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Ezekiel 16

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1 HE ENs Ord kom til mig således:

2 Menneskesøn, forehold Jerusalem dets Vederstyggeligheder

3 og sig: Så siger den Herre HE EN til Jerusalem: Dit Udspring og din Oprindelse var i Kanaanæernes Land; din Fader var Amorit, din Moder Hetiterinde.

4 Og ved din Fødsel gik det således til: Da du fødtes, blev din Navlestreng ikke skåret over, ej heller blev du tvættet ren med Vand eller gnedet med Salt eller lagt i Svøb.

5 Ingen så på dig med så megen Medynk, at han af Medlidenhed gjorde nogen af disse Ting for dig, men du henslængtes på Marken, den Dag du fødtes; således væmmedes man ved din Sjæl.

6 Men jeg kom forbi, og da jeg så dig sprælle i Blod, sagde jeg til dig, som du lå der i Blodet: "Du skal leve

7 og vokse som en Urt på Marken!" Og du voksede, blev stor og trådte ind i din Skønheds Fylde; dine Bryster blev faste, og dit Hår voksede; men du var nøgen og bar.

8 kom jeg forbi og så dig, og se, din Tid var inde, din Elskovstid; og jeg bredte min Kappeflig over dig og tilhyllede din Blusel; så tilsvor jeg dig Troskab og indgik Pagt med dig, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN, og du blev min.

9 Så tvættede jeg dig med Vand, skyllede Blodet af dig og salvede dig med Olie;

10 jeg klædte dig i broget vævede Klæder, gav dig Sko af Tahasjskind på, bandt Byssusklæde om dit Hoved og hyllede dig i Silke;

11 jeg smykkede dig, lagde Spange om dine Arme og Kæde om din Hals,

12 fæstede en ing i din Næse, kugler i dine Ører og en herlig krone på dit Hoved;

13 du smykkedes med Guld og - Sølv, din Klædning var Byssus, Silke og broget vævede Klæder; fint Hvedemel, Honning og Olie var din Mad, og du blev såre dejlig og drev det til at blive Dronning.

14 Dit y kom ud blandt Folkene for din Dejligheds Skyld; thi den var fuldendt ved de Smykker, jeg udstyrede dig med, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN.

15 Men du stolede på din Dejlighed og bolede i Kraft af dit y; du udøste din bolerske Attrå over enhver, som kom forbi; du blev hans.

16 Af dine Klæder tog du og gjorde dig spraglede Offerhøje og bolede på dem.

17 Du tog dine Smykker af mit Guld og Sølv, som jeg havde givet dig, og gjorde dig Mandsbilleder og bolede med dem.

18 Du tog dine broget vævede Klæder og hyllede dem deri, og min Olie og øgelse satte du for dem.

19 Brødet, som jeg havde givet dig - fint Hedemel, Olie og Honning gav jeg dig at spise - satte du for dem til en liflig Duft, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN.

20 Og du tog dine Sønner og Døtre, som du havde født mig, og slagtede dem til Føde for dem. Var det ikke nok med din Bolen,

21 siden du slagtede mine Sønner og gav dem hen, idet du indviede dem til dem?

22 Og under alle dine Vederstyggeligheder og din Bolen kom du ikke din Ungdoms dage i Hu, da du var nøgen og bar og lå og sprællede i Blod.

23 Og efter al denne din Ondskab - ve dig, ve! lyder det fra den Herre HE EN -

24 byggede du dig en Alterfod og gjorde dig en Offerhøj på alle Torve.

25 Ved hvert Gadehjørne byggede du dig en Offerhøj og vanærede din Dejlighed; du spredte Benene for enhver, som kom forbi, og drev din Bolen vidt.

26 Du bolede med Ægypterne, dine sværlemmede Naboer, og drev din Bolen vidt og krænkede mig.

27 Men se, jeg udrakte min Hånd imod dig og unddrog dig, hvad der tilkom dig, og jeg gav dig dine Fjender Filisterindernes Gridskhed i Vold, de, som skammede sig over din utugtige Færd.

28 Siden bolede du med Assyrerne, umættelig som du var; du bolede med dem, men blev endda ikke mæt.

29 Så udstrakte du din Bolen til Kræmmerlandet, Kaldæernes Land, men blev endda ikke mæt.

30 Hvor vansmægtede dog dit Hjerte, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN, da du gjorde alt dette, som kun en arg Skøge kan gøre,

31 da du byggede dig en Alterfod ved hvert Gadehjørne og gjorde dig en Offerhøj på hvert Torv. Men du lignede ikke Skøgen i at samle Skøgeløn;

32 hvilken Horkvinde, der tager fremmede i sin Mands Sted! -

33 ellers giver man Skøgen en Gave, men du gav alle dine Elskere Gaver og købte dem til at komme til dig rundt om fra og bole med dig.

34 Hos dig var det modsat af, hvad Tilfældet ellers er med Kvinder; ingen løb efter dig for at bole, men du gav Skøgeløn og fik selv ingen; det var det modsatte.

35 Derfor, du Skøge, hør HE ENs Ord!

36 siger den Herre HE EN: Fordi din Skam ødtes bort og din Blusel blottedes for dine Elskere ved din Boler, derfor og for alle dine vederstyggelige Afgudsbilleders Skyld og for dine Sønners Blods Skyld, som du gav dem,

37 se, derfor vil jeg samle alle dine Elskere, hvem du var til Glæde, både alle dem, du elskede, og alle dem, du hadede; jeg vil samle dem imod dig trindt om fra og blotte din Blusel for dem, så de ser den helt.

38 Jeg vil dømme dig efter Horkvinders og Morderskers et og lade Vrede og Nidkærhed ramme dig.

39 Jeg giver dig i deres Hånd, og de skal nedbryde din Alterfod, ødelægge dine Offerhøje, rive Klæderne af dig, tage dine Smykker og lade dig stå nøgen og bar.

40 De skal sammenkalde en Forsamling imod dig, stene dig og med deres Sværd hugge dig sønder og sammen;

41 de skal sætte Ild på dine Huse og fuldbyrde Dommen over dig i mange Kvinders Påsyn. Jeg gør Ende på din Bolen, og du skal ikke mere komme til at give Skøgeløn.

42 Jeg stiller min Vrede på dig, til min Nidkærhed viger fra dig, så jeg får o og ikke mere er krænket.

43 Fordi du ikke kom dine Ungdoms Dage i Hu, men vakte min Vrede ved alt dette, se, derfor vil jeg gøre Gengæld og lade din Færd komme over dit Hoved, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN. Du skal ikke vedblive at føje Skændsel til alle dine Vederstyggeligheder.

44 Se, enhver, som ynder Ordsprog, skal bruge det Ordsprog om dig: "Som Moder så datter!"

45 Du er din Moders Datter, hun lededes ved sin Mand og sine Børn; og du er dine Søstres Søster, de lededes ved deres Mænd og Børn. Eders Moder var Hetiterinde, eders Fader Amorit.

46 Din store søster var samaria og hendes Døtre norden for dig, og din lille søster sønden for dig var Sodoma og hendes Døtre.

47 På deres Veje vandrede du ikke, og Vederstyggeligheder som deres øvede du ikke; kun en liden Stund, så handlede du endnu værre end de på alle dine Veje.

48 Så sandt jeg lever, lyder det fra den Herre HE E, din Søster Sodoma og hendes Døtre handlede ikke som du og dine Døtre!

49 Se, din Søster Sodomas Brøde var Overmod; Brød i Overflod og sorgløs Tryghed blev hende og hendes Døtre til Del, men de rakte ikke den arme og fattige en hjælpende Hånd;

50 de blev hovmodige og øvede Vederstyggelighed for mine Øjne; derfor stødte jeg dem bort, så snart jeg så det.

51 Heller ikke Samaria syndede halvt så meget som du! Du har øvet flere Vederstyggeligheder end de og retfærdiggjort dine Søstre ved alle de Vederstyggeligheder, du øvede.

52 Så bær da også du din Skændsel, du, som har skaffet dine Søstre Oprejsning; da dine Synder er vederstyggeligere end deres, står de retfærdigere end du; så skam da også du dig og bær din Skændsel, fordi du har retfærdiggjort dine Søstre.

53 Og jeg vil vende deres Skæbne, Sodomas og hendes Døtres og Samarias og hendes Døtres, og jeg vil vende din Skæbne midt iblandt dem,

54 for at du kan bære din Skændsel og blues ved alt, hvad du har gjort, idet du derved skaffede demen Trøst.

55 Dine Søstre Sodoma og hendes Døtre og Samaria og hendes Døtre skal blive, hvad de fordum var, og du og dine Døtre, hvad I fordum var.

56 Din Søster Sodomas Navn tog du ikke i din Mund i dit Overmods Dage,

57 da din Blusel endnu ikke var blottet som nu, du Spot for Edoms Kvinder, og alle kvinder deromkring og for Filisternes Kvinder, som hånede dig fra alle Sider!

58 Du må bære din Skændsel og dine Vederstyggeligheder, lyder det fra HE EN.

59 Ja, så siger den Herre HE EN: Jeg gør med dig, som du har gjort, du, som lod hånt om Eden og brød Pagten.

60 Men jeg vil ihukomme min Pagt med dig i din Ungdoms Dage og oprette en evig Pagt med dig.

61 Og du skal komme dine Veje i Hu og blues, når jeg tager dine Søstre, både dem, der er større, og dem, der er mindre end du, og giver dig dem til Døtre, men ikke fordi du var tro i Pagten.

62 Jeg opretter min Pagt med dig, og du skal kende, at jeg er HE EN,

63 for at du skal komme det i Hu med Skam og ikke mere kunne åbne din Mund, fordi du blues, når jeg tilgiver dig alt, hvad du har gjort, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

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Arcana Coelestia # 10177

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10177. 'And you shall make an altar for burning incense' means that which is representative of the Lord, of His hearing and receiving with pleasure everything of worship that springs from love and charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar for burning incense' as that which is representative of such things of worship as are raised up to the Lord. The fact that they are things springing from love and charity will be evident from what follows below. 'An altar' has the same meaning as whatever is placed on it; and this is so because the altar is that which contains and whatever is placed on it is the contents, and container and contents make a single unit, like a table and the bread that is on it or a cup and the wine that is in it.

[2] The reason why an altar and not a table was made for burning incense was that among the Israelite nation altars were the chief representative signs of worship springing from love. For fire burned on them, and 'fire' means the love and charity from which worship springs. Regarding altars, that they were the chief representative signs of worship, see 4192, 4541, 8623, 8935, 8940, 9714.

[3] The reason why the altar of incense represented the hearing and receiving of everything of worship that springs from love and charity was that the creation of the cloud of smoke was a sign of that which is raised up on high, and the odour of the smoke was a sign of that which is pleasing, consequently of that which is heard and received by the Lord. And what springs from love and charity, this alone is pleasing to and received by the Lord. This also explains why that altar was overlaid with gold and was called the golden altar; for 'gold' means the good of love and charity, see the places referred to in 9874, and what has been stated in 9874, 9881.

[4] The reason why that alone which springs from love and charity is pleasing to the Lord, and is therefore heard and received by Him, is that love constitutes all that a person is; for a person is such as his love is. This explains why angels in heaven live as embodiments of love and charity. To them the form of love and charity is the human form, because the Lord, who is within them and gives them form, is - as to His Divine Human - Divine Love itself. From their faces therefore, from their speech, from their gestures, and especially from the spheres of their affections which flow out of them to a long way off, one can perceive clearly what kinds of love reign in them.

[5] And since love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour originate in the Lord, and since love is a spiritual bonding, whatever emanates from these is heard and received by the Lord. Any holy and religious respect paid to Him that does not spring from them is indeed heard but it is not received with pleasure. It is a hypocritical holiness and respect, something merely outward, devoid of anything inward. Outward holiness devoid of anything inward reaches no further than the outskirts of heaven and dwindles away there. But outward holiness springing from inward reaches right on into heaven, according to the essential nature of that inward holiness, thus reaches towards the Lord. For outward holiness devoid of that inward holiness is a product solely of the lips and movements of the body, whereas outward holiness springing from inward comes at the same time from the heart. Regarding these two kinds of holiness, see what has been stated and shown in 8252-8257.

[6] In the tent of meeting outside the veil there was the table on which the loaves of the presence were laid, also the lampstand with its lamps, and the altar of incense. The loaves of the presence represented love to the Lord, the lamps of the lampstand represented charity and faith, and the incense on the altar represented worship springing from them, which is why it was burned every morning and every evening, when the lamps were 'adorned'. From this as well it is evident that the burning of incense represented worship of the Lord which springs from love and charity. The actual tent in which those objects resided represented heaven, where all worship is such. The loaves represented celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, see 9545; the lampstand represented spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour and the good of faith, 9548-9561; and the tent represented heaven, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9784, 9963.

[7] When the word 'worship' is used the holiness which is expressed by means of prayers, adorations, thanksgivings, and similar acts of devotion that emanate from inward feelings of love and charity should be understood. These constituents of worship are what should be understood by 'the burning of incense', as may be recognized from the following places: In David,

My prayers are acceptable, [as] incense before You. Psalms 141:2.

In John,

The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8.

In the same book,

An angel holding a golden censer ... And much incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. The smoke of the incense went up from the prayers of the saints. Revelation 8:3-4.

[8] Since incense was a sign of worship and of its being raised up, thus of its being heard and received by the Lord, Moses commanded [those who rebelled against him] to take censers with incense in them, and to burn it before Jehovah, in order that they might consequently know whom Jehovah would choose, thus whom He would hear, Numbers 16:1ff. And when the people grumbled Aaron ran with incense, into the midst of the congregation, when a plague began, and in so doing stopped it, Numbers 16:46-48. In Malachi,

From the rising of the sun even to its setting Jehovah's name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense has been offered to My name, and a pure minchah. Malachi 1:11.

'A pure minchah' is added because the good of love is meant by it, 10137. In Moses,

The sons of Levi will teach Jacob [Your] judgements and Israel Your law. They will put incense in Your nose, and burnt offering on Your altar. Deuteronomy 33:10.

The expression 'putting incense in the nose' is used because perception is meant by 'the nostrils', 4624-4634. 'Burnt offering' is added here because by this too that which springs from the good of love is meant.

[9] But in the contrary sense 'burning incense' means worship springing from contrary loves, namely self-love and love of the world, for example burning incense to other gods, Jeremiah 1:16; 44:3, 5; burning incense to idols, Ezekiel 8:11; 16:18; and burning incense to the baalim, Hosea 2:13.

[10] Because the burning of incense served to mean such things as rise upwards to and are accepted with pleasure by the Divine it was also one of the religious practices among gentiles. The use of frankincense, censers, and incense-boxes by the Romans and other nations is well known from historical evidence. That kind of religious practice was derived from the Ancient Church, which was spread through many regions of Asia, such as Syria, Arabia, Babylon, Egypt, and Canaan. That Church had been a representative Church, thus a Church consisting in outward forms that represented inner realities, that is, celestial and spiritual things. A large number of religious practices, one of which was the burning of incense, were passed on from that Church to surrounding nations, and from these through Greece into Italy. Another practice like this was the care of the perpetual fire entrusted to chaste virgins whom they called the Vestal Virgins.

[11] The incense that was burned in the Ancient Church, and consequently in the Israelite Church, was prepared from fragrant substances, such as stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, because perception was meant by an odour, and delightful perception by a fragrant odour, see 925, 1514, 1517-1519, 3577, 4624-4634, 4748, 10054. But 'frankincense' in particular means the truth of faith, and therefore when frankincense is mentioned in the Word oil, bread, minchah, or else gold, by which the good of love is meant, is linked with it, as in Isaiah,

All those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. Isaiah 60:6.

Similarly those who came from the east, in Matthew,

Wise men from the east came, seeking the Lord who had then been born ... opening their treasures; and they presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:1-2, 11.

In the Word those who were from the east and were called 'sons of the east' mean people who possessed the cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth, see 3249, 3762. 'Sheba' has the same meaning, 1171, 3240. And for the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, see the places referred to in 9874 or 9881.

[12] In Jeremiah,

They will bring burnt offering and sacrifice, and minchah, and frankincense. Jeremiah 17:26.

'Minchah' in like manner means the good of love, 9992, 10137. From all this it is evident that in the Word 'frankincense' means truth that composes faith; for where good is spoken of in the Word, so too is truth, on account of the heavenly marriage, which is that of goodness and truth, in every single part of it, see the places referred to in 9263[end], 9314. For the same reason also oil as well as frankincense was placed on a minchah, Leviticus 2:1-2, 15, though not on a minchah required for a sin offering, Leviticus 5:11, nor on a minchah for jealousy, Numbers 5:15. The reason why they were not placed on these minchahs was that such minchahs were presented for expiation from evils, and as long as a person is at the stage of expiation he cannot receive the good of love or truth of faith, because evils stand in the way. It is different after they have been expiated or removed.

[13] The good of love cannot be imparted to anyone unless at the same time the truth of faith is as well. For good brings truth into being, and in that truth it acquires a particular quality and receives an outward form. This was why every minchah had frankincense on it, as did the loaves of the presence which were laid on the table in the tent of meeting, Leviticus 24:7, the good of love being meant by 'loaves', 3478, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 8410, 9323, 9545, 10040, 10137.

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

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Arcana Coelestia # 10137

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10137. 'And a drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine' means spiritual truth, the amount needed for a joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'wine' as truth, dealt with in 1071, 1798, 6377, at this point spiritual truth answering to the spiritual good derived from celestial good, meant by 'fine flour mixed with oil', dealt with immediately above in 10136 (where good is the subject in the Word, so too is truth, and indeed the truth belonging to the same class as the good. This is so because every single thing in heaven and also in the world has connection with good or with truth, and with both if it is to have any real existence, since good without truth is not good and truth without good is not truth, see the places referred to in 9263, 9314. This explains why when a minchah, which consisted of bread, was offered, so was a drink offering, which consisted of wine, in much the same way as in the Holy Supper. So it is that 'a drink offering of wine' is used here to mean the truth that answers to the good meant by a minchah, dealt with immediately above); and from the meaning of 'a quarter of a hin' as the amount needed for a joining together, dealt with immediately above in 10136.

[2] Everyone may see that not merely bread and wine should be understood by a minchah, which consisted of bread, and a drink offering, which consisted of wine, but something that belongs to the Church and to heaven, thus spiritual and celestial things, which are heaven's and the Church's. If this had not been so what would have been the point of putting the bread and wine on the fire on the altar? How could this have been pleasing to Jehovah, or how could it have been, as it says, an odour of rest to Him? How could it have expiated a person? Anyone who thinks reverently about the Word cannot imagine how an action so earthly could be pleasing to Jehovah unless something Divine on a deeper, more internal level was contained in it. The person who believes that the Word is Divine and spiritual throughout ought to believe completely that every detail there has some heavenly arcanum concealed within it. But the reason why no one up to now has known just where such an arcanum lies is that no one has known that an internal sense, which is spiritual and Divine, exists within every detail there. Nor has anyone known that angels are present with each person, perceiving his thoughts and understanding the Word in a spiritual manner when he reads it; that then through them a holy influence from the Lord reaches him; and that therefore through those angels heaven is linked to the person, to whom the Lord is linked by means of the heavens. It is for this reason that the kind of Word just described has been given to mankind, that Word being the sole means by which the Lord can provide for his salvation.

[3] The fact that 'minchah', consisting of bread, means the good of love and that 'drink offering', consisting of wine, means the good of faith, and that this is what the angels see in them, becomes clear from all those places in the Word which make reference to a minchah or a drink offering, such as these verses in Joel,

The minchah has been cut off, and the drink offering, from the house of Jehovah; the priests have been mourning, the ministers of Jehovah. The field has been devastated, the land has been mourning because the grain has been devastated, the new wine has dried up, the oil languishes. The vine has dried up and the fig tree languishes. Wail, O ministers of the altar, because the minchah and the drink offering have been withheld from the house of your God. For the day of Jehovah is near, and comes as destruction from Shaddai. Joel 1:9-15.

This refers to the final period of the Church, when the good of love and truth of faith are not present there any longer, meant by 'the day of Jehovah is near, and comes as destruction from Shaddai'.

[4] From this it is evident that by the minchah and drink offering which have been cut off from the house of Jehovah, the field which has been devastated, the land which mourns, the grain which too has been devastated, the new wine which has dried up, the oil which languishes, and the vine and fig which do so, such things as belong to the Church and to heaven are meant. It is the internal sense however that shows what it is they mean. From that sense it is evident that 'the field' means the Church as regards its reception of truth, see 3766, 4982, 7502, 7571, 9295; 'the land' the Church as regards [its reception of] good, see the places referred to in 9325; 'the grain' all the good that the Church has, 5295, 5410, 5959; 'the new wine' all the truth that the Church has, 3580; 'the oil' the good of love, 4582, 4638, 9780; 'the vine' the spiritual Church's interior good, 5113, 6376, 9277; and 'the fig' its exterior good, 217, 4231, 5113. From all this it is evident that 'the minchah' and 'the drink offering' mean worship springing from the good of love and from the good of faith.

[5] In Malachi,

I will not accept a minchah from your hands. For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, great is the name of Jehovah among the nations; and in every place [there will be] incense, offered to My name, and a pure minchah. Malachi 1:10-11.

It is evident that a minchah should not be understood here either by 'a minchah', nor incense by 'incense', since the subject is the Church among the gentile nations, among whom there was no minchah. For it says, 'From the rising of the sun to its setting, great is the name of Jehovah among the nations; and in every place [there will be] a pure minchah and incense', 'incense' meaning adoration springing from the good of faith, see 9475.

[6] Something similar occurs in David,

My prayers are acceptable, [as] incense before You, the lifting up of my hands, [as] the evening minchah. Psalms 141:2.

'The evening minchah' means the good of love in the external man.

[7] In Isaiah,

You inflamed yourselves among the gods under every green tree. You have also poured out a drink offering to them; you have presented a gift 1 . You offer the king a gift in oil, and multiply your perfumes; and you debase yourself even to hell. Isaiah 57:5-6, 9.

This refers to worship based on evils and falsities which come from hell. 'The gods' in the internal sense are falsities, for although those who worshipped other gods called them by name, nevertheless falsities arising from evils were what they worshipped. Regarding the gods of the foreigner in the Word, that falsities are meant by them, see 4402(end), 8941. '[Every] green tree' means every perception, recognition, and corroboration of falsity, 2722, 2972, 4552, 7692, 'green' implying a sensory apprehension, 7691. 'Inflaming oneself' means worship that is passionate, for 'the fire' that causes such fervour is love in both senses, 5215, 6832, 7575. 'Pouring out a drink offering' is worship springing from the falsities of evil; 'offering the king a gift in oil' is the worship of Satan springing from evils, 'a gift in oil' being a minchah, and 'multiplying perfumes' is multiplying offerings of incense, by which acts of adoration are meant, 9475. Therefore it also says that he debases himself even to hell.

[8]From these considerations it becomes clear that 'a minchah', which consisted of bread, and 'a drink offering', which consisted of wine, mean things such as belong to the Church and to heaven, namely heavenly food and drink, in the same way as the bread and wine in the Holy Supper do - for the reason given above, that heaven may join itself to a person through the Word, consequently that the Lord may do so through heaven by means of the Word. Since the Divine presence in the Word consists in such things it nourishes the minds not only of people in the world but also of angels and causes heaven and the world to be one.

[9] From this it also becomes clear that all the things without exception which have been stated and commanded in the Word regarding the minchah and drink offering, or bread and wine, contain Divine arcana within them. This is so for example with the requirement that a minchah should consist of fine flour which had oil and also frankincense on it, that it should be altogether salted, and that it should be unleavened or without yeast. Then there is the requirement that there was to be one set of proportions for the mixture when a lamb was sacrificed, another when it was a ram, another when it was a young bull, and yet another in guilt- and sin-sacrifices, while the proportions in other sacrifices were different again. The proportion of wine in the drink offering varied in a similar way. Unless these specific requirements had embodied the arcana of heaven no such things would ever have been commanded in connection with the various forms of worship.

[10] To enable these different requirements to be seen alongside one another, let them be set out here in their own order, as contained in the eucharistic sacrifices and burnt offerings, in Numbers 15:4-12; 28:9-12, 20-21, 28-29; 29:3-4, 9-10, 14-15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 37,

For each lamb there was a minchah consisting of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil; and the wine for the drink offering was a quarter of a hin.

For each ram there was a minchah consisting of two tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour, and a third of a hin of oil; and a third of a hin of wine for the drink offering.

For each young bull there was a minchah consisting of three tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil, a half of a hin; and half of a hin of wine for the drink offering.

The reason why the proportions of fine flour, oil, and wine for a lamb should be different from those for a ram or for a young bull was that a lamb meant the inmost good of innocence, a ram the middle good of innocence, and a young bull the lowest or external good of innocence. For there are three heavens - the inmost, the middle, and the lowest - and therefore also there are three degrees of the good of innocence. The increase of it from first to last is meant by the increase in the proportions of fine flour, oil, and wine. It should be remembered that the good of innocence is the very soul of heaven, because that good alone is the recipient of the love, charity, and faith which constitute the heavens.

'A lamb' means the inmost good of innocence, see 3994, 10132.

'A ram' means the middle or interior good of innocence, 10042.

'A young bull' means the lowest or external good of innocence, 9391, 9990.

[11] In sacrifices for thanksgiving (confessio) however there was a minchah consisting of unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, cakes made of fried flour and mixed with oil, and in addition leavened bread cakes, Leviticus 7:11-12; and in guilt- and sin-sacrifices there was a minchah consisting of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, but without oil or frankincense on top of it, Leviticus 5:11. The reason why no oil or frankincense should be put on top of the minchah composing a sin- or guilt-sacrifice was that 'oil' is a sign of the good of love and 'frankincense' a sign of the truth which goes with that good, and a sin- or a guilt-sacrifice is a sign of purification and expiation from evils and the falsities arising from them, which therefore were not to be mingled with good or the truth springing from it.

[12] In addition to these there were the minchah of Aaron and his sons on the day they were going to be anointed, see Leviticus 6:20-22; the minchah of the firstfruits of the harvest, Leviticus 2:14-15; 23:10, 12-13, 17; the minchah of the Nazirite, Numbers 6:13-21]; the minchah of jealousy, Numbers 5:11-31]; the minchah of one cleansed from leprosy, Leviticus 14:1-32]; and also the minchah baked in an oven, the minchah prepared in a pan, and the minchah cooked in a pot, Leviticus 2:4-7. There was was to be no yeast in a minchah, nor any honey; and the minchah had to be fully salted, Leviticus 2:11, 13. The reason why there should be no yeast in a minchah, nor any honey, was that in the spiritual sense 'yeast' means falsity arising from evil, and 'honey' external delight very much mixed with the delight belonging to love of the world, which also causes fermentation in heavenly forms of good and truths and subsequent disintegration of them. And the reason why they should be fully salted was that 'salt' was a sign of truth desiring good and so joining the two together.

'Yeast' means falsity arising from evil, see 2342, 7906, 8051, 9992.

'Honey' means external delight, thus such delight belonging to love in both senses, 5620.

'Salt' means truth desiring good, 9207.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, you have caused a gift to go up/ascend

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