Sacred Scripture # 35
35. 28 shows that the Old Testament prophets represented the Lord in respect to the Word and therefore meant the teaching of the church drawn from the Word, and that because of this they were addressed as “children of humanity.” It follows from this that by the various things they suffered and endured they represented the violence done to the literal meaning of the Word by Jews. Isaiah, for example, took the sackcloth off his waist and the sandals off his feet and went naked and barefoot for three years (Isaiah 20:2-3). Similarly, Ezekiel the prophet took a barber’s razor to his head and his beard, burned a third of the hair in the middle of the city, struck a third with a sword, and scattered a third to the wind; also, he bound a few hairs in his hems and eventually threw a few into the midst of a fire and burned them (Ezekiel 5:1-4).
Since the prophets represented the Word and therefore meant the teaching of the church drawn from the Word (as just noted), and since the head means wisdom from the Word, the hair and the beard mean the outermost form of truth. It is because of this meaning that inflicting baldness on yourself was a sign of immense grief and being discovered to be bald was an immense disgrace. This and this alone is why the prophet shaved off his hair and his beard - to represent the state of the Jewish church in regard to the Word. This and this alone is why two she-bears tore apart forty-two boys who called Elisha bald (2 Kings 2:23-25)-because as just noted the prophet represented the Word, and his baldness signified the Word without an outermost meaning.
We shall see in §49 below that the Nazirites represented the Lord’s Word in its outermost forms, which is why they were commanded to let their hair grow and not to shave any of it. In Hebrew, “Nazirite” actually means “hair.” It was commanded also that the high priest was not to shave his head (Leviticus 21:10) and that the fathers of their families as well were not to do so (Leviticus 21:5).
That is why they regarded baldness as such an immense disgrace, as we can tell from the following passages:
There will be baldness upon all heads, and every beard will be cut off. (Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 48:37)
There will be shame upon all faces and baldness on all heads. (Ezekiel 7:18)
Every head was made bald and every shoulder hairless. (Ezekiel 29:18)
I will put sackcloth around all waists and baldness upon every head. (Amos 8:10)
Make yourself bald and cut off your hair because of your precious children; make yourself still more bald, because they have left you and gone into exile. (Micah 1:16)
Here making yourself bald and making yourself still more bald means distorting truths of the Word in its outermost forms. Once they have been distorted, as was done by Jews, the whole Word is ruined, because the outermost forms of the Word are what it rests on and what holds it up. In fact, every word in it is a base and support for the Word’s heavenly and spiritual truths.
Since a head of hair means truth in its outermost forms, in the spiritual world everyone who trivializes the Word and distorts its literal meaning looks bald; but those who respect and love it have good-looking hair. On this, see §49 below.
Luke 24
1
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2
And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7
Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8
And they remembered his words,
9
And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
10
It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11
And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12
Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
13
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14
And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15
And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18
And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass therein these days?
19
And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20
And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21
But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
22
Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24
And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34
Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
36
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38
And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and Why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40
And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
42
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43
And he took it, and did eat before them.
44
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48
And ye are witnesses of these things.
49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
50
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
51
And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52
And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53
And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
