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Exodus 29

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1 And thou shalt also do this, that they may be consecrated to me in priesthood. Take a calf from the herd, and two rams without blemish,

2 And unleavened bread, and a cake without leaven, tempered with oil, wafers also unleavened anointed with oil: thou shalt make them all of wheaten flour.

3 And thou shalt put them in a basket and offer them: and the calf and the two rams.

4 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. And when thou hast washed the father and his sons with water,

5 Thou shalt clothe Aaron with his vestments, that is, with the linen garment and the tunick, and the ephod and the rational, which thou shalt gird with the girdle.

6 And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and the holy plate upon the mitre,

7 And thou shalt pour the oil of unction upon his head: and by this rite shall he be consecrated.

8 Thou shalt bring his sons also and shalt put on them the linen tunicks, and gird them with a girdle:

9 To wit, Aaron and his children, and thou shalt put mitres upon them: and they shall be priests to me by a perpetual ordinance. After thou shalt have consecrated their hands,

10 Thou shalt present also the calf before the tabernacle of the testimony. And Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon his head,

11 And thou shalt kill him in the sight of the Lord, beside the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.

12 And taking some of the blood of the calf, thou shalt put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and the rest of the blood thou shalt pour at the bottom thereof.

13 Thou shalt take also all the fat that covereth the entrails, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and shalt offer a burnt offering upon the altar:

14 But the flesh of the calf and the hide and the dung, thou shalt burn abroad, without the camp, because it is for sin.

15 Thou shalt take also one ram upon the head whereof Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands.

16 And when thou hast killed him, thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and pour round about the altar:

17 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and having washed his entrails and feet, thou shalt put them upon the flesh that is cut in pieces, and upon his head.

18 And thou shalt offer the whole ram for a burnt offering upon the altar: it is an oblation to the Lord, a most sweet savour of the victim of the Lord.

19 Thou shalt take also the other ram, upon whose head Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands.

20 And when thou hast sacrificed him, thou shalt take of his blood, and put upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron and of his sons, and upon the thumbs and great toes of their right hand and foot, and thou shalt pour the blood upon the altar round about.

21 And when thou hast taken of the blood, that is upon the altar, and of the oil of unction, thou shalt sprinkle Aaron and his vesture, his sons and their vestments. And after they and their vestments are consecrated,

22 Thou shalt take the fat of the ram, and the rump, and the fat that covereth the lungs, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder, because it is the ram of consecration.

23 And one roll of bread, a cake tempered with oil, a wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread, which is set in the sight of the Lord.

24 And thou shalt put all upon the hands of Aaron and of his sons, and shalt sanctify them elevating before the Lord.

25 And thou shalt take all from their hands, and shalt burn them upon the altar for a holocaust, a most sweet savour in the sight of the Lord, because it is his oblation.

26 Thou shalt take also the breast of the ram, wherewith Aaron was consecrated, and elevating it thou shalt sanctify it before the Lord, and it shall fall to thy share.

27 And thou shalt sanctify both the consecrated breast, and the shoulder that thou didst separate of the ram,

28 Wherewith Aaron was consecrated and his sons, and they shall fall to Aaron's share and his sons' by a perpetual right from the children of Israel: because they are the choicest and the beginnings of their peace victims which they offer to the Lord.

29 And the holy vesture, which Aaron shall use, his sons shall have after him, that they may be anointed, and their hands consecrated to it.

30 He of his sons that shall be appointed high priest in his stead, and that shall enter into the tabernacle of the testimony to minister in the sanctuary, shall wear it seven days.

31 And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and shalt boil the flesh thereof in the holy place:

32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat it. The loaves also, that are in the basket, they shall eat in the entry of the tabernacle of the testimony,

33 That it may be an atoning sacrifice, and the hands of the offerers may be sanctified. A stranger shall not eat of them, because they are holy.

34 And if there remain of the consecrated flash, or of the bread till the morning, thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: they shall not be eaten, because they are sanctified.

35 All that I have commanded thee, thou shalt do unto Aaron and his sons. Seven days shalt thou consecrate their hands:

36 And thou shalt offer a calf for sin every day for expiation. And thou shalt cleanse the altar when thou hast offered the victim of expiation, and shalt anoint it to sanctify it.

37 Seven days shalt thou expiate the altar and sanctify it, and it shall be most holy. Every one that shall touch it shall be holy.

38 This is what thou shalt sacrifice upon the altar: Two lambs of a year old every day continually.

39 One lamb in the morning and another in the evening.

40 With one lamb a tenth part of flour tempered with beaten oil, of the fourth part of a hin, and wine for libation of the same measure.

41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer in the evening, according to the rite of the morning oblation, and according to what we have said, for a savour of sweetness:

42 It is a sacrifice to the Lord, by perpetual oblation unto your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony before the Lord, where I will appoint to speak unto thee.

43 And there will I command the children of Israel, and the altar shall be sanctified by my glory.

44 I will sanctify also the tabernacle of the testimony with the altar, and Aaron with his sons, to do the office of priesthood unto me.

45 And I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel, and will be their God:

46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who have brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might abide among them, I the Lord their God.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 314

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314. A Lamb standing, signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human. This is evident from the signification of "lamb," as being, in reference to the Lord, Himself in respect to the Divine Human. The Lord in respect to the Divine Human is called a "lamb" because a "lamb" signifies the good of innocence, and the good of innocence is the good itself of heaven proceeding from the Lord; and so far as angels receive this good, so far they are angels. This good reigns with angels that are in the third or inmost heaven; for this reason those in that heaven appear as infants before the eyes of other angels. (What the good of innocence is, and that the angels of heaven are in that good, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, in the chapter treating of The State of Innocence of the Angels of Heaven, n. 276-283, also n. 285, 288, 341, 382.) It is believed in the world that the Lord is called "a Lamb" for the reason that the continual burnt-offering, or what was offered every day, evening and morning, was from lambs, and especially on the Passover days, when a lamb was also eaten; and that the Lord suffered Himself to be sacrificed. Such a reason for His being so called may do for those in the world who do not think beyond the sense of the letter of the Word; but nothing of this kind is perceived in heaven when the term "lamb" is predicated of the Lord; but when "lamb" is mentioned, or is read in the Word, the angels, because they are all in the spiritual sense of the Word, perceive the good of innocence; and when the Lord is so called, they perceive His Divine Human, and at the same time the good of innocence that is from Him. I know that this will with difficulty be believed, but yet it is true.

[2] That "lamb" in the Word signifies the good of innocence, and in reference to the Lord Himself, "lamb" signifies His Divine Human, can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Behold, the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs into His arm, and shall carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead the sucklings (Isaiah 40:10-11).

This treats of the Lord's coming; the "flock that He shall feed as a shepherd," signify those who are in the good of charity; and the "lambs that He shall gather into His arm," signify those who are in love to Him. It is this love that, viewed in itself, is innocence; therefore all who are in it are in the heaven of innocence, which is the third heaven; and as this love is signified by lambs, it is also said, "He shall gently lead the sucklings." "Sucklings" and "infants" in the Word mean those who are in innocence (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 277, 280, 329-345).

[3] In the same:

The wolf shall sojourn with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little boy shall lead them; and the heifer and the bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together; the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the basilisk's den (Isaiah 11:6-8).

These things are said of the Lord's coming and of His kingdom, also of those therein who are in the good of innocence, that they shall have nothing to fear from the hells and the evils therefrom, because they are protected by the Lord. The Lord's kingdom is here described by innocences of various kinds, and by their opposites from which they shall be protected; a "lamb" means innocence of the inmost degree, its opposite is the "wolf;" a "kid" means innocence of the second degree, the opposite of which is the "leopard;" a "calf" means innocence of the last degree, the opposite of which is the "young lion." (That "lamb," "ram," or "sheep," and "calf," signify three degrees of innocence, see Arcana Coelestia 10132.) Innocence of the inmost degree is such as belongs to those who are in the third or inmost heaven, and its good is called celestial good; innocence of the second degree is such as belongs to those who are in the second or middle heaven, and its good is called spiritual good; and innocence of the last degree is such as belongs to those who are in the first or the last heaven, and its good is called spiritual-natural good. (That all who are in the heavens are in some good of innocence, see Arcana Coelestia 4797.) Because the goods of innocence are described by the animals above named, it is said further "and a little boy shall lead them," also, "the suckling shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put forth his hand on the basilisk's den." These degrees of innocence are signified also by "boy," "suckling," and "weaned child." (That "boy" has this signification, see Arcana Coelestia 430, 5236; that "suckling," or infant of the first age, and "weaned child," or infant of the second age, have these significations see n. 3183 4563, 5608, 6740, 6745)

[4] Because a "lamb" signifies innocence, or those who are innocent, and a "wolf" those who are against innocence, it is said in like manner in another place in the same prophet:

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; they shall not do evil in the whole mountain of holiness (Isaiah 65:25);

"the mountain of holiness" is heaven, especially the inmost heaven. Therefore the Lord said to the seventy whom He sent forth:

I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3).

[5] Because "lambs" signify those who are in the love to the Lord, which love is one with innocence, and because "sheep" signify those who are in love towards the neighbor, which love is charity, the Lord said to Peter:

Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto Him, Feed My lambs; and afterwards, Feed My sheep (John 21:15-17).

These things were said to Peter, because by "Peter" truth from good, or faith from charity was meant, and truth from good teaches; "to feed" meaning to teach.

[6] In Ezekiel:

Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of thy hand, in lambs, rams, and goats (Ezekiel 27:21).

This is said of Tyre, by which those who are in the knowledges of truth and good are meant. "Arabia" and "the princes of Kedar," who are "the merchants of her hand," signify those who are in truths and goods from knowledges; "merchants" signify those who communicate and teach these; "lambs, rams, and goats," signify three degrees of the good of innocence, the same as "lambs, rams, and calves." (That these signify the three degrees of the good of innocence, see Arcana Coelestia 10042, 10132)

[7] In like manner in Moses:

He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed him with the increase of the fields; he made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock; butter of the herd and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou drinkest the pure blood of the grape (Deuteronomy 32:13-14).

These things are said of the establishment of the Ancient Church, which was the first church after the flood, and all these things describe its various kinds of good; but as scarcely anyone will understand them without explanation, I will briefly explain them. "To ride on the high places of the earth" signifies that the intelligence of those who were of that church was interior; "He fed him with the increase of the fields" signifies that they were instructed in all truth and good; "He made him to suck honey out of the cliff" signifies that they had natural good by means of truths; "oil out of the flint of the rock" signifies that they had spiritual good also by means of truths; "honey" and "oil" signifying those goods, and "cliff," "rock," and "hard rock," signifying truths; "butter of the herd, and milk of the flock," signify the internal and the external good of truth; "the fat of lambs, of the rams of Bashan, and of goats," signifies the goods of innocence of the three degrees (as above); "the fat of the kidneys of wheat" and "the blood of the grape" signify genuine good and genuine truth therefrom.

[8] In Isaiah:

The sword of Jehovah shall be filled with blood; it shall be made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and of he-goats, and with the fat of the kidneys of rams (Isaiah 34:6).

Here, too, "lambs, rams, and goats," signify the three degrees of the good of innocence (of which above); but here their destruction by the falsities of evil is treated of; for "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth and good; the "blood" with which it shall be filled signifies destruction.

[9] Since a "lamb" signifies innocence, which, viewed in itself, is love to the Lord, a "lamb," in the highest sense, signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, for in respect to this, the Lord was innocence itself; as may be seen in the following passages. In Isaiah:

He endured persecution and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is led as a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7).

Send ye the lamb of the ruler of the land from the cliff toward the wilderness unto the Mount of the daughter of Zion (Isaiah 16:1).

In John:

John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. And afterwards, seeing Jesus walking, he said, Behold the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36).

And in Revelation:

The Lamb in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters (Revelation 7:17).

They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of the testimony (Revelation 12:11;

besides also elsewhere in Revelation (as Revelation 13:8; 14:1, 4; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:22-23; 22:1, 3).

[10] Since "burnt-offerings and sacrifices" signified all representative worship from the good of love and from the truths thence, "burnt-offerings" worship from the good of love, and "sacrifices" in a special sense worship from the truths thence, so:

Every day, evening and morning, there was a burnt-offering of lambs (Exodus 29:38-43; Numbers 28:1-9);

Every sabbath, of two lambs, besides the continual burnt-offering of them (Numbers 28:9-10);

In the beginnings of the months, of seven lambs (Numbers 28:11-15);

Likewise on the day of the firstfruits (Numbers 28:26 to end);

Likewise in the seventh month, when there was a holy convocation (Numbers 29:1-7);

Likewise, namely of seven lambs on each day of the passover, besides two young bullocks, one ram, and one goat (Numbers 28:16-24).

The burnt-offering was of "seven lambs" because "seven" signifies all and fullness, and it is predicated of what is holy, and because "burnt-offerings" in general signified worship of the Lord from the good of love, and the good of love to the Lord from the Lord is the good itself of innocence; and "lamb" in the highest sense signified the Lord in respect to the Divine Human. (That "burnt-offerings" signified all worship from the good of love to the Lord from the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042) On account of this representation there was also instituted:

The supper of the passover of lambs or kids (Exodus 12:1-29);

for "the feast of the passover" represented the glorification of the Lord's Human (See Arcana Coelestia 10655). Because "infants" signified innocence, it was also commanded that:

After birth, on the day of purification, they should sacrifice a lamb, a young pigeon, or a turtle dove; or, instead of a lamb, two young pigeons or two turtle doves (Leviticus 12:6, 8);

"young pigeons" and "turtle doves" signifying the like as "lambs," namely, innocence.

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