gold that shall be for an abomination," signify the truth of the church and its good turned into falsity and evil; "to cast these into the streets" signifies to scatter them, and "to be for an abomination" signifies to be turned into infernal evil, for this is to be for an abomination. "They have turned the gracefulness of their adornment into pride, and have made thereof images of their abominations and their detestable things," signifies that they filled the whole church and its doctrine, and all things that are contained in it, with things profane; "the gracefulness of the adornment" signifying the church and its doctrine; and "images of abominations and of detestable things" signifying all things of it, thus doctrinals, the goods and truths of which have been profaned; "abominations" are goods profaned, and "detestable things" truths profaned.

[6] In the same:

Thou didst take the vessels of thy adornment, of my gold and of my silver which I had given to thee, and madest for thee the images of a male, with which thou couldst commit whoredom (Ezekiel 16:17).

This is said of "the abominations of Jerusalem," which mean the adulterations of the truth and good of doctrine from the Word; "vessels of adornment of gold and silver" signifying the knowledges of good and truth from the Word; "to make of them images of a male" signifying to make doctrinals from falsities to appear as if from truths; and "to commit whoredom with them" signifying the falsification of them.

[7] In the same:

Oholibah committed whoredom in Egypt, she loved the sons of Assyria; she added to her whoredoms; when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, at the sight of her eyes she loved them (Ezekiel 23:3, 12, 14, 16).

"Oholibah" means Jerusalem, which signifies the church in respect to doctrine, therefore the doctrine of the church; "to commit whoredom" signifies the falsification and adulteration of the Word; and as "Egypt" signifies natural truths, which are called knowledges [scientifica], and "Assyria" rational truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, it is clear what is signified by "committing whoredom with them." As "the Chaldeans" signify the truths of the Word profaned by being applied to the loves of self and the world, so the "images of the Chaldeans" signify doctrinals that are pleasing to those loves; "portrayed with vermilion" signifies these appearing outwardly as if truths, although inwardly they are profane; "men portrayed upon the wall" have a similar signification, "a painted wall" meaning the appearance of doctrinals in externals. "Images" have a like signification in Isaiah (Isaiah 2:16; in David (Psalms 73:20; also in the following passages in Revelation (Revelation 14:9-11, 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). (See also what has been said above about "idols" and "graven images," n. 587, 650, 654, 780, where other passages from the Word have been cited and explained.)

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.