157. Internal Meaning of Ezekiel, Chapter 34

1-4 Respecting teachers who regard their own good only, and not the good of the church. (2)

5-6 In consequence those who are of the church come into an evil life. (2)

7-10 Being such, everything of the church is taken from them. (3)

11-16 When the Lord comes into the world He will gather the church together, and will teach it Divine truths. (11, 11)

16-17 The evil among them He will separate. (3, 11)

18-20 Evil shepherds destroy everything of the church, (3)

21 and destroy the simple. (3, 6)

22-25 When the Lord comes He will teach and save these. (1, 11)

26-31 He will both teach them and protect them from falsities, and they will acknowledge Him. (11)

7255. EXODUS CHAPTER 7.

TEACHINGS ABOUT CHARITY

Since good constitutes heaven with a person, while evil constitutes hell, one needs to be thoroughly acquainted with what good is and what evil is. It has been stated already that good consists in what love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour desire, and that evil consists in what self-love and love of the world desire, from which it follows that one cannot know except from those kinds of love what good is or what evil is.