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Brojevi 8

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1 Jahve reče Mojsiju:

2 "Govori Aronu i reci mu: 'Kad budeš palio svjetionice, neka sedam svjetionica svijetli na prednjoj strani svijećnjaka.'"

3 Aron i učini tako: smjesti svjetionice na prednju stranu svijećnjaka, kako je Jahve Mojsiju naredio.

4 Svijećnjak bijaše skovan od zlata; skovan od svoga podnožja do svoje čaške. Svijećnjak je bio napravljen prema uzorku što ga je Jahve pokazao Mojsiju.

5 Jahve reče Mojsiju:

6 "Uzmi levite između Izraelaca i očisti ih!

7 Ovako s njima postupi da ih očistiš: poškropi ih vodom za okajavanje; a oni neka se obriju po svemu svome tijelu, neka operu svoju odjeću i bit će čisti.

8 Neka zatim uzmu jednog junca i prinosnicu od najboljeg brašna, zamiješena u ulju. A ti uzmi drugog junca za okajnicu.

9 Dovedi onda levite pred Šator sastanka i skupi svu izraelsku zajednicu.

10 Kad dovedeš levite pred Jahvu, neka Izraelci stave na njih svoje ruke.

11 Neka zatim Aron prinese levite, kao prikaznicu pred Jahvom, u ime Izraelaca. Tako će njihov posao biti da služe Jahvi.

12 Neka potom leviti stave svoje ruke juncima na glave; onda jednoga prinesi kao okajnicu, a drugoga kao paljenicu Jahvi, da se izvrši obred pomirenja nad levitima.

13 Stavivši levite pred Arona i njegove sinove, prikaži ih Jahvi žrtvom prikaznicom.

14 Odvoji tako levite između Izraelaca da budu moji.

15 Poslije toga, pošto ih očistiš i prineseš žrtvom prikaznicom, neka leviti uđu u službu Šatora sastanka.

16 Jer oni su između Izraelaca meni potpuno darovani; njih sam sebi uzeo namjesto svih koji otvaraju majčinu utrobu, svih izraelskih prvorođenaca.

17 Svako, naime, prvorođenče među Izraelcima, kako čedo tako i živinče, moje je; sebi sam ih posvetio onoga dana kad sam pobio svu prvorođenčad u zemlji egipatskoj.

18 Tako sam uzeo levite namjesto svih izraelskih prvorođenaca.

19 I predao sam levite između Izraelaca kao dar Aronu i njegovim sinovima da mjesto Izraelaca obavljaju službu u Šatoru sastanka; da nad njima obavljaju obred pomirenja, tako da kakva nedaća ne bi pogodila Izraelce što bi se približili Svetištu."

20 Mojsije, Aron i sva izraelska zajednica učine tako s levitima; kako je Jahve naredio Mojsiju za levite, tako im Izraelci i učine.

21 Leviti se očiste i operu svoju odjeću; onda ih Aron prinese pred Jahvu žrtvom prikaznicom. Aron nad njima obavi obred pomirenja da ih očisti.

22 Poslije toga uđu leviti u službu u Šator sastanka, u nazočnosti Arona i njegovih sinova. Kako je Jahve naredio Mojsiju za levite, tako su s njima i uradili.

23 Jahve reče Mojsiju:

24 "I ovo se tiče levita: od dvadeset i pet godina naviše neka leviti po redu preuzimaju službu u Šatoru sastanka.

25 A kad kome bude pedeset godina, neka istupi iz službe i neka više ne služi.

26 Ali može pomagati svojoj braći u vršenju njihovih dužnosti u Šatoru sastanka, no sam ne mora vršiti službe. Tako postupi prema levitima za njihove dužnosti!"

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Apocalypse Revealed # 378

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378. "And have washed their robes." This symbolically means, who have cleansed their religious beliefs of the evils accompanying falsity.

Washing in the Word symbolizes a cleansing oneself of evils and falsities, and robes symbolize general truths (no. 328). General truths are concepts of goodness and truth drawn from the literal sense of the Word, in accordance with which these people have lived, so that they are religious beliefs. And because every matter of religion has relation to goodness and truth, therefore robes are mentioned twice - "have washed their robes" and "have made their robes white."

Robes or religious beliefs are cleansed only in the case of people who fight against evils and so reject falsities, who thus undergo temptations or trials, which are symbolically meant by "the great tribulation" (no. 377).

That to be washed means, symbolically, to be cleansed of evils and falsities, and so to be reformed and regenerated, can be seen from the following passages:

When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and rinsed away the blood of Jerusalem... by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of purification... (Isaiah 4:4)

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from My eyes. Cease to do evil... (Isaiah 1:16)

Wash your heart of its wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. (Jeremiah 4:14)

Wash me clean of my iniquity..., and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalms 51:2, 7)

...if you wash yourself with soda, and use much soap, your iniquity will still retain its spots. (Jeremiah 2:22)

If I wash myself with melted snow, and cleanse my hands with soap..., yet... my own clothes will abhor me. (Job 9:30-31)

Who... has washed his clothing in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes. (Genesis 49:11)

This is said of the celestial church, from which come people prompted by love toward the Lord, and in the highest sense it is said of the Lord Himself. Wine and the blood of grapes are spiritual and celestial Divine truth.

I washed you with water, and rinsed off your blood from upon you... (Ezekiel 16:9)

This is said of Jerusalem. Water is truth, and blood is an adulteration of truth.

[2] It can be seen from this what washing in the Israelite Church represented and thus symbolized. As, for example, that Aaron was to wash himself before he put on the vestments of his ministry (Leviticus 16:4, 24), and before he approached the altar to minister (Exodus 30:18-21; 40:30-31).

[3] It can be seen from this that among the children of Israel washing represented a spiritual washing, which is a cleansing from evils and falsities, and thus reformation and regeneration.

It is apparent also from the aforesaid what baptism by John in the Jordan symbolized (Matthew 3, Mark 1:4-13), and what the symbolic meaning of the following words by John regarding the Lord is, that He baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16, John 1:33), and regarding himself, that he baptized with water (John 1:26). The meaning is that the Lord washes or purifies a person by Divine truth and Divine goodness, and that John by his baptism represented this. For the Holy Spirit is Divine truth, the fire is Divine goodness, and the water is representative of these. For water symbolizes the truth in the Word, which becomes goodness by one's living in accordance with it (no. 50).

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.