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Ezechiel 8

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1 I stalo se léta šestého, v pátý den šestého měsíce, že jsem seděl v domě svém, a starší Judští seděli přede mnou. I připadla na mne tu ruka Panovníka Hospodina.

2 A viděl jsem, a aj, podobenství na pohledění jako oheň. Od bedr jeho dolů oheň, od bedr pak jeho vzhůru na pohledění jako blesk, na pohledění jako nějaká velmi prudká světlost.

3 Tedy vztáh podobenství ruky, vzal mne za kštici hlavy mé, a vyzdvihl mne Duch mezi nebe a mezi zemi, a uvedl mne do Jeruzaléma u viděních Božích, k vratům brány vnitřní, kteráž patří na půlnoci, kdež byla stolice modly k horlivosti a k zůřivosti popouzející.

4 A aj, sláva Boha Izraelského byla tam na pohledění jako ta, kterouž jsem viděl v údolí.

5 I řekl mi: Synu člověčí, pozdvihni nyní očí svých k cestě na půlnoci. Tedy pozdvihl jsem oči svých k cestě na půlnoci, a aj, na půlnoci u brány oltářové ta modla horlení, právě kudyž se vchází.

6 V tom řekl mi: Synu člověčí, vidíš-liž ty, co tito činí, ohavnosti tak veliké, kteréž činí dům Izraelský tuto, tak že se vzdáliti musím od svatyně své? Ale obrátě se, uzříš ještě větší ohavnosti.

7 I přivedl mne ke dveřům síně, kdež jsem uzřel, a aj, díra jedna byla v stěně.

8 A řekl mi: Synu člověčí, kopej medle tu stěnu. I kopal jsem stěnu, a aj, dvéře jedny.

9 Tedy řekl mi: Vejdi, a viz ohavnosti tyto nejhorší, kteréž oni činí zde.

10 Protož všed, uzřel jsem, a aj, všeliké podobenství zeměplazů a hovad ohyzdných, i všech ukydaných bohů domu Izraelského vyryto bylo na stěně vůkol a vůkol.

11 A sedmdesáte mužů z starších domu Izraelského, s Jazaniášem synem Safanovým, stojícím u prostřed nich, stáli před nimi, maje každý kadidlnici svou v ruce své, tak že hustý oblak kadění vzhůru vstupoval.

12 I řekl mi: Viděl-lis, synu člověčí, co starší domu Izraelského činí ve tmě, jeden každý v pokojích svých malovaných? Nebo říkají: Nikoli na nás nepatří Hospodin, opustil Hospodin zemi.

13 Dále mi řekl: Obrátě se, uzříš ještě větší ohavnosti, kteréž oni činí.

14 I přivedl mne k vratům brány domu Hospodinova, kteráž jest na půlnoci, a aj, ženy seděly tam, plačíce Tammuze.

15 I řekl mi: Viděl-lis, synu člověčí? Obrátě se, uzříš ještě větší ohavnosti nad tyto.

16 Tedy uvedl mne do síně domu Hospodinova vnitřní, a aj, u vrat chrámu Hospodinova, mezi síňcí a oltářem bylo okolo pětmecítma mužů, jejichž záda byla k chrámu Hospodinovu, tváři pak jejich k východu, kteříž klaněli se proti východu slunce.

17 I řekl mi: Viděl-lis, synu člověčí? Zdali lehká věc jest domu Judovu, aby činili ohavnosti tyto, kteréž činí zde? Nebo naplnivše zemi nátiskem,obrátili se, aby mne popouzeli, a aj, přičinějí ratolest vinnou k nosům svým.

18 Protož i já také učiním podlé prchlivosti; neslitujeť se oko mé, aniž se smiluji. I budou volati v uši mé hlasem velikým, a nevyslyším jich.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 270

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270. Verse 4. And around the throne were four and twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, signifies all truths from good in the higher heavens, arranged by the Lord before judgment. This is evident from the signification of "throne" on which was "One sitting," as being the Lord in respect to the Last Judgment (on which see just above, n. 267; and that "throne" signifies judgment, see n. 253. Also from the signification of "the four and twenty thrones around it, and four and twenty elders on them," as being all the truths of heaven in the complex, arranged before judgment. "Four and twenty" signifies all, "thrones" judgment, and "elders" those who are in truths from good, and abstractly truths from good. The higher heavens are here meant, because all who are in them are in truths from the good of love, and because the lower heavens are treated of in what immediately follows. ("Twenty-four" signifies all, because that number signifies the like with the number "twelve," and "twelve" signifies all, and is predicated of truths, see Arcana Coelestia 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. The number "twenty-four" signifies the like with the number "twelve," because it is the double thereof, and the double of a number signifies something similar as the number from which it arises by multiplication, as may be seen, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.)

[2] The like is signified by "the thrones upon which the twelve apostles were to sit," of which in Matthew:

Ye who have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30);

the "twelve apostles" signifying all truths in the complex. Likewise in the following words in Revelation:

I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them (Revelation 20:4).

"Judgment was given to those who sat upon thrones" signifies that judgment belongs to the Lord alone, for "elders" in the Word signify all who are in truths from good, and abstractly, truths from good by which is judgment. He who supposes that "elders" and "apostles" in the Word mean elders and apostles is much mistaken; in the spiritual sense of the Word no persons are perceived, but things abstractly from persons, for what is spiritual has nothing in common with persons. It is otherwise in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural; in that sense not only are persons mentioned, but the idea of person is implied in many expressions, in order that the Word in its ultimates may be natural, and thus be a basis for the spiritual sense. It is the same with the signification of "elders" as with that of "infants," "children," "young men," "old men," "virgins," "women," and many words of that kind; in the natural sense these are all thought of simply as persons; but in the spiritual sense "infants" mean innocence, "children" charity, "young men" intelligence, "old men" wisdom, "virgins" the affection of truth and good, and "women" the goods of the church; and so in other cases.

The same is true of the natural and spiritual senses of "neighbor;" in the natural sense "neighbor" means any man whatever; but in the spiritual sense the good, truth, sincerity, and justice itself that are in the person. Everyone who reflects can see that this is the neighbor in the spiritual sense; for who loves a person for any other reason? For good and truth make the man, and cause him to be loved, and not the countenance and body.

[3] But to return to the signification of "elders." That "elders" signify truths from good can be seen from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned. In Isaiah:

Then the moon shall blush, and the sun be ashamed, and Jehovah of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem; and before His elders shall be glory (Isaiah 24:23).

The "moon" and "sun" mean their idolatrous worship and the falsity of faith and the evil of love; "Mount Zion" and "Jerusalem" mean heaven and the church; "the elders" mean truths from good; it is therefore said, "before them shall be glory," for "glory" signifies Divine truth in heaven (See above n. 33).

[4] In Lamentations:

My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. I have cried to my lovers, they have deceived me; and mine elders expired in the city (Lamentations 1:18-19).

Here the vastation of the church is treated of, over which there is lamentation; there is such vastation when there is no longer any spiritual affection of truth, and thence no intelligence in such things as pertain to the church, and when there is then no truth. The "virgins," that are gone into captivity, mean the spiritual affection of truth, "the young men" intelligence; "captivity" is removal from this affection and intelligence; the "elders," who expired, mean the truths of the church.

[5] In Ezekiel:

Slay to destruction the old man, the young man, and the virgin, and the infant and the women; begin from My sanctuary; therefore they began from the elders who were before the house (Ezekiel 9:6).

Here too, the vastation of the church is treated of; an "old man" and "young man" mean wisdom and intelligence; "virgin" means the affection of truth and good; "infant" innocence; "women" the goods of the church; "to slay to destruction" signifies devastation; the "sanctuary," from which they should begin, is the church in respect to the good of love and the truth of faith, which are "the elders who are before the house."

[6] In Lamentations:

The faces of the old men were not honored. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music (Lamentations 5:12, 14).

"Old men" signify the wisdom that is of good; "elders," the truths that are from good; "young men," intelligence. That the God of Israel was seen:

Under His feet as a work of sapphire, by Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy elders, and not by the rest (Exodus 24:1, 9-12);

signified that the Lord is seen solely by those who are in good and in truths from good (See the explanation of the passage in The Arcana Coelestia 9403-9411). This is what the seventy elders of Israel represented, and what the "four and twenty elders" sitting upon as many thrones signified; this also is what the "twelve apostles" signify, of whom it is said that "they are to sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

(That the "twelve apostles" signify all truths from good, Arcana Coelestia 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397;

that the "twelve tribes of Israel" have a like signification, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335;

likewise the "elders of Israel," n. 6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404)

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

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Arcana Coelestia # 3834

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3834. 'That he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he came [in] to her' means that as yet it was a joining merely to the affection for external truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in 3793, 3819. 'Bringing her to him' clearly means a joining together as in marriage. The implications of this are that with a person who feels an affection for internal truth, that is, has a desire to know the more internal arcana of the Lord's kingdom, those arcana are not in the beginning joined to him even though he knows them and sometimes even though he acknowledges and seemingly believes them. For worldly and bodily affections are still present, and these cause him to take them in and seemingly believe them. But insofar as those affections are present those truths cannot be joined to him. It is solely the affection for truth deriving from good and the affection for good which attach them to him. Insofar as anyone is stirred by these affections more internal truths are joined to him, for truths are the recipient vessels of good.

[2] Indeed the Lord provides against celestial and spiritual truths, such as all interior truths are, being joined to any affections other than genuine ones. This is why the general affection for truth deriving from good comes first and why truths that are implanted in it are none but general truths. States of truth are altogether what they are by virtue of states of good, that is, a state of faith is what it is by virtue of a state of charity. For example, even the evil are able to know that the Lord rules the whole of heaven, and also that heaven consists in mutual love and love to the Lord, as well as that these loves enable those in heaven to be joined to the Lord, and to receive wisdom and happiness there. The evil can indeed be convinced that all this is true. But the truth of faith has not been joined to them, still less the good of love. It is from the life that one knows whether these have been joined to a person, as a tree is known from its fruit. In the case of the evil it is like grapes containing no pips. When these are cast into the soil, no matter how fertile this is, they turn into mere compost. It is also like the glow at night of an ignis fatuus which vanishes the moment the sun comes up. But in the Lord's Divine mercy further discussion of this matter will appear later on.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.