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Tredje Mosebog 23

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1 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

2 Tal til Israeliterne og sig til dem: Hvad angår HE ENs Festtider, hvilke I skal udråbe som Højtidsstævner, da er mine Festtider følgende:

3 I seks Dage skal der arbejdes, men den syvende Dag skal være en fuldkommen Hviledag med Højtidsstævne; I må intet Arbejde gøre, det er Sabbat for HE EN, overalt hvor I bor.

4 Følgende er HE ENs Festtider med Højtidsstævner, som I skal udråbe, hver til sin Tid:

5 På den fjortende Dag i den første Måned ved Aftenstid er det Påske for HE EN.

6 På den femtende Dag i samme Måned er det de usyrede Brøds Højtid for HE EN; i syv Dage skal I spise usyret Brød.

7 På den første Dag skal I bolde Højtidsstævne, I må intet Arbejde gøre.

8 I skal bringe HE EN Ildoffer i syv Dage. På den syvende Dag skal der holdes Højtidsstævne, I må intet Arbejde gøre.

9 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

10 Tal til Israeliterne og sig til dem: Når I kommer til det Land, jeg vil give eder, og høster dets Høst, skal I bringe Præsten Førstegrødeneget af eders Høst.

11 Han skal udføre Svingningen med Neget for HE ENs Åsyn for at vinde eder Guds Velbehag; Dagen efter Sabbaten skal Præsten udføre Svingningen dermed.

12 Og på den Dag I udfører Svingningen med Neget, skal I ofre et lydefrit, årgammelt Lam som Brændoffer til HE EN,

13 og der skal høre to Tiendedele Eta fint Hvedemel, rørt i Olie, dertil som Afgrødeoffer, et Ildoffer for HE EN til en liflig Duft, og ligeledes en Fjerdedel Hin Vin som Drikoffer.

14 Brød, ristede Aks eller nyhøstet Horn må I ikke spise før denne Dag, før I har frembåret eders Guds Offergave. Det skal være eder en evig gyldig Anordning fra Slægt til Slægt, overalt hvor I bor.

15 Så skal I fra Dagen efter Sabbaten, fra den dag I bringer Svingningsneget, tælle syv Uger frem - det skal være hele Uger -

16 til Dagen efter den syvende Sabbat, I skal tælle halvtredsinds tyve bage frem; da skal I frembære et nyt Afgrødeoffer for HE EN.

17 Fra eders Boliger skal I bringe Svingningsbrød, to Brød, som skal laves af to Tiendedele Efa fint Hvedemel og bages syrede, en Førstegrødegave til HE EN.

18 Og foruden Brødet skal I bringe syv lydefri, årgamle Lam, en ung Tyr og to Vædre, de skal være til Brændoffer for HE en med tilhørende Afgrødeoffer og Drikoffer, et Ildoffer for HE en til en liflig Duft.

19 Og I skal ofre en Gedebuk som Syndoffer og to årgamle Lam som Takoffer.

20 Og Præsten skal udføre Svingningen med dem, med de to Lam, for HE ENs Åsyn sammen med Førstegrødebrødet, de skal være HE EN helligede og tilfalde Præsten.

21 På denne Dag skal I udråbe og holde et Højtidsstævne; I må intet Arbejde gøre. Det skal være eder en evig gyldig Anordning, overalt hvor I bor, fra Slægt til Slægt.

22 Når I høster eders Lands Høst, må du ikke høste helt hen til Kanten af din Mark, ej heller må du sanke Efterslætten efter din Høst; til den fattige og den fremmede skal du lade det blive tilbage. Jeg er HE EN eders Gud!

23 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

24 Tal til Israeliterne og sig: Den første dag i den syvende Måned skal I holde Hviledag med Hornblæsning til Ihukommelse og med Højtidsstævne;

25 I må intet Arbejde gøre, og I skal bringe HE EN Ildofre.

26 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

27 På den tiende Dag i samme syvende Måned falder Forsoningsdagen; da skal I holde Højtidsstævne, faste og bringe HE EN Ildofre;

28 I må intet Arbejde gøre på denne Dag, thi det er Forsoningsdagen, den skal skaffe eder Soning for HE EN eders Guds Åsyn.

29 Thi enhver, som ikke faster på denne Dag, skal udryddes af sin Slægt;

30 og enhver, der gør noget som helst Arbejde på denne Dag, det Menneske vil jeg udslette af hans Folk.

31 I må intet Arbejde gøre. Det skal være eder en evig Anordning fra Slægt til Slægt, overalt hvor I bor.

32 Den skal være eder en fuldkommen Hviledag, og I skal faste; på den niende Dag i Måneden om Aftenen, fra denne Aften til næste Aften skal I holde eders Hviledag.

33 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

34 Tal til Israeliterne og sig: Den femtende Dag i samme syvende Måned skal Løvhyttefesten fejres, den skal fejres i syv Dage for HE EN.

35 På den første Dag skal der holdes Højtidsstævne, I må intet Arbejde gøre.

36 Syv dage skal I bringe HE EN Ildofre; og på den ottende Dag skal I holde Højtidsstævne og bringe HE EN Ildofre; det er festlig Samling, I må intet Arbejde gøre.

37 Det er HE ENs Festtider, hvilke I skal udråbe som Højtids stævner, ved hvilke der skal bringes HE EN Ildofre, Brændofre og Afgrødeofre, Slagtofre og drikofre, hver Dag de for den bestemte Ofre,

38 foruden HE ENs Sabbater og foruden eders Gaver og alle eders Løfteofre og alle eders Frivilligofre, som I giver HE EN.

39 Men den femtende Dag i den syvende Måned, når I har indsamlet Landets Afgrøde, skal I fejre HE ENs Højtid, og den skal fejres i syv Dage. På den første Dag skal der holdes Hviledag, og på den ottende Dag skal der holdes Hviledag.

40 Den første Dag skal I tage eder smukke Træfrugter, Palmegrene og Kviste af Løvtræer og Vidjer fra Bækkene og i syv Dage være glade for HE EN eders Guds Åsyn.

41 I skal fejre den som en Højtid for HE EN syv Dage om Året; det skal være eder en evig gyldig Anordning fra Slægt til Slægt; i den syvende Måned skal I fejre den.

42 I skal bo i Løvhytter i syv Dage, alle indfødte i Israel skal bo i Løvhytter,

43 for at eders Efterkommere kan vide, at jeg lod Israeliterne bo i Løvhytter, da jeg førte dem ud af Ægypten. Jeg er HE EN eders Gud!

44 Og Moses kundgjorde Israeliterne HE ENs Festtider.

   


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Apocalypse Explained # 1153

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1153. And fine flour and wheat.- That these signify worship from truths and goods that are from a spiritual origin, profaned, is evident from the signification of fine flour, which denotes truth from a spiritual origin, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of wheat, which denotes good from a spiritual origin (concerning which see above, n. 374, 375). The reason why these things also signify worship is, that the meat offering, which, together with the sacrifices, was offered up upon the altar, was composed of them, similarly the wine and oil; for the meat offerings were prepared with oil, and the drink offerings with wine. On account of the gathering in of these things, festivals also were instituted in which they rejoiced on account of their produce. Fine flour signifies truth from spiritual good, because it is prepared from wheat, which signifies spiritual good, as truth is derived from good.

[2] Since this truth of the church was signified by fine flour, therefore the quantity to be used in the cakes that were called the meat offerings and were offered with the sacrifices upon the altar, was prescribed (concerning which see Exodus 29:5-7, 13; Numbers 18, 28, 29). Similarly the quantity of fine flour in the cakes of proposition, or shew-bread, was prescribed (Leviticus 23:17; chap. 24:5), for it was commanded, that "the meat offering which was to be offered upon the altar should be prepared from fine flour, and oil and frankincense poured thereon" (Leviticus 2:1). On account of this signification of fine flour, when Abraham spoke with the three angels, he said to Sarah his wife, "Hasten and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes" (Genesis 18:6).

[3] Fine flour also signifies the truth of good from a spiritual origin in Ezekiel:

"Fine flour, honey, and oil hast thou eaten, whence thou art become exceeding beautiful, and hast prospered unto a kingdom. My bread which I gave thee, fine flour, honey, and oil, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast set before" idols "for an odour of rest" (16:13, 19).

This treats of Jerusalem, by which the church as to doctrine is signified; and in that chapter its quality at its beginning is described, and what it became afterwards. Fine flour and oil signify truth and good from a spiritual origin, while honey signifies good from a natural origin. By becoming exceedingly beautiful is signified to become intelligent and wise; by prospering unto a kingdom is signified even to become a church, a kingdom signifying a church. By setting those things before idols for an odour of rest, is signified the idolatrous worship into which the true worship of the church was afterwards converted.

[4] By the meal of barley, however, truth from a natural origin is signified, for barley signifies natural good just as wheat signifies spiritual good.

Thus in Isaiah,

"Take thee a mill-stone and grind flour, make thyself bare" (47:2).

This refers to Babel. By taking a millstone and grinding flour is signified to falsify the truths of the Word, and by making herself bare or naked is signified to adulterate the goods of the Word.

In Hosea,

"They sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind; he hath no standing corn, the blade shall yield no meal, and if it do yield, strangers shall devour it" (8:7).

Here also meal (farina) signifies truth from a natural origin.

[5] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- The fifth law of the Divine Providence is, That man should not know from feeling and perception in himself how good and truth from the Lord enter by influx, and how evil and falsity enter by influx from hell; nor see how the Divine Providence operates in favour of good against evil; for in such case man would not act as of himself from freedom according to reason. It is sufficient for him to know and acknowledge these things from the Word, and from the doctrine of the church. This is meant by the Lord's words in John:

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (3:8);

and also by these words in Mark:

"The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed upon the earth, and should sleep and rise night and day; but the seed springeth up and groweth he knoweth not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, at length the full corn in the ear; and when the fruit is brought forth, he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come" (4:26-29).

The reason why man does not perceive the operation of the Divine Providence in himself is, that such perception would take away his freedom, and consequently the power of thinking as if from himself, and with it also all the enjoyment of life, so that a man would be like, an automaton, in which there is no power of reciprocation as means by which conjunction is effected; and he would also be a slave, and not a free man.

[6] The reason why Divine Providence moves so secretly, that scarcely any vestige of it appears, although it operates in the most minute things of man's thought and will that regard his eternal state, is, that the Lord continually desires to impress His love on him, and His wisdom by means of it, and thus to create him into His image. The Lord, therefore, acts upon man's love, and from it upon his understanding, and not from his understanding upon his love. Love together with its affections, which are manifold and innumerable, is not perceived by man except by a most general feeling, and consequently in so small a degree as scarcely to amount to anything; and yet man is to be led from one affection of his loves into another, according to the connection in which they are from order, so that he may be reformed and saved, which is incomprehensible, not only to men, but also to the angels.

[7] If man knew any thing of these secret operations (arcana) he could not be withdrawn from leading himself, even though it were continually from heaven into hell, notwithstanding that he is constantly led by the Lord from hell towards heaven; for from himself he constantly acts in opposition to order, but the Lord constantly acts according to it. For, in consequence of the nature derived from his parents, man is in the love of himself, and in the love of the world, and consequently from a feeling of delight he perceives the whole of these loves as good; and still those loves as ends must be removed. This is effected by the Lord by an infinity of ways which appear like labyrinths, even before the angels of the third heaven.

[8] From these considerations it is evident, that it would be of no advantage to a man to know any thing of this from feeling and perception, but that on the contrary it would be hurtful to him, and would destroy him for ever. It is sufficient for him to be acquainted with truths, and by means of them with the nature of good and evil, and to acknowledge the Lord and His Divine government in every thing; then so far as he knows truths, and by means of them sees what good and evil are, and does truths as if from himself, so far the Lord, by love, introduces him into wisdom and the love of wisdom, conjoining wisdom with love, and making them one because they are one in Himself. The ways by which the Lord leads man may be compared with the vessels through which his blood flows and circulates; and also with the fibres and their foldings within and without the viscera of the body, especially in the brain, through which the animal spirit (spiritus animalis) flows and imparts life.

[9] Man is not aware how all these things enter by influx and flow through him; and yet he lives, provided he knows and does what is conducive to his well being. But the ways by which the Lord leads him are much more complicated and intricate, both those by which He leads man through the societies of hell, and away from them, and those by which He leads man through the societies of heaven, and interiorly into them. This, therefore, is what is meant by the words: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth" (John 3), also, by the seed springing up and growing, a man knowing not how (Mark 4:27). Of what importance is it for a man to know how the seed grows, provided he knows how to plough the earth, to harrow it, to sow the seed, and when he reaps the harvest, to bless God?

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.