The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms # 154
154. Internal Meaning of Ezekiel, Chapter 31
1-2 Of the natural man who is in knowledges [scientifica]. (11, 4)
3-9 In the Ancient Church a rational flourished that was derived from knowledges [scientifica] of every kind, through their confirming, by means of these, the Divine things of the church; and from this source they had spiritual intelligence. (11, 7)
10-13 The pride of self-intelligence, from which comes a trust in learning, has wholly cast them down from intelligence, and has deprived them of all the truths of the church. (3, 3)
14 They are cast into hell, that they may no longer destroy. (3, 15)
15-18 There they are shut up, lest, while continuing in their falsifications, they should spread their falsities abroad. (3, 15, 15)
Ezekiel 31:3-9
3
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
4
The waters nourished it, the deep made it to grow: its rivers ran all around its plantation; and it sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
5
Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it shot [them] forth.
6
All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs; and under its branches did all the animals of the field bring forth their young; and under its shadow lived all great nations.
7
Thus was it beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters.
8
The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; the fir trees were not like its boughs, and the plane trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty.
9
I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.
