Arcana Coelestia # 10303
10303. 'And you shall beat some of it very fine' means the arrangement of truths into their own series. This is clear from the meaning of 'beating very small' - when it refers to the frankincense and spices, by which levels of truth are meant - as the arrangement of truths into their own series; for much the same is meant by 'beating' as by 'grinding', though 'grinding' is used in reference to wheat, barley, and spelt, whereas 'beating' is used in reference to oil, frankincense, and spices.
[2] What is meant specifically by 'beating' and 'grinding' no one can know without knowledge of what a person is like when the different kinds of good and truth meant by wheat, barley, flour, fine flour, oil, frankincense, and spices have been arranged into order for the uses they are to serve. For 'grinding' and 'beating' mean arranging them so that they may serve a use. When 'grinding' has reference to different kinds of good, which are meant by 'wheat' or 'barley', it means the way that good is arranged and brought forward in the form of truths, and its application in this form to one use or another. Good furthermore never presents itself within useful services except through truths; for good is arranged into order in the form of truths and in this way acquires specific quality. Unless it has been arranged in the form of truths good has no specific quality; and when it is arranged in the form of truths it is arranged into series, depending on the item under discussion, in accord with the use that item serves. The good enters those items as an affection belonging to love, and this gives rise to what is enjoyable, lovely, and pleasing. Something similar is meant here by 'beating very fine', for 'pure frankincense' means spiritual good, 10296, and the kinds of truth that are arranged into order by the good are the spices stacte, onycha, and galbanum, 10292-10294.
[3] What being arranged into series is must also be stated briefly. Truths are said to have been arranged into series when they have been arranged in accordance with the form of heaven, which consists of angelic communities. The character of that form is clear from the correspondence of all the members, internal organs, and other organs of the human being with the Grand Man, which is heaven. Regarding that correspondence, see in the places referred to in 10030(end). Within those members and organs all the individual parts are arranged into series and into series of series. Fibres and vessels form them, as is well known to those who are acquainted from anatomy with the weavings and interweavings of the more internal constituents of the body. The truths from good present in a person are arranged into similar series.
[4] So it is that a person who has been regenerated is heaven in its smallest form, corresponding to the Grand Man; and that the person's truth and good make him wholly and completely what he is.
A person who has been regenerated is heaven in its smallest form, see in the places referred to 9279.
His truth and his good constitute a person, 10298 above.
The truths with regenerate people have been arranged into series in accord with the arrangement in which angelic communities exist, 5339, 5343, 5530.
The series into which the truths with those who are good have been arranged, and the series into which the falsities with those who are evil have been arranged are meant in the Word by 'sheafs' and 'bundles', as in Leviticus 23:9-15; Psalms 126:6; 129:7; Amos 2:13; Micah 4:12; Jeremiah 9:22; Zechariah 12:6; Matthew 13:30.
[5] When therefore it is evident what 'beating' and 'grinding' mean one can know the meaning in the internal sense of the description stating that the children of Israel ground the manna in mills or beat it in mortars, and made it into cakes, Numbers 11:8. 'The manna' was a sign of celestial and spiritual good, 8464, and 'grinding' and 'beating' arranging it to serve useful purposes; for whatever is mentioned in the Word is a sign of the kinds of realities that exist in heaven and in the Church. Every detail there has an inner meaning. One can also know the meaning when it says that they should not take as a pledge the mill or the milling stone, for anyone who does so takes the [person's] soul as a pledge, Deuteronomy 24:6. 'The mill' and 'the milling stone' mean that which prepares good so that it may be applicable to one use or another. 'Barley' too and 'wheat' mean good, and 'flour' and 'fine flour' truths; and its own truths are the means by which good is applied to any such use, as stated above.
[6] From all this it may be seen what 'mill', 'millstone', and 'sitting at the mill' mean in the following places: In Matthew,
At that time two women will be grinding; one will be taken, the other left. Matthew 24:41.
In the same gospel,
Whoever causes one of these little ones believing in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if an ass's millstone 1 were hung onto his neck and he were plunged into the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42.
In the Book of Revelation,
A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus will Babylon be thrown down with violence; no sound of a mill will be heard in it any more. Revelation 18:21-22.
In Jeremiah,
I will take away from them the voice of joy, the sound of mills, and the light of the lamp. Jeremiah 25:10.
And in Isaiah,
O daughter of Babel, sit on the ground; without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans. Take a mill and grind flour. Isaiah 47:1-2.
Even as 'mill' and 'grinding' in the good sense mean application to good purposes, so in the contrary sense they mean application to evil ones. Consequently when Babel and Chaldea are the subject they mean the application [of what is good and true] in favour of their own loves, which are self-love and love of the world; for with them 'barley' and 'wheat' mean adulterated good, and 'flour' the resulting falsified truth. The profanation of goodness and truth through applying them to those loves is also meant by the action of Moses when he ground up the golden calf into tiny pieces, sprinkled them on the water coming down from Mount Sinai, and made the children of Israel drink it, Exodus 32:20; Deuteronomy 9:21.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. i.e. the upper, rotating stone of an ass-driven mill
Matthew 24
1
Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
2
But he answered them, "You see all of these things, don't you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down."
3
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"
4
Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray.
5
For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will lead many astray.
6
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren't troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.
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For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.
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But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9
Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name's sake.
10
Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.
11
Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray.
12
Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.
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But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.
14
This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15
"When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
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then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
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Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house.
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Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.
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But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
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Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,
21
for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.
22
Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
23
"Then if any man tells you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or, 'There,' don't believe it.
24
For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
25
"Behold, I have told you beforehand.
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If therefore they tell you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' don't go out; 'Behold, he is in the inner rooms,' don't believe it.
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For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
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For wherever the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather together.
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But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
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and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
31
He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
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"Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.
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Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
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Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.
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Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
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But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
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"As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
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For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,
39
and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
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Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left;
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two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left.
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Watch therefore, for you don't know in what hour your Lord comes.
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But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
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Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will come.
45
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
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Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.
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Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
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But if that evil servant should say in his heart, 'My lord is delaying his coming,'
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and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,
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the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn't expect it, and in an hour when he doesn't know it,
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and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.
