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Numre 8

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1 Og HE EN talede til Moses og sagde:

2 Tal til Aron og sig til ham: Når du sætter Lamperne på, skal du sætte dem således, at de syv Lamper kaster Lyset ud over Pladsen foran Lysestagen!

3 Det gjorde Aron så; han satte Lamperne på således, at de vendte ud mod Pladsen foran Lysestagen, som HE EN havde pålagt Moses.

4 Men Lysestagen var lavet af Guld i drevet Arbejde, fra Foden til Kronerne var den drevet Arbejde; efter det Forbillede, HE EN havde vist ham, havde Moses lavet Lysestagen.

5 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

6 Udtag Leviterne af Israelitternes Midte og rens dem!

7 Således skal du gå frem, når du renser dem: Stænk enselsesvand på dem og lad dem gå hele deres Legeme over med agekniv, tvætte deres klæder og rense sig.

8 Derpå skal de tage en ung Tyr til Brændoffer med tilhørende Afgrødeoffer af fint Hvedemel, rørt i Olie, og du skal tage en anden ung Tyr til Syndoffer.

9 Lad så Leviterne træde hen foran Åbenbaringsteltet og kald hele Israelitternes Menighed sammen.

10 Når du så har ladet Leviterne træde frem for HE ENs Åsyn, skal Israeliterne lægge deres Hænder på Leviterne.

11 Derpå skal Aron udføre Svingningen med Leviterne for HE ENs Åsyn som et Offer fra Israeliterne, for at de kan udføre HE ENs Arbejde.

12 Så skal Leviterne lægge deres Hænder på Tyrenes Hoved, og derefter skal du ofre den ene som Syndoffer og den anden som Brændoffer til HE EN for at skaffe Leviterne Soning.

13 Derpå skal du stille Leviterne frem for Aron og hans Sønner og udføre Svingningen med dem for HE EN.

14 Således skal du udskille Leviterne fra Israeliterne, så at Leviterne kommer til at tilhøre mig.

15 Derefter skal Leviterne komme og gøre Arbejde ved Åbenbaringsteltet; du skal foretage enselsen og udføre Svingningen med dem,

16 thi de er skænket mig som Gave af Israelitternes Midte; i Stedet for alt hvad der åbner Moders Liv, alle førstefødte hos Israeliterne, har jeg taget mig dem til Ejendom.

17 Thi mig tilhører alt det førstefødte hos Israeliterne, både af Mennesker og Kvæg. Dengang jeg slog alle de førstefødte i Ægypten, helligede jeg dem til at være min Ejendom.

18 Jeg tog Leviterne i Stedet for alt det førstefødte hos Israeliterne

19 og skænkede Leviterne som Gave til Aron og hans Sønner af Israelitternes Midte til at udføre Israelitternes Arbejde ved Åbenbaringsteltet og skaffe Israeliterne Soning, for at ingen Plage skal ramme Israeliterne, om de selv nærmer sig Helligdommen.

20 Og Moses, Aron og hele Israelitternes Menighed gjorde således med Leviterne; ganske som HE EN havde pålagt Moses med Hensyn til Leviterne, gjorde Israeliterne med dem.

21 Leviterne lod sig rense for Synd og tvættede deres Klæder, og Aron udførte Svingningen med dem for HE ENs Åsyn, og Aron skaffede dem Soning, så de blev rene.

22 Derpå kom Leviterne for at udføre deres Arbejde ved Åbenbaringsteltet under Arons og hans Sønners Tilsyn; som HE EN havde pålagt Moses med Hensyn til Leviterne, således gjorde de med dem.

23 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

24 Dette er, hvad der gælder Leviterne: Fra Femogtyveårsalderen og opefter skal de komme og gøre Tjeneste med Arbejdet ved Åbenbaringsteltet.

25 Men fra Halvtredsårsalderen skal de holde op med at gøre Tjeneste og ikke arbejde mere;

26 de kan gå deres Brødre til Hånde i Åbenbaringsteltet med at tage Vare på, hvad der skal varetages; men Arbejde skal de ikke mere gøre. Således skal du gøre med Leviterne i alt, hvad de har at varetage.

   


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Apocalypse Explained # 28

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28. The first-born from the dead. That this signifies from whom is all good in heaven, is evident from the signification of first-born, when said of the Lord, as denoting the Divine good in heaven, thus all good there. The reason why this is signified by first-born, is, because by generations, in general and in particular, are signified spiritual generations, which are those of good and truth, or of love and faith. Therefore, by father, mother, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, and sons' sons, are signified the goods and truths which generate, and which are generated, in their order (Arcana Coelestia 10490). For in heaven there are no other nativities; and, this being the case, by first-born is not meant first-born, but the good of heaven and the church, because this is in the chief place. Now, because all good in heaven exists from the Lord, therefore He is called the First-born.

[2] The reason why He is called the first-born from the dead, is because, when He rose from the dead, He made His Human Divine Good by union with the Divine which was in Him from conception. This is why He is called the first-born from the dead; and why He says of Himself in David,

"I will make him the first-born, higher than the kings of the earth" (Psalm 89:27).

What is meant by His being higher than the kings of the earth, will be seen in the subsequent article. (That the Lord, when He departed out of the world, made His Human Divine Good, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3194, 3210, 6864, 7499, 8724, 9199, 10076, thus that He came forth from the Father and returned to the Father, n. 3194, 3210; and that after the union, the Divine truth, which is the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, goes forth from Him, n. 3704, 3712, 3969, 4577, 5704, 7499, 8127, 8241, 9199, 9398, 9407. But this mystery may be seen more fully explained in the small work, The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-295; and in the passages from Arcana Coelestia there cited, n. 303-305.)

Since the Lord as to His Divine Human is called the first-born, because all good goes forth from Him, therefore all the first-born in the Israelitish church were holy to Jehovah; and therefore also the Levites were taken in the place of all the first-born in Israel. For by the sons of Levi were represented those of the church who are in the good of charity. On this account, also, a double portion of the inheritance fell to the first-born. All this, because the first-born signified good from the Lord, and, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself as to the Divine Human, from which all good comes; for all the things commanded in the Israelitish church were representative of spiritual and celestial Divine things.

[3] That all the first-born in the Israelitish church were holy to Jehovah is evident from Moses, in the following passages:

"Sanctify unto me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the sons of Israel, in man and in beast; it is mine" (Exodus 13:2).

"Thou shalt cause to pass over unto Jehovah all that openeth the womb, and every firstling that cometh of a beast as many as thou hast, the males shall be Jehovah's" (13:12).

"Thou shalt not delay the first fruits of thy produce, and the first fruits of thy wine; the first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen and with thy sheep; seven days it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. And ye shall be men of holiness unto me" (Exodus 22:29-31).

The reason why they were to give also the first-born of beasts, was, because these also were representative; on which account, also, they were made use of in burnt-offerings and sacrifices. (What the various beasts in these services represented, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1823, 3519, 9280, 10042.) The Levites were accepted in place of all the first-born in Israel (concerning which, see Numbers 3:12, 13, 41, 45; 8:15-19), because, as observed above, the sons of Levi represented, and thence signified, the good of charity, and Levi, in the highest sense, represented the Lord as to that good (as may be seen, n. 3875, 3877, 4497, 4502, 4503, 10017). The reason why a double portion of the inheritance fell to the first-born (Deuteronomy 21:17), was, because a double portion signified the good of love (n. 720, 1686, 5194, 8423).

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