Bible

 

Numbers 28

Studie

   

1 And the Lord said to Moses,

2 Give orders to the children of Israel and say to them, Let it be your care to give me my offerings at their regular times, the food of the offerings made by fire to me for a sweet smell.

3 Say to them, This is the offering made by fire which you are to give to the Lord; he-lambs of the first year without any mark, two every day as a regular burned offering.

4 Let one be offered in the morning, and the other at evening;

5 And the tenth part of an ephah of the best meal for a meal offering mixed with the fourth part of a hin of clear oil.

6 It is a regular burned offering, as it was ordered in Mount Sinai, for a sweet smell, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

7 And for its drink offering take the fourth part of a hin for one lamb: in the holy place let the wine be drained out for a drink offering for the Lord.

8 Let the other lamb be offered at evening; like the meal offering of the morning and its drink offering, let it be offered as an offering made by fire for a sweet smell to the Lord.

9 And on the Sabbath day, two he-lambs of the first year, without any mark, and two tenth parts of the best meal for a meal offering mixed with oil, and its drink offering:

10 This is the burned offering for every Sabbath day, in addition to the regular burned offering, and its drink offering.

11 And on the first day of every month you are to give a burned offering to the Lord; two oxen, one male sheep, and seven he-lambs of the first year, without any mark;

12 And three tenth parts of the best meal for a meal offering mixed with oil, for every ox; and two tenth parts of the best meal for a meal offering mixed with oil, for the one sheep;

13 And a separate tenth part of the best meal mixed with oil for a meal offering for every lamb; for a burned offering of a sweet smell, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

14 And their drink offerings are to be half a hin of wine for an ox, and the third part of a hin for a male sheep, and the fourth part of a hin for a lamb: this is the burned offering for every month through all the months of the year.

15 And one he-goat for a sin-offering to the Lord; it is to be offered in addition to the regular burned offering and its drink offering.

16 And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the Lord's Passover.

17 On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a feast; for seven days let your food be unleavened cakes.

18 On the first day there is to be a holy meeting: you may do no sort of field-work:

19 And you are to give an offering made by fire, a burned offering to the Lord; two oxen, one male sheep, and seven he-lambs of the first year, without any mark:

20 And their meal offering, the best meal mixed with oil: let three tenth parts of an ephah be offered for an ox and two tenth parts for a male sheep;

21 And a separate tenth part for every one of the seven lambs;

22 And one he-goat for a sin-offering to take away your sin.

23 These are to be offered in addition to the morning burned offering, which is a regular burned offering at all times.

24 In this way, every day for seven days, give the food of the offering made by fire, a sweet smell to the Lord: it is to be offered in addition to the regular burned offering, and its drink offering.

25 Then on the seventh day there will be a holy meeting; you may do no field-work.

26 And at the time of the first-fruits, when you give an offering of new meal to the Lord at your feast of weeks, there is to be a holy meeting: you may do no field-work:

27 And give a burned offering for a sweet smell to the Lord; two oxen, one male sheep, and seven he-lambs of the first year;

28 And their meal offering, the best meal mixed with oil, three tenth parts for an ox, two tenth parts for a male sheep,

29 And a separate tenth part for every one of the seven lambs;

30 And one he-goat to take away your sin.

31 These are in addition to the regular burned offering and its meal offering; take care that they are without any mark, and let them be offered with their drink offerings.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Apocalypse Explained # 314

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 1232  
  

314. Stood a Lamb. That this signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human, is evident from the signification of a lamb, when predicated of the Lord, as denoting Himself as to the Divine Human. The Lord as to the Divine Human is called a lamb, because a lamb signifies the good of innocence, and the good of innocence is the very good of heaven which proceeds from the Lord; and in proportion as the angels receive this good, in the same proportion they are angels. This good reigns with the angels who are in the third or inmost heaven; therefore those who are in that heaven appear as infants before the eyes of other angels. What the good of innocence is, and that the angels of heaven are in that good, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, in the article which treats concerning the State of Innocence of the Angels of Heaven (n.276-283, also n. 285, 288, 341, 382). It is believed in the world that the Lord is called a lamb from this, that the continual burnt-offering, or what was offered every day, evening and morning, was that of lambs; and especially on the days of the passover, when a lamb was also eaten; and that the Lord suffered Himself to be sacrificed. But this reason of His being so called is for those in the world who do not think beyond the sense of the letter of the Word; nevertheless, in heaven no such thing is perceived by a lamb when it is predicated of the Lord; but when a lamb is named or read of in the Word, the angels, because all of them are in the spiritual sense of the Word, perceive the good of innocence; and when the Lord is thus called, they perceive His Divine Human, and at the same time the good of innocence which is from Him. I know that it will be believed with difficulty that it is so, but yet it is the truth.

[2] That the lamb, in the Word, signifies the good of innocence, and, when predicated of the Lord, signifies His Divine Human, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

"Behold, the Lord Jehovih cometh in might. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs into his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead the sucklings" (40:10, 11).

This is spoken of the Lord's advent; by the flock which He shall feed like a shepherd, are signified those who are in the good of charity; and by the lambs which He shall gather into His arm, are signified those who are in love to Him. This love is that which strictly regarded, is innocence, therefore all those who are in it are in the heaven of innocence, which is the third heaven; and because that love is signified by lambs, it is therefore said also, "He shall gently lead the sucklings." By sucklings and infants in the Word are meant those who are in innocence, as may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 277, 280, 329-345).

[3] In the same:

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy shall lead them. And the she-calf and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den" (11:6-8).

These things are said concerning the Lord's advent, and concerning His kingdom, also concerning those therein who are in the good of innocence, that they shall have nothing to fear from the hells and the evils thence, because guarded by the Lord. The Lord's kingdom is here described, by innocences of various kinds, and by their opposites from which they shall be defended; the lamb denotes innocence of the inmost degree, its opposite is the wolf: the kid denotes innocence of the second degree, of which the opposite is the leopard: the calf denotes innocence of the last degree, of which the opposite is the young lion. (That a lamb, a ram or sheep, and a calf, signify three degrees of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 10132.) Innocence of the inmost degree is such as belongs to those who are in the third or inmost heaven, and the good thereof is called celestial good; innocence of the second degree is such as belongs to those who are in the second or middle heaven, and the good thereof is called spiritual good; and innocence of the last degree is such as belongs to those who are in the first or ultimate heaven, and the good thereof is called natural-spiritual good. (That all those who are in the heavens are in some good of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 4797.) Because as the goods of innocence are described by these, it is therefore also said, "And a little boy shall lead them," also, "the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder the weaned child shall put his hand upon the cockatrice' den." By a boy, a suckling a weaned child, are in like manner signified those degrees of innocence. (That a boy [signifies a degree of innocence], Arcana Coelestia 430, 5236; that a suckling or infant of the first age, and a weaned child or an infant of the second age, see n. 3183, 4563, 5608, 6740, 6745.)

[4] Because the lamb signifies innocence or those who are innocent, and a wolf those who are opposed to innocence, therefore it is said elsewhere in the same prophet:

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; they shall not do evil in the whole mountain of holiness" (65:25).

The mountain of holiness denotes heaven, specifically the inmost heaven; and therefore the Lord said to the seventy whom He sent forth,

"I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves" (Luke 10:3).

[5] Because lambs signify those who are in love to the Lord, which love is one with innocence, and because sheep signify those who are in love towards the neighbour, which love is charity, therefore the Lord said to Peter,

"Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs; and afterwards, Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).

These things were said to Peter, because by him was meant truth from good, or faith from charity, and truth from good teaches; to feed denoting to teach.

[6] In Ezekiel:

"Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of thy hand, in lambs, rams, and goats" (27:21).

This is said concerning Tyre, by which are meant those who are in the knowledges of truth and good. By Arabia and the princes of Kedar, who are the merchants of her hand, are signified those who are in truths and goods from knowledges; and by merchants are signified those who communicate and teach them; by lambs, rams, and goats, are signified three degrees of the good of innocence, similarly as by lambs, rams, and calves. That by these are signified the three degrees of the good of innocence, may be seen, n. Arcana Coelestia 10042, 10132.

[7] Also in Moses:

"He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed him with the produce of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the stone of the rock; butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou drinkest the pure blood of the grape" (Deuteronomy 32:13, 14).

These things are said concerning the establishment of the Ancient Church, which was the first church after the flood, and by all these things are described its various kinds of good; but because without explanation scarcely any one will understand them, a few words will be said. To ride on the high places of the earth, signifies that the intelligence of those who belonged to that church was interior; he fed him with the produce of the fields, signifies that they were instructed in every truth and good; He made him to suck honey out of the rock, signifies that by means of truths they had natural good; oil out of the stone of the rock, signifies that they had also spiritual good by means of truths; honey and oil signify those goods, and a rock, a flinty rock, and a stone signify truths. Butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, signify the good of external and internal truth; the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats, signifies the goods of innocence of three degrees (as mentioned above); the fat of the kidneys of wheat, and the blood of the grape, signify that thus they had genuine good and genuine truth.

[8] In Isaiah:

"The sword of Jehovah is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and of goats, and with the fat of the kidneys of rams" (34:6).

Here also by lambs, rams, and goats, are signified the three degrees of the good of innocence (mentioned above); but the subject here treated of is concerning their destruction by the falsities of evil; for a sword signifies falsity destroying truth and good; the blood with which it shall be filled signifies destruction.

[9] Because by lamb is signified innocence, which, strictly regarded, is love to the Lord, therefore by lamb, in the highest sense, is signified the Lord as to the Divine Human, for the Lord as to that was Innocence itself; as may be seen in the following passages. In Isaiah:

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter" (53:7).

In the same:

"Send ye the lamb of the ruler of the land from the rock toward the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion" (16:1).

In John:

"John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." And afterwards seeing Jesus walking, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God" (1:29, 36).

In the Apocalypse:

"The Lamb [which is] in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters" (7:17).

And in another place:

"They have overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of the testimony" (12:11),

besides also elsewhere in the Apocalypse (as chap. 13:8; 14:1, 4; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:22, 23; 22:1, 3).

[10] Because the burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified all representative worship from the good of love and from the truths thence, burnt-offerings from the good of love, and sacrifices specifically from the truths thence, therefore,

Every day, evening and morning, a burnt-offering was made of lambs (Exodus 29:38-43; Num. 28:1-9).

On every Sabbath, of two lambs, besides the continual burnt-offering of them (Num. 28:9, 10).

In the beginnings of the months, of seven lambs (Num. 28:11-15).

In like manner, on the day of the first-fruits (Num. 28:26 to end).

In like manner in the seventh month, when there was a holy convocation (Num. 29:1-7).

In like manner of seven lambs on each day of the passover, besides of two calves, one ram, and one goat (Num. 28:16-24).

[The burnt-offering was] of seven lambs, because by seven is signified all and full, and it is said of what is holy; and because by burnt-offerings in general was signified the worship of the Lord from the good of love, and the good of love to the Lord from the Lord is the essential good of innocence; and by lamb, in the highest sense, was signified the Lord as to the Divine Human. (That burnt-offerings signified all worship grounded in the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, may be seen, n. 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042.) Because of this representation the supper of the passover of lambs or kids was also instituted (Exodus 12:1-29); for by the feast of the passover was represented the glorification of the Lord's Human (as may be seen, n. 10655). Because infants signified innocence, it was therefore also commanded, that

After a birth, on the day of purification, they should sacrifice a lamb, a young pigeon, or a turtle dove; or, instead of a lamb, two young pigeons or two turtle doves (Leviticus 12:6, 8).

By young pigeons and by turtle doves is signified the same as by lambs, namely, innocence.

  
/ 1232  
  

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