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以西結書 27

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1 耶和華的又臨到我說:

2 人子啊,要為推羅作起哀歌

3 :你居住口,是眾民的商埠;你的交易通到許多耶和華如此:推羅啊,你曾:我是全然美麗的。

4 你的境界在中,造你的使你全然美麗

5 他們用示尼珥的松樹做你的一切板,用利巴嫩的香柏樹做桅杆,

6 用巴珊的橡樹做你的槳,用象牙鑲嵌基提海的黃楊木為坐板(或譯:艙板)。

7 你的篷帆是用埃及繡花細麻布做的,可以做你的大旗;你的涼棚是用以利沙藍色紫色布做的。

8 西頓和亞發的居民作你盪槳的。推羅啊,你中間的智慧人作掌舵的。

9 迦巴勒的老者和聰明人都在你中間作補縫的;一切泛隻和水手都在你中間經營交易的事。

10 波斯人、路德人、弗人在你軍營中作戰士;他們在你中間懸盾牌和頭盔,彰顯你的尊榮。

11 亞發人和你的軍隊都在你四圍的牆上,你的望樓也有勇士;他們懸盾牌,成全你的美麗

12 他施人因你多有各類的財物,就作你的客商,拿、鉛兌換你的貨物。

13 雅完人、土巴人、米設人都與你交易;他們用人口和銅器兌換你的貨物。

14 陀迦瑪族用戰馬並騾兌換你的貨物。

15 底但人與你交易,許多作你的碼頭;他們拿象牙烏木與你兌換(或譯:進貢)。

16 亞蘭人因你的工作很多,就作你的客商;他們用綠寶石、紫色布繡貨、細麻布、珊瑚、紅寶石兌換你的貨物。

17 猶大以色列的人都與你交易;他們用米匿的麥子、餅、蜜、、乳香兌換你的貨物。

18 大馬色人因你的工作很多,又因你多有各類的財物,就拿黑本酒和白羊毛與你交易。

19 威但人和雅完人拿紡成的線、亮、桂皮、菖蒲兌換你的貨物。

20 底但人用高貴的毯子、鞍、屜與你交易。

21 亞拉伯人和基達的一切首領都作你的客商,用羔、公綿、公山與你交易。

22 示巴和拉瑪的商人與你交易,他們用各類上好的香料、各類的寶,和黃兌換你的貨物。

23 哈蘭人、干尼人、伊甸人、示巴的商人,和亞述人、基抹人與你交易。

24 這些商人以美好的貨物包在繡花藍色包袱內,又有華麗的衣服裝在香柏木的箱子裡,用捆著與你交易。

25 他施的隻接連成幫為你運貨,你便在中豐富極其榮華。

26 盪槳的已經把你盪到大水之處,東中將你打破

27 你的資財、物件、貨物、水手、掌舵的、補縫的、經營交易的,並你中間的戰士和人民,在你破壞的日子必都沉在中。

28 你掌舵的呼號之聲一發,郊野都必震動。

29 凡盪槳的和水手,並一切泛掌舵的,都必登岸。

30 他們必為你放聲痛,把塵土撒在上,在灰中打滾;

31 又為你使頭上光禿,用麻布束腰,號咷痛哭,苦苦悲哀。

32 他們哀號的時候,為你作起哀歌哀哭,說:有何城如推羅﹖有何城如他在中成為寂寞的呢﹖

33 你由上運出貨物,就使許多國民充足;你以許多資財、貨物使上的君豐富。

34 你在深水中被打破的時候,你的貨物和你中間的一切人民,就都沉下去了。

35 居民為你驚奇;他們的君都甚恐慌,面帶愁容。

36 各國民中的客商都向你發嘶聲;你令人驚恐,不再存留於世,直到永遠

   

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Sea

  

Water generally represents “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas, then, it follows that a sea represents a huge agglomeration of such natural truths -- usually all of the natural truth a person has, or all the natural truth a church has. Water in the sea mixes freely, and is easily stirred up by winds and currents. This is also true of the concepts we hold about natural things -- they are not all related to each other, and when relationships do exist they usually can change without damaging the concepts themselves. Many of the concepts are easily disputed, and arguments can arise like waves on the ocean -- generally with little effect other than a mixing of waters. But the sea also offers great bounty. We draw fish from it (spiritual food), float ships (doctrinal systems) on it, bathe in it (using true concepts to purify ourselves), and the water that evaporates from it and falls as rain (purer forms of truth that can attach to desires for good) makes life possible.

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Apocalypse Explained # 70

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70. The feet are said to be "like unto burnished brass," because burnished brass is polished brass, shining from something fiery; and "brass" in the Word signifies natural good. Metals are equally significative with the rest in the Word. "Gold" in the Word signifies celestial good, which is inmost good; "silver" signifies the truth thereof, which is spiritual good: "brass" natural good which is outmost good, and "iron" the truth thereof, which is natural truth.

Metals have such significations from correspondence; for in heaven many things are seen shining as if from gold and silver, and also many things as if from brass and iron; and it is there known that by these the goods and truths mentioned above are signified. It was from this that the ancients, who had a knowledge of correspondences, named the ages according to these metals; calling the first age the "golden," because innocence, love, and wisdom therefrom then ruled; but the second "silver," because truth from that good, or spiritual good, and intelligence therefrom then ruled; the third age "brazen" or "copper," because mere natural good, which is justness and sincerity of moral life, then ruled; but the last age they called "iron," because mere truth without good then ruled, and when that rules, falsity also rules. All this was from the spiritual signification of these metals.

[2] From this it can be known what is signified by the image seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar:

The head of which was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and sides of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Daniel 2:23, 33);

namely, the state of the church in respect to good and truth, from its first time to its last; its last time was when the Lord came into the world. When it is known that "gold" signifies celestial good, "silver" spiritual good, "brass" natural good, and "iron" natural truth, many arcana in the Word, where these metals are mentioned, can be understood. Thus what is signified by these words in Isaiah:

For brass I will bring gold, for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; I will also make thy government peace, and thine exactors justice (Isaiah 60:17).

[3] But as the signification of "brass," as meaning natural good, is here treated of, I will cite only a few passages where "brass" is mentioned, as signifying that good. Thus in Moses:

Asher acceptable unto his brethren, and dipping his foot in oil. Thy shoe iron and brass, and as thy days thy fame (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).

"Asher," as one of the tribes, signifies the blessedness of life, and the delight of affections (See Arcana Coelestia 3938-3939, 6408); "to dip the foot in oil" signifies natural delight, "oil" is delight (See n. 9954), "foot" the natural (See just above, n. 69; "the shoe iron and brass" signifies the lowest natural from truth and good, "the shoe" is the lowest natural (See n. 1748, 1860, 6844), "iron" is its truth, and "brass" its good (as above). In the same:

Jehovah thy God will bring thee into a wealthy land; a land out of whose stones thou mayest hew out iron, and out of its mountains brass (Deuteronomy 8:7, 9).

In Jeremiah:

I will give thee unto this people for a fortified wall of brass, that they may fight against thee and not prevail against thee (Jeremiah 15:20).

And in Ezekiel:

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy traffickers; with the soul of man and with vessels of brass they traded thy merchandise (Ezekiel 27:13).

In this chapter the traffickings of Tyre are treated of, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth; by the names "Javan," "Tubal," and "Meshech," are signified such things as are of good and truth, of which knowledges treat; the "soul of man" is truth of life; "vessels of brass" are scientifics of natural good. (What is signified by "Tyre" may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1201; what by "traffickings," n. 2967, 4453; what by "Tubal and Meshech," n. 1151; what by "Javan," n. 1152, 1153, 1155; what by the "soul of man," n. 2930, 9050, 9281; what by "vessels," n. 3068, 3079, 3316, 3318) In the same:

The feet of the cherubs sparkled like the appearance of polished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

What "cherubs" and "feet" signify, see above n. 69.

[4] In the same:

I saw and behold there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, and a line of flax was in his hand; and he was standing in the gate (Ezekiel 40:3).

It was because this angel measured the wall and the gates of the house of God, which signify the externals of the church, that his appearance was seen as the appearance of brass. He who knows that "brass" signifies the external of the church, which in itself is natural, can in some measure know why:

The altar of burnt-offering was overlaid with brass, and the grating about it was of brass, and the vessels of brass (Exodus 27:1-4);

as also why:

The great vessel, which was called the sea, with the twelve oxen under it, and the ten lavers with the bases, and also all the vessels of the tabernacle for the house of God, were made by Solomon of polished brass (1 Kings 7:43-47).

[5] He who knows what "brass" signifies may also enter into the arcanum why it was commanded that a serpent of brass be set up for the people to look at, of which it is thus written in Moses:

Jehovah sent serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And He said unto Moses, Make thee a serpent, and set it upon a standard, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, and looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a standard; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:6, 8-9).

That this "serpent" signified the Lord, He Himself teaches in John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life (John 3:14-15).

By the "serpent" is signified that which is the ultimate of life with man, and is called the external sensual, which is the natural. Because this ultimate in the Lord was Divine, a serpent of brass was made among the sons of Israel, with whom all things were representative; and this signified that if they would look to the Divine Human of the Lord they would live again, that is, if they would believe in Him they would have eternal life, as the Lord Himself also teaches. (That to "see" is in the spiritual sense to believe, see above, n. 37, 68; and that the "serpent" is the external sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, see Arcana Coelestia 195-197, 6398, 6949, 10313) That "brass" and "iron" in the Word also signify what is hard (as in Isaiah 48:4; Daniel 7:19 where), will be seen in what follows.

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